THE WAY THEY SHOULD GO
Luis Fernando looks older than he is. His 6-foot frame and well-groomed black beard give him an air of fatherly warmth and dignity that betrays his youthfulness. In reality, he is almost 25 years old and has been married to his wife, Tania, for over two years. They also have a six-month-old, Noah, so one’s sense of his fatherly aura is not misplaced. He has been teaching at CCAF since 2019, and for the past two years, he has been one of our Bible Teachers, with his students ranging from kindergarten to Grade 9.
“I love teaching the Bible,” he said, “it doesn’t matter what age. I love connecting with the students, figuring out what they’re going through, and helping them through it.” He and Tania also recently began to serve as the leaders of Impacto Kids, the Sunday School program at our partner Church. Fernando credits his Bible class experience at CCAF for helping him transition to this new role. “(When teaching little ones), the focus changes, but the topic remains the same. Finding the right words to help them understand can be challenging, but I can see how God was preparing me for this new season.”
One might think that children’s needs change and become more complicated as they age, but Fernando says otherwise. “You wouldn’t believe it, but the little ones also have significant needs, and it leaves an impression on you. Some time ago, I was talking to a little girl, and she said that she had been deeply affected by some comments her parents made, saying that they wished she had never been born. And the parents had told her this directly—that they hadn’t wanted her. And she had this emptiness in her heart. The needs that some of these kids have are shocking. I believe we must teach them and help them understand that God is the only one who can satisfy them so that, when they are older, they don’t seek other things to fill that void.”
The Bible says, “Instruct a child in the way they should go, and when they are older, they will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Fernando seeks to do this every day in his classes and interactions with our students, and it’s clear that they appreciate it. His students simply adore him, and he has achieved that place of admiration and influence in the lives of his students through his example of godly character, wisdom beyond his years, and unwavering compassion. “I always ask God that the students would see Jesus through me. God has placed this burden on my heart to instruct the generations and transmit the love of Christ.”
"I always ask God that the students would see Jesus in and through me."
-Luis Fernando
This urgent desire to minister the love of Christ sets CCAF apart from other schools. We don’t want Bible class to simply consist of more information; we want the kids to experience Christ and be transformed by his love so that they can impact their communities and nation. Fernando recognizes the importance of this ministry as much as anyone. “I love it here. We don’t just teach theory; we teach from what we have lived. (The kids) don’t just want to hear someone say, ‘This is bad; don’t do it.’ They don’t need another scolding; we must put ourselves in their place and say, ‘I also went through this, but Jesus helped me and changed my life.’” This authenticity is what causes the students to be so receptive in Fernando’s classes and what allows him to impact their lives and help them to start walking in “the way they should go.”
Teachers like Fernando are what make our ministry so effective. Without the buy-in from our staff, we wouldn’t have the place to impact and minister to our students the way we do. Many students don’t have an adult figure who believes in them. However, one caring teacher can make all the difference in a young person’s life, and Fernando is making that difference. His greatest desire is the same as ours: that our students would have a relationship with God. “I don’t want it to be out of obligation; I want them to reach the point where that relationship will continue when they leave here. That’s my objective.”
Leave a Comment