Ups and Downs

After a great free day last Thursday, filled with talking to family and friends and even an impromptu adventure to the beach, I was ready and excited to start another week of ministry. That excitement quickly went away and turned into feelings of wanting to go home, feeling like I don't have a purpose here, and a feeling of simply not wanting to be here. Friday and Saturday were difficult days. Our team no longer felt like a family. In addition to the lack of unity we were feeling, our team physically wasn't doing well. Thankfully I didn't get sick, but our team as a whole was struggling.

Sunday we got up at 6 a.m. to go to an outdoor baptism service, which none of us were really thrilled about attending. It was, however, a great day where our team had the opportunity to bond and become a family again. We spent the majority of the day at a river where there was an amazing waterfall that we got to swim in. The force of the waterfall was so strong that to get under it, we had to dive in and swim hard until we were close enough to hold onto a person under the waterfall… Team bonding at its finest.

Monday morning we worked and cleaned around the house and then went to the elderly home in the afternoon. There was only nine girls who went because the guys had to stay back to do more yard work and the other girls were sick. We were feeling down, yet again, but once we got there, the whole mood changed. The people were so happy to see us, and they brought so much joy into our hearts. I had the opportunity to have a decent conversation with two elderly men. I didn't understand much, but it didn't matter. They just needed a listening ear and I had that. We sang songs with them, read the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den to them, and even played a fantastic game of charades. We acted out animals and the residents guessed what we were. My favorite memory of the day was when George, one of the residents, acted out an animal. Watching a man in his mid-seventies lift up his leg, pretending to be a dog peeing, was priceless.

Tuesday might have been my favorite day here. We spent the morning going door to door asking people if we could pray for them. Almost all of them not only said that we could, but they also welcomed us into their houses and shared their story. Then in the afternoon, we did the same thing except in a different neighborhood. Going in, I was very unsure of the whole idea. My group of five people didn't have a fluent Spanish speaker and we didn't know what exactly to say. Before going, I asked God to help me communicate with the people I would come in contact with and allow me to understand what they were saying.

Putting all our fears and anxieties aside, we knocked on the first door. A lady answered and we introduced ourselves and asked if we could pray for her. She invited us into her house and we talked for almost two hours. Being able to talk for two hours with minimal knowledge of Spanish was amazing and a gift from God. She showed us pictures of her family, made us the most delicious coffee, and gave us some sweet bread to snack on. We also got to meet her daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson and pray for all of them. They were all so gracious and loving. They gave us their contact information and wanted us to come back again.

Wednesday we went to the garbage dump. Last time we were there it had been so muddy that they weren't letting garbage trucks come in. This time, however, there were numerous trucks coming in with new trash and the people, young and old, were quickly going through it, searching for anything of value. The first time I went, I felt that I hardened my heart because I didn't want to face the reality of what I was seeing. So this time before going, I asked God to break my heart for what breaks His and he answered that prayer. We met a lady named Naomi who is the mother of three kids ages 13,7, and 1. She has called the garbage dump home for the past 15 years, which means her children don't know any other home than a garbage dump. When we asked her if she needed anything, she responded with shoes for her children. I can only imagine what her daily struggles are, and yet she had a smile on her face.

God is teaching me so many things on this trip, and so many of those things I can take with me when I come home. There are still times when I want to go home, but when I feel that way, I pray that God would release those feelings from me and He does, as long as I give Him complete control. I have learned that I can't take a nap, because that is the time when I am most vulnerable to those feelings overtaking me. So instead of napping, I dive deeper into God's Word. Please continue to pray for me as I go through this journey of being completely reliant on God.