I have been here in El Salvador for officially a month. Someone tell me that is crazy cause that is totally insane!! (Also, I should not be writing this blog right now because I’m in a goofy mood and all of my thoughts/words are coming out in a country accent. Ya know, the usual of life.)
ANYWAYS.
Throw out all expectations of what you think ministry should look like and take a moment to soak in what the reality of ministry is.
Ministry is the feeling of unconditional love when a little girl comes running up to you with the biggest and best hug you’ve ever experienced. She jumps in your arms and you swing her around laughing. Even though you have no idea what each other is saying, you feel love pass between you, and that is all that matters.
Ministry is playing soccer at the orphanage and accidentally breaking a girls toe cause you got a little cray cray and went all wild. And then you spend the next half an hour trying to communicate that you feel really bad but all you can say is “Lo siento. Lo siento.” (Im sorry, Im sorry!!!)
Ministry is having play dates with the local teenage boys when you try to teach them uno and have hysterical laughing moments when a boy doesn’t know how to say donkey in English so he makes the most real donkey noise you have ever heard in your life.
Ministry is fighting against the devil weeds in order for the grounds to look beautiful come time for church.
Ministry is sitting in the middle of, basically, a tropical storm trying to have a deep conversation with your teammates and having to shout with all you have just to be heard over the pounding rain.
Ministry is buying bracelets and necklaces from the boys who sell them to make a living, even when you already have a pile of them that you already bought. And then those same boys find where you live and come and stay all morning because they are in love with Kaela. (aka Edgar) Or when that boy blows up a condom like a balloon. Its fine, stuff happens.
Ministry is the smiles and hola’s you give to people as you walk down the road.
Ministry is making a fool of ourselves trying to speak Spanish to the locals and them getting joy out of us trying.
Ministry is learning the names of the girls at the orphanage and getting to just sit with them and laugh. Sometimes that means playing soccer, other times its yoga, and sometimes it playing ridiculous games. But they’re no longer girls at the orphanage to me. They are my friends that I get to visit at least once a week, and have the time of my life just hanging out with them.
Ministry is the laughs and deep conversations we share with our host, our friend, and our older sister, Andrea. Its the times when we are honest with each other about feeling discouraged and sit around our table speaking life and encouragement into each other.
Ministry is collecting a stock pile of games and encouraging stories to use during the dream program that is going to start in a couple of weeks.
Ministry is throwing around a flat soccer ball before the church service starts with young boys and old men finding joy in the simplest of thing.
So you see, ministry is simply living life. There are very few moments during the week that we “go out and do ministry”. Which at first I thought was a bad thing. I have come to realize that could not be further than the truth. Because as cheesiest as it is, Love is not affected by language barriers.
At times it is more than frustrating to not be able to communicate with people as I wish. I want to learn their story, I want to know about them. What they like to do, what their dreams are and whatever else they want to share with me. And its aggravating to not be able to learn those things. But, God is showing me how to love without words. And that my friend, is a beautiful thing.
Besides, some times it comes in handy that they don’t speak the same language as you. For instance, when the little kids at the orphanage are receiving stuffed animals (cutest thing ever)..and one of the girls runs out yelling “Ma Ma!” to show her mom her stuffed animal, and my only response is (yes i said this out loud…judge me) “Why does she have a stuffed animal AND a mom?” Sometimes its just good that other people cant understand the stupid things you are saying.
But really, I’m falling in love with the people here in El Salvador. And I already can’t imagine having to leave them. Because somehow the feeling of Love is stronger when it by passes language barriers and is existent in just being with someone.
Ministry is loving the people around you with the unconditional love that only flows from you out of the over flow of Love you receive from your father.
