Spiritual Formation | 12/17/2025 6:07:00 AM

Written by: Lauren Bennett and Maggie Haskell
 
There have been so many reasons to praise the Lord on this trip, and today added so many more! So here are a few moments from today's journey that stood out to us and were so abundant with the Lord's goodness:
 
• The First Stop: Soccer Field
 
We started the morning at the local community sports complex with a testimony of God's goodness in Maggie and Liza's lives. A moment that really stuck with our team was Liza's analogy. When she shared about her visual impairment and use of a running guide, she used that story to show that God is also running with us just as her guide—telling us when to turn left and right and guiding our each and every step.
 
Another sweet moment was watching Neeley immediately be surrounded by her friends she had made the past couple days, sitting down with them, handing out coloring books, and simply being present and genuine. She instantly was able to communicate with the kids through coloring despite speaking different languages. While the little kids played on the turf field, we both played soccer with the older kids.
 
Watching our friends from other sports play the game we love was such a joyous moment. It was so sweet seeing our friends who have never or barely played soccer step into this new role this week in hopes of connecting with the kids. One person who did this so well was Reagan. Her first day playing soccer, she took a shot to the face. Today, she stepped onto the field with joy and laughter despite still slipping in mud, taking a shot to the stomach, and a kick to the shin. You could feel her light and joy from across the field—seriously so much fun!
 
Before leaving the field, Frank's mom (one of the Sports Impact International students) was selling chocolate bananas. Getting to know this family has been a blessing to our team. We met his mom the first night in English class and have continued to see the special way a parent loves and supports their kid, just as God loves us as His children.
 
• Stop Two: Lunch
 
After a morning at the field and then sorting gifts for the Christmas party, we headed to good ole Subway. We have shared so many meals together on this trip, and it's been a place to share the joys, hardships, and laughs from the day! When I think about sitting around a table and coming together, I think of how Jesus brought all different types of people to the table to commune and share their lives. Our drives in the bus have also been so impactful. Our conversations range from talking about the awesome things that have happened that day, the hard things that have happened, or lots of laughter.
 
Rest!!! Since we've been here, our moments of physical rest have come from meals, drives, and very minimal sleep. The Lord gave us an opportunity to rest for an hour while waiting to go to our next outreach spot. This moment of physical rest gave us the opportunity to serve wholeheartedly. Some people took naps, and some reflected, read their Bibles, and did whatever would help them serve best that afternoon. It was just a reminder that the Lord knows everything we need.
 
• Stop Three: Tomas Rodriguez
 
We had another awesome opportunity to come back to Tomas Rodriguez and serve. Ms. Angelica invited us into her home to paint. While we painted the concrete walls gray, there still seemed to be so much color in the house. We saw this through conversations about personal testimonies, laughter from Ms. Angelica's granddaughters, and a beautiful sunset. While this wasn't necessarily an easy task, the joy of the team was still evident.
 
• Stop Four: Dinner
 
Such a fun night!!! We sat around the table again, but this time at a Mexican karaoke restaurant. We spent two hours eating, singing, and just enjoying each other's company. Bridgett and AC began karaoke with Ed Sheeran, and we ended with Reagan and Lucy singing a fun worship song. It was so evident that He made beautiful endings to every stop and story of today. In turn, we got to turn it to glory and turn it to praise. We are thankful for nights like these that make our team closer and help us love each other more.
 
Thank You, Lord, for another beautiful day here. Thank You for keeping us safe and knowing all of our needs. You are a good and loving Father who has filled our hearts with so much joy and light. Would we continue to share Your love in the days to come and keep You at the center of it all.
 
With love,
Maggie and Lauren