It is with great endurance that I come to you in writing today. Being in month 10 of this race comes with its fair share of overall fatigue, and sometimes even complacency. I have anticipation of the end and what’s coming after this trip, wondering what life will hold when I am no longer in this type of long term missionary setting which I love so much.
But for now I am still a missionary…
on the field…
in Ecuador.
After over 40 hours of travel from Peru, my team and I arrived safely in Guayaquil, Ecuador on September 30th with plans to only stay for a few days then make our way up the coast for more missions. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned and we found ourselves stuck here as it was deemed unsafe to travel outside of this city for now. For the past week, there have been persistent protests among the people here who are enraged by a recent increase in oil prices. Since October 3rd there has been a country-wide “state of emergency“ due to these protests which has resulted in bus and taxi companies going on strike. People are leading riots in the streets, burning tires, forming blockades, and shutting down all of the main roads. People are advised to stay inside and not be out after 8pm for their own safety. We are not able to get transportation outside of the city via bus until the riots and protests cease. We were even advised to stock up on food and water until next week since stores would be closing early and running out of supplies. To be honest, I have started to feel trapped and really discouraged in the midst of these circumstances. But today, on day eight of the riots, God showed up.
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, today is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
-2 Corinthians 6:2-10
Our team read this chapter in the Bible today and it reminded me that in the midst of the afflictions, hardships, hunger, and riots going on all around us, it is STILL a favorable time. It’s a favorable time to be alive. It’s a favorable time to be a missionary/evangelist to the nations, and today is STILL the day of salvation. It’s a favorable time to shine my light and spread the love of Jesus wherever I go, especially in times like these where people are scared, hurting, and fighting for justice.
Though I was feeling trapped and without purpose here, God reminded me I still have purpose. This week a team mate and I prayed before going out on the streets. We prayed for God to show us who was on His heart. He showed both of us a lady with a ponytail wearing a yellow shirt. As we went out and walked by the mall area we saw the exact lady God showed us. She was selling mangos from a cart on the side of the road. We stopped and asked her if we could pray for her and she said, “yes pray for my business”. So we prayed and afterwards she had the biggest smile on her face. I gave her a gospel tract in Spanish and watched as she read it right away. Then just yesterday my team and I were out and as we were leaving a store we were approached by two young men who had asked us for food. We offered to walk to the grocery store with them and buy them some food. By this time the store shelves were quite empty but they ended up buying candy which they used to sell and a few other things. I also gave them each a gospel tract in Spanish and they recognized it was about Jesus. One of the guys then asked if we could pray for healing for his aunt who recently had a stroke and was left paralyzed on one side of her body. So in the parking lot of the grocery store in the hot sun we all stood in a circle, held hands, and prayed for him and his family. They hugged each of us as we said our goodbyes and it is my prayer that they receive salvation after that seed was planted. It is in these moments where God reminds me of my purpose and through His word He speaks to me, giving me a new sense of patience, peace, and comfort to go on with great endurance. So yes, as the scripture states, “as a servant of God in times where I feel I have no purpose and have nothing, I possess everything.”
Picture of the empty shelves in the grocery store 10/9/19
Please continue to pray for my team and I, that we would continue to be safe among the protests and that they would clear up soon so we can travel to the next place God has for us.
