This past week we spent the week at Gracie's. Her ministry is called Heart of Christ, and its got some really awesome work going on. Gracie has taken in the children and young teens that the orphanages don't want to take on. She has taken in 3 young girls with Cerebral Palsy. She has one 3 year old named Moises who was born with a tumor on the side of his body that was as big as he was. He was unwanted. After a miracle surgery, his 18 lb tumor was completely removed, and besides the scar that goes from his shoulder to his pelvis (which they call his 'blessing from God'), he is a completely normal, happy, energetic little boy. She has 2 other little boys, both born out of rape and incest, whose mothers left them with her for men they met. Diego and Alejandro are so precious. Alejandro has eyes and a smile that melt your heart. Diego is a funny kid. I seriously never heard him say any word other than "no!" the whole week until we left, when he happily said "adios", but I know he loved me. I won him over in a no match, where we both just said no back and forth until I finally gave up. He is persistent. I've always had a problem stooping down to the level of young children. Then there is Milagro, Michell, and Haiti. Each girl has a baby born out of rape. Milagro is 15 and she has a 1 year old daughter named Genesis. She is a firecracker. Such a personality. She loves to do make-up and nails. She did mine and Darcie told me not to laugh… I had really pretty green eye shadow. Like lime green. But I will say she applied it very well. Michell is 14 and she has a little girl named Catherine who is probably almost 1. She has such a sweet soul. Haiti is 18 and has Christopher who is a little over 1 year.
Watching these young women was really eye opening to me. When you think of them as mothers it's weirdly easy to see them as such. But take away the babies and really look at them, and you see the young teenager. Especially Michell. 12 years old when she was raped, 13 when she had her baby, and 14 and breast feeding. Haiti doesn't know whether Christopher is her rapists or her uncle's (who also abused her for a long period of time). Their stories are insane, and so hard to imagine and grasp. They have had innocence ripped out from under them. Milagro and Haiti are in high school. But Michell, at 14 years old is only in 3rd grade. They were set up for failure. But through Gracie, they have been shown grace. They have been given love, support, encouragement, and family. In the last month they have all accepted Christ. How awesome it is that they will begin to understand how loving he is. That he has had his hand on them all along and that he has made the best of some really awful situations. Milagro, Gracie, and Genesis have some really prophetic names. Gracie brings grace to people who think they will never get it. Milagro's life (and all those at Heart of Christ) has been blessed by a miracle (Milagro means miracle in Spanish). Genesis is a new beginning- and everyone at Gracie's has been given a new start in Christ. They have been chosen by God and made orphans no longer.
1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness int his wonderful light."
Gracie's home is also very well known for people in need of refuge. She gets calls from friends and the police frequently asking her to take children and teens in. While we were there Gracie got a call unexpectedly around 9 o clock at night. The Fiscal (police) needed her to house 7 kids for the night. They had been reported because their mom was making them cut wood to sell and not feeding them. The oldest was 17 and 2 of the children were hers (one being 2 years old and one 1). The other baby in the group was 14 months old and because of severe malnutrition was smaller that the 1 year old, looking around 3 months old. The children were all extremely dirty. In the morning they got showers and new clothes and then the police came back to take them to the child judge. They would probably go into the system and their mom would be charged with neglect. Another night Gracie got a call round 8:30 to take in an 18 year old girl and her young baby, who were sleeping on the ground in the market.
Gracie is truly a woman living out Mark 10:43-44 "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." She is a servant to anyone who needs her and a slave to the will of Christ. She constantly is pouring into others and her dependence on The Lord is incredible to watch. I'm so grateful that our team was able to experience all that she does, and that we got to be a part of it and serve her.
