Spiritual Formation | 12/16/2025 7:37:00 AM
Written by Bethany Wright and Linda Perez
(Bethany)
Today: "I saw Jesus." These were some of the first words from Humberto when we got on the bus the first day we landed in El Salvador. And today, I saw this firsthand. The team got up after a late night… morning? and we traveled to Vito Guarato, a local orphanage for people with disabilities that Sports Impact International visits and supports. We took a bus about 45 minutes up the terrain and arrived in a tropical haven on a mountaintop. Nerves were high getting off the bus, and even as someone who has seen profound disabilities, I didn't know what to expect. We walked into a facility with a chapel in the middle, buildings and outdoor patios throughout, foliage and flowers blooming, and colorful classroom doors surrounding the outside.
We saw the heavy responsibility of the staff to care for the needs of so many people with disabilities. The mobility, feeding, health, and everyday needs are huge for this many people, and to add to the mix, resources are slimmer these days. While these factors were important, this wasn't what was highlighted today. The place we walked into was God's place of peace.
I saw the staff of Vito Guarato, my teammates, Humberto, Hilda, and Mirna embrace this paradise from the moment we walked in. There was no hiding from the hugs, besos (kisses), dancing, laughing, crying, and beautiful creation we shared. We met people of all ages and all abilities, all sharing beds, clothes, food, but most importantly, Jesus. We spent most of our day outside with everyone, doing obstacle courses, dancing, singing, and conversing in broken Spanglish. Communicating with a language and communication barrier was a daunting task, but no words were needed to say Jesus was being shared.
We went from Vito Guarato to the multi-sport complex at SII with the local kids. Even after a long day, everyone showed up. We had so many different activities going on at once; it was incredible. Face painting—minion face paint on kids—volleyball, soccer, tag, sitting, relays, and so much more. I was reminded of Psalm 94:19, "When my worry is great within me, your comfort brings joy to my soul." In a place where worry could so easily be the answer, everyone screamed joy. I am honored to say today I met people who probably need the most and are left by the world with so little, yet they gave me a glimpse of their oasis: Jesus.
(Linda)
Today can only be expressed not through words, but through the way God spoke in our acts of service. One specific moment that really shifted my heart was when I spoke to a 39-year-old woman named Dorita in the orphanage. To give perspective, Dorita does not have the fullest capacity to move, walk, and talk as normally as the rest of us do. As we sat down together, I got to learn about her life. She talked about how the orphanage was filled with abandoned kids left behind because of their disabilities—emphasizing the fact that they did not have a family. Despite this, Dorita explained that within the orphanage there was a family, one filled with brothers and sisters of Christ.
The more I learned about her, the more my eyes saw Jesus through her, and the more connected I felt to her soul. We talked and talked, but most importantly, I got to share a testimony with her. I told her about Liza, a strong woman on our track team who lives with a vision impairment. Dorita was very moved by the story and asked to meet Liza. When they met, they shared experiences and shared sympathy for each other as they both shared the experience of not being able to see fully. It was beautiful to see how our testimonies as individuals can bring us closer to our brothers and sisters—an act of service from God.
As we ended the day in the orphanage, we entered a beautiful chapel with stained glass windows. In this chapel, Humberto spoke about the vibrant energy of Roberto, who had just recently passed away, and became emotional through it all. It was really moving to see how truly passionate he is and how much emotional attention he puts into God's service. We ended with Hannah delivering a precious prayer that moved us all to tears—a moment where our love for the Holy Spirit was in tune.
As we left the orphanage, our next mission was to spend the day with kids at the soccer field. Here, I experienced the incredible woe of God through these kids. Despite the language barrier that many of us and the kids faced, their persistence to learn how to communicate with us was very joyful to see. Because I am bilingual, many of the kids went up to me and asked me to teach them words in English in order to communicate more with the rest of the group. The small acts of service in them at such a young age really represented how incredible God can be. Today was not just any day; it was one that truly represented how God is working every day within us and each other. From connecting testimonies to learning how to say a single English word, these acts of service represent how great God can be when He works in our lives.
