Get to Know the Alcocer Surubi Family

Ministry Description

Within the Word of Life ministry, we serve together at the CCM Ministerial Training Center, specifically in the “Vida” area. God constantly challenges our hearts to be intentional in the lives of the students, seeking to get to know them better, disciple them, and grow alongside them in their walk with Christ.
We also have the privilege of serving on the Children’s Show team, one of the evangelism tools God uses through Word of Life to reach many children with the gospel message. It is a great blessing to be part of this ministry and to see how the Lord works in so many lives.
We both also serve alongside the students, striving to model an attitude of service for Christ even in the smallest tasks. We are glad to be able to care for and maintain the place God has provided for the study of His Word. We have seen how service is a tool God uses to shape hearts, so we are very grateful to be part of this area.
During camp season, we also have the opportunity to serve in the Volunteer Ministry. In this ministry, God challenges us to encourage, accompany, and strengthen the young people who come with a desire to serve Christ. It is a great blessing to see their willingness to serve and to be able to invest in them as they grow in their relationship with the Lord and develop a heart ready for the work.
In addition, Hidriam has the privilege of serving one day a week in the kitchen, preparing meals for the CCM students. This time allows him to serve in a practical way those who are preparing for ministry, showing Christ’s love through simple yet meaningful tasks.
This year, Amador was challenged to serve at the school that Word of Life runs for missionaries’ children. Through sports, he seeks to encourage the children to come to know and follow Christ. He currently serves as a physical education teacher, and it is a great joy to see him investing in the lives of the next generation.
In addition, by God’s grace, Amador began his Bible studies online this year at SETTESUR Institute. He had long desired to continue growing in his knowledge of God’s Word, and the Lord, in His faithfulness, opened the doors for him to begin this phase of preparation. We are deeply grateful for His provision and goodness in enabling him to fulfill this longing.

MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
We deeply enjoy serving Christ in our local church. There, we have the privilege of working with children, participating in one of the ministries that brings the most joy to our hearts. Currently, the church has four “Happy Hours” for children and preteens, and we are amazed to see how God continues to work through this ministry.
Earlier this year, our pastor challenged us to take charge of one of the “Happy Hours.” When we started, about seven children attended. We began praying constantly that more children might hear the gospel and come to know Christ. God, in His infinite goodness, answered our prayers in ways we could never have imagined. Today we have between 21 and 25 children attending regularly, and we continue to see how the Lord keeps adding new children week after week.
It is a tremendous blessing to spend time with them, to see their enthusiasm, their sincerity, and their desire to learn more about Jesus. Each encounter reminds us of the importance of sowing God’s Word in the younger generations and encourages us to continue serving faithfully.
In addition, Amador has the privilege of leading worship and reading from the Bible during church services. We are grateful for every opportunity the Lord gives us to serve Him, and we strive to be available wherever there is a need, recognizing that every task done for Him has eternal value.

Learn more about the ministry in Bolivia.

