Hello Hello everyone! It is pretty crazy to have so many new subscribers to my blog and I am glad you all found your way here. This is gonna be a long one, so please hold tight.
This week is team Lionheart’s first full ministry week and all I can really say is that we have been truly blessed with a fantastic ministry contact. Luis is so lighthearted, funny and full of God’s love. He has connected us with such a nice variety of ministries here in Antigua, each offering a truly different experience every day. The most challenging, however, is our volunteer work at the local Catholic hospital.
This hospital is basically a lot of issues tied together with A LOT blessings. We took our tour today through each of the different wards, making our rounds and seeing so many people who are suffering for so many different reasons. The guide told us that a lot of the mentally unstable patients were incontinent because of inbreeding or abuse. Only 20% of the children actually had loving families, the rest were abandoned for one reason or another. So many children and adults were suffering from a variety of genetic diseases. Almost all of the necessary supplies, bedding and various pieces of equipment were donated by generous outsiders. The staff was mostly made up of volunteers (quite a few were international gringos). There were so many people waiting with their family members with hopes of being treated within a reasonable financial matchup that the hospital graciously provides. We were also informed that the doctors were the best in the entire country and they were often brought in for different specialties.
As we strolled along, encountering so many different sights, sounds and smells, we finally made it to the smaller psych ward for children. In the corner of the girls room was a large cage, occupied by a screaming girl named Jenny. She reminded me of the severely autistic children I had studied in college psychology classes. She was constantly rocking and yelling, pressed up against a mattress in the back of her enclosure. My heart was already hurting for all the things I had seen so far, but Jenny pushed me right over the edge. One of my teammates started to pray for her as she continued to yell. The tears started to flow and I started to crack. I clenched onto my faith in the Lord to give me strength for Jenny. Even with her issues holding her back, I felt God wash a wave of peace over her. As my eyes started gushing, God sealed the floodgates and squeezed me tight. It hurt to see someone struggle without any control over herself, but I knew that He was holding her too.
I will update again soon, but I want to leave you with a few thoughts. Whatever struggles you may go through or fights you may face, never forget that God is there. When all seems lost and far gone, remember to fall into His arms. Amongst all the chaos and ruin that the world seems to reveal, God will love you and take care of you.
