1 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:08,480 And we're used to ask people what are their needs, because 2 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:12,360 maybe it's the most evident thing for us. 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:19,040 But we knew right away that will carry with us our sin and our 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:23,240 saviors complex. And even though we will have 5 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:26,720 good intentions, we will need to repent from the good actions 6 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,160 that will have done with the wrong intentions, right? 7 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,840 Well, welcome back to the Grace Church Members Podcast. 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,800 My name is Scott. I am your host today and a happy 9 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,080 summer. Everyone in the studio. 10 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:40,280 I have a couple of special guests. 11 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,480 I'm going to start with Joey, his wife Joanna. 12 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:47,320 Their three kids have been a part of Grace for 22345 years. 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,640 I've been here 29 and my wife 27 and our kids the whole life. 14 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,640 So we could just, this could just be a Joey Espinoza family 15 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:58,240 podcast. There's so many things you guys 16 00:00:58,240 --> 00:00:59,800 have been involved in that you could talk about. 17 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,160 But specifically our topic today is our work in Puerto Rico. 18 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,200 You're currently serving as an advocate for what we're doing 19 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,440 there, helping pull teams together and equip them and even 20 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,480 lead some. So tell us a little bit more 21 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:14,520 about that and then I'm going to let you introduce our guest. 22 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,600 Yeah, fantastic. Yeah. 23 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:21,640 So my first trip to Puerto Rico was in 2018, which is about 8 24 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,920 months after Hurricane Maria. It was Grace's first team and 25 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,720 love being there that wasn't with Hunger Corps, with another 26 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,320 organization, but I've been back four more times with serving 27 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:35,320 with Hunger Core. So after Grace's first trip to 28 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:37,960 Puerto Rico, we were looking for a long term partner, which is 29 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,000 key for all of our overseas and local missions as well. 30 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:48,280 And within a year or so, we met Steven Feliciano and we were 31 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,880 really just blown away when we heard his story, his humility, 32 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,600 his passion, his, his love of Jesus more than anything. 33 00:01:56,040 --> 00:02:00,240 And we got into some discussions and realize this could be 34 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,000 someone that we can partner with over the years as a church. 35 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:05,280 And it's been a pleasure. So I've been able to go back 36 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:09,160 four times and serve with hunger core and lead a few of those 37 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,280 trips as well too. And so I, I really enjoyed it. 38 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,400 It always, I was telling Steven, it feels always feels like home 39 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,960 when I go back there. And part of that is, is the 40 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,480 brotherhood that we have, but also seeing the work that 41 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,160 they're doing, just like minded. They want to see people come to 42 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,160 know Jesus. And so it's been a joy to serve 43 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,320 with them. So yes, Steven Feliciano has 44 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,920 been here for a few days and enjoying the time that's been 45 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:34,880 with him and his family, and I'll turn it over to him to 46 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:36,800 introduce what he's doing. Welcome, Steven. 47 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:38,840 Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. 48 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,240 We're happy. My family, Eileen, my wife Noah, 49 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,040 who's four years old, and Adela, who's nine months. 50 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:49,360 They're enjoying time free from me. 51 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,400 And it's a pleasure to be here. We feel like Grace is truly 52 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,000 family. And it's been, it's been an 53 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,680 honor to walk with you for the last six years. 54 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,320 Six years. Yeah, we're happy to be here 55 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,400 for, I don't know, our fifth time. 56 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,120 I think so. That's fantastic. 57 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,960 And so tell us a little bit about yourself. 58 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:09,920 Did you grow up in? Puerto Rico, Sure. 59 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:11,320 I'm born and raised Puerto Rican. 60 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,240 I have a brother or two siblings born and raised in Manatee, 61 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:17,360 Puerto Rico. That's in the North Coast of 62 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,680 Puerto Rico. Average Puerto Rican that work 63 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:25,880 in a pharmaceutical for 35 years in the 90s in order to make it 64 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:27,680 you, you'll work in a pharmaceutical. 65 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,120 And my mom was a social worker in the public education 66 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,800 department of Puerto Rico, grew in church. 67 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:40,040 And then I guess I figure out that I wanted to be an engineer 68 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,960 because I saw my dad working with a lot of engineers. 69 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,360 My brother, he made the same conclusion. 70 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,280 He went, he's two years older, went to the West side of the 71 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,600 island. He hated it. 72 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:55,600 He came to the states to become a treaty animator and then went 73 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,920 back to Puerto Rico with student loans and the idea of doing 74 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:02,960 standard comedy shows. That was the first bad joke to 75 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,680 my dad, All right. And then I went to the same 76 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:11,160 university to and again to be an engineer with this idea of 77 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,320 success. And it was there that I met a 78 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,120 homeless couple that were drug addicts, took him to my home, 79 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:24,880 gave him clothes, food, and I met Jesus through them and doing 80 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,720 life with them. And six months later, he gets 81 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,640 killed and he died on his wife's arm. 82 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,560 I block from my apartment. And that changed my life, went 83 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:36,720 back to my hometown. And he said to my brother, 84 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,600 you're reaching people in the theaters, you're doing comedy. 85 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,120 And they want to join us to do something that is meaningful. 86 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:47,920 And I'm doing life with people that they don't need money, They 87 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,640 need relationships, good news and time, and they need the good 88 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,800 news of Jesus Christ. I think I don't know why I'm 89 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,680 taking a business class because I want to be an engineer, right? 90 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,520 And we can do a nonprofit to bridge the gap between people in 91 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:02,840 the theaters and people in the streets. 92 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:04,520 And that night we founded Hungry. 93 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:06,440 Core Wow. And what year was that? 94 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,680 It was 2012 two thousand and May 25th of 2012, OK. 95 00:05:10,840 --> 00:05:13,000 So you and your brother, you guys founded. 