Ministry Update and News – May 2025

Brothers and sisters,

I appreciate all of you, your prayers, and your support. 2024 was a full year and 2025 has already marked many changes in my life.

Job Changes

In January, my workplace told me that the end of the month would be my last day working with them. I am incredibly grateful for the flexibility they gave me over the years to go and do all of the missions trips. By God’s grace, I found work less than a month later, and am praying that they will be as flexible with ministry as before. It is certainly more hours of work, and I miss the extra time, but God is teaching me to be a wiser steward of my time. Please pray that the Lord will open doors for me to share the gospel at my new job, and that the Lord multiplies my time so that I am able to do all the things He has called me to do.

Ministry Changes

SOS has given birth! We have started a new ministry named Hope Ministries International https://hopeministriesintl.org/, which will cover all ministry in Central America that we have previously been doing. If you are interested in helping or serving, check out our website or ask me any questions.

I am still planning on going on some trips with SOS Ministries where time permits. It has been quite the adventure, and I am thankful for Mike and everyone at SOS who helped me grow into the missionary I am today. May the Lord continue to bless and keep the ministry.

Upcoming Trips

·         July 18 – August 2 – Spanish Language Trip to Central America (dates are flexible)

·         August 2 to 12 – Medical Missions Trip to Honduras and Guatemala

·         December – Christmas Trips to El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala

Ministry Review

Below are some brief vignettes from the previous year. Thank you for being a part of it!

Youth Conferences (March 2024)

Last March we had a set of youth conferences during holy week, with hundreds of youth, both Christians and otherwise, coming out to hear the gospel and to experience the love of Christ. Friends from Mexico and El Salvador ran the conferences, and I had the privilege of seeing the Lord work.

I remember having the opportunity to meet and pray with a young-man who was experiencing some horrific things in his family – he had to leave early to step in to protect his mom from his abusive father. He was so grateful for someone taking the time to talk to and pray for him.

Medical Trips (August 2024)

We had the privilege of serving 950+ medical patients, preaching the gospel to anyone who would hear us for those who came. Our schedule was full, the work was exhausting, and the team – mostly made of El Salvadorians showed an incredible amount of growth. I am excited to work with them again this Summer. Click here for the full story.

Medical Clinics and Evangelism Trip (October-November 2024)

A few months later, I was able to travel with a different group to do ministry in some villages, and I had the privilege of working with some team members who wanted to learn how to share the love of Christ.

At the first village, we arrived to set up the medical clinic and I was surprised to see that the area around was already full of people and noise, since there was a massive school event at the same time.

I’ll be honest, in my flesh I was bothered that there would be so much chaos – it took me a while to warm up and realize that the Lord had brought them there to hear the gospel.

I wandered through the displays at the event with a team member who wanted to learn how to share the gospel and we got into a conversation with several Salvadorians. The team member shared her testimony about how she had come to the Lord, and we proceeded to talk with the same group for the next several hours.

We repeated this several times with members of the team, leading them in sharing the gospel, and it was awesome to see how quickly they picked it up and shared their heart with others.

God has not called me to evangelize only, but to disciple others – to encourage them in sharing the most important message of God’s love revealed through Jesus Christ, that they may truly live. May the Lord continue to use me to encourage others.

Christmas Trip (December 2025)

We managed to give thousands of Christmas gifts to kids across the three countries, visiting new locations and watching the ministry continue to grow.

Night to Shine (February 2025)

This past February, we had our third annual Night to Shine event in El Salvador and our second in Guatemala, sponsored by the Tebow Foundation. God used us to reach out to around 300 special needs people and their families and friends.

We prepared the red carpet, incredible food, music, and an incredible celebration. God has made each one of them and given them purpose and value. It brought me to tears to see them as they walked.

It was simply right. God has called us to build up, to bring joy, and to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, and we will continue to do so.

An Invitation

With such incredible things happening, I would be remiss if I did not invite you to participate with us.

Will you consider supporting the Central American ministry? Would you pray for us, donate to our upcoming summer missions trip for medicines and school supplies, or even come yourself to experience the joy of serving others and sharing the gospel.

Keep praying that the Lord does incredible things! Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

-          Paul

2024 Summer Missions

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you so much for your prayers and support for the ministry! By God’s grace, we had another incredible team and an incredible trip to Central America for three weeks in July and August.

