Prayer Needs
- There are many families barely surviving, but who know the power of prayer. Pray that God will continue to supply their needs!
- Heath
- Safety
- Freedom from addictions
- Continued enthusiasm from the church for this ministry
- That God will continue to intervene in the lives of the kids so they have hope for something better for their lives
Recycler’s ministry has been a great blessing. Seeing the children and making them smile is worth all the work we do.
Every week, when we see the kids waiting for us, we can’t help but feel glad we are making their lives better.
The first time I went to the recycler’s one little boy caught my attention. He was sitting far away from all the other children with a frown on his face. One of my friends and I walked over to him and tried to get him involved with the games and whatever else we were doing, but he was very reluctant. After a couple of tries to convince him he hesitantly allowed my friend to hold him. From that moment on he would not let go of him and he started to smile and play with us. It was really amazing to see the change of mind that we could cause in a child.
Emilie Hammershoj
Working at Prado has been something extraordinary. It really opens your eyes to to the way some people live. It is very refreshing to be able to share your love with people that need it. they are so grateful. I feel like I have been able to bless families and receive blessings from them too. I strongly recommend coming to Prado and playing with the kids. It makes you feel like a child again.
What really impacts me the most about the recyclers ministry is one thing, the children´s love towards us when we show them a little bit of affection. Its been a blessing going to the ministry showing Gods love by simple things such as spending time with them or just playing tag.
Working with the recyclers has been a great experience.
You can teach them new things and you can also learn new things from them.
What I enjoyed the most was being able to see their smiley faces even when they were going through hard times, without even complaining about their situation.
Working at the Recyclers ministry has been a real blessing for me. I was really excited when our class decided to partner with the church there and continue the ministry that they had already started. This ministry is so unique because while you are there serving, you feel like you’re in the poorest part of Bogota. However, its only a couple of blocks away from middle class neighborhoods. For me, it is a constant reminder that ministry isn’t a certain day or a certain place, but it should become a lifestyle.
The kids at the recyclers are precious. They are always so full of joy and so ready to hear whatever we may have to tell them… they are constantly wanting to be around us and to let us love them.
I have never left that ministry without feeling completely content, knowing that God is love in all his fullness.
Although I have been there about one time, everything about that place impacted me. I remember the people there and their willingness to accept us into their community. I remember the children and their joy despite their circumstances, how they could play with anything and have fun, how genuine they were. I guess we tend to forget the several things we have and we take them for granted. This is why going to the Recyclers’ ministry impacted me so much, because it reminded me of not taking things for granted and to share what I have regardless of what it is and who I am sharing it with.
I look forward to seeing the children each Service day. Their strength, their joy, their laughter and their energy remind me constantly that things can never get too bad in life for you to lose happiness. They are amazing. Even if they come from broken families, they are so full of love, even if they have gone through tragedies, they are still joyful, even if they are having a bad day they are encouraging. I am glad we are able to teach them that there is a Father who is constant and loving ready to take them in.
Natis Q. =)
Through the violence, the poverty and the addictions, there is one thing that brings us all together, and it is not the fact that we all recycle. Its the ability to partake and enjoy the Lord’s love no matter where we come from and what our history is. The Recyclers from Prado not only show an abundance of love and peace despite their current situation, but yet are able to sit and learn, and understand that the Lord loves them and is there for them. Many of these kids come from broken homes, where drug abuse, violence, and drug dealing are just a way of life. Through puppets and games we are able to show them the truth and that there is someone out there that is there for them every step of the way. And this is something that we all need to remember, no matter what our occupation is.
Having gone and participated in the Recyclers MInistry has been amazing due to the fact that its hanging out with kids with very little resources. Its kids that live their lives just in one section and are not able to leave that section due to money and other implications. They dont get visited very often because of where they live, and to see their faces when we visit them and just play with them is purely priceless. Their eyes and smiles shine out so much, their excitement is greater than a normal kid opening his christmas present under the tree. Every time we go they always want us to carry them and just do whatever with them because for them, we are not normal people because of the fact that we go and vist them, just spend time with them. We take games, activities and the exciting part that I love is taking food to them, cookieas and juice, and with this they are so grateful. The feeling of seeing their faces and stomachs filled up is totally unbelievale amazing. Its an amazing group of kids with hearts ready to see what we bring, ready to learn and just spend time with us.
Something I have learned throughout this ministry opportunity is that these kids desperately need love. The first time I went, at least 3 kids came up and hugged me within the first ten minutes. I was shocked at first, and didn’t know how to react. I thought they had mistaken me for someone else. But I was wrong. They were hugging me: a complete stranger to them. By the end of the two hours, we concluded with a small puppet show. During this wonderful time, the kids were all over us. We would sit down to watch with them, and they would just come and sit on us, constantly. They quarreled among each other to see who would get to sit on us. It was truly eye-opening to see how desperate they were for love. The idea I had about this ministry was that we would be the blessing for them. However, God works mysteriously, and they were a blessing for us.
Being part of the recyclers ministry team has not only given me the opportunity to serve others who are not as fortunate as I, but it has also built into who I am today. I’ve always thought that if we don’t do things to help other people, we plateau in our walk with Christ. If all we do is take and take from God, not returning any of the gifts he has bestowed on us, we are disobedient to our Creator and we miss some of the greatest moments in the Christian Faith.
Being in the recyclers team has taught me a lot about how to help out others specially the ones that really do need help. I think that this ministry has a lot of potential and can bring a lot of people to know Christ and why he gave his life for us humans. I am very glad to serve others specially with my 12th grade class. Hope that i can keep going to Prado and also keep an open attitude towards the kids that live over there.