God changed us! We are not the same! God used our trip to Bolivia form us. We thought we were going to help others to grow into His likeness, and we did, but He did much more than we ever could have imagined. We were given the opportunity to work with our Brazos Pointe partners, Gracia and Amparo. Each of these ministries is incredible!
We spent the first part of our week with Gracia (“Grace”) leaders Ed and Yandi Vaca working to bring the Gospel to a vulnerable community. As we drove into the community for the first time, we quickly recognized the stark contrast between the church building and the rest of the community. The Gracia building rises up out of the dirt and stands as a focal point visually, but we quickly discovered that it represents so much more. Gracia brings hope to hurting people. Gracia leaders, Ed and Yandi Vaca, and their team reach hundreds of children and their families several times a week leading them to Jesus. Like the building, these vulnerable children are raised up out of the dirt of their own lives, and given the opportunity for a new life in Christ. Ed and Yandi have been laboring for years offering comprehensive care for these children (food, school support, spiritual formation, medical care, sexual abuse prevention) and training for parents. It’s exciting also to see how many of their early efforts are taking root and growing. A new generation of volunteers (grown out of Gracia’s own ministry) is now beginning to serve in the ministry. God is at work in mighty ways.
As short-term missionaries, our role was simply to join in the work by playing with kids, building relationships, and taking opportunities to share about Jesus when those conversations arose naturally. It was such a joy for me to watch my own children interacting and impacting the kids at Gracia. Through an interpreter (Thanks Yandi) Kasen was able to share his personal story of meeting Jesus with a circle full of Gracia teenagers. Kesleigh shared a Scripture and explained how God is using His Word in her life. They each came home talking about specific Gracia kids that they were able to make real connections with.
Miranda and I also had the opportunity to share a short message at their Sunday evening service. I talked about Jonah and praying in the “belly of the beast,” sharing my cancer story briefly (actually too briefly). Yandi had told me 15-20 minutes, and I had prepared what I thought would be enough leaving time for an interpreter, but it was only about 10min. (Just saying – I’ve never been accused of saying too little. Haha.) Yandi put Miranda and I on the spot a bit, and asked us to to share about how we met and how we were trying to raise our kids. It flowed naturally and was a great moment. Yandi later shared that our message was perfect for the specific people in attendance that day who were mostly parents of Gracia kids. Despite my plan, God knew what needed to happen. God is always good.
We had a nice restful day on Wednesday with a trip to the city of Catoca where we did a little shopping and got to see a sloth up close and personal. We visited a Catholic church with a strange legend (The Virgin of Catoca) while we were there and then headed to a nice resort (La Rinconada) for lunch. It was a restful day.
The last half of our week was spent with Amparo (“Refuge”). Led by Aquiles Davalos Ruck, they work in prevention and restoration of girls who have been exploited or trafficked through two main programs. Club Amparo is a safe place where girls are given the opportunity to be educated, learn English, and build healthy relationships with Christ followers. Amparo staff also visit these girls in their homes weekly where they receive more Biblical teaching, counseling, and care. These “check-ins” help girls stay connected and communicate Christ’s deep love and care for them. As short-term missionaries, we were able to join in some of the classes held at the club and go on some home visits. The community where they work is not always a safe place. Unemployment, drug trafficking, and drinking are commonplace, but Amparo has built a relationship that allows them to do this important work despite the danger. Jesus walks with them down those dirt roads.
The second piece of Amparo’s work is a home for girls who have been rescued out of trafficking and exploitation. We were able to spend lots of time with these girls. Despite their past, we found them to be joyful and hopeful. Jesus is their hope. He is the light we saw in their eyes. We spent much time with them . . . laughing, dancing, singing, playing games, and decorating cork boards. The girls had prepared written questions for us (in English) and practiced the language by getting to know us with these questions. They were fun conversations and we all made meaningful connections with specific girls in the home. They were truly an encouragement for us and we only pray that we were able to shine Jesus’ light in ways that encouraged them too.
In addition, we painted a mural and cleaned out a room to create a new space for the girls. (If you look closely, you can see the cork boards we decorated together.)
In the end, I have realized that in spite of the amazing experience that we had, we were just icing on the cake. The real work of these ministries is done by Jesus through these amazing partners and their incredible, loving staff. These resilient men and women are in the dirt every day, bringing light to a darkened world. They are relentlessly laboring for the Gospel. Our week of “serving” actually meant more work for them as they continued their efforts and also played the roles of tour guides, trainers, and interpreters for us. I am incredibly grateful for these amazing people, and I pray God will make me more like them. I want to surrender my life to the call of Jesus in the same ways that I witnessed in them – wholeheartedly, sacrificially, generously, with all that I am, each and every moment, as Christ deserves.
I’ve placed a few pictures below, but due to the nature of their ministry, most Amparo photos cannot be posted.
