From Doing an Assignment to Being on Assignment: A Tribute to Emma Alvarez
By: Angela Miller
This Fall, we celebrate a beautiful transition in the life of one of our beloved team members, Emma Alvarez, who has stepped into a new season from the Lord as a teacher in the public school system. Emma leaves Serenity Retreat not only renewed, but transformed, a living testimony to God’s faithfulness, healing, and commissioning power.
As one of the administrators who had a small hand in Emma’s hiring, I look back now and simply say: Praise You, Jesus. He showed up for Emma in powerful, undeniable ways during her time at Serenity. There were hard days and months of transition that stirred old wounds and brought deep places of the heart into the light. And yet, God used every moment of discomfort, every challenge, to do what He does best: refine, restore, and use ALL things for His good (Rom. 8:28).
Transition often jostles things in our hearts. For Emma, those seasons became sacred spaces where God met her in profound ways. She leaves with blessing and joy from our team and with an eager anticipation for what God is about to do in and through her in this next assignment.
Emma once carried anger, anxiety, and rejection, wounds deeply rooted in childhood trauma. Those burdens shaped how she saw herself, how she related to others, and how she approached God. But in 2022, everything began to shift.
“Through Transformation Prayer Ministry at Serenity Retreat, I encountered a new level of healing. One by one, the lies I had believed for so long began to unravel as God gently replaced them with His truth. He didn’t just touch the surface—He went to the root. And He didn’t just heal me—He transformed me.”
That transformation didn’t stop with her. It began to impact every part of her life, her marriage, her family, her view of the world, and most importantly, her understanding of who she is in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1, and Romans 8).
“For the first time, I believe God can use me in ministry—not because I have it all together, but because He said, ‘You are mine, and I will use you for My glory.’”
For the past two years, Emma has served faithfully and joyfully as our Ministry Coordinator, then Office Manager and Prayer Minister and recently Bilingual Prayer Minister with Serenity (plus all the other duties as assigned). Her life and leadership have left a mark on many. She walks away from this season not with regret, but with freedom, joy, and a passion to share what God has done and continues to do.
“Serenity Retreat has been a vital part of my journey, and I’m forever grateful. I feel fully alive again and passionate about sharing what God has done.”
And so, with hearts full of gratitude, we bless Emma as she steps into this next chapter. She goes from doing an assignment to being on assignment! No longer striving, but walking in the Spirit’s leading. May every student, coworker, and classroom be touched by the light of Christ in her.
To God be all the glory.
– Angela Miller, Follower of Christ, Wife to Eric, Momma to Samuel, Program Manager & Prayer Minister
