(For Spanish scroll down/ Español abajo)
A couple of days ago we were traveling from Colombia to Ecuador, we had a good schedule, leaving our Hostel at 6 am, ready to be at the border no later than 8 am, maybe 3 hours to get stamped into Ecuador and 4 hours traveling to Quito so we can watch the Super bowl together.
Everything was correctly calculated but… the things happened so different, we spend 2 hours just to be stamped out from Colombia, the line was so long that maybe was a block away, I started to feel stressed at that point but still cool, after we got the stamp I thought “We’re almost there” but… we had to go to the Ecuatorian border.
The line was longer!! Don’t take me bad, I’m used to big lines in the borders but I never expected that, specially because the line didn’t move for around an hour, people jumping into the line or saving spots, were 3 hours in that border until we got out.
We arrived to our bus station and the line was the same long (at this point we were not sure if we will make it to leave that town the same day), the police officers were telling we can get one ticket per person and not buy the tickets for the team.
We got the tickets and started our journey to Quito, we arrived at 11:00 pm ready to get some rest to travel again early in the morning… but!!! The place where we were staying said was closed (the manager took the time to open the door and come down to say that).
We went to another bus station to get tickets to Baños (city at where we are) and we got them but!!! They overcharged us and tried to get extra money… what a day no? Everybody had reasons to get angry, mad, stressed, desperate… BUT!!!
…God used everything to give me a lesson and understand the life is ministry, hundreds of people from Venezuela trying to get to another country to have something to eat, a kid in the middle of border playing with one of our team members, a man at the street, the taxi drivers in Quito who brought us to the closed hostel, waited for us and take us later to the next bus station, a police officer in the bus station ho helped us to get the correct price for the tickets, the hostel in Baños that opened the door at 5 am to check in.
Everything it’s a possibility, and this is just a reminder for me and for all of you to keep our eyes open, God is very creative and we don’t know why He use the nethods He use to give us ministry opportunities.
Excited how God is going to use the team in Ecuador, after the difficulties I really believe God has a great plan for us in this country!
Español
Hace unos dias realizamos un viaje desde Colombia a Ecuador, teniamos todo agendado, salir a las 6 am del Hostal, listos en la fronteraque no mas de las 8 am, unas 3 horas para que nos sellaran los pasaportes en Ecuador, 4 horas viajando a Quito y listos para ver el Super bowl.
Todo estaba correctamente calculado, pero… las cosas pasaron totalmente distintas, fueron 2 horas para obtener el sello de salida ded Colombia, la linea era tan larga, quizas de una cuadra, empece a sentir un poco de estres pero a ese punto aun estaba tranquilo, despues de obtener el sello de salida pense “ya casi lo logramos” pero… teniamos que ir a la frontera de Ecuador.
La linea era aun mas larga!! No me tomen a mal, estoy acostumbrado a filas largas en las fronteras pero nunca espere algo asi, especialmente porque no nos movimos en una hora, gente metiendose en la fila o guardando puestos, fueron 3 horas en la frontera hasta que salimos.
Llegamos a la estacion de buses y la fila era igual de larga que las enteriores (a este punto no sabiamos si ibamos aa lograr irnos en un bus ese mismo dia) los policias nos decian que cada persona debia comprar su boleto y no podiamos comprarlos todos para el equipo.
Logramos comprar los boletos y empezamos nuestro viaje a Quito, llegamos a las 11:00 pm listos para descansar unas horas y viajar al dia siguiente… Pero!!! El lugar donde nos ibamos a quedar estaba cerrado (el gerente se tomo el tiempo de abrir la puerta y bajar a decirnoslo en persona).
Fuimos a otra estacion de bus a obtener los boletos para Baños (ciudad en la que estamos) y los compramos pero!!! Nos cobraron de mas queriendo sacarnos mas dinero… que dia no? Todos teniamos razones para estar molestos, enojados, estresados, desdeperados… PERO!!!
…Dios usa todo para darme una leccion y hacerme entender que la vida es ministerio, cientos de personas de Venezuela tratando de entrar a otro pais para tener algo que comer, una niña a la mitad de la frontera jugando con alguien del equipo, un hombre en la calle, los taxistas en Quito que nos llevaron al Hostal cerrado, nos esperaron ahi y luego nos llevaron a la siguiente estacion de bus, el policia que nos ayudo a que nos cobraran lo correcto por los boletos y nos devolvieran el dinero, el hostal en Baños que nos abrio la puerta a las 5 am.
Todo es una posibilidad, y ese dia fue solo un recordatorio para mi y todos ustedes de que debemos tener los ojos abiertos, Dios es muy creativo y no sabemos porque El usa los metodos que usa para darnos oportunidades de ministerio.
Emocionado por ver lo que Dios hara con el equipo en Ecuador, despues de tantas dificultades realmente creo que Dios tiene un gran plan para nosotros en este pais!
Rodolfo Santos
