A day of ministry at Camp Hope and an off day on the weekend look a little bit different, but in the end it’s the same mission.
This Saturday a few of my teammates and I decided to spend our day relaxing in a park. We brought blankets, lunch, books, and music. While we were soaking up the sun and enjoying each others’ company, a 15-year-old old boy approaches us and asks us if we have any spare money. We decide that it would be best if we bought him lunch rather than just giving him cash, and he gratefully accepts our offer.
On the walk back to our blankets, he starts telling us about his life. He tells us that he came to Quito with his mom but soon after that, she passed away. The rest of his family lives on the coast and he is trying to get enough money to get a bus ticket back home. We ask if we can pray for him and he graciously accepts. We decide to pitch in some spare cash so that he will hopefully have enough to make it back to his family. After thanking us and saying “God bless,” he goes about his way.
He gets about thirty feet away from us and he stops near a tree where a homeless man is camped out. He leans over and gives the man a piece of his skewer and a sip of his fruit juice. I was truly taken back by how much I could learn from a homeless fifteen year old boy. He exemplifies Jesus. Although he had no money, no support system, and no excess amount of food, he cared more about helping this man than filling his own empty tummy.
After seeing this encouraging encounter, I start to decipher if it is just me wanting to help this man or if God has it in his plan for me today. (This is something that I have been learning about since I’ve been in Quito. I have quickly learned that I cannot buy a meal for every hungry person that I encounter, but if the Lord wants me to approach someone or give to someone, I will.) I decide yes- He is leading me to him. I go get a pork skewer and offer it to the man. He joyously accepts my offer. Since I don’t speak Spanish, I got nervous from having nothing else to say and turned quickly to leave.
As I turned away, he called something out, but the only thing I understood was “Christianos.” I replied yes, but again I cannot hold a conversation so I was a bit nervous. Thankfully, Melissa and Alyssa were on their way to come talk with us, and Melissa speaks Spanish. The man was so excited to show me his Bible that he was reading before I came over. He asked us to sit with him and talk. He told us that he used to sing in a band and he showed us some photos. He explained to us that he has been living in the park. He had gotten involved with the wrong people and the wrong lifestyle for himself. We ask if and how we can pray for him. He asks that we pray that he can get out of this lifestyle. We do so, and he tells us how even though it is hard, he tries to always live in obedience to the Lord.
After a little while, he tells us that he would like to go clean himself up and change in the bathroom and meet up with us in a little bit. Sure enough, twenty minutes later he comes to chat with us again. He meets our other teammates and we laugh and enjoy each others’ company and right before we part ways, he asks us to pray for him again. He tells us that he really would love to be able to get a speaker at some point so that he can perform again.
Getting to meet and pray for these two amazing people was such a humbling opportunity. I look up to these two men that I met Saturday. Even in very tough situations, they found ways to be joyous and act as Jesus did and that takes so much strength. I also realized that sometimes opportunities to pray for and serve people fall right in front of me, and other times, it takes observation, listening, and a willingness to take risks.