96 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:14,080 Yeah. Hunger core. 97 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,000 Yeah, Yeah. Tell us before we get into 98 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,160 Hunger Core, let's let's talk a little bit about the island. 99 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,760 Sure, most people have never been. 100 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,560 They may know someone who's been. 101 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:26,080 They may know someone who's native. 102 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,040 But just pretend like we don't know anything. 103 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,360 Tell us a little bit about the culture, the life of Puerto 104 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,760 Rico. Puerto Rico la Isla encanto 105 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:39,040 encant encantement Puerto Rico is a small island, 100 miles by 106 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:43,400 35 miles. Small island full of color, loud 107 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,440 people. We are, you know, Latinos, we're 108 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,160 loud people. If you're going to hear like 2 109 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,960 main music styles is either salsa or reggaeton. 110 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,440 I don't like reggaeton that much, right? 111 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,720 Small island divided in 78 municipalities, 78 cities. 112 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,320 So we were part, we were Spain's territory before being in US 113 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,680 territory. So you're going to see our 78 114 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,560 municipalities having small downtowns and these downtowns 115 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,320 will have a square Plaza with the Catholic Church in one side 116 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,240 on the City Hall and the other 1-2 authorities back then, 117 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,560 right? And then it was where all the 118 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,880 city life will happen, right in these downtowns. 119 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,760 So still is that way. We have more than 200 beaches. 120 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:32,720 They're amazing. And you have in the center of 121 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,880 the mountains so you can see a lot of green greenery. 122 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:39,520 And then you can find we have the second longest sea of lane 123 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,200 in the world. Yeah, till Dubai. 124 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:44,440 I mean, there's right, it has to be Dubai. 125 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,640 And then we have population that is been, I think it's around 3 126 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,800 million people are going to be less than that. 127 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,200 And yeah, we're and we're your citizens. 128 00:06:55,680 --> 00:07:00,160 We use dollars. We have Costco, Chick-fil-A and 129 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,840 Walmart, but we have our own culture. 130 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:07,560 We speak Spanish and and then we're allowed and we eat lots of 131 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,120 carbs. So it's a mix of it's, we're 132 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,120 Latin American country, but yeah, you're going to see some 133 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,200 similarities. So we've got mountains and 134 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:19,160 beaches, we've got good music and good food and friendly 135 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:20,080 people. Yeah. 136 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,960 Tell me, tell us about the economic condition of a lot of 137 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,440 these municipalities. Yeah, Puerto Rico. 138 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:33,040 I think like many other places, you can have kind of an idea of 139 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:39,080 what a place is, but if you go and, and go deep enough, where 140 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,920 are you do the the due diligence? 141 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,640 I'm going to find that there's some deeper issues that want 142 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:48,280 people expect. So even though we have like 143 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:52,480 beautiful music and when that music fades away, there's a 144 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,320 reality in our island. It's in the Caribbean. 145 00:07:55,320 --> 00:08:01,400 So it's basically is been hit by natural disasters almost every 146 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:06,120 year. So last big disaster was in 2017 147 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,840 here at Camarillo. So that brought a new reality to 148 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,840 our island. We had the hurricane followed by 149 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,320 another storm to expire to Hurricane Madea. 150 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,480 So we're recovering when an island that is recovering. 151 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,920 So there's a lot of things that are needed like economic 152 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:23,920 development, educational development. 153 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,920 So even though our island is is beautiful, schools have been 154 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,000 closed. It's hard. 155 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,720 I think someone one study said that is a representing Puerto 156 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:36,640 Rico is the hardest city to do business in compared to all US 157 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,000 nation. So a lot of things that needs to 158 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,880 be done. We're the country with more 159 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,320 churches per square mile in the world. 160 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,040 So most of those Catholic, Catholic churches. 161 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:51,160 There's a big mix between Catholic and Pentecostal 162 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,040 churches, small Pentecostal churches in the mountains and in 163 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,760 lots of neighborhoods, and then Catholic churches in the center 164 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:02,600 of the downtowns and being more the culture, being Catholic. 165 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:06,240 And then you have like a growing population of Pentecostal 166 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,440 churches in the 90s. OK, yeah. 167 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:17,000 So you found Hunger Core 2012. 2012. 2012, so that's 13 years 168 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,040 ago now. I'm sure it's it's taken some 169 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:24,480 different pathways to get to the point now where so if someone 170 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:30,720 goes on a trip, let's say they fall 2025, spring 2026, what are 171 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,800 they going to see Hunger Core emphasizing when they go join 172 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,920 you guys in Puerto Rico. So yeah, you're right, we've 173 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,120 changed the time. First five years we were 174 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,840 basically mobilizing Puerto Rican volunteers to some parts 175 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:49,800 of Latin America to serve. We saw God's Providence, 176 00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:54,360 Hurricane Maria as a moment to pivot as a ministry and focus 177 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,120 just in Puerto Rico. Just in Puerto Rico. 178 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,400 Yeah. And we chose to work with local 179 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,120 churches and embrace an asset based community development 180 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,400 approach. It's basically seeing the 181 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,040 communities through the lenses of their resources and other 182 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:07,560 needs. So. 183 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:09,520 Say that again. So an asset based. 184 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,480 Community. Community development approach. 185 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,720 Yeah, it's an ABCD. It's we don't have to reinvent 186 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,720 the wheel, right? We're used to go to communities 187 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,200 and when I say we ministries, nonprofits, churches, right? 188 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,160 And we're used to ask people what are their needs because 189 00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:28,000 maybe it's the most evident thing for us. 190 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:34,520 But we knew right away that we'll carry with us our sin and 191 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:38,880 our saviors complex. And even though we will have 192 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,320 good intentions, we will need to repent from the good actions 193 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,800 that will have done with the wrong intentions, right? 