Cleaning, Ordering, Serving: Facility Maintenance as Ministry in El Salvador
By Mark Olivera | Immersion II – GOD Summer Internship
Mark Olivera, center, writes about facility maintenance abroad.
Back in Nashville, I had the opportunity to participate in ProDev, a professional development program at The Institute for GOD, a missions-based Bible college. ProDev helped me explore my occupational focus and develop real-world skills under experienced leaders. Over the past three years, I’ve been trained in facility maintenance, and it’s become something I genuinely enjoy.
This summer, through my Immersion II trip with the GOD Summer Internship, I’m putting those skills into practice in El Salvador—not in theory, but on the ground. Facility maintenance may not always be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of mission work, but Scripture shows us that order and stewardship matter. In the creation narrative in Genesis, God brings order out of chaos. Likewise, creating a clean, safe, and welcoming environment makes space for others to work, rest, and worship without distraction or burden.
One of my main assignments has been to assess and support the maintenance needs of our campus in El Salvador, a site used by GOD International for ongoing community development and discipleship work. I went through each building and made a detailed list of facility needs, ranging from organization and deep cleaning to basic repairs and pest control.
Mark Olivera clears overgrowth on a building in El Salvador.
After compiling my notes, I shared them with Marco, one of our facility managers back in Nashville. His feedback helped me better understand what to look for and how to approach the unique challenges of maintenance in a cross-cultural context. Facility work here isn’t identical to what we do in the U.S.—different materials, structures, and weather all factor in. That’s why I made sure to work closely with our local staff, who know the campus best and could help me get started in the right direction.
From cleaning and organizing shared spaces to safely removing multiple bees' nests, each task helped contribute to the overall health and function of the campus. While these jobs may seem simple, they serve a bigger purpose. When a space is clean and orderly, it becomes a place where people can feel safe and at peace. That’s not just practical—it’s spiritual.
The work of Global Outreach Developments International includes education, community service, and long-term development. Facility maintenance supports all of that. It allows teachers to focus, children to play safely, and staff to operate without added stress.
This summer in El Salvador has given me a new perspective on how my skills can serve the kingdom of God. Facility maintenance is not just a trade—it’s a calling to steward what we’ve been given so others can flourish. I’m thankful for the ways ProDev prepared me for this, and I’m excited to keep growing.