When I signed up for the World Race, I pictured myself holding children on my lap, kissing the foreheads of infants, trying to decide which one I would attempt to smuggle home while laying eagerly in my tent, hardly able to wait for the next morning to do it all again.
Newsflash: ministry doesn’t always look like that. Sometimes, ministry is struggling to have a conversation with a woman teaching you to cook because you speak different languages and neither of you can figure out what the heck the other is trying to say. Other times, it is taking out hundreds of books from a library and reorganizing them by subject and grade while sweat runs down your back and you just wish you were sleeping in your room 10 feet away. Occasionally, ministry is the most amazing worship service you have ever attended, with English, Spanish, and Spanglish all being sang at once and getting a glimpse of what the Kingdom will look like.
And then sometimes, ministry is sitting in the house of an 82 year old Costa Rican man and listening to his stories of overcoming alcoholism or talking with a 23 year old with the purpose of simply improving his English and finding Jesus in the middle of it.
Tuesday went just like any other day here at Zoe Christian School, where we are serving for the month. We had breakfast, morning devotion, taught a Bible story to some of the kids, and then just hung out around the school doing different little tasks to pass the time. Around lunch time we found out that we would be doing house visits after school. I won’t lie and say that I wasn’t a little relieved when I saw the storm clouds rolling in, hoping that if rain came it meant that we wouldn’t be doing door to door ministry. I’m not sure what made me so nervous about what this would entail, but I just wasn’t feeling it.
We knocked on 3 different doors before someone finally answered. I had to look twice as I was almost sure that my Grandaddy had made his way to Costa Rica without me knowing! Guillermo appeared to be about 60, but we soon found out he was 82! He’s in better shape than I am and welcomed us with a warm smile. He invited us into his living room, and was quick to begin telling his story to Raquel, who translated for us. Guillermo became an alcoholic at a very young age and found Alcoholic’s Anonymous at 32. He is 50 years sober now, but still attends meetings to avoid temptation and help others who are fighting the same battle. He told us about his wife who passed away 7 years ago, his family, his work, and his love for dance. When asked about faith, he told us that he doesn’t believe in organized religion, but that he and Jesus are “very good friends”. Meeting with Guillermo was the highlight of my week. I fought tears as I watched him in between our questions, carefully considering his answers, thinking back on his life. It was clear when he told us we were welcomed anytime, that he enjoyed the company and having people who desired to sit and listen to him. But I am sure that the blessing I received from him was so much bigger than the one he received from me.
Last night, my team and I caught a bus to Heredia, the nearest city to where we are staying, and attended English Club. Locals from the area come to practice their English, many with hopes of one day traveling to the States for work. Typically, one “gringa”, what the locals call us girls from the States, gets paired with a couple of “ticos”, what the locals call themselves, and we just get to know each other and help the tacos practice their English in the process. I sat at a table and two ticos joined me, one named Guillermo. Though much younger than the Guillermo I met on Tuesday, this young man had a just as much to say.
During our conversation, I asked Guillermo if he attended church in the area. He said that he didn’t, but that he does believe in Jesus and after more conversation, I realized that he has a relationship with Jesus, he just didn’t realize it. One particular story that he told us revealed this. One night he was walking home and saw a homeless man on the street. He passed him and went home and felt “something” (the Holy Spirit) telling him to gather some extra shirts that he had and some food and bring it to the man. He obeyed the calling and said he was touched by how appreciative the man was that he was able to share with. As we went more in depth into that situation, Guillermo shared how he believes it is more about loving those around you than anything else. So true…
This past week, the theme of Love has presented itself over and over amongst our team and our conversations with each other, with others, within the Word…God has been showing me that while sometimes ministry is loving on infants, and sometimes it’s about declaring the name of God so obviously, ALL the time, it is just about loving those that you come in contact with. Making others feel heard and appreciated. Being Christ to the man on the street by sharing some extra clothing and food you can do without. Encouraging those at the local AA meetings. Serving your teammates even when you are tired and aggravated and just want some alone time.
I think we get so caught up in the thinking that sharing the Gospel and ministering to others has to follow a set list of guidelines and rules that we often miss huge opportunities to just love on those around us. Ministry can happen right where you are, at any given time. Christ didn’t parade the streets saying, “Look at me! I am the Christ! You must do, act, and speak as I do at all times!” Sometimes, he just loved on those around Him. There are certainly times when you must spell out the Gospel obviously. But there are also times when you just sit and listen to the elderly or help others practice English that shows the love of Christ in a way that speaks louder than words. Jesus says that when loving others, “by this all will know that you are My disciples”.
When I was in middle school, we had an FCA t-shirt that said “Witness always. Use words if you have to.” My challenge is that we start loving others so much that they realize we aren’t like everyone else, and seek to know what it is about us that makes us exude such love. May the way we love point others to Christ, for He is love. May we all be Guillermo’s who love so well, that it becomes second nature and we bring the Kingdom where we are, without even trying.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy my remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:10-12
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