194 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:49,280 So I remember us starting to meet one of the communities and 195 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,840 my pastor saying, Steven, I just need you to remember that is 196 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:57,960 going to be not through our victories or but to our failures 197 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:00,840 that we're going to showcase the gospel because it's going to be 198 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,120 through our willingness to repent in front of the community 199 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,240 that we're going to have the opportunity to talk about the 200 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,480 story that is rarer than ours, right, the gospel. 201 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:11,080 So we chose to embrace that model. 202 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,760 We can make a lot of mistakes. We have stories of where when we 203 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:20,040 didn't do it and how we affected the community and how we needed 204 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,000 to repent and then start all over again. 205 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:29,480 And it's harder, it's less flashy, but it was built on a 206 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,080 model. A commitment that we chose to do 207 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:35,160 is committing to underserved communities for a minimum of 208 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,440 five years, seeing them through the lenses of the resources and 209 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,680 try to do a relational mission and not a transactional. 210 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:49,240 So asset based community development, ABCD, not as 211 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:53,400 flashy, harder, yeah, but it really it plays to the 212 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:58,760 sustainability, which I know is a central tenet of your mission. 213 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,960 It's probably slower. Way slower, yeah. 214 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:04,240 But you're emphasizing the relationships. 215 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,240 Tell us a little bit more about how, what does that look like 216 00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:10,240 with homes, with schools, with businesses? 217 00:12:10,560 --> 00:12:13,520 Because right now you've have you guys centered in to one 218 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:18,080 specific town or city. Yeah we're in one city OK and 219 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:22,360 enjoy his lead teams and we've been open with everyone and 220 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:23,760 share things that we have learned. 221 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,720 I can I think the best way to explain it is through you know 222 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:31,640 some cases that we have done. Yeah first family that we were 223 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,520 going to help in we we chose to commit to a committee called out 224 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,320 Amiga and Grace was part of this since the beginning. 225 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,800 We stood with there for five years and Puerto Ricans. 226 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,360 We invite ourselves to homes. We just ask for coffee and we're 227 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:46,360 I have bread, right? We have coffee. 228 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,120 So and then first we're strangers, then two weeks later 229 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,840 we're best friends, right? So we went to La Amiga and for 230 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:59,920 like 3 months and some churches commit alongside hunger to walk 231 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:03,280 with this community. So we started with a family, 232 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,760 single mom for kids. She started with the foundation 233 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:10,000 and some walls. And I remember we read 1 Helping 234 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,880 Herds and we, you know, toxic charity and many, you know, we 235 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,800 thought, I thought I was like super equipped to do it. 236 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,200 And we, I remember saying it's going to be a quick win. 237 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,440 We're going to build trust with the community, with partners, 238 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:25,840 with, with our staff, because we were used to do it in other 239 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,560 parts of the world, but not in Puerto Rico. 240 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,360 So we finished the house in four months. 241 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,320 We, I remember saying we're not going to add to the house 242 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,400 because adding to the house is like saying to her, you didn't 243 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,040 dream big enough, right? So we're all about dignity. 244 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:44,640 So when we finished the house, I thought I was cheap Gaines and I 245 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:46,640 was like, you know, giving the house away. 246 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,280 We had music, it was someone with a hunger shirt giving the 247 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:51,400 keys. It was not me. 248 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:53,880 I thought I was humble. The whole community was there. 249 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:57,480 We had food, everything. So we gave the house away. 250 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,720 New fridge, new stove, I mean new everything. 251 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,680 We were proud about the work that we did with volunteers and 252 00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:06,920 for the next 6 years the house was empty. 253 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,160 And if you ask me, I'll be honest, I think it was because 254 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,200 of ice in what when I was saying is it was going to be a quick 255 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,360 win. What I was really saying I think 256 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,880 it was that I want to build a name for hunger myself and I 257 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,600 didn't want I was not care about people's story. 258 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,160 So since that day we say that service without relationship is 259 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:29,800 just a transaction and transactions they don't 260 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,120 transform people. Relationships do transform 261 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:35,000 people and actually the gospel is a relational story is not a 262 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:39,520 transactional 1. So we chose then to do another 263 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,240 approach. We'll stop all of our service 264 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,960 weeks like you guys do with us Thursday and do a barbecue. 265 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,120 And people were like, we want to finish that bathroom, right? 266 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:52,920 It's just like 2 hours more. And you had like guys a little 267 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:59,200 bit mad like cooking barbecue and like chicken and burgers and 268 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:01,440 they were like it. It felt like we were losing our 269 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:03,480 time, but we were building relationships. 270 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,320 Some months later, we met Rafa, who was a guy in his 70s, 271 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:12,400 depressed, no haircut, always in his wheelchair in his entrance 272 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:14,800 door. So Eileen and I, my wife and I, 273 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,320 we went there and we said, we want to know your story. 2 hours 274 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:20,680 sharing his story. And then we said, you're going 275 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:22,320 to be next. We're going to do it with you, 276 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,880 not for you. What resources do you have? 277 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,640 And he was like, ah, he was, he's grumpy. 278 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:32,280 I just received $300 a month. I don't have resources. 279 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:37,800 And it was an opportunity for us to say our faith informs 280 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,480 everything that we do. And we believe that you have 281 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:42,400 resources. You were created with skills and 282 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,600 talents and relationships. You're not alone. 283 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,320 So we did this awkward silence. And then Rafa stands up. 284 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,280 I didn't know he could walk. And he goes to his bedroom and 285 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:54,680 he brings a wood pallet table and a wood pallet chair. 286 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,320 And he says, I can do this furniture. 