Good News from Bright Hill | July 2026

A few glimpses of what God has been doing this month

One of our favorite things about summer is getting to welcome people to El Salvador who have never been here before. This July, we were blessed with so many first-time trippers and so many families who chose to serve together.

Every team brings its own personality, and this month’s teams brought enthusiasm, laughter, servants’ hearts, and enough energy to keep a soccer game going almost indefinitely.

Here are a few of our favorite moments from a wonderful July.

Sports Day: A Rainbow of School Spirit

If June’s big event was our quinceañera, July’s was something completely different: our school’s annual Sports Day. 

Imagine a field covered in every color of the rainbow. Each grade at our school has its own team color, and every student represents their class throughout the day. Parents proudly showed up dressed in their children’s colors, cheering from the sidelines while races, soccer matches, and all kinds of games unfolded around them.

Our mission team jumped right in. They cheered, played soccer (with varying degrees of success!), stepped in for parents who were busy cheering on multiple children in multiple grades, and simply enjoyed celebrating with our school families.

It was joyful, loud, colorful, and one of our favorite days of the year. (And just look how cute all of our Kindergarten students are in the picture above!)

Growing Plants and Growing Good Stewards

Over the past several weeks, our students have been learning about reducing, reusing, and recycling as they explored what it means to be good stewards of the beautiful world God has created.

They planted flowers, created adorable containers from recycled materials, and invited their families to a plant sale to help raise funds for the school. While our mission teams couldn’t exactly pack plants into their suitcases, many of them found room for the students’ handmade containers instead, a sweet way to support the kids’ hard work and creativity.

The day of the sale happened to be one of those wonderfully full school days where everything seemed to happen at once.

Our fifth-grade classroom had been transformed into outer space. Dressed as astronauts, the students confidently gave presentations (in English!) while surrounded by glowing planets and stars. (Fun fact: the U.S. astronaut who has spent the most consecutive days in space, Frank Rubio, is the son of Salvadoran immigrants!)

Down the hall, our sixth graders welcomed visitors into two entirely different communities they had created, a bustling city and a farming village, sharing what they had learned while dressed as the people who lived there.

And yes, we even paused those presentations for earthquake safety procedures after tremors were felt off the coast. Just another memorable day in El Salvador!

Watching our students confidently share what they’ve learned reminded us how much they’re growing, not just academically, but in confidence, curiosity, and joy.

Sometimes the best ministry happens at recess

One thing both of our July teams had in common was lots of kids. We’re so glad those kids came and brought all of their enthusiasm, excitement, and energy. Especially the energy…We were running a little low on energy!

After a June filled with big construction projects and major milestones, July reminded us of something just as important: sometimes the best ministry happens when you slow down.

It happens during a soccer game at recess, while sitting together making friendship bracelets, during PE class, laughing over a game, or simply spending time together.

Our team members still worked hard. They tackled construction projects, served in Bible studies, children’s church, outreach services, home visits, and food preparation. They preached, shared testimonies, played music, and faithfully served wherever they were needed.

But some of the sweetest moments happened in the ordinary spaces between the big projects.

Watching children from different countries laugh together (even when they didn’t share the same language) was a beautiful reminder that kindness, joy, and the love of Christ don’t always need words.

This year we’ve continued holding onto Hebrews 10:23:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

This month, we’ve been thinking about the many different ways God provides.

Sometimes He provides through people who know exactly how to build, organize, or solve a problem.

Sometimes He provides through people who remind us to laugh, to play one more game of soccer, or to sit a little longer making bracelets with a child.

This summer, we’ve watched Him provide both.

Looking back, it’s clear that every team brought something different because every team was part of God’s plan for that particular moment.

The builders, the teachers, the musicians, the soccer players, the encouragers, the kids who reminded us to slow down—every one of them was exactly what was needed.

And isn’t that just like God?

He who promised is faithful.

Ways you can pray this month

• Pray as we prepare for another exciting school year. In January, we’ll open seventh grade for the very first time! As our school continues to grow, we’re praying for the right teacher and additional support staff to join our team.
• Pray for continued healing in El Salvador. This beautiful country has endured years of civil war followed by gang violence. While so much has changed, many families still carry the weight of those experiences. Pray that God would continue bringing hope, healing, and peace to our community.
• Pray for the ongoing ministry of the Escudero family, our teachers, and our local leaders as they continue serving faithfully week after week, long after the mission teams have returned home.

Thank you for celebrating these stories with us.

Every soccer game, every classroom presentation, every outreach service, and every new friendship is possible because of a community of people who faithfully pray, give, and serve alongside us.