When you think of “ministry,” what do you think of? 

It’s likely that two opposite feelings or perceptions come to mind:  sadness and joy.  Sadness that shows on the faces of people all over the world from a life of poverty, neglect, and abuse.  And joy that is evident in the smiles of young and old alike. 

This trip to Nicaragua brought up not only the many types of ministry, but also the ministry that happened in the Bible.  Let me explain.

For several days, part of the youth on the missions trip were able to do what we ended up calling “party evangelism.”  This included going into communities that were new to the church we partnered with, rounding up the kids and their parents, then having a blast with them.  We’d play games, share testimonies and Bible stories, sing songs, and then conclude with a piñata.  It was fun to experience the “joy” of ministry. 

All of the groups were also able to spend time at Cheryl’s place, which is a home for about a dozen youth that are unwanted by their parents for one reason or another.  While Cheryl’s place was a bright place, there were youth there with severe disabilities.  It build up our faith to see how strong and caring she was as a mother to a dozen children—some having been rescued from living in the dump, others from disorders that were left untreated for years.  Cheryl’s life is daily ministry. 

There’s the highs and lows of ministry, in which most of the stories about missions focus on and photos highlight.  But there’s also the normal.  The everyday.  For long-term missionaries, it’s the grind.  It’s in these “in between” moments where ministry opportunities abound, and we often don’t see them.

Without fail, the most memorable moments were the unplanned ones.  The ice cream man who comes up to our group during a “party evangelism” time, so we buy 131 ice creams—one for every kid there—leaving only 3 left in his ice chest.  The blind man who was walking the wrong way and needed a helping hand and some direction.  The teachers that let our youth groups go into their classes—unplanned—and share their faith.  The impromptu 11:00pm soccer game with the locals from the church.

Ministry isn’t just inevitable moments of bringing joy and reaching out to sadness.  It’s in the everyday, the market, the ordinary.  This is where Jesus ministered.  This is how his disciples performed miracles.  While walking through the busy markets, he made blind see, lame walk, and restored hope.  While many times he taught and shared stories, he also ministered during the ordinary moments of the day. 

It’s just like Jesus to use the ordinary to do the extraordinary.  So the next time you’re in the “market”—aka: grocery store—remember that you’re on the missions field too.