287 00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,920 I used to work in a furniture, a furniture factory. 288 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,160 So in two weeks we put a 20 footer container with tools, 289 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:06,600 went to visit him, he had a haircut. 290 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:12,360 His living room was a chop workshop and he comes from his 291 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:16,760 bedroom with two designs of two tables of two chairs that we 292 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:20,920 finance his whole house with the furniture that we sold. 293 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,240 No. Maybe some windows, but we 294 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:25,920 haven't seen the wheelchair in five years. 295 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:28,320 And. Then he kept doing furniture 296 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,840 pieces even though when we finished the house, one day I 297 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,840 pass by and he stops me and he says like, look what I bought 298 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,920 with the money that I made. And he goes to his bedroom and 299 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:42,560 brings me a big Bible with this letters this big, right? 300 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,960 And he's like, I'm in my process, but I'm reading it 301 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,880 everything. So I will learn that there's two 302 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,680 things we don't have to help God, right? 303 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,200 We just have to be obedient there. 304 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,160 And then it will make a difference if we look people as 305 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:59,240 Jesus, look at them through the lenses of their resources. 306 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,080 And those are like 2 cases that we've learned the hard way with 307 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:05,119 one and the other one will steal. 308 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,839 Like enjoy sharing their. Story Yeah, no, that's, that's a 309 00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:11,400 good, that's a good comparison or good contrast. 310 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,400 So, Joey, when you have gone on the trips and you kind of enter 311 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,319 into this story that hunger cores created, what's been your 312 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:21,680 experience? Have you been able to see the 313 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:24,960 relational side of things? Yeah, yeah, for sure. 314 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,920 First of all, just even being with the Hunger Core team. 315 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:31,960 So Steven and and the staff at Hunger Core, you know, just is 316 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,320 always, again, it feels like going home when I'm there and 317 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,040 the relationship we have there. But then getting to know the 318 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:40,320 homeowners, that's always a treat, whether it's Adris 319 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:43,520 sharing her story or working with Megali. 320 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:47,120 I mean, Megali's the, that was where who we worked with a 321 00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:50,360 couple weeks ago and she's down in the trench laying blocks, 322 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,160 putting on mortar, everything like that. 323 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:53,800 So this is the homeowner. This is the homeowner. 324 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:55,440 Yeah, yeah. It's actually a for, for her 325 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,040 father right next door. But she lives right next door 326 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:00,880 that she is down building the home with us. 327 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:04,120 And so it doesn't feel like we're going to do on our own to 328 00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:05,400 do for her. We're doing with her. 329 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,720 And that's the same way we feel about Hunger Core as well, too, 330 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,520 that we're, they're, they're, they're doing the work that God 331 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,800 has called him to do. And we get to serve with them 332 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:17,120 and alongside them. And, but it's always put for me 333 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:21,480 personally, like I would say because I, yeah, I like 334 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:22,880 certainty. I like control. 335 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:25,160 I like how things are the same. And every time I've gone to 336 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,040 Puerto Rico, God shows me or does something different. 337 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,120 And it's a great reminder for me that I'm not in control. 338 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:34,160 And that's a good thing that God's at work in Puerto Rico, in 339 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,000 Greenville, all over the world. And it's a pleasure to be a part 340 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,080 of that. But I would say, and, and then 341 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:43,360 even that is, well, I think of an example like like Julio and 342 00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:46,600 he's one of the field leaders. So one of the great things about 343 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,280 serving in Puerto Rico's, like me, you don't have to have 344 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:50,960 skills. You don't have to have any kind 345 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,440 of home building skills because they have team leaders there, 346 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:55,600 field leaders who can teach you everything you need to know. 347 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,640 And so I can go but, but Julio, not only is he good, but he what 348 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,680 he does, but he does it because he loves God. 349 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:09,800 And so he explains that he might come behind you and, and correct 350 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:13,160 your work or teach you how to do it better, but it's not, it's 351 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:18,200 not to make you feel bad. What Julio says is God gave me 352 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:22,680 his best when he sent Jesus. And so when I work on a home, I 353 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,720 want to give the homeowner the best because God gave me the 354 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:27,520 best. And it's a great reminder for me 355 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,080 because that's not true for me in Puerto Rico. 356 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:32,000 That's true for everything I do in Greenville, you know, whether 357 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:36,120 it's at my job or serving on Sunday mornings with my family, 358 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:40,000 with my money, with everything we do that OK, if God gave me 359 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,440 his best, I need to give my best as well. 360 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,200 So it's a it's a great reminder that I got even just a few weeks 361 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:46,440 ago in Puerto Rico. Yeah. 362 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,760 It says a lot about the culture that you've created. 363 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:51,600 Joey, let's put a little more color on the trip. 364 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:53,480 How many people are we talking about? 365 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:59,200 Yeah, our teams are usually between 15 and 25, you know, so 366 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,360 we aim for, you know, 18 or 20 is a good sized team, but we can 367 00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:05,000 do a little more. I know Hunger Corps is equipped 368 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,640 to do bigger teams than that. So we wouldn't have a problem 369 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,720 with that. It's it's a week long, so we 370 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,080 typically leave on Saturday to we fly to Greenville on Saturday 371 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:16,640 and come back on the next Friday with their. 372 00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:19,360 So we have the weekend first. So we we worship on Sunday 373 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:22,120 morning when you know, the next day and have some free time and 374 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:23,720 then we get to work on Monday morning. 375 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,360 Four days of work. Yeah, four days or or 3 1/2 and 376 00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:29,920 then we we have fun or build some relationships. 377 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:31,840 You know, that's different for each team. 378 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:33,360 Sometimes we do work a little longer. 