Exploring my ministry...

This week has been packed with making it around to all the different ministries in order to see what we all want to become more involved in while we are here in Ecuador. I haven't felt a strong calling to any of the ministries except for working with children, so I am looking more closely into the orphanage and the street kids ministries. I enjoy going to the women's prison, so I would like to continue going there once a week. I have actually been in charge of coordinating Inca Link's involvement with the prison, so will be communicating and contacting them to ask what it is that we can do to help and get their needs met. I am excited about the opportunity and will hopefully discover more of how I can serve there. I am obviously comfortable working with children, but I am definitely open to a challenge and serving in a way I never imagined. I see myself as a pretty soft person, one who gets along with children pretty well ;), so will have to see how I will be pushed to work with a different population, especially women in prison.


When we went to the Opcion de Vida (Option of Life), the street kids ministry on Thursday to have an orientation of what they do and I was really excited about returning and actually getting to meet the kids. From the sounds of it, they mostly need help with cleaning and cooking, which I don't mind doing at all, but I would much rather work with the children. Opcion de Vida serves about 25 children from ages 11-18 and another group of 40 children from all different ages. The children are into drugs and alcohol and they sleep in the streets. They earn a living by juggling, parking and washing cars. Through Opcion de Vida they have devotional time every day, have access to showers and have their clothes washed (and extra sets stored). They are also taught how to plant and garden. Most of these kids ran away from home because their parents were abusive and/or are addicted to drugs or alcohol and came to Quito because there are more opportunities to make money on the streets.







On Saturday, we went to another street kids ministry to work with and love on the children. This street kids ministry is different than the Opcion de Vida in that the children are out on the streets with their parents trying to sell things and get money from drivers or pedestrians. These children were just precious and full of joy. We had fun playing games, coloring and singing songs with them. They were such a lovable bunch with tons of hugs and smiles. We had a hard time leaving because the children were crowding and climbing on the car. Here are some pictures of them...







Something else we did this week was share our testimonies within our Inca Link group. It was really powerful to hear and see how God has worked through all of our lives and brought us all together in Quito. I am just filled with peace knowing how the Lord is so merciful and full of grace, sovereign above all. Many of our walks have been really painful and tough, but it was so encouraging to hear the strength of His spirit in all of our hearts and lives. It was evident that His love guides our lives, is what has healed our hurts and has only wrapped us up deeper into His arms. I feel patient and completely content with whatever the Lord has to reveal in my life because I have seen and experienced the swift hand of the Lord when the timing was right. Just remembering to keep my eyes on Him always will bring His will in my life at the right time.

So, with that said, I am just waiting to see how the Lord will put together my time here in Ecuador. I want to continue visiting all of the ministries and find out where the Lord sees my ministry most fit.