Mission Field Now Stories | Alaciel & Patricia

Today, we share the stories of Alaciel and Patricia.
Two women. Two different journeys. One faithful Word at work.

Both Alaciel and Patricia are part of the Spanish Bible Study at Trinity Lutheran Church, a ministry that began on July 16, 2025. This study was born out of a shared initiative and long-held prayer—led by Pastor Rick Stark, Trinity member Gloria Rivera, Deaconess intern Karen Swift, and the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego.

For years, Spanish ministry had been a quiet but persistent dream at Trinity. The church sits in the heart of Southeast San Diego, surrounded by Spanish-speaking immigrants, families, and neighbors—many with little or no connection to a church, yet deeply shaped by faith questions, wounds, and longing. After a season of prayerful discernment and careful planning, that dream finally took shape. On Wednesday evenings, the doors were opened, the Scriptures were read, and a new ministry was launched.

The very first two participants were Alaciel and Patricia.

Alaciel comes to the group carrying questions—and doubt.

She arrives full of curiosity, but also controversy, obstacles, and real struggles with the Christian faith. She is not yet sure what she believes. She wonders if she understands enough, if she truly belongs, if faith is really meant for someone like her. She asks hard questions. She voices hesitation. She names the barriers she feels—intellectual, emotional, and spiritual.

And she is welcomed.

Karen does not rush her. Gloria listens attentively. The pastors support quietly, faithfully, from behind. Week after week, the Scriptures are opened with patience and care. The stories of Jesus are told again. The promises of grace are spoken clearly. The Gospel is allowed to do what it has always done: its quiet, steady work.

Here, Alaciel is learning that Christian faith is not about resolving every controversy or overcoming every obstacle by effort. It is not about having everything figured out. It is about trust—trust in Christ, given as a gift. Slowly, carefully, seeds are being planted. Through the Word. Through grace. Through the assurance that faith is not something we manufacture, but something God Himself creates.

Alaciel is not being pushed. She is being carried—by Scripture, by patient teaching, and by a community that makes room for questions and welcomes seekers. And little by little, she is moving toward confessing and professing the faith that is being formed in her.

Patricia’s story is different—but no less holy.

Patricia is quieter. She listens more than she speaks. But her story carries its own depth.

She had been disconnected from the church for some time. Her past experience had left her weary and discouraged. The church she once knew felt heavy—driven more by rules than by grace, more by demands than by mercy. Over time, the weight became too much, and she stepped away.

So when Patricia came to this Bible study, she came cautiously. She was giving the church another chance—but with understandable reserve.

What she encountered surprised her.

Here, the Word was opened gently and faithfully. Law and Gospel were rightly distinguished. Jesus—not pressure, not expectations—stood at the center. There was space to listen. Space to breathe. No condemnation. Just Scripture, conversation, and grace.

And so Patricia stayed.

Week by week, she began reconnecting—not just to a group, but to the Gospel itself. The burden she had carried quietly for so long began to lift. What she encountered was not another demand, but good news—spoken for her.

And that made all the difference.

Why This Ministry Matters

This Spanish Bible study at Trinity Lutheran Church is not about numbers or fast growth. It is about faithful presence, careful teaching, and trust in the power of God’s Word.

Through the partnership of Deaconess Karen Swift, Gloria Rivera, Pastor Rick Stark, Pastor Tardelli, and the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego, a long-prayed-for ministry has become a living reality—one Wednesday evening at a time.

In Southeast San Diego—and across San Diego County and Tijuana—Priscilla Ministries is creating spaces where Scripture is heard in Spanish, where questions are welcomed, where wounds are respected, and where faith can grow at its own pace.

Through this work, people like Alaciel are encountering Christ for the first time. And people like Patricia are discovering that the church can once again be a place of grace.

Your support makes this possible.

In the coming weeks, we will continue sharing stories from Priscilla Ministries—stories of seeds planted, faith rekindled, and lives shaped by the living Word of God.

Thank you for walking with us.
Thank you for supporting missionaries who teach patiently, listen carefully, and trust the Gospel to do its work.