February 2022 - El Salvador Field Celebrates 10th Anniversary
February 23, 2022 marks ten years of Sports Outreach Institute (SOI) presence in El Salvador! We celebrate the years of dedication, tenacious effort and emotional highs and lows since this Latin American field was launched. We dedicate all achievements with honor and gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Humberto and Mirna Alférez
The vision for a ministry site in El Salvador began a couple years after SOI CEO, Sal Ferlise, and his family and some friends visited El Salvador on a mission trip in 2009. It was then they met Pastor Humberto Alférez Marenco, the interpreter for Sal’s missionary team. They became fast friends and in a short time Sal invited Humberto to launch a pilot program in El Salvador because they both saw themselves working together for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in that country. By God’s grace the pilot program had good results and volunteers began to join Humberto and his family in ministry.
Food distribution in El Salvador
On the U.S. side, Sal talked to potential supporters of Sports Outreach and they began to help plant the new ministry site with mission trips, financial resources, sports equipment, and uniforms. The Spirit of the Lord began to move in surprising ways and very soon we had the first sports academy which included soccer, basketball, handball, volleyball, and chess. All these sports continue to run under the coordination of Ariel Rubio and his team of coaches made up of Andy Quiteño, Jorge Hernández, Kevin Aleman, Alfredo Ponce, Daniel Ramírez and Monica Lucha. They are all professionals in various branches of physical education, recreation and sports.
SOI El Salvador (SOISV) also has an Education and Training Department whose director is Mirna Alférez, a high school administrator and Humberto’s wife. Her team of teachers consists of Esmirna Santos, Estefany Hernández, Johana Méndez and Fátima Martel. This area includes an English academy, craft workshops, academic reinforcement classes for children and young people who have learning disabilities, Bible and discipleship classes, ongoing courses in leadership, discipline, theology, sports and academic management, and Christian education.
SOI Taber Soccer team in Guatemala
In addition, SOISV has food, health and medical programs, which reach hundreds of vulnerable families each month and are overseen by Dr. Adrián Alférez, son of Mirna and Humberto. The administrative, finance and human resources areas are managed by Hilda Lemus, a gifted administrator who also assists Mirna with our EmpowerMe Child Sponsorship Program. Currently there are 49 children and youth involved.
Giving Operation Christmas Child boxes
SOISV is also facilitating a soccer academy in two international mission fields—one in San Marcos, Honduras, and another in Chiquimulilla, Guatemala. With the continued direction of Humberto and his team, El Salvador is poised to impact the next generation of Christian leaders and will continue to Restore Hope and Transform Lives!
(This portion of the newsletter was written by Humberto Alférez and edited by Mary Ellen Longo)
——————————————————————————————————————-
SOI COACHES CORNER
My name is Jorge Luis Bautista and I have been married to my wife Nicole for a year and a half. I was born in Los Ríos in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I have three older sisters, two younger brothers, and lots of nieces and nephews! My mom came to faith first when I was about 14, and she would have Bible studies in our house. Sometimes I attended, sometimes I didn’t. When I was 16, I decided to start going to church, and that is where I met the Lord. He changed my life completely.
I had been playing baseball since I was 13 and continued to play until I was in my early twenties. When I realized that maybe I had missed my window to be scouted [evaluated by baseball scouts], I started to be more involved in a Christian youth ministry called Young Life. After volunteering with them for about 10 years, I started looking for a job that cares about children knowing Jesus and also to somehow be involved in the world of baseball again as a coach. That’s when I found Sports Outreach! I have now been coaching with SOI since July 2021. I currently work with a baseball academy as their strength and conditioning coach and hope to start assistant coaching another team in the next few months. My goal for this year is to consistently have two weekly Bible studies, one for each team.
Serving Together,
The Sports Outreach Ministry Team.
