The Johnson Family:  The Johnson's followed God's call to Guatemala in August of 2008.  As they worked and lived among the people of Magdalena and Buena Vista, the depth of certain issues in the villages came to light. Since then, they began praying for God to begin a ministry to the boys, allowing us to address these deep issues before they became men. Read more.  Eventually, God began to shape a vision that would soon become the Buena Vista Sports Academy for Boys.  Brock has always worked in the business side of professional sports, which admittedly almost ruined him. He feels blessed to now be coaching and teaching boys who are far from the hoopla and self-absorption of professional sports. The Johnson family serves together at BVSA. Brock oversees the operation of the ministry, as well as coaches.  Kerrie helps Walda run the education program, and takes very seriously the role of "team mom."  Madi and Brooke have returned to the states to go to college.  Jake is a member of the Rhinos.  Luciana Andrea is the newest addition to the family, and has made life just a little bit more of an adventure!  You can follow or support the Johnson's on their website deepStreamguatemala.com and on Brock's blog.

The Leiva Family:  Mynor was the first Guatemalan the Johnson's met when they came to Guatemala in April of 2008.  After a couple years of friendship, God would eventually lead he and his wife Walda to leave their careers and become full-time missionaries to their own people.  To have a local couple who represents the traits we seek to teach the boys is an invaluable asset. Especially for the boys, Mynor's example as a dedicated man of God, a strong leader with a servant’s heart, and a loving husband, is exactly what they need to see on a daily basis.  And as God would have it, Mynor is also an athlete.  He and Walda bring a perfect combination to the ministry, as Walda holds multiple degrees, is a computer software engineer, and also a teacher.  She too left a promising career to pour her heart into helping these boys, the future leaders of a small poor village in Guatemala. Since joining the Academy, they have had a son (future Rhino!) named Noah, and baby girl, Ava Luna, born May 9, 2015.  On a daily basis, Mynor is the head coach of the soccer program, and Walda oversees the education program.  You can support the Leiva's by clicking HERE and noting "Leiva Family" in the form.  

Enrique Lopez:  Enrique graduated from the Rhinos in 2015.  He has been in the program since the day we opened our doors in 2010.

Enrique is currently studying weekends at University Galileo in Antigua, Guatemala.  He is the first ever man from the village of Buena Vista to go to college!  He's studying Business Administration, and works full-time in the academy in a similar role.  He keeps the books, pays salaries, pays the bills, assists in all things administrative, and also helps in class as a tutor.

We could not be prouder of Enrique - not only for what he's achieving with his education goals, but also for the christian man that he has become.

Dennilson Lopez:  Dennilson manages the facilities at BVSA.  Currently in his final year of the academy, "Nicho" has maintained a high level of integrity throughout his career as a Rhino, and we knew we wanted to keep him on staff.  His humble spirit and hard-working attitude are his character traits that everyone notices right away. 

Currently, Nicho oversees all of the facilities at BVSA Guatemala.  He does everything from maintenance, to cleaning, to general repairs.  He is also studying on the weekends to obtain his mechanic certificate. Every Saturday, he trains our girls soccer team "Las Rinas."

Nicho has had a very difficult life; we've been through many ups and downs with him and his family over the last 7 years.  Through it all he has developed a strong faith in the Lord, and we are excited to see how God continues to use him.

Darwin Ramos:  Darwin is currently participating in our 1-year leadership program.  Without question, he is developing into a strong leader.  Still a member of the Rhinos, he works for BVSA part-time in the mornings.  He assists Dennilson with managing facilities, which includes doing anything from mowing grass, sweeping the gym and classrooms, and washing the team vans.

What sets Darwin apart is his unique desire to serve others.  Humble and helpful, he is always the first one to jump when something needs done.  Its a quality that has earned him the opportunity to work for BVSA, and as he continues to grow we envision him transitioning into a leadership role. 

Darwin is currently 17 years old and an important member of the varsity Rhino's defense.

Allan Marroquin:  Allan graduated from the 2015 BVSA class.  In that year he was both our varsity MVP as well as leading scorer.  But because of his development as a young man, heart for Christ, and for his own community, we knew we wanted to bring him onto our team.

Allan has a promising career as a soccer coach, and as a leader of young men.  He now works part-time helping coach the JV Rhinos and assisting in various areas.

We hope to have Allan continue leading young Rhinos for many years to come!

Johanna Herrera:  Johanna has been with us as our lead cook for teams ever since we started back in 2008.  She joined BVSA in 2012 and has been working full time for us ever since.   Johanna and her husband Byron have been good friends to us for many years.  They have 5 children.

Johanna is a terrific cook!  She loves the boys and is thankful for her job.  In addition to running our feeding center ("the training table"), she still cooks for visiting mission teams when they are in town.