Over the past few months, our Boys and Girls Club has experienced several significant changes.

First, we recently said goodbye to Maria-Fernanda, or “Mafe” as many of our participants know her. Mafe has accepted a new position that more closely aligns with her degree and vocational goals. Although we are sad to see her leave, we are excited to watch how God uses her in this new role, where she will continue working with youth facing difficult circumstances.

As Mafe moves into this next chapter, we are excited to welcome Olga to our staff team. While she is new to the role, she is certainly not new to the ministry. Olga has faithfully volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club for the past four years, building relationships with participants and serving alongside our team. We are grateful that she has joined us as a full-time staff member and are confident she will be a blessing to the children, our staff, and the mission teams that serve with us throughout the year.

Another important transition this summer is the temporary absence of a familiar face. After 12 years of faithful service, Juan has begun a sabbatical. During this time, he will focus on studying music and the Bible, spending time with family, and finding rest and renewal as he prepares for the next season of ministry. Juan will be greatly missed, but we are thankful he has this opportunity to be refreshed after so many years of dedicated service.

Despite all these changes, the Boys and Girls Club remains full of life and continues to faithfully serve the Las Fuentes community. We are grateful for God’s faithfulness through every season and excited to see how He continues to work through this ministry.

As we enter this new season, we invite you to pray with us:

• Pray for Mafe as she begins her new role and continues serving youth in need.
• Celebrate with us as Olga joins the team, and pray for wisdom, strength, and energy as she takes on new responsibilities.
• Pray for Juan during his sabbatical, that this season would bring rest, renewal, and preparation for the ministry ahead.
• Pray for the Boys and Girls Club and the Las Fuentes community as we continue serving and growing together.

Thank you for your faithful prayers, encouragement, and support. We are grateful to partner with you in what God is doing here in Costa Rica.

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This spring we had four teams join us in Santiago. Seventy-four people who sacrificed their time, fundraised, and poured their heart out serving the community as well as our staff. Despite early mornings and some late nights, they gave it their all and their energy was contagious. Whether it was playing with kids, going on house visits, working on maintenance projects, taking blood pressures, leading Bible studies or worship sessions, building and installing water filters, or leading crafts with girls in the community, they were all in. If you were on one of these teams, thank you for your willingness to come and be a part of what God is doing here in Quinigua and Cienfuegos. Thank you for your servant’s heart, for asking good, i

ntentional questions about the culture and our ministry, for bringing your own God-given skills to minister to those around you here, and for loving on the community and lifting up our staff so well. You left a lasting impact in your short-time with us here, and we appreciate every single one of you.

Now, as we are preparing for our summer teams to come, we have two small, yet exciting, announcements! The first being that our Women’s Social Work site leader in Cienfuegos, Amalfi, is officially back from her sabbatical and will be having team members join her again in working with the women and young girls this summer! Secondly, two of our staff members are volunteering their time to let boys come and play soccer at the base until the sports site is back up and running. They are currently holding practice on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, and the turnout has been great! The boys are so excited to be back together again on the field, and we’re excited to have them!

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“Hi, my name is Luis. I am currently pursuing a career as a residential electrician at the Trade School through Students International’s professional electrician training program in Guatemala. I have been working in construction, and in all transparency, my life journey has not been flawless. In the past, I made some serious mistakes that resulted in a four-year prison sentence. But today, I humbly thank

God for granting me a second chance. Some of my story came out while sharing during a devotional in class, and my purpose in sharing this was to testify to the abyss from which our Lord Jesus Christ rescued me.

Despite having gone through an extremely difficult process upon regaining my freedom, I have been able to witness God’s intervention in my life every day. He has made my social reintegration possible. Although there are still people who judge me for my past, I have decided to persevere in a continuous process of transformation, striving to become a better version of myself. I acknowledge that the wrong decisions I made led me to lose my freedom, my job, and my family, leaving me with only the clothes I was wearing.

It is because of my experience that I wanted to share with my classmates at SI; to prevent others from walking down the same path. In youth, we often act without thinking about the consequences of our actions.

Today, five years from being freed from prison, I can affirm that I see the light at the end of the tunnel. God has also blessed me with a son and a wife who support me unconditionally every day. I urge each of my coworkers a

nd anyone who may read this story to reflect on this testimony. May it serve as both a warning and a hope. Even when the outlook seems bleak, let us remember that after the storm, new rays of sunlight always emerge to push us to keep fighting.”

At Students International, stories like Luis’s remind us why discipleship, vocational training, and authentic relationships matter so deeply. Through programs like the electrician training program in Guatemala, students are not only gaining practical skills for employment — they are discovering their calling and the transforming love of Christ.

