It’s been almost a month now since I had to say goodbye to the little five year old who stole my heart in Honduras. I remember being so angry; so angry knowing that the only thing I could do from here on out is pray. “Really God, from this point forward all I can do is pray for this sweet girl?”
Then the Lord politely responded, “Victoria, You GET to pray for her. You GET to pray for her everyday. You GET to go to battle for her. You GET to speak freedom over her life. You GET to fight for her on my behalf.”
In that moment as I walked away from her house, I realized what a privilege it is to pray for Paola, to pray for her mother, and to pray for her alcoholic father. How thankful am I that I get to intercede on behalf of such a beautiful little girl and her family.
It’s crazy to think about the connection I had with this family, especially after knowing them for only two weeks. Kleimer seems more like a sister and Paola is just one of the kids in my classroom back home. These two stole my heart during my time in Honduras and it tore me to pieces when I had to say goodbye to them.
I will never forget the moment I said goodbye to Paola. After countless hugs, countless kisses and countless laughs trying to choke back the tears I eventually had to walk away. “¿Quien esta aqui contigo?” I kept repeating, reminding Paola that even though I was leaving the Lord would always be there with her.
Through it all, I have to remind myself what a joy it is to be able to pray for people like Paola and Kleimer. What a joy it is to have known them, to share Jesus with them and to call them friends — even if the goodbyes are hard.
I think about Paola on a daily basis and remember all of the days we spent together laughing, coloring and speaking in broken Spanish. I wonder what she is learning in school, what she’ll be when she grows up & what she remembers of me.
Goodbyes seem to get harder each month but giving my brothers and sisters back to Jesus is of the utmost importance. They are His, He is their Father and I am simply just a small piece in their story.
I pray that as you read this, you would be reminded of all the people you GET to pray for. People you work with, people you live with, people you walk by on the street … Whoever it is, don’t miss out on the gift you have of GETTING to pray life and love and abundance over someone. The Lord loves them, He loves you and He delights in your conversations with Him.
“Faith is a place of mystery, where we find courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.”
-Brene Brown
From Chile with lots of love,
-Vic
