Ministry In ChiChi

I’ve been in ChiChi working with New Generation for a month now. Typically with the World Race, this would mean that we’re done here and getting ready to move on to the next country and ministry. That’s not the case though, and I’m really grateful that we get a second month with our host family and this ministry. As you may know, we spent the first 3 weeks of our time in quarantine. This gave us lots of opportunities to help out around our hosts home, which doubles as his church. 

Juan and his family moved into the home they’re now in pretty recently. They’ve been slowly expanding the house and making updates to the property since they moved and it’s been really fun getting to help them out and build relationships with everyone at the house. Juan has an incredible faith that has been so very evident since the second we got here. He’s been so open with sharing all about the ministry he is typically a part of, as well as his story on how God brought him into the ministry. 

There are 2 things in particular that he has talked about often that have stuck with me. 

1. Everything we have is God’s and not ours

As I said above, the house that Juan lives in is also His church. When COVID restrictions aren’t in place, he will invite people into his house to share meals and God’s Word with them. He is particularly passionate about having the police officers as well as youth groups join him in his home. 

He shares generously and is so welcoming. I can tell that he is very passionate about his church. We haven’t yet gotten to gather with people at the church, but I can see that it’s on his heart to have us be a part of that. Along with the passion, He also has a deep trust in the Lord, and He is holding his ministry with open hands. 

He has told us multiple times that if someone came to him and said God wanted them to take over the ministry, He would gladly hand it over. It is, after all, God’s ministry and not his. The generosity and hospitality he has comes from the understanding that what he has on this earth are gifts from the Lord to be shared and not earnings to be clutched tightly. It makes me question my own willingness to give. Am I holding on to things as “mine” that I earned for myself, or do I have open hands ready to give from what I have received from God who gives generously? 

2. Along with praying for your brother and sister, you should also do what you can to help. 

I’m not sure if Juan actually has a theme verse for his ministry, but the verse that he shares with us often is the following: 

1 John 3:17  “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” 

He shared this verse with us one of our first days there when he was telling us about the different ministries he is apart of. He shared this verse with us again when we went into the community last week to participate in one of those ministries. He had put together baskets of bread and invited us to go into the streets with them and hand them out to those in need. 

There are many people here in ChiChi who are in need: in need of food, in need of a jacket, in need of a job… Whatever the need is, Juan genuinely wants to help meet those needs. He fully believes that if there is something that he can give and rather then giving he only prays, it is not helpful. Don’t get me wrong. He fully believes in the power of prayer and he also knows that sometimes that’s all you can do is pray. But, he also believes that God has put him in a position to give and if he didn’t, it would be disobedient. 

So last week, we took those baskets of bread and hit the streets. We split up into groups and partnered with the police officers to get all the baskets handed out. We gave bread to many people, prayed with many people, and used the little Spanish we knew to say “Dios te bendiga” (God bless you) to many people. 

We finally got to go with Juan into one of the ministries that he is passionate about. We ended the day with another ministry he is also passionate about: playing soccer with the police officers. 

I’m grateful for the ministry opportunity in the community and am praying for more of these opportunities in the month to come. 

Blessings, 

Kaci