“Two roads diverged in the wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
This month is our Unsung Heroes Month. We are looking for churches and organizations in Ecuador that could benefit from the help of future World Race teams. Unlike every other month so far, we have shown up to our ministry city (Guayaquil, Ecuador) with a tight budget, no one here awaiting our arrival, no specific churches to attend or ministries to help, and no permanent or assigned home. When we went to the bus station in Quito to come to Guayaquil two nights ago, we were not sure if we could even find a bus. By God’s grace we found ourselves in 7 seats on a bus to Guayaquil within 45 minutes of arriving at the bus station. When we arrived in the city the next morning at 6:30 am, we had no idea where we were staying for the night. Two hours later, we loaded into taxis to one hostel that was recommended to us by a friend of a friend. When we arrived, we found it had been seized by the police. Again, by God’s grace, we had the sweetest taxi driver in the world who took it upon himself to find us another hostel, though we just asked to be taken to a place with WiFi so we could search for different lodging. We are staying at the hostel he found for us for the second night and the owner has agreed to let us stay here longer for cheaper if we would like. Both the taxi driver and the policemen who seized the first hostel we went to gave us the names of their churches and invited us to visit. The workers at the hostel (1 Christian and 1 not) both gave us names of churches and communities to visit to help serve God and find future partners for AIM and ministry sites that can benefit from the help of future World Racers.
We are walking around the city, constantly talking to God and the community (mostly in broken Spanish for the latter) trying to figure out God’s plan for this month. With all of the planning we are doing, it seems that the unanticipated opportunities are the ones that are bearing the most fruit. I have been excited about this month since before the Race began because I knew we as a team and as individuals would be forced to acknowledge just how much we depend on God for everything during this time. I also have seen how God has preserved His love and goodness in the most unlikely places in the United States and I am eager to see how He is protecting and growing His kingdom elsewhere in the absence of lots of money and community resources. God has really shown himself so far and I look forward to the rest of what He has to reveal. It will be hard because none of us, even the most relaxed and faithful of persons, likes to acknowledge that most things are beyond our control and we have to rely on God’s grace. It will also be hard for us this month because this is the holiday season, and we are not with our families at home, and unlike past months, we do not have permanent ministry families. However, I have a feeling that God will take care of this and make it one of the best holiday seasons of our lives. I see God smiling and I hear Him saying, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) I have not had a reason to worry even without concrete plans. Each day I wake up, eager to find out what He will do next.
I know many people would not willingly chose to show up in a city where most do not speak their language, not knowing where to sleep, or work, or what to do period before they arrive, however I hope God uses us to inspire you who read our blogs to trust Him completely, because He always fulfills His promise to provide. I pray God uses us to bless those we meet by allowing them to have a direct encounter with the God of love through us. And hopefully we will pave the way for future World Race teams to come here, and do ministry for a month. Maybe a few Racers will come back long term after the World Race and continue to further the kingdom. Perhaps God will inspire someone in Guayaquil to come to the U.S. and do ministry or partner with other ministries around the world that they hear about through the World Race. The possibilities are as vast as God’s goodness, which is infinite.
Please pray for us this month and expect miracles. God will surely deliver. After all, this is the season of the greatest miracle of all, and who has more Christmas spirit than our Creator who gave us the gift of salvation, redemption, and unconditional love?!
This month Team R.O.A.R. is traveling around Ecuador looking for Unsung Heroes. Unsung Heroes are, “Men and women dedicated to serving some of the most impoverished populations in the world, yet rarely receive recognition for their dedication and service. These givers may also live with meager conditions but give consistently from an abundance of God’s love. Their names may not be in history books, their acts unknown to the rest of the world, while unrecognized, they shake a generation, move a culture, and ultimately build the Kingdom.”
Please pray we find such people this month. We really want to see what God is doing here in Ecuador and we want to answer His call to help. Please pray that we stay motivated, attentive and obedient to His voice.
I love you all! Stay tuned! There is more to come, I just don’t know what it is yet!!!!
