I went to my first outreach. Every week, our team goes to the historic center to visit our amadas (beloved women), talk with them, pray with them, and write down their needs so we can help meet them if possible. It was very hard to see so many precious women in a situation of prostitution due to the difficult economic situation and the machismo that are present in Ecuador. But at the same time, I felt very strongly from the Lord that this is exactly what He wants me to be doing and this is exactly where He wants me to be. Drawing near to the amadas, sitting with them, listening to them, and praying with them is exactly what Jesus would have done. In fact, one of the amadas told us it means a lot to her that we are not ashamed to sit with her. Another amada told us that we always show up at just the right time, right when she needs us. And my coworker got to give a Bible to one of the amadas who wanted to be able to read Scripture but didn’t have a Bible of her own!! Even though it’s hard, participating in outreach has been one of the clearest ways I’ve been able to imitate Jesus, and that’s worth everything.