Is This Really Worth My Time?

 

By Sarah McC. Volunteer in Ecuador

There is such a simplicity in what we do every day. Every visit, event, or meal that we have is simple and sometimes very small, but still done with great effort and intentionality. I remember being struck by this on my first day here. After finishing Adoration, I figured we would immediately go out and visit as many friends as we could, but instead we spent over an hour baking a cake and water coloring  a birthday card. I was not used to this intensity of living.

In my first few weeks, I didn’t speak any Spanish and understood very little of what people were saying to me. It was a strange feeling to go from more or less living an adult life to living in a place where I couldn’t even ask simple questions. I felt like a very small child that would just follow people around hoping I was doing the right thing. During this time, I felt I would never be able to learn Spanish or understand how to be a “good missionary.”  

Thankfully, I was reminded by an actual small child what my reason for being here is.  I believe it was during my second week that I went out to visit one of our friends and before I could get very far, I was met with the joyful shouts of Mateo, a small, five-year-old that lives on our street. I had only met Mateo once, but he made it a point to remember my name and was shouting to me from across the street. He then ran over and gave me such a big hug I nearly fell over. I was so moved by this because a small child who barely knew me was able to love me with such enthusiasm and joy. I realized then, that the most important reason I’m here is to love with this same enthusiasm. All of my activities, visits, and daily chores are really only worth my time if they are done with this same love.