Well I made it! I am currently in Quito, Ecuador, and it it absolutely AMAZING! The city is located in the Andes Mountains, at 9,000 ft. above sea level. Yes, the air is very thin, and my North Carolina lungs are having trouble adjusting to the altitude.
Our hosts here at Inca Link are wonderful, the city is beautiful, our home is comfortable, and the food is unbelievable (for the most part). But, all of these things pale in comparison to the incredible ministry my team has had the opportunity to work with.
Camp Hope is a school for children and adults with severe disabilities, ranging from ages 1 to 31, some of which are orphans. It is about a two mile walk from our house through the city to Camp Hope. My team and I spend five hours a day there, Monday through Friday.
The conditions of Camp Hope are very poor. The rooms are small, mostly cement buildings with metal roofs, and the facilities are very dirty.
My first impression of the school was complete shock. My experience as a Nurse Aide left me with high standards as to what a facility like this should look like. I could not understand how all of the children could be cared for properly in a facility as poor a Camp Hope.
Then, I met the kids! And my heart melted instantly. The first two days of ministry I worked with the youngest children at the home. From the start I felt right at home. The work was a lot like I what I had done while working in a nursing home back the past two years. It was physically and emotionally straining, but incredibly rewarding.
My favorite moment from the first day of ministry was when a young girl with Cerebral Palsy, who had been frustrated and crying during physical therapy, looked up at me smiling and laughing as I played with her. Her smile was full of pure joy. She wasn’t aware of her condition or circumstances, but that someone was paying attention to her and loving on her.
I was concerned, at first, that I would not be able to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus in a ministry like Camp Hope. Most of the children are nonverbal and the teachers and staff don’t speak English. I’ll be completely honest, I was pretty discouraged the first few days. Though I loved the work and the kids, I desperately wanted to share God’s love with these struggling people.
After some prayer, meditation, and communication with some squad mates God revealed to me that some times the best way to share God’s love is to simply LOVE!
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1st John 4:8
It’s as simple as that. GOD IS LOVE! I may not be able to communicate with the people at Camp Hope. But, I can walk into ministry every day confident that the Holy Spirit resides in me, and that the love of the Father radiates through, and I can share Jesus without words.
