The People You May Never Meet
Dr. Oluwagbenga (Ben) Adesope, CEO
Dear Faith In Practice Family,
Some places change your perspective. Others change your life.
Nearly two months ago, I packed my bags and temporarily moved to Guatemala. My plan was straightforward: better understand Faith In Practice, immerse myself in the culture, learn from our people, and experience our mission from the inside out.
I thought I was coming to learn even more about how our mission works. Instead, God has been teaching me why our mission works.
One evening, I found myself lying awake in a bunk bed at Casa de Fe, our patient guest house. Around me, the room had grown quiet. The next day’s alarm would sound at 4:00 a.m., yet no one complained. Earlier that evening, I had shared a meal with several of our Guatemalan volunteer leaders. We laughed together. We spoke about our families. We prayed together. They welcomed me not as the CEO of Faith In Practice, but as a brother.
Before the lights went out, someone looked over and simply said, “Gracias por estar aquí” (“Thank you for being here”).
I don’t know that they realized how those words would stay with me. Long after everyone else had fallen asleep, and despite the orchestra of snores echoing through the room, I remained awake. Not because the room was uncomfortable, but because my heart was unsettled.
I kept asking God the same question: Why? Why would these men and women willingly leave their families, sacrifice their sleep, endure long travel, carry enormous responsibility, and ask for nothing in return?
As I prayed, the answer became beautifully clear. This isn’t simply volunteerism. It isn’t humanitarian work. It isn’t even healthcare.
It is love! The kind of love that Christ demonstrated.
The kind of love that quietly washes feet, carries burdens, celebrates someone else’s healing, and finds joy not in being recognized but in seeing someone else restored.
Paul reminds us that “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). During my time in Guatemala, I have come to see those “jars of clay” everywhere, not perfect people, but faithful people through whom God continues to accomplish extraordinary things every single day.
Living in Guatemala has transformed far more than the way I see Faith In Practice. It has transformed the way I see faithfulness itself.
I’ve now seen so many parts of Faith In Practice, and everywhere I’ve looked, I have seen the same thing.
People quietly saying “yes” to God. No applause. No spotlight. No expectation of recognition. Only faithfulness. Perhaps that is what has moved me most.
Before coming here, I understood what our Guatemalan volunteers did. Today, I understand who they are. They are not simply the people who support our mission. They are the heartbeat of it.
Living here has also taught me something deeply personal because the road has not always been easy. I’ve missed my family more than I expected. I’ve battled illness that has challenged me. I’ve experienced moments of loneliness. I’ve had long conversations with God, challenging Him on what His Word says about suffering.
Yet through every challenge, one truth has become unmistakably clear: God is here and He is undefeated.
Faith In Practice is not simply an organization that provides healthcare. It is a family that has chosen to love like Jesus. People from all walks of life becoming one family. Serving together. Learning from one another. Loving one another and giving God every ounce of the glory along the way.
As CEO, I have the privilege of seeing many extraordinary things. But perhaps the greatest privilege has been discovering that Faith In Practice has never been built by extraordinary people. It has been built by ordinary people who have offered God an extraordinary “yes.”
To everyone reading this, whether you serve on the front lines or faithfully behind the scenes, thank you. Every life changed through Faith In Practice begins with someone quietly saying “yes” to God.
You remind me that the Gospel has never been about being seen.
It has always been about seeing and serving others.
And perhaps…that is where miracles begin.
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” — Matthew 25:40
Love you all.
Dr. Oluwagbenga (Ben) Adesope
Chief Executive Officer
Faith In Practice
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