And I couldn’t see anything. It was pitch black, even darker than the night sky outside. The only amount of light came from the two candles melted to the faded red brick wall. I felt the presence of people in the room but couldn’t see them. The floors were dirt and there was no such thing as furniture in this kind of house. My eyes adjusted. I saw cans in the hands of men sitting all around the perimeter of the room. I heard the flick of a lighter and saw a flame out of the corner of my eye. Then I knew, I had walked into a crack house.
This was the first night of street ministry in Iquitos, Peru and it was one for the books, or blog rather. We brought bread, coffee, a very large drum and our best singing voices. Our ministry partners had prepared us with a run down of the ministry they have fostered in the slums over the past 9 years with what to do and what not to do:
Always have one of the men with us
Never let anyone greet us with a kiss
If anything goes awry, stick together
And just love on people
Past Racers have told me that one place on your race will stick out. One person. It’ll captivate you and you’ll fall in love with the people. Iquitos, Peru is that place. And our ministry host’s 3 year old daughter is that person. The “ministry” that the Rojas Family does is simply their life. Every one of those drug addicts and their children are all welcomed into their family just as we felt welcomed with arms wide open from them.
It was incredible being a part of a family that lives missionally with every day that they have. This is what ‘The Race’ is all about. THIS is how I want my family to function. How I desire my children to grow up. So how do we step into this missional lifestyle just where we are? Trust. And a lot of it. Surrender. And grace over ourselves.
I only spent 60 seconds in that particular crack house because no one took the bread or coffee. We had to leave because they didn’t want what we had. When people turn away and want nothing to do with me, what I’m offering, or God himself, how will I react? Will I choose offense? Will I choose condemnation? Or grace, forgiveness, love, and prayer?
I never felt scared or threatened in that crack house. I knew I needed to walk in there. To bring the light. And when we carry that light into the dark, there is hope and love that is tangible and thick. That night, God’s presence was thick in the air, I could almost taste it.
Giselle! 3 yo. daughter of our host – she taught me so much trust in God because of the times she trusted me to catch her when she would jump into my arms off the side of the couch haha
On this afternoon we brought a birthday cake to celebrate all the birthdays in November down in the slums – a lot of them teared up that day because no one usually celebrates their lives
Playing fútbol with kids is my favorite past time, even in jeans and no shoes!
The amazing Rojas Family and the house we shared!
Our regular mode of transportation, motorcycles and mototaxis!
XOXO Vin
