My team and I arrived in Guayaquil yesterday morning to begin our month of Unsung Hero ministry. This month we will be seeking out different ministries and contacts with the hopes of encouraging them and maybe even finding new ministry partners for Adventures in Missions.
We have been told often that this month will be a month of trusting and stretching. That is true for the whole World Race, yet more this month because of the way it’s set up. There is no set up. We will be relying completely on God for everything- food, lodging, contacts, transportation, etc. We will be responsible for all of that, but open and flexible to God’s leading.
Right out of the gate God has been teaching us this. Yesterday could have been a stressful day, but God’s hands were all over it.
We arrived in Guayaquil with seven people, double the baggage, and minimal information about the area. Our wonderful hostess from our hostel in Quito (if ever you are in Quito you definitely want to stay at Big Mama Hostel) had given us the name of a hostel in Guayaquil. We took a few moments to recoup, get hot drinks and red velvet muffins, and do a little more research on the area and then we set out. Stepping out into the sunny humidity, we’re not in Quito anymore, we were quickly snagged by two taxi drivers. Let the journeys begin. In we hopped and away we went. Let me tell you, Guayaquil is very big. After passing a lion statue and the river (those again? Yeah.) we finally arrived at our destination only to find the hostel was closed?!
Um, now what?
Well, God had that planned out already. While we tried to convince the taxi drivers to take us to a park or somewhere with wifi so we could re-gather and research, they refused and said they knew of a place.
So in we got and away again. This time arriving in front of a small wall with a monkey painted on the side- The Funky Monkey. Ellen, our team leader, and K, our UH coordinator, got out with one taxi driver and rang the bell. We all waited with baited breath as the door opened and arrangements were discussed. Finally the thumbs up. We had a place to stay that night and the next! We thanked our taxi drivers profusely.
This first day, I feel like is just a taste of what God is going to do this month.
God sent us guiding angels in the form of helpful taxi drivers to get us where He wanted us to stay for our days of training. Who knows how else He might work. We just have to continue to be open to His leading and not so focused on our plans.
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Through Christ,
Brooke
