I have been in Puerto Rico for one full week. Upon landing my squad of 45 was split in three groups. My team was pared with two other teams, creating the largest group of 20. The first day was filled with a bus ride from the northeastern capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan, to the west coast city of Mayaguez.
On our way, our ministry contact, Danny, introduced us to two beautiful treasures of Puerto Rico: a bluff overlooking the ocean and a face carved in stone, both commemorating the Native American chief, Guajataca, leader of the tribe who originally settled this majestic island.
Once we stopped for groceries we made the arduous trek into the mountains filled with steep one lane winding roads, all at a faster speed than I would have ever attempted. A few inclines I thought for sure our bus would stall out midway through its ascent and roll back down into the line of cars patiently (perhaps) waiting for us to find our destination. One of my squad mates said the ride was “better than six flags”.
Our destination was Jesamir, a church retreat/camp, looked after by Pastor Ruben, his wife Lila and three small dogs: Vito (pronounced Beto), Brownie and Ashton. On the property rests a church with tiled floors and a very small stage, a cottage that sleeps around 40 people and a small in ground pool (where local churches perform baptisms). We unpacked the bus under the clear night sky and went to bed to the sound of tree frogs whistling.
The next morning I explored the property with my teammate Karli….Vito and Brownie as our “guides”. The red clay stained the bottom of my new Toms and the paws of the perros (dogs) as we peeked in and around the church. An old, paved basketball court rests untouched on the far side of the church. Its single metal rim has no net and weeds decorated every crack in the pavement. The morning birds sang to us while we snapped photos of the landscape.
The view from our cottage was breath-taking. The horizon is dotted with homes tucked into the crevasses of the mountain above the rolling hills of natural vegetation. Pastor Ruben asked us to take the first few days to rest, refresh and spend quiet time with the Lord in prayer. I got to use my new hammock to journal, nap (once) and take in the scenery.
On Saturday afternoon, Pastor Ruben and his friends and family carpooled us into the city center to experience the sights and sounds of Mayaguez. A Catholic church and the Municipal Building tower each end of the plaza and rows of shops and street stands line the length of the plaza creating a perfect rectangle. A grand fountain stands high above every tree, light stand and bench at the heart and center of the plaza. The locals were celebrating the last night of the Festival of the Three Kings, a tradition commemorating the Kings visit to Jesus. The adults played music and sang while the kids threw Dragon Snaps against the sidewalks. I tried lychee sorbet, tarte de carne (a traditional meat pie) and a flakey pastry filled with guava all for the first time. I also brought home a slice of Tres Leche cake for the following night in honor of my cousin Matt, who loves Tres Leche cake.
On Sunday we were picked up by some of the same family members, a youth pastor, Emmanuel, and his friends to take us to church only a block from the same plaza. Worship and the service was all in Spanish, and though I didn’t understand much it was one of the most beautiful worships I have ever experienced. The girl who led the worship team was said to be only 14 to 16 years old. Her voice was magical. The pastor also introduced our group and the whole congregation applauded us for our ministry and reason for being in Puerto Rico. It was really thoughtful. He also preached a very special message, one close to my heart. He said that a healthy marriage and a healthy family has one thing in common: Jesus is at the heart of our relationship, in the center of our families, in the atmosphere of our homes and in our own hearts as we go about our day. And even if you are not yet married and have not started a family that this blessing will fall on you when God’s time is right for you. Because when we begin every morning with God at the helm He will never lead us astray. Primero Lo Primero.
After church our new friends took us to a local strip mall to get lunch. I had another authentic Puerto Rican dish called Mufungo, which is fried plantains mashed together and covered in chicken, and my first taste of Yuka as a side dish. It was delightful. We all came back to our camp to worship, which turned into dancing and talking….for hours. One of the gang, Frankie, taught me how to Salsa! I don’t think he realized how much it meant to me. Learning to Salsa is on my “wish to experience in life” list. I hope I can continue to practice and get the opportunity to learn more steps while we travel Latin America. But the most special part of the evening was celebrating Emmanuel’s 28th Birthday with cupcakes. He said he couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend his entire day.
That one statement was eye-opening. Through the whole day, Emmanuel, his fiancé, Carolina and all their friends continued to thank us, tell us how much of a pleasure it was for them to take us around and how much we’ve added to their lives in just one day. Did they realize that the whole time they were serving us? Even Pastor Ruben, who continued to feed us, surprise us with groceries and trips to town, kept telling us how blessed he was by our presence. I’ve never felt so loved and spoiled by strangers. I told them that we are the ones who should be thankful because they were doing so much for us without allowing us to give anything back. They asked us if we realized we had already given them something. We had brought joy back to the camp, we had answered some of their prayers and that whether we knew it or not, we were angels. It sounds cheesy, but it was so utterly sincere. I can’t express their gratitude, their servant heart and their unwavering joy during our time there.
It made me realize how much I had missed God’s reason for us to be there and how much I personally have missed God’s desire for our hearts from the day we are born. We’ve got to look after one another, we’ve got to take care of each other, we’ve got to stop living in a world that suits us best and truly invest in the lives of others. I crave to feel their gratitude, to have a servant heart and to see life as an opportunity to honor God at all times like they were honoring us. Pastor Ruben said it best, “You are one olive of many olives that must come together to be pressed to make the oil that will be poured out onto others; an oil that will bless everyone we meet.”
It shouldn’t surprise you to know that the very next evening Emmanuel called us to invited us out for smoothies (frappes really) with his friends and gathered enough vehicles (yet again) to take us to their favorite hangout spot. I rode in his car that night and he told me so many of his friends kept calling him throughout his day with requests to see us again before we left. “We’ve got to do something, where can we take them?” Unwavering joy I tell you, and a completely servant heart. Their laughter was 100 percent contagious and their smiles will stick in my head forever.
