The STORY of LIVING WATERS SPANISH
From language immersion and student ministry to a nationwide Christian Spanish program
Learning Spanish by Living It
Living Waters Spanish did not begin with a business plan; it started as a walk of faith. It grew out of Brad and Marcy Riegg's experiences learning Spanish, living overseas, teaching, homeschooling, and serving in ministry.
As a high school student, Brad spent three months in Bariloche, Argentina, through AFS. Marcy had a similar experience in Mexico, where she traveled with her mother on an exchange program and lived with a Mexican family. Both discovered how much a language comes alive when you live among native speakers.
They continued studying Spanish throughout college, with a highlight being their year at the University of Madrid, where they met. Those experiences gave them a lasting appreciation for immersion and relationships across cultures.
From Exchange Programs to Ministry
After college, Brad became Director of Admissions for AYUSA International, an academic-year exchange program that brought students from Europe and Asia to live with American host families. During his two years there, the program grew from about 200 students to more than 1,000.
Later, while living in Bristol, England, Brad and Marcy started Christian Exchanges International. Students from Spain came to England each summer and stayed with Christian host families. Brad and Marcy built relationships, prayed for the students, and shared Christ with them. Over six years, about half of the participating students professed faith in Christ.
That season helped form a conviction that still shapes Living Waters Spanish today: language opens doors to relationships, and relationships can open doors to the Gospel.
An Unexpected Start in Teaching
After returning to the United States, Brad was unsure what to do next. His father suggested teaching, something Brad had never seriously considered. About a week later, Brad called Palmer School and asked whether they needed a Spanish teacher. They hired him that day, and he started the next day.
Brad taught there for five years and discovered that he loved teaching, but he wanted the freedom to make faith a natural part of education. After prayer, Brad and Marcy felt led to Portland Christian Schools, where Brad taught for 12 years and eventually focused on Spanish.
During those years, Brad and Marcy also took students to Acuña, Mexico, with Youth for Christ. They served the community, helped with a church plant, and shared the Gospel. The trips reinforced a simple idea: Spanish should be more than a school subject. It should be useful for serving people as a part of loving Jesus.
From Homeschool Classes to Living Waters Spanish
About nine years into Brad's time at Portland Christian, Brad and Marcy began teaching homeschool students on the side. Since they were homeschooling their own five children, it felt like a natural fit. All five eventually took Living Waters Spanish classes, and Brad and Marcy loved getting to teach their own children a language they loved.
The classes kept growing. Eventually Brad and Marcy stepped away from Portland Christian and began teaching homeschool students full time through Living Waters Spanish. Their first year, they had about 95 students, with Brad traveling around the Portland metro area to teach at local churches.
The Lord Opens a New Door
When COVID arrived, the Lord led Brad and Marcy to move all of the classes online. Brad was skeptical about the efficacy of online instruction, but they soon discovered that the majority of students actually learned better this way than in a traditional classroom. They think the reason is that the teacher, stories, images, and text are all immediately accessible in an online format, and unnecessary distractions are eliminated.
What began as a temporary response became a major turning point. Living Waters Spanish was no longer limited to families within driving distance of Portland. Students could now join from across the country.
Growing as a Family and a Team
The growth of Living Waters Spanish has also been a family project. Years ago, their daughter Hannah used her eye for design to create the original website, and Brad and Marcy heard many compliments about how beautiful and welcoming it was. More recently, their son Matthew has taken the website to a new level. Brad and Marcy are grateful that their children have not only been students, but have also helped build the ministry.
About four years ago, Brad and Marcy realized the business had grown beyond what they could handle themselves. Their first additional teacher was Andrew Moses, one of Brad's former standout students at Portland Christian. Andrew has a marvelous way of teaching with passion for the Lord and compassion for his students, and he has contributed greatly to curriculum development. He and his wife, Josselyn, and their daughter live in Ecuador.
More recently, Living Waters Spanish added Andrés Classen, born in Mexico to missionary parents. Andrés and his wife, Mich, serve as co-principals of the school at Foundation for His Ministry in Vicente Guerrero, Baja California, which also happens to be one of destinations for Living Waters Spanish mission trips. Students can learn from Andrés online and then serve alongside him in Mexico.
This year, Living Waters Spanish is also welcoming Steve Cobb, a grandfather of 16, who has a thriving ministry training pastors in Central and South America. Two of his granddaughters were Brad's students last year. Steve brings years of ministry experience, a remarkable testimony of coming to faith in Christ, and spiritual maturity.
Living Waters Spanish Today
Today, Living Waters Spanish serves hundreds of students through live online classes from beginning to advanced Spanish, but growth itself has never been the ultimate goal.
The bigger question is why a Christian student should learn Spanish. While it can fulfill a graduation requirement, prepare a student for college, and help professionally, it can also help a student know someone they otherwise could not know, serve someone they otherwise could not serve, and share the Gospel across a language barrier.
In many ways, the story has come full circle. Brad and Marcy first learned Spanish by living among native speakers. Today, Living Waters Spanish students can travel to Mexico or Ecuador, use what they have learned, and experience Spanish in real relationships and ministry. In fact, scores of former Living Waters Spanish students have gone on to become full-time missionaries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Brad and Marcy are grateful for where the Lord has brought Living Waters Spanish and excited to see where He leads next. The goal remains simple: teach students well, point them to Christ, and help them learn a language they can use to love and serve people they might otherwise never be able to reach.
All for His glory.