My team and I have finally settled in at our host’s house in Quito. We have had two days of ministry at Pan De Vida (Bread of Life). This is a nonprofit organization who serves the community of Quito and Venezuelan immigrants. They serve meals, do bible studies, disaster repair, business classes, and evangelism. I have already had so much joy working with this ministry and can’t wait to see what we do in the coming month.
Day 1: Wednesday
This was our first day in ministry. We took a bus and had to walk, totaling about 40 minutes, to get into town and to the organization. When we got there we were greeted with smiles and open arms. We entered the building to see a colorful room filled with chairs. We sat down and ate our lunch and got our “duties” for the day. I was happily placed in a team the was to go down to the basement and fill small bags with 2 pounds of rice. We filled 214 bags of rice in about 2 hours. This didn’t feel like a chore at all, but was in fact something very enjoyable because I was surrounded by people who were there to serve, we also had some great music going. After that, Jeff, our ministry leader, pulled me and 3 other girls aside and gave us what I would consider the BEST “job” someone could ever be given. “Paint a mural,”He said. I could feel my face light up with joy and we all hopped right into brainstorming. That will be next weeks project, so stay connected to see the progress and the final product!!
Day 2: Thursday
What an amazing day in the ministry this was. Once again, I was asked to perform an artistic chore. I got to redecorate the children’s ministry bulletin board. I got to use my imagination and be colorful, while making my big brother proud by satisfying my OCD. After about 4 hours of working on that, and finally finishing, I was able to go outside and help the rest of my team finish painting the house. I was automatically asked to climb the latter because everyone else wads too scared. It was one of the many moments that I was thankful for my dad for teaching me my “handyman” skills. I also got to spend some time talking to people from home. I was so excited to talk to my mom and dad, I almost cried.
Friday and Saturday are the days that Pan De Vida gives us off. I’m not quite sure how I will be spending these days but I know that I will be sleeping in and resting while I have the time.
