Sunday
At Pan de Vida (the ministry I am working at for these two months) I met a refugee from Venezuela. His name is Wilmer Silva, and he held his 10-month old baby, Juan Philippe, in his arms all afternoon. I prayed with him and had the honor of learning more of his story. Him and his wife are struggling to make it to Peru to reconnect with the rest of their community that fled from Venezuela. During our conversation of my very limited Spanish and his broken English, in the midst of him talking about what could be perceived as only darkness and despair, he pointed to his heart confidently and teary-eyed, saying, “God is here.”
Monday
My team and I began our week of ministry helping a family rebuild their home after it burnt down in a fire 2 months ago. Even more devastating than the fire, about 3 weeks ago the father of this family, Nestor, passed away unexpectedly from a stomach tumor. We worked alongside his wife Manuela, his son Luis, his nephew Juan Daniel, and his sister Beatrice. If you think of it, pray for them.
Tuesday
My team leader shared that God called him to return to the states. Hearing this news initially was hard, upsetting, and confusing. And while it sucks for us to feel the loss of him not being here, I am honored to know a young man that would walk away from where he wants to be because God calls him to go in a different direction, before even knowing all the reasons why.
Wednesday
I had my first sick day of the race and stayed home from construction a day to recover. Nearly half of our squad experienced a form of sickness this week, so please be praying for physical health among us. I also read one of my favorite books this day, Redeeming Love.
Thursday
My favorite thing that happened this day was when my teammate Erin started dancing while wheel-barreling dirt and rocks, and Manuela and Beatrice (the women I mentioned earlier) were playfully copying her and giggling. Erin’s freedom in this moment brought laughter and lightheartedness, leading a number of us to take a break and dance in a circle together.
Friday
I started the morning at a coffeeshop, and then I sat in a tattoo parlor while my Squad leader got a new tattoo. I started reading Scary Close by Donald Miller on the bus ride home, and spent the evening hanging out with my team.
Reflection:
It’s wild how diverse a week can be, and how diverse the emotions that we experience in a week (let alone in a day) can be. I saw and heard a lot of hard things, and in that God allowed me to experience some of the weight of His compassion for His children. I pray that I don’t shut down when I see the sadness of struggles around me, but that I press into it, because that’s where Jesus is. And that’s when connection happens.
