Ariel and Lauren Hidalgo Burgos

Missionaries to the United States

Ministry Description

Our mission at the Center for Biblical Counseling (CBC) is to provide a private and safe environment for students and staff to sort out difficult life issues and help them make godly decisions that contribute to their spiritual growth (Col. 1:28-29). Some of the responsibilities that I get to do on a daily basis are counseling students using the Word of God and leading small groups on counseling-related topics.

As of this year, I'm transitioning into a new role at the CBC. Some of the new responsibilities I get to be involved with are helping lead the ministry administratively and spiritually, teaching sermons on biblical counseling topics, organizing conferences and events, and overseeing the program's mentorship.

"We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ. For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power which works mightily within me."

Colossians 1:28-29 (NASB)

About Ariel

I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At that time, my parents were already working as missionaries for the ministry of Word of Life (WOL) in Argentina. When I was still very young, my parents decided to move to Mexico, still working for the ministry of WOL, but now with the calling to go into a different country and help with the development of a new campus. I grew up going to church, christian camps, conferences, youth group, and even participating on evangelistic trips around the country. I cannot recall a specific "moment of salvation", but throughout my late childhood I had the assurance that I was saved and that the Holy Spirit was in me convicting me of sin and teaching me to understand the Bible. However, although I was saved from a young age, I would not say that the gospel really started to make a difference in my life until my teenage years. Growing up around the church and great men and women of God, I learned how to say the right words and do the right things in order to "fit in" or "belong" with everyone else around me. I knew I didn't want to dissapoint my parents or be a failure to others. I started to find my identity and worth in the "good kid" that people thought I was. Up until this point, I was doing a lot of things not for the glory of God but for what I wanted to get out of people.

Fast forward into my teenage years, God put my faith to the test by allowing me to leave my house for a period of a year and take me to a place where, instead of being surrounded by godly influences, I was surrounded by people who did not love or follow God. Quickly, all the things that I always said I'd never do, I started participating on. It didn't take too long for me to start looking like everybody else around me again. That's the moment it clicked in my head, 2 Corinthians 5:15: "he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died". Is this really what God saved me for? To live for myself and for the approval of people? The answer was a clear no. I felt confronted that my whole life I had been living for myself and for what I wanted to get out of people and relationships. From this moment on, things changed. The gospel started making a difference in the way I lived my every-day. Even til today, I still have a lot of things to learn and to grow on, but I praise God for his grace and salvation. That he equips us and gives us the opportunity to turn away from sin and to him who for our sake died and was raised.

About Lauren

I trusted in Christ at a young age, but the implications and reality of this trust where not something I understood until I was a teenager. God used many people and experiences to expose my need for him, not only for salvation, but for my purpose, hope, and walk here on earth. Over time, God exposed the sin and distractions that were holding me back from truly living for him (Hebrews 12:1-2).

In 2015 I attended Word of Life Bible Institute in NY for two years to learn more about God's Word and focus on growing in my personal relationship with him, throughout my time at the BI and various ministry opportunities I decided that I wanted to pursue further training in Biblical Counseling and discipleship.