Faithfulness in Preaching

Faithful brothers put together the funding for a soccer court in Honduras years ago, and we started hosting sporting events there regularly. I remember at each event young men would share the gospel with the attendees, planting seeds. After years of this faithful work, one of the young men who frequently attended these events finally came to the Lord last year. He said that his conversion has not been easy with him losing friends due to his new faith in Christ, but that he desires to be faithful.

Bittersweet Faithfulness

A few days before the majority of the team arrived, this same young man married Pastor Hector’s daughter. If you remember, Pastor Hector’s wife Marina passed away a few short months ago, and Hector was talking about how difficult it has been to lose her, but how important it has been that people keep coming to encourage and bless him. He told us that he wanted give up at points, but God has given him the strength to go on with the mission.

And yet God has blessed him with a new son – and the new couple are staying with Hector at La Esperanza to help him care for the place, and they desire to be faithful to the Lord and the ministry. Please pray for this young couple, for Hector, and that other young men will also come to the Lord.

Sharing the Love of Christ in Schools

Our first team dedicated their time to visiting schools near our Hope Center in El Salvador, and our very first day took us to a school that had been closed off until last year because the surrounding area had been so violent that no one could get in. By God’s grace the area is now so calm, that a teacher at the school invited us to come because he knew how much the students needed the gospel, and we gladly went. The students were extremely receptive to the message of Christ’s love – and they are practically orphans because so many of their parents are either dead or in prison.

Is this not what the scripture says is a part of true religion – to look after orphans and widows in their distress? (James 1:27)

And yes, for those of you wondering, we did bring a unicorn as part of the program and part of the ministry to the kids. We visited seven schools and have been invited back to every one for next year. Will you pray and consider being a part next time?

Landslide

We got word that a family with special needs kids had been through a mudslide. The woman has two special needs children, recently lost her husband, and lives with her sister on the side of a steep hill. Both kids have attended the Night to Shine event by the Tim Tebow Foundation, and miraculously, even though the mudslide came in the middle of the night, one of her kids was at a friend’s house, and the sister named Paula was covered up to her neck in mud and managed to get pulled out.

We were able to share the gospel and hope with Paula, and she asked for a Bible. Please pray that salvation will come to this entire family, and that the Lord will help them.

Meeting Physical and Spiritual Needs

Our second team had the pleasure of serving about 700-900 patients in Honduras and Guatemala – the days were so full we had trouble keeping track of numbers some days. We had a team of doctors, a nurse, a dentist, dental hygienists, an optometrist, a Christian counselor, evangelists, receptionists, and a dedicated team working the pharmacy that even included one of our local elders in Honduras.

We had a team from five different countries, and even sent our first team of three from Guatemala!

One team member said that their favorite part of the trip was “so many people from different countries, different languages, different cultures, different denominations…. All working together for one purpose, and one goal - to minister to people’s physical needs, so that we could minister to their spiritual needs. It was amazing. And the love that we have for each other transcends all language barriers.”

The entire team came together for such a time as this – when many were suffering from a dengue outbreak, our team was able to help many who were suffering from other ailments, like a boy who had a grain of corn stuck in his nose for two years. No medical professional was able to even find it, but our doctor from Mexico was able to get it out within minutes, freeing him from his affliction.

Changes

One of the communities we visit in Guatemala was so unruly that all of the teachers quit. Last year when we visited, the kids were standoffish and the community seemed suspicious of us. The school where we ran the medical clinics was filthy and abandoned. We prayed that the Lord would bring change and new teachers. The Lord answered our prayers! This time when we visited, the kids ran up to hug us, and the school now has several teachers.

Our pastor Bladimir regularly visits, along with another missionary, and we can see the change the Lord has brought through the sharing of the gospel. Please pray that the Lord continues to transform this community, and that we are able to plant a permanent church there.

The Lord is Good

These are just some of the stories God gave us during the trip, and there are many others, but a limited amount of space. It is such a privilege to serve our Savior together, and we are looking forward to the December trip. Please continue to pray for Central America: our leaders, our brothers and sisters, and those who need the gospel.

Grace and peace to you all,
Paul