I wasn’t sure what to expect coming into this month. A new team, not knowing much about the ministry we were partnering with. Praying about this month, coming in I sensed that it was going to be a hard month in a sense of stepping out of my comfort zone a lot, but also really good, a month of a lot of growth.
Arriving to our ministry site at 1 am after a 16 hour travel day, we pulled in the parking lot, our host waiting for us. As we tiredly climbed out of the bus after a long travel day, I hear our host yell some thing like “Hey! Who’s ready to tell some people about Jesus?!” I knew some lives were about to be impacted greatly this month, including my own. Along with our host Max waiting for us was eight other men with smiles on their faces ready to put our bags in a wheelbarrow(aka “an Uber”) and guide us down the path(about a 10 minute walk) to the home we would be staying in for the next few weeks, a duplex home shared with the women of the Teen Challenge program.
You know that prayer that many people pray “Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours”?
Pray it, but be ready, because He really will break your heart for what breaks His. I’ve prayed it many times, and the Lord has broke my heart for what breaks His little bits at a time over time. But, my heart broke big that night in San Jose while street witnessing(Go read my last blog if you haven’t to find out more about that night!). My heart broke for the men and women living on the streets in addiction, my heart broke when a better life was right in front of them and they didn’t want it. My heart broke when I seen men and women leave the program within our time here, because I seen with my own eyes the life they were going back to. But, my heart also grew that night in San Jose, it grew more for the hurting and the lost. It’s made me realize to “Never shut up for Jesus” even more.
Having an all girls team this month I wasn’t sure what to expect, though I was super excited and I hoped and prayed it would be really good. Yes, I grew up with 5 sisters, but I never really had a good group of friends that were all girls. The Lord exceeded my requests. Team Zeal was so good, sweet, fun, life giving, uplifting, full of laughter, always wearing one another’s clothes and a game of Banana grams was always to be played.
Most ministry mornings looked like having devotions with the women and then showing up in the parking lot at a designated time to get picked up by usually one of our awesome new friends Mar and/or Armondo(Co-director of Teen Challenge). We usually found ourselves in small towns doing house to house evangelism. A step out of my comfort zone but soo soo good. Two days this past week we helped at a new ministry called “The Nest” a foster home like community/ a Safe Haven from sexual abuse. Found in an indigenous community accessed by crossing a river in a canoe with a motor on it. We helped carry cement blocks up to the land, and clear the land. Go check out their Facebook and Instagram page to find out more about it! @thenestcr
Goodbyes here were a hard one. Often said when saying good bye was “See you in Heaven” or “I’ll see you at the table” <3
That’s all I got for now friends! We’re off to meet up with the rest of the squad for a few days of debrief as we change up teams within our squad, some role changes, say goodbye to our alumni Team Leads and raise up new ones.
Steph
PRAYER REQUESTS
- For smooth transition onto new teams, and role changes
- For safe travel to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.
