This month my team has the priveledge of working at Camp Hope here in Quito. Camp Hope is a day camp for children with mental and physical disabilities.
When we arrived at Camp Hope for our orientation I was so excited to tour the facility and meet the children. We were able to see the children in their classrooms, learn more about the history of Camp Hope, and meet the wonderful staff who so lovingly take care of these children. I wanted nothing more than to be with the children, but God had other plans. We were asked to decide our roles as a team for the following week, unfortunately not all seven of us could be in a classroom with the children the first week. Lauren volunteered to do the cleaning so I took the second least desired position…..helping in the kitchen. I thought well if I go ahead and get this out of the way I can be with the children the last two weeks of ministry. I’ll be honest, being in the kitchen was the LAST thing I wanted to do. I wanted to be with the children loving on them and making a difference. That’s what I’m here for right? How was working in the kitchen with a woman named Lucia going to make a difference?
Day one in the kitchen looked a lot like me feeling sorry for myself. How was chopping onions and peeling potatoes doing anything for the kingdom? Lucia barely spoke any English and I speak very little Spanish, how was this going to work? So I wallowed in my selfishness and envied the other girls who got to love on the children and be in the classrooms with them. I chopped, peeled, and wallowed. I began praying that God would help me to see how working in the kitchen with Lucia was making an impact. As I continued praying the Lord began to change my perspective. I was making a difference. I was helping prepare a meal for the children and staff of Camp Hope. I was helping Lucia by serving her in the kitchen. The Lord reminded me that there are different roles in the kingdom and this month mine would look much different than I had anticipated.
Day two in the kitchen looked a lot different than day one. I was excited to see Lucia and to help her do whatever it was she needed in the kitchen. We practiced my Spanish and her English by pointing to items in the kitchen and saying their names. We laughed when we got the words horribly wrong and tried again until we got them right.
The rest of our first week I continued to fall in love with Lucia. We talked about our families. We laughed. We cried…….mostly while chopping onions of course. We danced to Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars and I learned to get over my expectation of what ministry should look like. I shared with my team that I felt like God wanted me to stay in the kitchen with Lucia the next week instead of switching roles. I felt like building a relationship with her was what God wanted and I’m so thankful because it’s what I wanted too. My team agreed and I couldn’t be happier that I get to spend my days with Lucia. I light up when I see her each morning and I hate when I have to leave her in the afternoon. I find joy in knowing that she appreciates my help because she tells me every day how thankful she is. I’ve peeled more potatoes than I can count. I’ve chopped lettuce and carrots for salads to last days. I’ve washed dishes over and over again and I wouldn’t trade any of it. God has taught me so much already and I can’t wait to see how He continues to change my perspective of how He wants to use me to further His kingdom.
Thank you to all my supporters who have made this possible. Please continue to pray for my team and I as this is our last week of ministry at Camp Hope.
With all the love in my heart,
Kalah