379 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,040 Last year was special. We actually went with the home 380 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:40,040 owner, with Adris and and her sons and went to a coffee shop 381 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,360 and had coffee and desserts with them. 382 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,560 And that was just a treat. That was just to be able to hang 383 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,200 out with them and fellowship that doesn't feel like we're 384 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:48,920 accomplishing. But the relationship that we 385 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:50,520 built with her was. Great. 386 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,280 Engage the homeowners are that's that's such a such a telling 387 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:58,120 part of the ministry. Steven, tell us a little bit 388 00:20:58,120 --> 00:20:59,880 more. So we've talked a lot about 389 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,640 homes. What role does home ownership 390 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:08,680 play in changing cycles of generational poverty? 391 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,120 Some that I think we might take for granted here in the States. 392 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:17,040 Yeah, sure. It's been progressive on our 393 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:22,560 side to learn how to do it right now what we again, we have to be 394 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:25,840 consistent of having the right approach. 395 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:29,800 And it's not only trying to implement an ABCD, but it's a 396 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:35,600 biblical one, right? So what we ask people is to that 397 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:37,240 we're going to walk alongside them. 398 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:40,840 We consider ourselves as when we go to the community as students, 399 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,520 not as teachers. So there's there's an author 400 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,600 that I like that he says that people they need, they don't 401 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,960 need heroes, they need peers. So we go as peers. 402 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,960 So that means you're going to invest either in sweat equity or 403 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:54,680 another kind of investment. We we'll leave. 404 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:59,320 That's dignifying. So it's a case by case, but we 405 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:03,440 have cases like Camilo and Josie, who they're they were 406 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:08,040 healthy and they couple that could do something and invest. 407 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:12,160 I don't know, social workers, they go through an evolution and 408 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,800 we get to an agreement that they're going to be invest X 409 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:19,160 amount of hours of work or a mix of they wanted like really 410 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,840 beautiful windows. We do the the basic ones now. 411 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:23,960 We were like, sure, that's kind of empowerment, right? 412 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,160 You want to feel good about your home. 413 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,360 So we're we're not covering that cost, right. 414 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,880 And until you you bring those windows, we're going to be 415 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,280 either stopping the project. It's up to you. 416 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,600 So it's a, it's not like one-size-fits-all. 417 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:41,560 But then we have cases like Jensen, who invested more than 418 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:47,080 1000 hours of Labor in his home. So again, Magali, who is the 419 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,200 case and the person that we're the family that we're helping 420 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:53,000 now, her father is 83 years old. He has dementia. 421 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:59,400 One resource that he has is his daughter who is healthy who we 422 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:04,120 believe God wants to work in her life and by inviting her to be 423 00:23:04,120 --> 00:23:07,360 part of our staff. She's always on the field 424 00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:12,640 because she's investing half of her time is volunteer labor and 425 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:15,520 half of her time we're paying her because we we believe is 426 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,520 dignifying. When teams leave, she help us 427 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,320 clean vans and go to the airport and she joins our staff. 428 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,280 The whole purpose that we what we do, this is not only because 429 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,440 we believe is dignifying is because we want to have a 430 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,720 relational equity with with the people that we serve. 431 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:39,480 So the more time that we spend together, not only they're going 432 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,680 to see things that maybe they'll desire, but they're going to see 433 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,800 also things that are going to let them know that we're broken. 434 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:51,360 And if they see something that is beautiful or desirable, our 435 00:23:51,360 --> 00:23:54,360 goal will be not for them to think that we're perfect because 436 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:59,320 we're super broken. It's that we need God, right? 437 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,840 And if you see each other asking for forgiveness, or if you see 438 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:07,320 each other being merciful to 1 and each other, we hope that you 439 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,720 get to the conclusion that is not because of our strength, but 440 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:12,640 it's because of the good news of Jesus Christ. 441 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:16,680 But what you're describing is this much bigger holistic 442 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:22,560 picture than just sharing the four spiritual laws or the Roman 443 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,760 road or a testimony. I mean, this is not just sharing 444 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,360 the gospel in the way that people might think about, you 445 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:32,160 know, what it means to to talk about the hope that they have in 446 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,440 Jesus. Like you're living it right 447 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,840 through relationships, but also as you're working hard and and 448 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:42,000 building a home that is going to help change possibly generations 449 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,240 of a family help us get over. Sometimes we have this divide 450 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:51,680 between the church work and non church work, or sacred work and 451 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:54,800 non sacred or secular work. How do you understand that? 452 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,640 How do you explain that to your teams that are coming in? 453 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:03,280 So every every Monday night we go and share our vision and I 454 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:08,440 share a way more a longer version of this, but we happen 455 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,040 to share with people that we serve. 456 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:14,160 That Bible is a it's a book that you open it and there's a 457 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,040 creator creating everything. And at the end of every day he 458 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,080 said it was good. And at the end of his creation, 459 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,640 he says things were really good. It was like really really enjoy 460 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:25,880 what he created. Closest word is the Shalom. 461 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,080 It was perfect. Then the fall and four 462 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,640 relationships were broken with God, running away from God with 463 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:36,320 self feeling ashamed and naked with others, with Aiden saying 464 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,160 that woman that you gave me and with creation. 465 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,240 And right away comes this greater. 466 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:43,800 There comes a prophecy that someone is going to come. 467 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:49,520 And then the Old Testament is full of stories of nation called 468 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,720 Israel. God gave him the law to live in 469 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,800 a way that they didn't did. And let's say you're a farmer 470 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,440 and you don't pick the crops in the other part so widows and 471 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,440 orphans and foreigners can come and have something to eat. 472 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:06,880 So all of a sudden this Kingdom behaves different than other 473 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:08,960 people. And by the way, this Kingdom has 474 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,120 a king that lives in a tent, right? 