If you have breath, you have a story to tell. As I go through these 11 months, serving God and His people, I never want to lose site of the wealth of life I meet. Especially the women, who, in most cultures, never get asked for their opinion, much less their story. But they matter. They are the ones that hold their families together. They are the ones that work from dawn til dusk and never complain. They see their world change and when they leave the earth, they usually take all of their stories with them. So as I go, my heart is to listen to their stories.
This is Flora’s:
Flora is a 35 year old woman that works with Christian Bible Institute in Guija, Mozambique. She reaches out to the elderly, sick, and orphaned in the neighborhood of Matador. She has lived there her entire life.
People are drawn to Flora’s smile and spirit. She has a beautiful smile and a laugh that lights up a room (if there were rooms in Guija, Mozambique). She is just a calm spirit that has so much joy and life in her. When she walks through any part of Guija, she makes conversation with people. She cares about people and listens to them, building relationships with those that don’t have any other relationships in their life.
When you meet Flora, you want to be her friend, but when you hear her story, you know that she loves God and is strong and resilient and the Lord has transformed her life.
Flora had epilepsy when she was younger. She would have strokes every so often and would have to go to the hospital. Because of the epilepsy, the government told her that she could not have children. So Flora does not have a husband or a family of her own. And in a culture where women begin their families before us in the states finish high school, Flora is an anomaly.
But God has a purpose for Flora’s life, and Flora has not decided to give up on life. She is a major intercessor for her church, as well as being a very important person in the work of the ministry happening in Guija. She is trusted more than most to take care of the home on the base and the people in the community.
She was with us from day one of our ministry and leaving Guija for forever, I know that I have a friend in her. I’m blessed to have cleaned alongside her, to pray for the people she cares for, to watch her laugh with everything she has, and to sing in Changaan alongside of her. Her life and story is important to the Kingdom of God, and I’m glad to have been a small part of it.
