Where I Saw, Heard, and Experienced Jesus
Dear Hope Church Family,
When Ethan asked if anyone would be willing to share something about Ecuador in Looking Up, I quickly volunteered… and then I remembered I’m a talker, not a writer. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I dislike writing, but I thought, “How hard can it be? There are so many things to share!” Then came the hard part and the realization that the “things” aren’t necessarily easy to verbalize because the experiences weren’t just “things.” They were moments etched on my heart that changed and deepened my relationship with Jesus in a way that I just can’t put into words. So, rather than write about the things I saw and did, I’d like to share where I saw, heard, and experienced Jesus.
Before we stepped foot on the plane, I saw Him in eleven very different kids and two adults whose kindness, support, and encouragement of one another would forge new friendships and deepen old ones.
I saw Him in the faces of our interpreters, Gaby and Isa, whose smiles and excitement as they welcomed us at the airport said, “We got you, you’re safe here.” I saw Him in the way they showed us grace and patience as they rounded us up to get from place to place and often had to redirect our excitement and silliness to focus on the task at hand.
I saw Him in the welcoming kindness and acceptance of the staff and children at the Carapungo Vacation Bible School and La Roca Skate Ministry, who so graciously shared their space, time, food, faith, and lives with us each day. I saw Him move mountains so that we could truly connect in spite of the language barrier.
What a beautiful and sweet reminder that distance, time, culture, and language cannot keep His love from bringing people together to shine His light! So now when I’m struggling and ask myself, “What would Jesus do?” I only need to look back at those ten days to know what He would do. He would do exactly what I saw, heard, and experienced in all those who reflected his light through their faith in Him.
I could easily say more, but my brief, 10-day mission experience would take a lifetime to share! If you’re interested, I would love to share more with you and encourage you to experience it for yourself.
Denise Coulter