475 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:15,720 And is not human. And then these people are called 476 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:17,680 to forgive each other. That's on the 7th year. 477 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,920 And then the whole purpose it was for nations that were 478 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,920 surrounding Israel to look at them and say I don't get 479 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:27,520 everything that they do. Somehow women, they look 480 00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:33,720 happier, they're valued. And if you leave your land rest 481 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,440 on the 7th year, you're a fool. But somehow their crops are 482 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,920 good. The whole idea was for people to 483 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,160 say, I don't get everything that they do, but if they're like 484 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:42,720 that, I want to know they're king. 485 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:47,040 So somehow this Israel was this group of firefighters that 486 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,960 received a call that there's a building in flames and they 487 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,160 break the window and they come to save people and they're 488 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,600 trapped and they need to be saved. 489 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,000 That's you and that's I. And here comes the perfect 490 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:03,520 Israelite. It was not Moses who people 491 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,440 thought he was the perfect deliverer, but he fell short. 492 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,320 David who was a perfect king and he fell short. 493 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:12,400 Samson who was a perfect judge and he fell short. 494 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:16,120 It was the one who who the prophecies were speaking about. 495 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:21,120 And he lived the life that unite should live and we didn't live 496 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,920 and he suffers that that unite should suffer and we didn't. 497 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:26,160 He dies on the cross and he rose again. 498 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:30,120 And now he's inviting not only Jews, but everyone that puts 499 00:27:30,120 --> 00:27:34,280 their faith in him to the reconcile the ministry of of 500 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,880 reconciliation. That means to put everything in 501 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,440 the right relationship with the father again, because guess 502 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:41,920 what, at the end of the book, he's going to restore 503 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:46,360 everything. So if you see the Bible, that 504 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:51,040 big story that way, it means that this creator won't rest 505 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:54,720 until he restores everything. That means everything. 506 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:57,080 Some theologians say, right? Every square inch of the 507 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:59,280 universe. God is saying it's mine. 508 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:05,720 It'll make sense that every area, every dynamic of life. 509 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:08,840 It's something that God wants to put in the right relationship 510 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,760 with the Father again, we just ask have to ask ourselves what 511 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:13,760 are you calling me to restore? What are you calling me to put 512 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,760 in the right relationship with you And also as a ministry. 513 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,560 It became evident that it was three things, a social 514 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,520 development, economic development, and educational 515 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:25,280 development in our city. But it means that if if someone 516 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:29,800 it's an accountant, God is calling that calling that person 517 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:31,560 to put things in the right relationship with the Father. 518 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,520 Again, it's just like we as an as a ministry, as a nonprofit, 519 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,520 we're choosing to work with local churches and say we're 520 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,920 going to do maybe the heavy lifting in terms of hats, hands 521 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,400 on work with teens like Christchurch building, getting 522 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:46,960 community equity, showing the community love. 523 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,080 We're mentoring small business owners. 524 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,280 But at the end of the day, what we're doing is empowering the 525 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:55,080 local church to shepherd people because we believe that is as as 526 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:59,000 important as to restore a small business and for a small 527 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:03,480 business in our city to thrive as our souls under eternity. 528 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,600 So we're not, we're trying not reinvent the wheel, but we're 529 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,640 trying is just to be obedient. Yeah, every square inch is being 530 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,240 restored, and you're just taking responsibility for whatever 531 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:17,240 God's put in front of you. One municipality at a time, one 532 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:19,920 household at a time, one relationship at a time. 533 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:23,120 Yeah, and one team at a time. So how are we seeing this Joey 534 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,200 affect the folks of Grace Church as they go? 535 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:29,720 Yeah, You know, I think for us it's this is a huge discipleship 536 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,400 opportunity. Like I part of the reason that 537 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:36,560 we go and I, I'm, I want people to go, it's just for their own 538 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:38,840 spiritual growth. I've seen that in my life. 539 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,600 I would say of being at Grace Church, you know, 29 years 540 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,600 mission trips are probably one of the top two things that God 541 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:47,040 has used to help me grow in my relationship with Jesus. 542 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:49,680 A lot of that for me and it probably for other people at 543 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:53,640 Grace churches because we're not in control and we can't make 544 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:55,760 things happen. We are not going to, we can't 545 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,320 send enough teams to Puerto Rico to solve the poverty problem and 546 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,240 to build houses that we can't do that. 547 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:03,600 But God is at work. Like that's not actually not the 548 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,760 goal, but God uses that just to remind us, OK, we're out of 549 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:09,480 control. We are not the like the word you 550 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:10,800 use, Steve, and we're not the saviors. 551 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,440 We can't go do that. And we have to realize that that 552 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:16,000 we have to. It's a humbling experience and 553 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,320 it's a way for us to trust God. So I think that's one of the 554 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,560 main reasons. I think another reason is, is 555 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,880 obviously God is at work in Puerto Rico and we have the 556 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,920 pleasure of being a part of that, that, yeah, God's at work 557 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:29,560 there and we get to join in with that. 558 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:32,120 One of the things, and I, I probably heard it from you or 559 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:35,240 one of your, one of one of the staff of Hunger Core is one of 560 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:39,080 the goals is for all these homeowners to see hundreds of 561 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,920 people, hundreds of, of white people mostly are coming from 562 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,560 United States because they love God and they want you to love 563 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:48,160 God as well too. And that's a very tangible way 564 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:51,240 to see that because we may not keep the relationship with that 565 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:55,640 homeowner, but you guys will. And part of their testament, 566 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:59,000 part of the witness to them is that all these people came 567 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,200 because they love Jesus. So maybe this Jesus is worth 568 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,120 thinking about. Maybe I should like Rapha. 