My work as a physical educator in the San Juan de Dios Hospitaller at Manizales, has been a humanising experience which began with being acquainted with the philosophy, principles and values driving the Hospitaller Order and subsequently became a way of life, taking on and being sensitised to individual personal situations faced by all the human beings who have entered the hospital; these are histories which not only surround the patients, but involve the whole of the Hospitaller Family of Saint John of God.

Hospitality reflected in an experience of outreach, inclusion and recognition of others, has made it possible to show the presence of Jesus and, through my testimony of life, to reflect on the need for accompaniment and appropriate action based on professional skills, deeply involved in social commitment, spiritual and human support, ranging far beyond merely established working practices, to become a project of life whose purpose is to give dignity to the condition of every human being, living and manifesting the charism of hospitality in the manner of Saint John of God.

Bearing witness to hospitality has become the manner in which I live in my life; it is the soul, the sense and meaning and the basis of the work that I do every day; recovering the value of the simple things has been the beginning for greater changes, offering a hug, offering words of encouragement, serving with love, giving advice or listening to someone needing to share, has enabled me, in my personal experience, to change attitudes and to adopt a different vision of things; it is gratifying to draw close to each patient, to communicate with them, and exchange feelings and emotions that emerge in the meetings I have every day in my job, and strengthen my determination in my personal and professional life. My work is a blessing which gives me the opportunity to commit myself to the whole of the Saint John of God community to the universal love of Christ, which excludes none and embraces all: “to be more, to serve better, doing good, well done”.