Hola! From the São Paulo airport, currently it is 1am on Oct 17th and we are on a layover to head to Quito later this morning. The last two weeks in Brazil flew by and just like that i’m halfway through my time over seas. It definitely hasn’t been the easiest trip but it also hasn’t been the hardest either. When i was in high school I went on three different missions trips and on those trips we did very tangible work and could see the fruit of our labors there, this trip has been quite different. We did a lot of relational work connecting with the church and connecting the community to the church. We worked at the kids center two days a week pouring into them and while we could not explicitly share the gospel there, the name of Jesus was spoken. We didn’t often see a lot of fruit of our labor but that does not mean that God didn’t work or plant seeds. Some days it honestly felt discouraging and sometimes had me wondering if what we were doing was actually helpful. One of the best experiences our team had here was when one of the kids from the kids center showed up at church on the second to last Sunday, he said he asked his mom if he could come. She said yes and he walked to church, while at the service he gave his life to Jesus, received a bible, and took communion for the first time as he was welcomed to Gods family. This was a beautiful moment that had members of our team in tears. The Lord was so kind in letting us see the fruit of the work He did through us, it gave us so much encouragement. Another sweet moment for me was on our last day with the kids I wore a shirt that had a verse in portuguese and a little girl noticed it. We were sitting on top of the playground structure she asked me if I knew Jesus, I was shocked at this since she was the first kid to ask me that question. There’s a language barrier so I had to use my phone for translation. Over the course of the conversation she had told me that her family was christian but that she didn’t have many friends at school and it was hard for her. We talked about her favorite bible stories and it was a really sweet time of being able to connect with her. Her name is Maria and I want to continue to pray for that little girl as she grows, God is a big god and He’s not going to leave her. It was so sad to leave the kids after spending a month pouring into them but we know that we can’t save them.
It’s been so interesting and beautiful to see what God has done, coming into this trip I had no idea what to expect but God knew exactly what was going to happen. I often think that i’m here to bless the people and that I’m not here to be blessed but that’s not how it is at all. During training camp my tennis shoes ripped and had a hole in one of them, I don’t like to get rid of things until they are absolutely trashed so I duct taped the tennis shoes. While here there was a couple from the church that was in my life group we attended weekly that I made a connection with. On the last wednesday there, this couple approached me separately and asked me my shoe size. I didn’t really think much of it at first and then the husband pulled out his phone to show me a picture and it was of a pair of shoes his wife had and wanted to give me but they weren’t sure what size my shoes were. They turned out to be my size and it was such a blessing because my other shoes weren’t going to last much longer. I wasn’t sure how to respond at first but then I remembered that this trip God has been showing me that He cares for me and it’s good for me to let others show they care for me as well. They told me that God cares about even the little things and it honestly made my day. God showing He cares for me has been a reoccurring theme this entire trip. Over and over again He showing me that He cares and that He is for me and that I can come just as I am and He still loves me. I’ll share more of this in another blog in a couple days.
I’m going to wrap up for now because it’s already long but I’ll leave you guys with a verse and a couple of prayer requests.
Isaiah 43:1 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
This verse was given to me at the beginning of this trip and God has been showing me just that. That I am His daughter and He is calling me and nothing can separate me from Him.
Prayers for this next month:
1. For team unity as some days are stressful but that we would continue to die to ourselves and serve and love on another!
2. For overall health as we are in the mountains of Quito Ecuador and the elevation is high!
3. For our hearts, we will be working with young girls ages 12-17 who have been rescued from sex trafficking and sexual abusive situations. This is a heavy ministry and we want to be attentive to everything the Lord has for us here!
I’m continually overwhelmed by the love and support from you all! God is so good and continues to show me His love and care!
In Christ,
Mikayla
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