The day starts with a bountiful breakfast, fixed by smiling women and served buffet style. Three mission teams, most wearing their own large smiles, some showing a bit of nerves of the unknown, gather to eat before heading out to serve the surrounding communities. After breakfast, some load on a bus while others wait to hear our paths for the day.
My daughter and I are part of the nervous ones. Unsure of the plan, but willing to follow. As the morning progresses, we are finally started on our part of the day - home visits where we get to know the families, find out about their faith and church life, and deliver food to aid them with physical needs. Sounded easy enough and I personally really looked forward to meeting the members of the surrounding community. We gathered our day bags filled with items we felt we might need, filled up our water bottles and picked up the food bags for our teams before setting out. First minute in and I knew this was going to be difficult because their hills are no joke and our team was set to start up one.
As we came upon a rickety gate, made a bit of wood but mostly a sheet of tin, we walk onto a dirt path leading to a small garden area and a smiling woman. Her clothes are worn, house not what we would say was good living conditions in the United States yet her smile and demeanor is warm and welcoming. The conversation is a blend of English and Spanish, with our amazing translator bridging the gap between both cultures, commonalities and differences are laid out as we talk families, faith, and lives. Excitement ensues as she mentions expecting a new granddaughter on this day and honor is bestowed upon us as she allows us to pray over her and her family. We leave feeling uplifted and blessed to make this first connection before trudging up the steep hill for our next home visit.
Our next home visit is harder physically to get to as we're still adapting to lower oxygen saturation levels, walking up a steep hill before walking at a decline down a rough path to a tin home with a tight fit for our team coming to visit. Sitting on a wooden chair is an 80 year old man and playfully greeting us is his 6 year old daughter. The conversation is hard as we learn he had broken his leg a year or more ago and has been unable to walk. Costs for the needed surgery are too high for him and when the nearby clinic was able to offer a lower cost surgery, the specialized items needed for it were not attainable by the clinic. He counts on his granddaughter's presence to help with chores and picking things in the garden. Yet even amidst his pain and limitations, he has a welcoming smile, he prays to God, he loves his granddaughter and he's still moving forward. He showed amazing faith and even more, amazing perseverance. No complaints, just living life the best way he could and grateful for what he was capable of.
Our next three visits would be similar. Climbing the increasingly steep hill to the next gates, walking the rough paths to homes that our country would not declare acceptable to children and pets, and starting conversations with the purpose of sharing the love of Jesus. The conversations were similar - major physical issues - tumors, diabetes, lung pain, leg pain, and worries for their future - yet they greeted us with welcoming, warm smiles, grateful we were present and happy to receive our meager food offerings. Issues such as transportation and health issues were frequently mentioned on why regular church attendance was not always possible and inability to read were commonplace on why they did not spend time in their Bibles. We empathized, handed over food bags, and prayed as we conversed about their family, faith, church life and prayer requests.
On the way back down the steep hill that had me rethinking my capability to even breathe, my spirit was heavy with the needs of this community. How could I be a helper here? Why had God called me to this mission field? How would I ever make it through the week without breaking down because the stories were so hard to hear? Returning to camp, I immediately sat down with my Bible and journal, wanting to write down the experiences to reread and pray over and wanting to seek answers from God. Sitting alone, what we had just experienced weighed heavily on my heart. I wanted to go back to every home, hug them all and tell them it'll be okay. Not because of solutions offered by human hands, but because of God. Psalms 34:22 says "The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned." and Ephesians 2:6-7 says "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.". The verses bring a peace that I can not give myself. He's with these families and His plans for them are better than any I could even try to make for them.
So while my human self is stuck on the temporary world we live in with the struggles we all face, God is already here and He already knows what we are struggling through. He's in control and He holds us in His hands. And the perfect example was every family we met - struggling beyond comprehension with worldly needs yet still praying to God regularly and knowing He is their ultimate Provider.
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