Month one is a couple days from being completely over, then we are off on our 30 hour bus ride! Woohoo! (No sarcasm intended!!)
So we stayed at Cuidad Refugio (City of Refuge). Let me give you a layout of the building.. bottom floor there is a bakery with a giant wall and on the other side is a multipurpose space used for parking spaces, church in Wednesday and Saturday nights & Sunday mornings, and the sober homeless are invited in to stay every night 365 days a year. The second floor is for the men’s program – which City of Refuge works with men who were once addicts that have a desire to be clean and get their life back on track. These men also work in the bakery! Third floor is the GIRLS FLOOR WHOOP! We had a tight space for a large amount of girls. BUT we made it work! 🙂 Also, the women in the program stayed on that floor as well. These ladies were incredible! The fourth floor is the kitchen, children’s ministry storage and some multipurpose rooms. The fifth floor is the terrace! We spent a lot of time on the terrace – whether that be quiet times, teachings, lunch, team times, dance parties, interceding, worship or hanging out there was just about always someone up there. The fifth and a half floor was added on to give them two more apartments. This place is a MIRACLE. This place was thought out from years before the process of building even started. I mean it BLEW my mind on how Pastor Douglas built this place so many years ago. Every inch of the building is useful in some way.
They have a building next door to them that is very much run down. Sooner rather than later, they are tearing it down and building up a five story building that will serve as a multipurpose building alike the one already built. They will switch the church services to that building. There will be a medical clinic, a rehab program for those just getting out of prison and I’m pretty sure a psychiatric clinic as well! Also on the top floor will be a place they grow all of their fruits and veggies. And so much more!
So what did ministry look like?
Ministry was walking for hours inviting everyone we saw to a worship night every Friday at the bakery.
Ministry was walking for hours to invite every single kid off the street to VBS or to play soccer for hours.
Ministry was Manantiles – high elevation, a LOT of hills, a LOT of sweat, a LOT of sweet sweet kiddos and a LOT of the unknown.
Ministry was going on Wednesday and Thursday nights to the homeless community to pass out Agua Panela (sugar water) and bread and share the gospel.
Ministry was interceding for those passing out Agua Panela.
Ministry was hanging out with women in the program – helping cook & clean and having a bible study with them.
Ministry was organizing.
Ministry was sorting fruits and veggies for hours.
Ministry was sharing the gospel with our Uber drivers and those serving us food.
Ministry was prayer walking.
Ministry is life. Life is ministry.
Overall, I couldn’t of asked for a sweeter first month. Now off to Ecuador with my team! 🙂
xo,
Ky