569 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,320 Maybe I should get get a Bible and read about this Jesus that 570 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,520 all these people believe in. And that's why they came and 571 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:13,840 worked on the House with that. Yeah, and and some people 572 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:17,560 wrestle with the idea of short term trips and they say, oh, you 573 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,520 go for a week and you think you transform a whole community or a 574 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:24,640 family and I get it. But you're doing a short term 575 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:26,240 trip based on a long term commitment. 576 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,800 Our staff even though you guys leave on Friday, our staff is 577 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,560 there next Monday. Having volunteers were just our 578 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:40,120 staff. So what maybe what what you 579 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:43,680 don't realize is that having such a small us being such a 580 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:48,440 small ministry, 7 people and staff having group of churches 581 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:55,040 coming like week after week with receive more than maybe 5000 582 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,000 volunteers in the last seven years. 583 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:02,440 It gives us as a ministry a relational capital in the city 584 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:05,520 that just the seven of us we can't. 585 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:10,240 So for for us, not only like spending time with you, it's a 586 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:15,920 joy growing spiritually is a joy you feel and you you expand the 587 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,240 scope that we can have as a ministry just by through 588 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,800 presents, right, by having a coffee in blooming cup in the 589 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:25,680 coffee shop that we're mentoring, just by building a 590 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:27,880 home. Like I I was, I was last week in 591 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,760 the Barber shop this last week to come here. 592 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:35,160 So I was there and the Barber, we just we moved to the city 593 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,680 that we're serving and and he was like, oh, so is there a 594 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,160 house? You guys are building a house 595 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:41,960 down there? I was like, yeah, sure. 596 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:43,920 It was AI think it was a grace team that was there. 597 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,480 And he was like, what you guys are doing is amazing. 598 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:49,320 And you guys did, you did another one on the street that 599 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:51,120 was out there. I was, yeah. 600 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,920 And he was like, so it's amazing that work that you guys are 601 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:55,440 doing. How do you guys choose people? 602 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:59,560 And and all of a sudden, if it's just the seven of us like 603 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:01,960 people, we don't do it to be seen, right? 604 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:06,600 But just to be witnesses of what he's doing through his church is 605 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,800 amazing. And it, it's we can't do that. 606 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,200 And, and again, it's not up to us, right? 607 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:14,840 It's just God, God doing the work. 608 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:19,840 But it's a short term trip based on a long term commitment in a 609 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,720 multi year kind of commitment with the city that makes a 610 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,360 difference. And also because not only you 611 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:31,120 guys come as a church, but we're working with local churches than 612 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:32,720 to shepherd the people that were impacted. 613 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,440 Yeah, yeah. I mean, and you said it like you 614 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:37,320 don't do it to make hunger course scene. 615 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,720 You guys are doing it to make Jesus scene and that only 616 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:46,000 happens because of 5000 people, 700 people a year or whatever it 617 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,640 is that come down there and now there's OK, people notice that, 618 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,760 people in the town notice that. They start asking questions. 619 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:53,440 Well, yeah, you have to do it the right way. 620 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:54,760 Yeah. And when you don't do it the 621 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:56,960 right way, you have to. You have to repent. 622 00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,200 You have to apologize. And I love that part of your 623 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:00,200 story. Yeah. 624 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,840 Good name is good name is better than fine riches. 625 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:04,200 Thanks. Proverb says a little something 626 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:05,120 about that. Yeah. 627 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:07,320 And, and I think you would say this. 628 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:10,000 And so our family has been on the other end of being the 629 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:13,360 people that receives teams. And it seems like for you and, 630 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,159 and, and for your team, like there's an encouragement, like I 631 00:34:16,159 --> 00:34:19,320 remember for us when we were serving on mission for several 632 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:22,199 years when people came down and reminded us that we're not 633 00:34:22,199 --> 00:34:27,239 alone, that God sees you, right? You, your team of seven, and 634 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:30,440 there's your family, right? And it's, sometimes it's, it's 635 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:33,880 hard and you forget and you just think we're alone and we're 636 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,360 tired and we're exhausted. And why are we doing this? 637 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,800 And then when people keep coming down, it reminds, Hey, God sees 638 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,480 what you're doing and he wants to, he wants to remind you, 639 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,440 you're not alone in this. And so for our team to go down 640 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:49,840 there and to spend a week with other believers who are doing 641 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:53,280 God's work, like we wanted to be an encouragement to you that 642 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:56,040 hey, we're, we're here because God loves you and we get the 643 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:58,360 fellowship together. And that's just a foretaste of 644 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:00,680 But we'll have an eternity when we'll all speak the same 645 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:02,480 language, or at least understand each other. 646 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:03,560 That's right. Yeah. 647 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:08,880 And I often say to to Eileen, my wife, that I think my job is to 648 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:14,400 go every Monday to meet teams, share the vision, show where 649 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,240 we're going to go as an organization, as a ministry, 650 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:21,080 then go back that Monday night. And once my head hits the 651 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:23,840 pillow, I'm like, are we? Can we? 652 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:28,280 And that's kind of a kind of a week after week, right? 653 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,480 But yesterday I was at at Grace Church at downtown. 654 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:36,560 And a guy comes to me. He might be in his late 60s. 655 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:39,000 And he said, I was two weeks ago there. 