The Minga
I Was There
Think about the stories that were told to you by your elders, or by your friends. It causes an intensified interest if the person says, "I was there when it happened." Now you begin to formulate more questions about the event because you have someone that can give a personal account of what they saw, how they felt, and how it changed them.
Truth be told, there were times when we have asked ourselves, "why go?" Typically, there is not an upgrade to your career when God calls you to go to a foreign place. It is difficult to find programs or seminars that will tell you to sell or give away most of your belongings to start over.
What did we have to rely on for this to be a worthy venture?
The Calling
We are called to spread the Gospel like honey over warm bread so that others may taste and see that the Lord is good. I use that analogy because the first step in reaching people is to truly love and appreciate them before you even share anything. You will feel God's joy over them like warm bread and then you are able to share His heart, sweet as honey.
And we are called to do that in different ways and in different places. Your physical position is important because your spiritual position is so great. I love the story of Jacob at Bethel. He struggled for a blessing that was already his inheritance through Abraham. He ran from his own attempts to receive the blessing, having stolen it from his brother. And finally, he was in the middle of nowhere with only a rock to lay his head. A rock! Just like our own efforts sometimes bring us to a standstill or a hard place. And yet Jacobs's position in the Living God had not changed.
A dream and a vision revealed a flow of blessing coming and going from heaven to earth. Not only was his identity renewed and solidified, but the place of struggle also became a portal known as Bethel, House of God. That hard rock became the foundation for blessing. It became a pillar blessed with the oil of the Holy Spirit. It's as though the physical and spiritual position became intertwined, the calling and inheritance solidifiedThink about the place where you are, your city, and your sphere of influence. Those are so intentionally chosen by your Heavenly Father.
The Minga
And so, here we are in Ecuador. We are positioned here, adapting to and experiencing this new, in many ways, foreign space, while not forgetting that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Our senses are heightened when we meet new people.
Recently, as you may know, there was a natural disaster here. A landslide that claimed 28 lives. Many still missing. We helped out one day, shoveling alongside groups from YWAM and Quito House of Prayer. Personally, our efforts were a drop in a bucket. The mud was still sliding and constant and it was overwhelming. But we were there. And many of you prayed.
We worked on just the outskirts of ground zero. Here’s a BBC video to help you visualize it better: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-latin-america-60230560
On the Saturday after the disaster, literally, thousands of vesinos (neighbors) conducted a Minga, which means ‘a work.’ But what this word looks like in action is neighbors coming out together to clean a place and make it better. It was a common thing before the Pandemic. Perhaps one person can create little outcome, but thousands are able to make a big difference. And so, many people have bought their boots and shovels and they picked their place to pour their blessing. What a beautiful picture of love and service in the midst of the surrounding darkness and pain.
And we can tell you the story because although several kilometers away, "we were there to see it happen."
Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it .' He was afraid and said, ' How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.' Genesis 28: 16-19
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. Psalm 96:3
Thank you for your support and prayers.
Freedom & Nancy
