Spiritual Formation | 12/15/2025 7:47:00 AM
Written by Brady Yingst, Mikey Polizzi and Andy Stohr
(Brady)
I have always wanted to be a superhero. Today, I got to see superheroes in action. From the start of the day at church to the end of the day at dinner, it was one of the best days ever. Seeing the church in action today was so amazing. Humberto's many hats are so impressive to watch, and him guiding us throughout our days and service is so inspirational.
We ended up spending most of the day in Thomas Rodriguez playing games with the children there. From fun carnival games to blindfolded buffoonery, spending time with those kids was so special. No matter what, they were having the most fun and enjoying every moment. This is where I saw so many of my teammates use skills—or find new skills—that was so special.
Mia's face-painting skills were phenomenal and put a smile on every single child's face that went through. I even got the opportunity to spend the evening as Spider-Man, courtesy of Bethany's painting skills. All throughout the day, the energy was unmatched, the people were amazing, and the bonds are stronger.
?
(Mikey)
Today, we had the opportunity to be invited into the global church through the church service they hosted at the SII (Sports Impact International) offices. For me, and many others, it was our first time experiencing church with a language barrier. Many times, I have read and heard about the global church and seen how people have been impacted by it, but never truly understood what it truly means.
Being able to step into that space and see the joy, love, and intentionality these people have—and the heart they had to serve us—was incredible. Humberto's message was all about missions and how it's not just a temporary thing that we do, but an ongoing act of sharing the love of Jesus. He said that our mission here isn't to build buildings or supply provisions, even though these things are good, but our mission is to make disciples.
He shared with us that we come to share love and restore communities through the love that the little ones see through the strength of Christ. The model of our mission is Christ, and the reason we go to serve is because He loved us first.
Humberto used a beautiful analogy of the very room we were in. The room that we had the service in was SII's multi-purpose room. Yesterday, we were in that same room having a chess tournament, and the day before that, they hosted a high-level English class. The point was this: they use that room to steward the resources that the Lord has provided them with, and everything that happens in that room is from the Lord and for the Lord—and we should respond in the same way with our physical bodies on earth.
However, the main difference is that the room at SII has a big sign on it saying what it is, but even though we are of Christ, we don't need a big T-shirt that says "POWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT." The sign is shown by the way we act and the way we serve. Later in the day, I was blessed to be able to witness that very message in action.
Immediately after the church service, we used that very same room to pack up candy bags for the kids at the Thomas Rodriguez community, and then they opened up an opportunity to offer some money to our dear friend Matilde, who is rumored to be anywhere from 70–100+ years old.
Once we got to Thomas Rodriguez, I was able to see Humberto, Hilda, Mirna, and my fellow teammates share the love of Christ with the kids in the community. Even though we weren't able to bring them much, anything that we did have was so meaningful to them—even if it was just our presence there.
Lastly, after the "block party" at Thomas Rodriguez, we went to go eat, and Brady and I had the most ridiculous face paint on our faces. Yet, the conversations I had with my teammates at dinner were so vulnerable and deep, and it just showed that even though I looked like a moron, we were able to sit there, invite the Holy Spirit into our conversations, and share meaningful stories about our lives and walks with Christ.
I was reminded today more than ever that, "God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us" (1 John 4:9–11), and it was truly a reminder that all we are called to do is just truly "paint it with love."
?
(Andy)
What a day! Every day here in El Salvador is a blessing, and Day 3 did not disappoint. Your lovely article writer began the day in God's beautiful creation while the others enjoyed quiet time and a peaceful morning with the Lord.
With it being a Sunday, we got to dress to impress as we were headed to church. The church service was special. Being able to see the global church truly shines light on the love of Jesus.
Our faithful leader, Humberto, shared a message on missions and how we are here to share the love and vision of Jesus, and I saw the fruits that came from that. At church, we sang two worship songs—one in Spanish and one in English. It was a moving experience for us all. Praise God!
After church, we got to put together goody bags to give to the kids in a nearby community. There was so much joy and laughter as we packed these, knowing the smiles they'd put on the kids' faces. We might have had a couple pieces of the candy too!
Next up, we were able to go and see Matilde again, who you read about yesterday! Many of us felt called to give, and we took up an offering for her. She was super grateful for the offering, and we got to hear some of her story. Apparently, she is over 100 years old!!!! She is ready to be with the Lord, but we don't want her to leave just yet—God is still working.
Filled with the joy of seeing Matilde, we grabbed lunch and were ready to bring the energy to the community to play with the kids. It was so special seeing a smile on everyone's face as they played a game with the kids or sat talking to them. We got to hear from AC and Brady as they shared touching stories about family with the kids. The best part was the face painting! The artists from our team used the strength of the Lord to paint some cool things on the kids' faces, including Brady and Mikey, who took on new personas as Spider-Man and a Minion, which the kids loved! It was an afternoon filled with pure joy from the Lord!
It is only Day 3, but the closeness of this group and the joy and laughter flowing out of us is truly special. Please continue to pray for our team's hearts to be open and for the work we are doing here! The Holy Spirit is moving!
Cuán Grande es Dios!
