Ministry Begins

Hello all! Thank you for your continued prayers for our group. It has been a crazy past 36 hours, but two flights and a long bus ride later we made it to El Refugio! We got our things settled in, had some time to enjoy the beautiful weather, followed by orientation and then a mini hike. As I am writing this tonight, the Lord brought to my mind a few things.

We are serving in a place where people come and experience God’s provision and love. It is called “El Refugio” or “The Refuge.” Today as I had my quiet time, I looked up; it was 70 degrees, trees surrounding everywhere, and I’m in the middle of the Andes Mountains. God’s creation was all around. What more could I ask for? I am blessed so far beyond what I deserve. It is easy to feel this way when the conditions were like that. But what about every day life back in the States? What about the times when it is easy to feel alone? What about when all I can do doesn’t seem to measure up? The easy answer – turn to God. But…how? The harder answer – having a mission, then being missionally minded. So what is our mission while we are down here in Ecuador? As I prayed that the Lord would open my eyes to his mission, he reminded me of some of the things we have learned this semester in our Holistic Ministry Practicum class.

It is important to remember that God does not need us. Instead he CHOOSES us. That should get us excited! He doesn’t want us sitting the bench and being passive; instead, he wants us out on the playing field “scoring goals” for the kingdom. What does that look like while we are here in Ecuador? It starts with us aligning our will with his and becoming one with the Spirit daily. Only then will he use us to our full potential, whether it be in the work projects, drama teams, teaching kids, playing games, or anything that we do. Please pray that we will all have this mindset and that we will seek him and his kingdom daily.

Another thing that we have been learning is what it truly means for our ministry to be holistic. Holistic ministry involves ministering to people completely, not just in one aspect. In the same way that God himself is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so are we three parts: body, soul, and spirit. The cool thing about El Refugio is that their goal is life transformation and that comes through serving the people here holistically. As previously mentioned, we will be working on a few work projects to reach people’s physical needs. We have different outreach groups to build them up in the Spirit. We also are here to love them, as Christ loves the church, and through these things we pray that God will do a mighty thing in their lives. Please be in prayer that the Lord will use our efforts for his glory and to see lives changed forever.

We are also here to learn from the Ecuadorian people and their culture. When we have a willingness to learn - a heart for the Lord that goes beyond a heart for self - we can connect with them and build lasting, meaningful relationships. Every story they have to tell can be an opportunity to share the gospel. We then can share our story and use it as a testament of what God has shown and taught us.

No matter if we are in Ecuador or anywhere else, God will bless our faith when we simply say, “Here am I, send me” and then act on it. It is easy to have an emotional experience with God, to feel his presence and see his handiwork. But sometimes, when we don’t feel like we’re experiencing him, we tend to fall back. It is in those moments where we must remember that love is not a feeling, it is an action. We love God by following him wherever he takes us; to go when he says to go. Catch flights, not feelings. God is on the move, and he invites us all to be a part of his mission wherever we are!

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to his power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” -Ephesians 3:20-21

Please continue praying for us. God Bless!

Noah Henkel