Team Rakhma Rau was located in Portoviejo, Ecuador. Our ministry host was a youth pastor and his family named Percy and his wife Hama. There was also another missionary there from America named Ms. Kai, she was the best and loved joining us each day on our endeavors. We started off by first cleaning the guest house for which us 7 guys and our TL Nick would be staying. The next day was Sunday and Percy took us to a town called Jippijoppa (pronounced hippyhoppa) where we were asked to help with worship so Caleb, Nate and Tyler had their first gig. Our weeks looked like this, Monday Tuesday and Wednesday morning we’d go to a group home for the mentally disabled, the men were elderly with dementia and Alzheimer’s, but there was one guy in his late thirties named Daniel, I’ll get back to him. In the evenings we would go to the garbage dump and sing songs, play games, color, and feed dinner to the children. It wasn’t in the actual dump but across the street, there were a bunch of ducks and farm animals, a little smelly some would say. The kids were amazing and loved to play games and sing and laugh. We had off Thursday and on fridays we were working construction on the foundation for a restaurant that will feed future missionaries and help pay for the kids dinners 5 times a week. And Saturday we’d work around the compound and neighboring church picking up trash and moving furniture.
So back to the group home and Daniel, we started the first few days by weeding around the house then hanging out with the guys, listening to music, dancing, kicking a soccer ball, coloring, and then turning them into paper airplanes. There was no set structure so we just came up with our own. After the first week and getting to know the guys and Daniel, Joseph said that we should have a bible study. We started talking with Daniel and discipling him. Asking about his life and child, when we started talking about Jesus he was hesitant at first then you could see the Holy Spirit come inside and light him up. The Holy Spirit moved in an amazing ways. One of the more memorable parts was when I took the Bible we had given to him and underlined John 3:17-21. While Joseph was speaking to him about the light of Christ and next thing I knew was he opened his own bible to John and started reading John 3:17. He read to verse 21. It was amazing to see God move so quickly. We gave him a Spanish bible and a Spanish English translated bible so that he could learn more English. He loved classic rock and we gave him lyrics of his favorite Pearl Jam song. The second photo is the outside of the group home, the name loosely translates to “House of the Vulnerable Persons”. And by the end of the month you know what I realized…We’re all vulnerable. Without Jesus we’re susceptible to the world is is telling us on TV or on the internet. The false realities that we see in movies. The lies that we need this product, should wear this to look this way. We can stay grounded in the truths of who Jesus says we are, and not be susceptible to everything that’s being thrown as us everyday. We can be above reproach and ready to stand up for what we know is right. This was an amazing host and inspiring ministry month! As you can tell the beard is getting longer as moral continues to increase. We have not had internet this month in Peru but I will update you guys soon. Please pray for sound minds, bodies, and spirits for my team as we dive deeper into scriptures and obedience with the Lord. (1 Peter 1:22)
With Love,
Will
