Coming into ministry at Ecuasol, we were told that a portion of our ministry was to minister to the French volunteers who work at that foundation. Honestly, that intimidated me. A lot. I had no idea where to start. I knew we didn’t want to come off as “pushy” or “judgmental” so I was very unsure how to minister to them. I just did what I knew how to do, I just acted with love and hoped it made a difference. We went day in and day out loving on the students at Ecuasol and the women who work in the kitchen, Ruth and Catiana. I loved those moments with these sweet children and these incredible women of God but I still felt like there was something more. Then one day, that something more revealed itself. One of the French volunteers, Julian, asked us if we all wanted to get together one night after work and hang out. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. Honestly, a lot of my excitement and nerves came from feeling “cool enough” to hang out with them and wanting to maintain the illusion of “being cool” haha. But the plans were set, after all the kids went home on Friday evening we were going to go back to their apartment and just get to know them more and for them to get to know us more too.
One thing I’ve been constantly learning while abroad is how hospitable everyone is to us. Every time we go to a new place people are always wanting to make us feel welcomed and so loved and our new friends were no exception. We walked into their Quito apartment and were immediately sat at the kitchen table as they started preparing drinks for us. One girl, Emma, made fresh squeezed pineapple juice while other made us coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. I felt like we were dining like queens with all of the options they were giving us. After we all got settled with our numerous drinks and we were all sitting around the table we got the opportunity to learn from each other more. We asked each of them why they chose to spend a year doing service and then they asked us the same question in return. Each of my teammates and I had all heard a call from God asking us to leave and we shared that with them but I could tell that that reason wasn’t clicking with me. After we all shared briefly our hearts behind our trip on of my teammates Emily asked our friends a bold question, if they believed in God.
They all sort of looked around at one another as one by one, they each said no. I felt my heart sink and my mind shut down because I didn’t know how to proceed. Emma then said that she believed in people and that she didn’t feel that God needed to fit into that belief. I can’t tell you where the conversation went after that because I was still fixated on that sentence. An hour or so later we said goodbye as we headed back to our home as I still couldn’t figure out my thoughts. So here we are, four days later and I finally have something to say. I know Emma will most likely never see this post nor will she hear these words from me but I pray that she hear them either from another believer or my God who I know loves her so much:
I believe in people too. I believe that people were created by God in the and that even today, He has a specific and special plan for each of us. I believe He has called some of us to be doctors, and lawyers, and teachers and preachers. He has created some of us to become parents and social workers. I believe that He has called all of us to love everyone we come in contact with, whether they’re like us or not. I believe that people are inherently good and full of love and life. I believe that people want to do what is right and want something to cling to and I know that God wants to welcome each of His children into His arms. So yes, I believe in people but that is because I believe in God and I believe we are each created in His beautiful image.
I wish I had these words when I was speaking with them but at least I have them now. I want to leave each of you with a challenge, sit around a table with people that are different from you. Let someone outside your social circle into your home, I guarantee if you allow God to move, He’ll write a beautiful story with what you give Him.