656 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:45,640 It was my first time. And he was like, his eyes were 657 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,080 teary. And he was like, it transformed 658 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:49,800 my life. I said to him, thank you. 659 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,600 Because hunger is now in a restructuring process, right? 660 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:54,440 It's been a year and a half in the making. 661 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,760 Now we're the board approve our restructuring and we're going to 662 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,320 have another year and a half or two years to see the results. 663 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:05,640 I was like, I needed to hear that right, because as you guys 664 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:09,000 do ministry, grace is is a big church and you guys are 665 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,880 impacting lots of people. It's our identity come from 666 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:14,440 Christ, right? But it's just there's a mystery 667 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,760 that happens when God's people get together that it, it's hard 668 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:21,760 to explain. And for us, because we're not a 669 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:25,040 local church, hunger court, we work with local churches. 670 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,880 Sometimes it can feel isolating because we don't have a, a like 671 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:34,240 a weekly service, right? It's when teams like you guys 672 00:36:34,240 --> 00:36:35,520 come. And then there's there's 673 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:38,400 something special also about churches like you guys that have 674 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:42,000 worked with us for six years, not only volunteers coming, it's 675 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:44,720 like volunteers coming for the third, the 4th time. 676 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:46,960 You're like, we don't deserve right. 677 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:49,800 You're coming to Puerto Rico so many times. 678 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,240 So it's, it's a for us, it's a blessing. 679 00:36:52,240 --> 00:36:54,760 Yeah. When we started with the 680 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,400 question was what's the purpose of this conversation? 681 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:00,520 And I told you guys I would love for us to have a wait list of 682 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:02,640 people to join these trips. And I do. 683 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:06,040 I do want that. I want them to contact Joey. 684 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,200 I want them to contact Samantha Chapman. 685 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:12,840 But here's actually what I want now, more than that, I want 686 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:18,360 people to be able to examine their own resources and their 687 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:21,400 own relationships that they have, what God has given them 688 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:24,120 and see the goodness of God and all of that. 689 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:26,680 And see what is in front of them, The territory that is in 690 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:31,360 front of them, where God is claiming every single inch for 691 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:35,800 his restoration Kingdom and to to be good stewards of that. 692 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:40,560 And sometimes we need to go on a mission to be able to get 693 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:44,720 clearer on the mission that God has given us in our families, in 694 00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:46,560 our neighborhoods, in our workplaces. 695 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:51,000 And so sometimes getting on an airplane is what jolts us to see 696 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:53,200 the goodness of God in our own backyard. 697 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:57,160 And so that might be you, probably is you. 698 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:01,400 But if you don't get to go to Puerto Rico for another six 699 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,120 months, don't miss the opportunities that are right in 700 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:10,760 your backyard to just to to be a a gospel influencer with words, 701 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:13,600 with deeds, with your relationships, with your 702 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,640 actions, with your humility, and with your confidence that only 703 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,920 comes from the Savior that Steven is so eloquently remind 704 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:22,960 us of. What else guys? 705 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:25,080 As we wrap up, anything else we want to add? 706 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,600 No, just two things. I just want to say thank you. 707 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:31,600 It's always felt with Grace Church, that is not a 708 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:35,280 transactional thing. It's always felt like it's, it's 709 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,440 relational. That's the reason why we're here 710 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:39,640 this week just to spend time with you guys. 711 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:44,120 And then last thing is we can't mean is that this is kind of the 712 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:47,480 wounded healer story, right? While he's calling and maybe 713 00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:51,080 he's putting your heart to go to Puerto Rico or to I know you 714 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:53,160 guys have all their trips right to other places. 715 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:58,120 He's he's he's in the business of restoring one of those four 716 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:01,000 relationships that were broken, but God with self, with others, 717 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,200 our creation. The question that you have to 718 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:07,120 ask yourself is that I encourage you to ask yourself is what is 719 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,560 it broken and what are you calling me to put in the right 720 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:12,640 relationship with with you again, right. 721 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:19,440 And then through through Holy Spirit and the work of that he 722 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:21,520 does in his church and through his people. 723 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:24,280 I'm sure that he's going to, he's going to finish that what 724 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:27,880 he started in your life. To that effect, would you pray 725 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:28,960 for our church? Sure. 726 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:31,960 Just close our time and pray that we would be attuned to 727 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:33,240 those four things. Amen. 728 00:39:33,240 --> 00:39:38,280 Yeah, sure God is. It's I just I don't deserve to 729 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:40,960 be here. I don't our family doesn't 730 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:46,160 deserve to be loved and care for us as you've done through 731 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:52,360 through this amazing church. And actually that's that's kind 732 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:56,040 of a whole point. You're constantly doing things 733 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,880 for us that we didn't deserve. And that's the story of the 734 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:01,320 gospel. And I'm just glad that this 735 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,840 church, I think, embodies and priests this. 736 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:07,720 I just ask you that you keep listening, Grace. 737 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:13,520 You can keep putting their hearts, their agenda, their 738 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:17,160 congregation, their people, things that are not in the right 739 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:22,000 relationship with you, that you keep using them to impact their 740 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:26,680 city, and that you remind each one of them that you're going to 741 00:40:26,680 --> 00:40:31,520 restore everything and you're using broken vessels like us to 742 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:34,320 do it. What an amazing privilege to do 743 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:37,360 it. Me as a Puerto Rican brother in 744 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:42,680 Christ, I'm just, I'm just happy to see how they're sending their 745 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:44,840 people to our island. I'm just grateful. 746 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:48,280 Just ask you that you keep blessing them as a church, keep 747 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:52,320 them grounded in your word and keep them, keep sending them to 748 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:56,680 Puerto Rico to enjoy, have fun and see more people like 749 00:40:56,680 --> 00:41:01,880 Magalis, like Rafa, like Camilo, like Josie being transformed not 750 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,480 by us, but by the power of the word name. 751 00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:05,280 I pray. Amen.