Bright Hill Collective Updates…

This year, we’re excited to start sharing more regular stories from Bright Hill. Each month, we’ll pause and look back at the moments that made us smile, the work God placed in front of us, and the ways this community continues to show up with faithfulness and love.

Because this ministry isn’t just happening here in El Salvador. It belongs to all of us. Every prayer, every gift, every act of support makes you part of the story.

Here are a few exciting things from the start of 2026 at Bright Hill Collective:

FIRST UP: We’re celebrating one year with the Escudero family!

This January we celebrated one year with our missionaries, the Escudero family, serving in El Salvador.

Edwin and Yeni, along with their boys Mattias and Ivan (who attend our school), were able to spend a few weeks back home in Panama over Christmas. When the Escuderos returned to El Salvador in January, they brought Yeni’s parents with them for a visit, which was such a sweet gift for their family.

As a fun twist, some members of our US team visited El Salvador and got to meet Yeni’s parents, welcome the Escuderos back to El Salvador and surprise them with a little celebration for their one-year El Salvador anniversary. The party was complete with cake, punch, and a few words of gratitude. And, of course, all of our teachers and staff gathered to thank them for a year of faithful service.

It was simple and joyful and full of smiles (and maybe a few happy tears). The kind of moment that reminds us how much this ministry is built on people who quietly say “yes” to God every day.

NEXT: We started a brand new school year…

School is officially back in session!

This year is a big one. For the first time ever, we’re offering sixth grade. That means we now have students from Kinder-4 all the way through sixth grade: 120 students in total.

On the first day, our students showed up with big smiles and brand new backpacks filled with supplies and fun surprises. We prayed together and sang praise songs to start the year off right. There’s nothing quite like hearing a courtyard full of kids singing worship songs on the first day of school. It gets us every time.

Big Shout Out: Those backpacks were generously provided by Trinity Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas, which has faithfully helped start our students’ school years this way for years. We’re so grateful for their continued love and support.

AND FINALLY: We’ve got a kitchen that’s about to get a lot busier.

Sparks are flying in El Salvador! Sadly, this isn’t a Valentine’s Day announcement, but we’re pretty excited anyways. Right now, we’re in the middle of a major kitchen renovation.

We’re expanding and upgrading the space so we can better serve larger mission teams and cook meals for our neighbors who join us for Monday night outreach services.

It’s a big project, but an important one. And the clock is ticking (a little too quickly) because our first mission team of 2026 arrives on February 27. We’re working hard to have everything ready to welcome them.

We can’t wait to see how God uses this space to bring people together around tables, meals, and conversations.

Our verse for the year is:

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

— Hebrews 10:23

We’re holding tight to that last phrase: He who promised is faithful.

You’ll see this verse on our mission trip shirts this year and woven into our fundraiser theme this fall. It’s a reminder that this work doesn’t depend on us getting everything perfect. It depends on a faithful God who keeps every promise.

And, yes, we’re calling it our “anchor.” We might not be called SHIP anymore, but our faith is always our anchor, and we still love a good nautical metaphor.

Ways you can pray this month:

• Pray for the Escudero family as they settle back into life in El Salvador, begin a new Bible study focus, and continue building relationships with our neighbors.
• Pray for our students as they start the school year and grow academically and spiritually.
• Pray for the kitchen renovation, for smooth work and good timing before teams arrive.

We say it often, but it’s true: none of this happens alone. Every step forward is carried by a community of people who pray, give, and believe in what God is doing here.

Thank you for walking with us.

If this update made you smile, feel free to share it with someone who might want to be part of the work, too. There’s always room on Bright Hill!