Thank you for partnering with us as we walk alongside individuals like Luis, empowering them to build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

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Since last August, we have gotten to introduce two of our Global Bridge participants each month. Today, we get to introduce you to our last two, Jace and Camryn, as they share what their favorite part of the program has been and what God has been teaching them throughout this year.

Jace is from Kentucky and has been serving in our Cienfuegos Clinic this year with Doctor Brendaliz! When asked about something God has been teaching him throughout his time here in Santiago this year, he said “I think one of the biggest things God’s been teaching me during my time here in the DR is just the importance of being faithful in the small things. It’s easy to come in expecting big, obvious moments, but a lot of what this experience has looked like is just showing up each day, being present with people, and learning to love well in really simple, everyday ways. There’s also been a lot of unpredictability, which has been stretching me in a good way. Plans change, things don’t always go how I expect, and I’ve been learning to hold things more loosely and trust that God is still working in all of it. Personally, I’ve noticed that this year has helped shift my perspective a bit. I’m starting to see that impact isn’t always something you can measure right away, and that just being consistant and available really matters. It’s been a good reminder that God is just as present in the ordinary moments as He is in the big ones.”

Camryn is our Global Bridge students’ intern and is from Nebraska. “My favorite part about being the Global Bridge intern has been getting to see the students grow throughout the year. Looking back to the beginning of the year and seeing where they are now is amazing. They’ve changed and grown in so many ways, not just in what they do, but in who they are. I’ve loved getting to walk alongside them in this season – supporting them, encouraging them, and just being there as they experience new things and serve at their sites. Watching their confidence grow and seeing the way they care for others has meant so much to me. And in a lot of ways, they’ve impacted me just as much. Their joy, their energy, and just who they are has made this experience really meaningful, and I am deeply grateful to have been a small part of their journey.”

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Recently, we had a team from Northwest Christian School in Spokane, Washington. During their outreach, we held clinic in a mountain village called Angosto…picture every shade of vivid green, rolling mountain landscapes, and us serving under a tin-roofed patio.

One of our students, Ahrya, shared a Psalm and spoke about how God used it to comfort and strengthen her throughout her mom’s battle with cancer. It was a beautiful testimony of holding tightly to God and His promises in the midst of darkness, fear, and uncertainty.

After she spoke, one of our beloved patients, Ramona, was in tears. She shared how grateful she was to hear that message on that very day. She told us about losing her own mother to cancer 15 years ago, and how God had been present with her through that time as well. She hugged Ahrya, thanked her, and gently reminded her what a blessing it is that her mother is still with her. By that point, we were all in tears.

Moments like these are just one of the countless reasons I love God. He is always working and present in each of our lives. Even across different cultures, languages, and countries, we are reminded that we are the same…we face similar struggles and carry similar pain. But we also share the same God. And we can rest in the truth that He is good.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

Moments like this remind me why God has called me to this work in the DR…to be part of the quiet, sacred ways He moves, weaving together stories of loss and hope, and revealing His goodness across every culture, language, and life.”

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Aubrey – “Throughout this program, I’ve been learning a lot more of what trusting in the Lord looks like. Sometimes it’s showing up and saying “here I am” even when I’m frustrated, sad, or afraid. It’s experiencing those emotions and relying on His strength through that. It’s surrendering my life when it doesn’t look like I pictured, and knowing that even though I don’t understand, His plans are still good. It’s focusing on the moment I’m in and giving Him my worries about the rest. Fear shouldn’t talk us out of faith, but cause us to dive deeper into who we know Jesus to be. As I do that, I’m in awe of His goodness and faithfulness. This program has been full of so much joy and growth for me. As I fall deeper in love with Jesus, I fall deeper in love with serving the people here in this community, and it brings me so much joy. This program has been such a blessing in my life, and I’m thankful for all the ways God is using this season to grow my faith and trust in Him and His plan for my life.”

Lizzy – “One of my favorite parts of this program has been the vast amount of opportunity I’ve been able to be a part of. I am able to be involved in the lives of staff, learn and live in an entirely different culture and language, and explore a whole new country. I have been able to accomplish and experience all this with the other students – some of my best friends. God has really opened a door to a whole new world through this program and I am so blessed to be able to live out His plan for me and witness His glory here in the Dominican Republic.”      

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 Camila has been part of our Sports Site for the past two years, and throughout this time we have witnessed a remarkable change in her life. When she first joined us, she tended to keep to herself and often appeared distant. Today, however, she radiates joy, confidence, and a positive spirit.

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