As I sit in my room and reflect on the awesome day at the park we had today, I can’t help but smile and thank God for the truly awesome month he gave us here in Bolivia. I think today was a good example of how this month was a blessing and why it went by so quickly. We spent the day at the park where we prepared 2 meals, played soccer with the camp staff, laughed as Maxima dumped water on some of the volunteers, made them laugh as I ran around a waterfall in a speedo, got to have a deeper conversation with Maxima (and then she dumped a cup of water on my lap), and finally spent the evening hanging out with my team.
Good times at a waterfall. I'm gonna miss these ladies
It’s days like this where I ask God why I’ve been so privileged to come on the World Race and experience places and people like Monteblanco and the joyful staff here. I could go into a long tangent about the misconceptions of God’s calling, but I have to admit, months like this give me absolutely no qualms about being called into full-time ministry. Every day had its share of adventures, whether running a mud obstacle course, having a water fight in the kitchen, or playing wally-ball with the volunteers, but every day also allowed me to experience God in ways we don’t normally.
No, I didn’t preach this month or share the gospel with anyone, but I did get to love those who work at Monteblanco and encourage them daily. I got to spend countless hours with the women who don’t get recognized for the work they do: cooking for hundreds of students and then cleaning up after them. That’s not an easy task, and some days include hours from 4am until 9pm. But these women are so joyful through it all and can have fun while they are doing it. Let me tell you, I’ve never had so much fun shucking corn or drying dishes when Choka and Maxima are around.
We came to Monteblanco to bless the men and women who work here in order that the camp can effectively minister to students, but I think we ended up getting blessed more than they did.
And with that, here’s Bolivia by the numbers for you!
– number of dishes washed and dried: Approximately 36000
– Number of times I wore an apron: 25
– Number of trenches dug- 1
– Number of Metal sheets bolted to a roof:14
– Number of pancakes I ate in one sitting: 10(this morning! What a great last breakfast)
– Number of cups filled: over 8000
– Number of dogs on the property: 7
– Number of times I had my shoes stolen: 2
– Number of hikes: 4
– Number of times Choka or Maxima smacked my butt: over 50
– Times I was left in the freezer with the lights off: 5
– Number of bonfires: 3
– Number of kitchen water fights: 8
– Number of times I had soot rubbed on my face 3
– Number of pea pods opened: 3000
– Number of chickens used per week: 200
– Number of times we went to church: 0
– Number of days since I’ve shaved my mustache: 90
– Number of times we laughed in the kitchen: too many to count
Yeah…things escalated quickly. But we got some good laughs
It’s cool to see how God works in us and through us without any of the typical religiosity. It makes me wonder if all of our preconceived notions of ministry and experience God are a little out of whack.
What do you think? What are some legit ways you’ve ministered in a non-traditional sense?
