Elizabeth Villalovos sees more and more Latino students arriving on campus “without finding a place where they can thrive and grow in their walk with God.” Her passion is connecting with those students to let them know how much God loves them.
As a student she was involved in launching the LaFe chapter at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). She had been attending InterVarsity meetings and Bible studies for a year when she seized the opportunity to help start a campus fellowship specifically for Latino students in 2004.
LaFe is InterVarsity’s Latino ministry.
Elizabeth Villalovos sees more and more Latino students arriving on campus “without finding a place where they can thrive and grow in their walk with God.” Her passion is connecting with those students to let them know how much God loves them.
As a student she was involved in launching the LaFe chapter at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). She had been attending InterVarsity meetings and Bible studies for a year when she seized the opportunity to help start a campus fellowship specifically for Latino students in 2004.
LaFe is InterVarsity’s Latino ministry. The LaFe chapter is one of six InterVarsity chapters at UT and Elizabeth has been working with the chapter as a campus staff member for two years.
Planting New Chapters
Elizabeth is also planting a Multiethnic chapter at Texas State University in nearby San Marcos. Her sister attends Texas State and planting a chapter there seemed like an opportunity waiting to happen.
She had invited her sister and some friends to visit her apartment. Eventually she noticed that several of the young ladies had brought their Bibles. “Are these your Bibles?” she asked. “Yes they are,” they replied. “We thought we were going to have Bible study.”
So she began a regular Bible study at her sister’s apartment that grew to over a dozen attendees. They started looking for a faculty member to be an adviser for the new chapter and the first professor they contacted said that she would be honored to be involved.
In addition to finding new opportunities to develop Christian community for Latino students, Elizabeth enjoys teaching the Bible and discipling students. “There’s an excitement in me, when God opens my eyes to something in His Word,” she said, “and then He gives me the opportunity to teach it.”
Effective Communications
Elizabeth grew up in a family that attended an Assemblies of God church in Waco, Texas. With a background that’s different from many Latino students who come from Roman Catholic families, she has found that communicating with these students in a familiar and relevant manner can be a challenge in Latino ministry. “From the Protestant students to Catholic students, the word ‘Christian’ can take on different meanings to each,” she said. “But the students are open to studying Scripture and connecting with others and God reveals what it means to be a follower of Christ in that setting.”
Elizabeth’s major at UT was corporate communications. She believes that she’s using the communication training she received to become a more effective InterVarsity campus staff member.
Ministry Calling Clear
When facing the inevitable challenges of campus staff work, Elizabeth always thanks God that He made clear her calling to ministry. She was already considering campus staff work when she attended InterVarsity“s Urbana 06 Student Missions Conference as a student. One of her friends who accompanied her to the conference, and knew she was thinking about staff work, told her, “Liz you were made for this.”
Elizabeth’s area director, Sabrina Chan, first started working with her when Elizabeth was a student. “I really admired that she clearly heard God’s call to plant a LaFe chapter at UT, and went for it,” Sabrina said. “Even when there were obstacles and challenges, she continued to push forward. And now as a campus staff member, her sense of calling to the campus encourages our whole area team.”
Elizabeth has embraced God’s call to campus and is enjoying each opportunity to show Latino students how to become worldchangers through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Read Elizabeth’s own account of the start of the LaFe ministry at UT at InterVarsity’s StudentSoul website.
Elizabeth Villalovos Barrera spoke at InterVarsity's 2017 National Staff Conference:
