The Soul City El Salvador Global Serving Team is a diverse group of leaders and Soul City team members who have said yes to serving alongside our partners at ENLACE. Rooted in humility, relationship, and mutual transformation, this team is committed to learning from the local church, honoring the dignity of the community, and participating in the work God is already doing. Our “why” is not to arrive with answers, but to show up with open hands—ready to listen, learn, serve, and be changed.
Dyamond Hill serves as the Director of Partnerships at Soul City Church and leads the El Salvador Global Serving Trip in partnership with ENLACE. Her “why” is rooted in a deep belief that God is already at work in every community, and that transformation happens when we show up with humility, curiosity, and love. Dyamond leads this team with a posture of learning, relationship-building, and mutual transformation, trusting that God will shape both the community and the team through shared service.
Zoie is a Chicago native, counselor, and lover of journaling and poetry. She said yes to this Global Serving Trip out of a desire to deepen her faith, witness God’s work beyond her home country, and experience the beauty of God’s Kingdom through cross-cultural community. Zoie believes walking alongside believers from different backgrounds reveals God’s presence in powerful and unexpected ways.
Elmer said yes to the El Salvador Global Serving Trip out of a desire to serve faithfully, grow spiritually, and walk alongside others in cross-cultural community. He is eager to learn from local leaders, honor the work already happening on the ground, and participate in a shared experience of faith, humility, and transformation.
Gia was born in Chicago and raised in Snellville, Georgia, where she later served in the United States Navy as a Logistics Specialist. Her heart for service flows from deep gratitude and a desire to live out her calling as part of the Body of Christ. For Gia, this Global Serving Trip is an opportunity to express faith through action and to serve faithfully wherever God leads.
Mary has been part of the Soul City community for over three years and was baptized in January 2023. She said yes to this Global Serving Trip with a simple prayerful posture: to serve where there is need, to go wherever God leads, and to remain open to how God wants to work through her. Mary is grateful for the opportunity to be part of what God is doing in El Salvador and looks forward to growing through the experience.
Lekisha joined Soul City in the summer of 2023 and was baptized in February 2024. She works in community engagement and partnerships at a bilingual charter school in Southwest Chicago. Saying yes to the El Salvador Global Serving Trip is a meaningful next step in her faith journey, one she approaches with joy, expectancy, and excitement to serve alongside her Soul City family.
Sean is excited to serve globally for the first time through this experience. He sees the El Salvador Global Serving Trip as an opportunity to grow in faith, build meaningful relationships, and serve a vibrant community. Sean is committed to remaining curious, present, and open-hearted, trusting that God will use this experience to deepen his relationship with Him.
Danita and her family have been part of Soul City for over four years. She has a deep love for service and finds joy in expressing God’s love through generosity and shared resources—both locally and globally. Having previously served in Honduras and Ghana, Danita is eager to continue witnessing the beauty of God’s love and people around the world through this Global Serving Trip.
Sarah is excited to participate in her first Global Serving Trip with Soul City and ENLACE. Long drawn to global service as a meaningful expression of faith, she sees this experience as an invitation to follow the Spirit’s leading. Sarah prays that God would use her hands, heart, and gifts as she serves neighbors in El Salvador and considers it a privilege to be part of this journey.
Aundrea serves regularly at Soul City in the café and through Transformation Track, creating space for people to encounter God. She began attending Soul City during the Greater Things campaign, a season marked by the question: What is the greater thing God wants to do in and through me? Saying yes to this Global Serving Trip is her response to God’s overwhelming love, a love that has made room in her life and compels her to serve others with humility and gratitude.
These photo capture more than a moment—it reflects hearts united in love, service, and purpose. We are grateful for the way God brought us together and for all that was accomplished side by side. Truly, we are better together.
Strangers who became family, united in love and service. What a gift it has been to serve together. One team, many hearts, and a shared purpose. Grateful for the way God brought us together and all He accomplished through us.
More moments from our last day with the La Labor community. We leave grateful for all God has done among us and knowing that a piece of our hearts will always remain here. We will miss them more than words can say.
These moments capture our third and final day of the bathroom initiative. What a joy it is to know we played a part in laying a foundation that will serve this community for years to come.
Pastor José and his lovely wife, Jenny, embody love and kindness in the most beautiful way. The way they led both their church community and our team reminds us of Colossians 3:14 that says “Above all, be loving. This ties everything together perfectly.”
We are forever changed by your gracious spirits and the intentional, Christ-centered way you steward your calling as shepherds drenched in LOVE! God’s LOVE!
Muchas Gracias!
Dios lo Bendiga!
We spent our lunch break today playing soccer with Pastor José and the La Labor church family, and it was an absolute blast! So much laughter and joy—though fair warning, Pastor José showed no mercy on the field! 😂⚽
Pastor José is a faithful servant whose hands are truly set to the plow, laboring with humility and perseverance for the people of his community here in El Salvador. As we lay the foundation for these three bathrooms, we are standing alongside a shepherd who has long been laying spiritual foundations—serving, building, and believing for transformation beyond what is seen. His steady leadership, willingness to work, and unwavering faith reflect the heart of someone committed to the work God has entrusted to him, trusting that what is planted today will bless generations to come.
Amen!
Day 2 – Sean and Elmer locked in as we prepare to mix all of the ingredients to make concrete.
Today we officially began our building initiative, partnering together to construct three bathrooms for the community center in the La Labor community. Truly, teamwork makes the dream work, and we are deeply grateful for the way everyone came together—stretching ourselves physically, serving diligently, and bonding alongside our Enlace leaders and the beautiful people of La Labor as they guided us through Day 1 of this project.
In addition to building, we had the privilege of visiting several homes in the community. We were overwhelmed by the love, kindness, and gentleness we encountered. During our morning reflection, our scripture focus was Galatians 5:22–23, and throughout the day we witnessed the fruit of the Spirit lived out in real time. We left those homes forever changed—humbled and reminded that we still have so much to learn about truly loving our neighbors.
The La Labor community showed us what it genuinely means to love one another with open hearts and selfless generosity. As we prepare to share a meal together tonight and get some much-needed rest, we wanted to take a moment to update you on how things are going.
Thank you for your continued prayers—we truly feel them.
God bless you all. We’ll check in again soon! 💛
Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were born You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” As our plane descended into El Salvador, flying over the most breathtaking mountains, we are reminded of how small we are in the presence of such vast beauty—and yet how intentional God is. Those mountains stood firm, and unmoved, long before we arrived and long before this global service trip was ever planned. They silently testify to a God who existed before all things and remains sovereign over every place we step foot on. In that moment and as we reflect, the mountains have become more than scenery; they became a declaration of God’s eternal nature and steady presence.
Psalm 90:2 anchors our hearts in the truth that this global service trip is not built on our strength, ideas, or timelines, but on the everlasting God who was already at work long before we arrived. Just as the mountains rise from the earth with purpose and permanence, so does God’s work in this beautiful land—rooted deeply in His eternal will. We are simply joining Him in what He is already doing. The same God who formed all of the beautiful mountains we flew over, is the God who goes before us, sustains us, and remains faithful from generation to generation, both here in El Salvador and wherever He sends us next.
Amen!
When we step into global service, our own faith deepens. We are shaped as much as those we meet along the way, reminded that the gospel is powerful and alive in every culture, and every nation.
Amen!
“Gloria a Dios”
Isaiah 6:8
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
When life gets hard, our Pastoral Care team is available to talk and pray.
Sunday through Thursday, from 9a – 9p, Pastoral Care is just a phone call away.
Reach out to us at 312-252-3062.
A quick message for those joining us in person this weekend:
Recently, the CDC shared new guidelines for wearing face masks in public and in indoor settings to promote safety in areas with substantial risks of transmission. Therefore, we are requiring that masks are worn while in the building on Sundays.
We are continuously reviewing the CDC guidelines and what our next steps will be – as your safety remains our priority.
