Sometimes all it takes is one yes, one experience, for your eyes to be opened to a whole new way of thinking and deeper understanding of the purpose God has placed before you. 

That was the case for Haggai Leader Gonzalo López Acebo from Argentina. 

Gonzalo attended HLE in 2025 with his friend and classmate, Fede Navarro, who described the experience as one that was “born in the heart of God, that has now become a part of ours.”

For Gonzalo, the experience was shaped not only by what he learned, but also by how he was welcomed and supported. He remembers the love and service of the staff and facilitators, who remained attentive to the needs of the class and demonstrated through their actions what it means to serve God.

The Haggai Leader Experience is designed to equip strategically positioned leaders around the world through peer discussions, devotionals that deepen biblical understanding, and leadership development that helps leaders refine and apply strategic insights when they return home. 

Here, leaders are able to step away from daily routines to learn from, collaborate with, and develop a vision alongside other global leaders. 

The experience also gave Gonzalo practical tools for the work God had already placed before him, as well as a clearer vision for how his knowledge and calling could be carried back into daily life and ministry. That ongoing application is central to Haggai’s approach: leaders are equipped in community and then return home prepared to serve, lead, and equip others in their own contexts.

The experience had a similar effect on Gonzalo’s friend, Fede. 

“The Haggai Seminar for me was an eye-opener—a true awakening—a 180-degree turn from what I had been living until now.”

For Fede, doors were opened that he thought were closed forever, he received a fresh perspective of his ministry back home, and his view of God was transformed into something beautiful and much healthier than it was before. 

His reflection illustrates how the HLE extends beyond professional and academic development. It can reshape the way leaders understand God, view their ministry, and respond with confidence to opportunities they once believed were unattainable.

written by Leah Spivak