At the end of this week my squad will be leaving Ecuador and heading to Peru. I can’t even comprehend how fast my time on the race has been going. We’re headed into month three when it feels like we just arrived in Ecuador last week! Thinking about leaving this beautiful place has me reflecting a lot on how amazing my time here has been, specifically in regards to the ministry my team has been partnered with. I came on the race expecting to share God’s love with others, to give of what God has shown me. But in reality, the people here have given me more than I could ever possibly imagine.
It’s very evident that Pan De Vida, the ministry my team has been working with over the past two months, is doing what the Lord wants. They have been blessed over and over again with donations and volunteers, and have never lacked what they need. The Lord provides when his people are doing his will, and Pan De Vida is a great example of that. The organizations founder, Oscar, told my team that he wanted everyone who walked inside Pan De Vida’s walls to feel blessed in some way. And God has defiantly exceeded that want. I can confidently say that every person who walks inside, whether a volunteer, a staff member, or a beneficiary, leaves feeling different. I may have only volunteered there for two months, but the people at Pan De Vida feel like family. We’ve celebrated birthdays together, prayed together, worshiped together, cleaned together, served together, and loved each other, and that’s what a family does.
One of my favorite things at Pan De Vida is their feeding program. On Sundays and Wednesdays, and now some Thursdays as well, Pan De Vida serves a meal to around 200 people. I love everything about feeding days, from the preparation to the clean up. I’ve never had so much fun or laughed so hard as when I spend upwards to three hours chopping carrots around a table with people who are quickly becoming my closest friends. I’ve never felt the Lord’s love so closely as when I’m surrounded by a group a loud, crazy, laughing children that he loves. I’ve never felt so much peace as when I put my hands on a son or daughter of God and pray for them, even when it may be in a different language. I’ve never felt so much joy as when I walk around hugging and kissing every volunteer before we start with the program. I’ve never felt so excited for each day as when I sit down with the staff to pray and worship before we start any work. I’ve never felt so happy as when we take time at the end of each feeding to talk about who accepted Christ that day. I’ve never felt so blessed as when a beneficiary takes the time to sit down and tell me their story. I’ve never felt so confident that this is where I’m supposed to be as when I dry someones hands, look into their eyes to smile, and receive a smile in return.
It’s the little things that make each day exciting. The little smiles and kind words that make each day a blessing. Pan De Vida is good at doing the little things, and they have a hundred stories to prove it. I’m sad to leave, and I’m going to miss it a lot, but I know that the work Pan De Vida is doing won’t stop. God will continue to work there. People will continue to be fed there. The gospel will continue to be shared there. And my life will continue to be impacted because of my time spent there.
Pan De Vida: http://pandevida.org.ec
