Wake up, wash up, breakfast, bring kids to school, work out, work, lunch, work, clean, pick up kids, dinner, organize, get kids to sleep, wash up, bed. Sound familiar? Maybe it’s a bit more, maybe it’s a bit less. Life moves fast during the week! Maybe you don’t have kids. Maybe you aren’t working. Maybe you’re a student. Maybe like me, you feel like at the end of a very busy day that the rush was justified. I was doing stuff, so it was a productive day.
Fun fact – in Planeta Rica, it’s too hot for 25% of the day to do anything at all. If there was a song representing our time in Planeta Rica, it would have to be played in slow motion. My team quickly began to battle the question “If I am not doing something all day every day, am I really helping? Am I doing enough? Why am I even here?”
Boy, has my perspective been changed. Activity doesn’t necessarily mean achievement. At the beginning of the month, my team really battled with the fact that we had a few hours of “free time” between 11 and 3 each day. Now, at the end of the month, I have come to realize that these hours of time we’ve had have been so beneficial, and almost pivotal to our time here.
My team has grown together. We’ve spent intentional time together every single day. We’ve all shared our testimonies. We’ve all laughed together. We’ve all cried together. We’ve gotten to know each other closely. We’ve sweat together, and we’ve sweat a lot. We’ve had the friends we’ve made come and sit with us, we’ve taught some English to many of the young adults in the area during this time. We’ve spent quality time with people, but more importantly, we’ve spent quality time with our Father.
Success is not measured in activity. It’s measured in what you’ve achieved. Don’t get me wrong – we have had lots to do, but that activity has not taken up much of our days. We’ve swept and mopped the church up and down numerous times. We’ve visited schools. We’ve gone to feeding programs a few times a week and played with children that so desperately want some fun. We’ve taught some great bible stories and we’ve acted out some incredible scenes in the bible. We’ve spent some great evenings with the Young Adult group here talking about evangelism and the gospel.
My point is this – your success is not measured by how busy you are that day, or by how exhausted you are when your head hits the pillow at night. Your success is measured by only one thing – how you represented Christ that day. That is what we are called to. The bible does not instruct us to work all day and all night and to never stop moving for his sake. In fact, the bible says to be still and know that I am God. God wants his people to thrive off of him, not be barely able to hang on.
This month we’ve had time to rest, time to bond, time to worship, we’ve had time. It’s been renewing. The hustle and bustle of life in the US is so easy to get lost in, and here we have had time to exist! I’ve been given the chance to reflect. I have so many wonderful memories from this month. I’ve had the time to see God in the little things.
The little boy who very clearly had some sort of attention disorder who was bugging the kid next to him, the little fella was just not relenting and his friend was getting fed up. I gave him a sideways look, catching his eye, and hoping that he’d listen to the rest of the bible story Ashley was reading. After it became clear that this little 7 year old could not sit still, I began to interact with him by mirroring his hand movements. By the end of the story, he was listening to her speak while sitting with me, still moving but clued into the story. My heart broke for this little fella, who was energentic and alive, but will probably live his entire life misunderstood because the kid has some form of ADD. I know that he’s not going to get the medical help he could benefit from.
The little girl from the school down the street who thought having 7 gringas dance with her was life-changing.
The elderly woman who cooks for us every day and greets us all with a kiss each morning.
The neighbors who don’t attend the church but sit on their porch each night watching us have a dog named Tommy. Tommy doesn’t like many people, but he lets me pet him, and I get to sit with these people almost every night for just a few minutes, and I get to attempt at communicating with them. Every day they see people file into church and every service they hear the praise music and the sermon wafting through the air. And each night, I laugh with them about Tommy and I tell them that God loves them before waving and saying “Goodnight! See you tomorrow!” One day, they will know Jesus.
The teachers at the private school that all added me on facebook and were so excited to see us do the cha cha slide.
The farmer we visited casting his net out over the pond and pulling in numerous fish with each throw.
The pastor’s daughters who must think we’re crazy but learned a praise dance with us anyway.
These are all little things that I probably would have missed in America. The fast paced life often leaves little room for reflection, but this month I’ve intentionally taken the time to see God move in the little things. I’m thankful for the slow pace, and I’m thankful for the forced stillness. These people we are meeting, these conversations we are having, these interactions are all things we’ve done outside of the ministry we’ve been assigned here. My hope is for all of us to take the time to see Jesus in world around us. Look for the beauty. He is there.
Maybe you have the time to take a break between the hustle and bustle that we can often find ourselves in. If you can, spend some time reflecting. Spend some time in solitude with the Lord. It’s so rewarding, He craves time with you. Time spent with the Lord is never time wasted.
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Our time here is almost over, and we’ll be on our way to Ecuador, but we are not leaving behind a dry city. God is here. His name is being proclaimed. Jesus is still coming, and I am proud of the church we are parting from. This church is not necessarily one with walls, but a place where it’s members gather in praise and anticipation for His return. A storm is brewing here, within me and within the people in Planeta Rica. The need to evangelize is great, and we’ve spent a good amount of time encouraging and equipping the young adults here to do just that.
Pray for Planeta Rica. Pray for the hearts that are lost in tradition and empty routine. Pray for the lost. Pray for the hungry. Pray that Pastor Amouri’s church will not grow weary. Jesus is coming back, and we want the world to know His name before his return.