About Amador

My name is Amador Alcocer Surubí, and I am 33 years old. I come from a family that does not yet know the Lord. There are six of us siblings, and my parents, Francisco and Isabel, do not know Christ either.
I am from the province of Ñuflo de Chávez, in the northern part of the department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. I spent my entire childhood in the countryside with my family. I remember that when I was 10 years old, my mother suffered from a very serious illness and was on the verge of death. As a family, we didn’t know what to do, so we decided to take her to the province of San Ignacio de Velasco. Thank God, she was able to recover there, and because of that situation, we stayed to live in that province for almost ten years. It was there that I finished elementary and high school.
When I finished my studies, I didn’t know what to do with my life. I started working with the desire to acquire material possessions, thinking that’s where I would find happiness. According to my way of thinking at that time, I was happy because I lived for the things of this world, doing everything the world had to offer.
In 2014, I decided to set out once again in search of new job opportunities. That’s when I received a call from my cousin Nelly, who invited me to work with her in the city of Santa Cruz. There, I made new friends, but I also began to become addicted to cigarettes because of my friends’ influence. For me, happiness consisted of parties, drinking, and the ways of the world.
One Saturday afternoon, my cousin Nelly invited me to an evangelical church for the first time. I was 22 years old. I remember that from that very first day, I felt completely different. The atmosphere was unique, and my heart began to change. I saw the young people enjoying their gathering in a wholesome way, and I thought, “Lord, this is the place my heart needs.”
That day, Pastor José Luis and his wife approached me. Without even knowing me, they welcomed me like a son. They embraced me with a love I had never experienced before. That embrace broke my heart, and I wept before them. God was already preparing my life for everything that was to come.
However, when I returned to work, the enemy would once again sow doubts in my heart, and I would relapse into my addiction to cigarettes. During that year, I led a double life. My heart was not yet completely surrendered to the Lord.
The church organized a futsal tournament, and God used that activity to draw me closer to Him. Although my heart was hardened and I didn’t want to acknowledge my sinful nature, God confronted me once again. I remember that during a sermon, the pastor said, “There are young people who come to church and then, when they leave, go back to drinking alcohol and smoking.” I felt those words were meant for me. It was a very hard blow, because I realized that my heart was not yet fully surrendered to the Lord.
On November 14, 2015, someone clearly shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with me. That day I heard everything Christ did for me by dying on the cross. I realized that I was a sinner and that my sins separated me from God. I also understood that the emptiness in my heart could only be filled by Him.
That day I prayed and said to Him, “Lord, I can’t go on anymore. Here is my life. Do with it whatever You will.” At that moment, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
I returned to the church with a new heart and a new life in Christ. They gave me a Bible verse that changed my life: 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Pastor José Luis and his wife embraced me once again, and I remembered that first embrace that God had used to touch my heart. The brothers and sisters in the church also welcomed me with great love. God was not only giving me a new life, but also a new family.
Four months later, the church told me about the Word of Life Bolivia Bible Institute, located in the city of Cochabamba. The pastor and the young people cared deeply about my spiritual growth and invested time in my life. I could clearly see how God was transforming me.
In April 2016, classes began at the institute. I struggled with the decision of whether to continue my job or go study the Word of God. Everything was new to me, and I knew very little about the Scriptures. I sought counsel, and God guided every step of the way.
One Friday morning, I began reading the Bible that had been given to me. I started with the book of Genesis, and although I still understood very little, God deeply touched my heart as I contemplated the work of creation. That book was a turning point for me. So I said to the Lord, “I want to know You. I want to study Your Word.” That’s when I understood that God was calling me to prepare myself to serve Him.
The first few months at the Bible college were difficult. I struggled to understand the Scriptures, but God, in His love, used the missionaries and many other people to teach and encourage me. There were times when I thought about dropping out, but seeing the passion with which the missionaries served the Lord strengthened my desire to keep going. That year, as they usually do every year, the Bible institute held a bonfire to dedicate our lives; they took us there, and it was at that bonfire that I dedicated my life to the Lord. I also faced challenges getting along with my classmates, but I realized that God was using those experiences to shape my character. The Word of Life Bible Institute was the school God used; it was a year of great blessing.
By the end of my first year, I was convinced that only the Lord can transform a life—and He had done so in mine.
I returned to my church deeply grateful to God for all He had done and for every brother and sister who had invested time in my life. I began to get more involved in the Bible Club ministry, putting into practice what I had learned at the institute. During that time, a strong desire to serve the Lord at Word of Life was born in my heart, even though God still wanted me to continue serving at my local church.
Two years later, the Lord began to open doors.
In 2019, I returned to Word of Life with great joy and worked on building the institute’s new facilities. When the construction was finished, missionary Juan Lella approached me and told me he had been praying that I would become part of the missionary team. For me, it was a great confirmation, because I felt that God was answering the desire He had placed in my heart.
In 2022, I completed my second year of biblical studies. In the mornings, I attended classes, and in the afternoons, I served alongside the missionary team. It was the dream God had placed in my heart: to serve the One who gave His life for me. Looking back, I can see that throughout all those years, God was faithfully and lovingly preparing every detail of my life. Word of Life is a very special place for me.
In 2023, I met Hidriam. In that relationship, too, I could clearly see God’s guidance. We got married in 2024, and today, as a married couple, we have the privilege of serving the Lord as full-time missionaries at Word of Life Bolivia.
As I look back on my entire journey, I can only say that God has been faithful. He took a young man who lived for the world, transformed my heart through the gospel, and gave me a new purpose: to serve Him and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. To Him be all the glory.

