Argentina was full of quiet moments.
The kind your heart takes snapshots of in the moment; things that are full of wonder, praise, awe.
“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)
My team lived with the most beautiful family in a small house nestled in the poorest part of Mendoza; our month was spent living in the red zone, and it was radically beautiful.
Our ministry was mostly relational, meaning we spent the first halves of our days gathered around the long kitchen table, sharing life and building relationships with our host family, and our evenings were spent driving to the homes of members of the community, preparing messages, worship songs and testimonies (all in Spanish!) to share with the community.
We brought lift and shared Christ with the children of many troubled mothers, whom had grown into street-soldiers, gang-warriors, drug addicts.
On the weekends we poured into youth and also went door-to-door handing out service fliers for the church.
we spoke during church services, visited so many homes, experienced the gracious South American hospitality of legend, we were fed such incredible meals, and were blessed beyond belief by the people we met.
And, like Mary, I could feel myself storing up all these things, moments and experiences in my heart, treasuring them, pondering them, and thanking God for them.
Ministry can often fool you; sometimes it feels as though you’re the one who is constantly receiving instead of giving. You begin to doubt, “Am I really making a difference?”
I did struggle with those thoughts month 8, but on our last few nights in Mendoza, our hosts and neighbors and members of the community we had been sharing life with showed me I had been wrong to doubt. I learned from them the incredible importance of what your presence can do for the kingdom, rather than your ability.
“I saw you worshipping on the roof, praising God for the beauty of the mountains surrounding our valley and it made me stop and take my own look at the view I so often take for granted. It brought me closer to the Lord, watching you just praising in His creation.”
“You have brought revival here. I have renewed hope in Christ for my son, who has walked away from God- you’ve loved him despite his struggles, and I am reminded that God loves him too, and has not given up on my son.”
“You have loved us as family. Thank you for choosing in. We will measure every future Race team against you and will miss you every day.”
My team was blown away.
Never forget the impact you can have, just by taking the time to love someone.
Even when it feels like you’re not doing much, your being there can change lives.
That is the raw beauty of relational ministry, and that is the blessed lesson I learned during month 8 in the red zone of Mendoza, Argentina.
