Jorge - Leader Building in El Salvador

Jorge is one of SOI El Salvador’s sports ministry coaches. His story below, in his own words, is a strong example of the how SOI leaders carry out their mission to develop leaders through and in sports ministry. From volunteering while he was in college to now being on staff and building into the lives of the next generation of leaders, his experience is a wonderful testament to what we do at Sports Outreach!

“My name is Jorge Antonio Hernández Jovel, I am 26 years old, I live in Zaragoza, La Libertad. I've lived  alone since I was 15, for family reasons, my mother and father split up and only my two sisters and I stayed, since my mother chose to emigrate to the United States, to give us a better life, after leaving she left us with an aunt in charge, she took care of all three for a long time until my older sister chose to leave home to form her own family, thanks to the help we received from my mother I could continue to study elementary education at the José María Caceres School Center, high school at José Damián Villacorta Institute. In 2014 I started my university studies at The Institute of Higher Education “The Holy Spirit”. In 2015 I came to SOI, because I had to do social work and I decided, to do that in SOI, a project aimed at basic education children in the Pedro Pablo Castillo School Center, when I finished my social hours after a year, I continued as a volunteer, without realizing SOI was part of my life, although my university studies are in elementary education, soccer is something that I am passionate about and teaching young people so that is why I try to get some sports diplomas because coaching is something that I like to do very much, to be active.

“From 2015 to date I have really enjoyed belonging to the SOI team, and I am very grateful to God who allowed me to reach this NGO, since it has allowed me to get very close to God, my mentors are “The Teacher” is the way we call to Rev. Humberto Alferez and Mirna his wife was my classmate in the college career, she invited me to come to complete my social work at SOI, she is a very responsible and patient person, willing to help whenever she can, and because the Teacher is the one who has always supported me, from the beginning allowing me and other classmates to be part of SOI through social hours, then by giving me the opportunity to be a volunteer. Being part of SOI was getting blessings over blessings first because we were receiving lunches on  Saturdays , allowance, food packs, footwear, uniforms, and in special biblical coaching that impacted me in a way that was transforming my life, every talk that the "teacher" gave us was a positive thought that invaded my mind and made me feel better every time he preached to us with his testimonies, as a missionary, pastor and more that we wanted to continue to listen to these incredible stories of transformation that towards people, conversions to Christ and many more miracles, transmitted to us that positivism of life and faith in Christ our savior, over time, my life was changing in such a way that they were changing my friendships that only wanted a bad for me within, I realized that I was not in God's plan that I continued to frequent those friends or places that only offered evil, selfishness and envy, my life took a radical turn when I started to volunteer at SOI, I was able to meet very good friends who passed me all their knowledge one of them that was very significant for me is called Oscar Murcia, although not knowing much the sports area I was motivated every training so that I could learn to perform training sessions so that I can manage the groups and be able to perform the workouts, so that I acquired a lot of knowledge of the different coaches, in a harmonious environment and a healthy coexistence fostered in values, that framed my life I decided to go forward learning as much as I could from the people around me, so in 2015, I was able to choose to be part of the coaching team, I was no longer an assistant and started coaching my own training sessions. I was able to overcome that hard stage in my life despite the adversity. In the middle of my university career I made a mistake but had the joy of becoming a father of a beautiful baby girl, at age of 21 everything looked uphill, for the responsibility of my new family, and I did not want to truncate my dream of being a professional, thanks to my friends I got a part-time job  at a school as the janitor, It was not what I expected, but it was a means to fulfill my goals and dreams of being able to take my family ahead, thanks to this, I was able to appreciate more the little things that make us greater, every day I talked to myself and asked why I had to do that kind of work for a young person with many employment opportunities in other places, unfortunately all the jobs required full time service and that was not an option for me, in order to my goal to graduate from college, to study,  the reason I had was bigger than my  pride, the greatest challenge in my life, perhaps by suffering discrimination from the same coworkers and students themselves who looked at me as less than them, I said in my mind every  day  "God has something better for me". I got more involved in positive things, near the people  who wanted me a well-being for myself, all that I found in SOI, the home of who belong to this  NGO,  I see it as my family, we spend more time together than with our own relatives, Mr. Humberto has the role of a father to me, and for all teammates, he always cares for everyone, gives us advice constantly, I personally thank to Humberto, because of him I have been able to know more about Jesus, of His Word, our Father’s mercy, I made the decision to serve God, be guided by the Holy Spirit, walk on His steps and transmit the Word through sports to all children and teenagers from the different SOI programs.

“I was able to have a great blessing in my life through SOI and its director here,  the last semester of my career the ministry paid the expenses of my studies and my  graduation fees. Today, thank God I have been hired part time to be part of the new program called "NEW STORY", I have also all law benefit and sometimes something else in addition. I have now my bachelor’s degree in elementary school! All I have now has been possible thanks to God, Philippians 4:13 say: I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. There is nothing impossible for the Lord if you believe it from the heart. Praise the Lord!”