About Hidriam

My name is Hidriam Neira. I am the second of three siblings, and I am privileged to have been born into a Christian family. Ever since I was very young, I have cherished beautiful memories of church. My parents served in the children’s ministry and always took us so we could learn more about Christ. I really enjoyed going to church, but it wasn’t until I was 12 that I had my true encounter with Jesus.
I came to know Christ at a Word of Life camp. I remember that we went with several people from my church, and my sister and I were encouraged to serve as volunteers during the camp. That’s how we served for three wonderful weeks.
During that time, the Lord began to touch my heart in a very special way. It moved me to see that every morning at seven o’clock, the volunteers would gather for a devotional and pray on their knees for the campers. It felt strange to me to pray for people I didn’t know, but they said that we, the volunteers, were an answer to their prayers. Knowing that someone was praying for me was something very special.
I also have very fond memories of the missionaries. They were very kind; they always smiled at us and hugged us. Although I grew up in a Christian family, it wasn’t common to express affection that way, so all of that was new to me.
Until the night of the campfire arrived. We went up there full of joy, and during the sermon, God used the missionary—and then-director of Word of Life Bolivia—Juan Lella, to speak to my heart. He said

Since then, Palabra de Vida has become a very special place for me. Every year, I eagerly looked forward to returning as a volunteer to serve the Lord.
After finishing school, as I was preparing to enter college, I was no longer able to attend the camps. God allowed me to study physical therapy and kinesiology at my country’s state university. During those years, I also served at my church, helping out in Sunday school and the youth ministry. However, I must admit that my service felt empty because my spiritual growth had stalled.
The year 2021 was very difficult for me. I went through many changes, experienced great disappointment, and even began to feel lost.
In January 2022, I returned to the Palabra de Vida camp—the first one after the pandemic. There, the Lord used a missionary to show me the true condition of my heart. It was a great blessing to feel heard, and she challenged me to give a year of my life to Christ.
Once again, during a campfire, I consecrated my life to the Lord, deciding to dedicate a year to getting to know Him and serving Him better.
It wasn’t an easy decision. I had to face the dilemma of whether to start my career or study the Word of God. But the Lord was faithful and placed people around me who encouraged me to choose His will.

God used the passage from Hosea 2:14 to confirm my decision to study at the Ministerial Training Center (CCM) of Palabra de Vida Bolivia. I realized that God wanted to take me to a secluded place to speak to my heart, remove me from distractions, and restore my spiritual life.
It was a wonderful year. God used missionary Viví Ibáñez as my counselor. She was a great blessing in my life, guiding me time and again to the feet of Christ. It was a time of restoration and healing. The Lord healed deep wounds in my heart and allowed me to experience His love, grace, and faithfulness in a very personal way.
As I mentioned, Palabra de Vida had always been a dream destination for me, because I saw Christ reflected in the people who served there. A desire to be part of that ministry was born in my heart, and God, who knows our deepest longings, heard my prayer.
During the 2023 summer camp, while we were both serving the Lord, God began to bring Amador’s heart and mine together. Only He can do such beautiful and unexpected things.
Today I thank God for allowing me to marry a man who loves the Lord and desires to serve Him with all his heart. We were married in 2024, and today we have the privilege of serving together as full-time missionaries with Palabra de Vida Bolivia.
As I look back on my life, I can joyfully affirm that God has been faithful at every stage. He guided my steps, restored my heart, and enabled me to fulfill the desire He had placed in me since I was a child: to serve Him alongside my husband so that more people may come to know Jesus Christ.

Psalm 96:3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.

Contact Information

aalcocersurubi@wol.org

Address:
Amador Alcocer Surubi
Word of Life Bolivia
PO Box 600
Schroon Lake, NY 12870