12-13 year ago is when Lucy received the call from God. The doctors said she was hours from death when she arrived at the hospital suffering from a general infection and appendicitis. She spent 40 days in the hospital and lost 40 pounds. She heard God tell her “If you believe you will see my glory.” At that time she was working for the church and helping out at the school. The doctors told her to wait 2 years before returning to work. She went back after a month. Alone at work one day she felt a gust of wind and heard a voice say “What’re you doing wasting your life?” Lucy thought the voice might’ve been her pastor but it wasn’t. She continued working until again she felt the gust of wind and the voice that said “What’re you doing wasting your life?” She knew she needed to quit her job. So she did and for the next two months she fasted in the morning asking God what to do. Lucy kept seeing this mountain made of sand with groups of people in it. She developed a pain in her heart for the people of that sector. Lucy was asked to visit some people by taking a colectivo and getting off at the cross stop. This was a challenge because it was in a dangerous neighborhood that her and Ricardo said they would never go back to. God said Nope that’s the place! When she got there she was greeted by the neighborhood children but there were teens off a ways doing drugs. She kept visiting. Her pastor announced the need for someone to do a feeding program up here. God put it on Lucy’s heart to come up here and pray for the area. So she did and she came up and knelt down to pray right where the washing machine sits today. 540 people came to eat every day including 6 gangs that were in the neighborhood. They thought this was a government owned project so they’d schedule fights outside each night, break windows and even threaten Lucy’s life. This went on for 2 years. She didn’t tell Ricardo because he wouldn’t have let her keep coming. Lucy, with the few people who had decided to follow Christ made a list of all the gang members and prayed for them one by one. Prayed that they come to know Jesus and turn their life around. Prayed for peace. One year later the kitchen closed down. Even with the threats on her life Lucy still went to their homes to share her faith, bring them clothes & food, watch movies and get to know them. Some of them came to know Jesus, some are no longer with us and some are in prison. But now in this area there is peace. God owns this place.
Ricardo received the call about 6 years after Lucy. Those first 6 years were a struggle because all the work they both do now Lucy did all on her own and wouldn’t get home until after 9 most nights. A friend had lent the money needed to buy this plot of land. Back then Ricardo worked construction and knew if he came up here he wouldn’t make any money. There would be no earning aspirations here. Despite all that during a 20 day vacation from work he felt the need to come up and do this. He didn’t have any money or materials just a feeling in his heart from God. His plan was to work on the building up here for 2 weeks and then his last day of a vacation, a Monday he was going to rest. Something didn’t let him rest that day and he continued to work building a frame. The next day a missionary passed by, saw the place and wanted to donate to build a roof. Ricardo had no idea why he kept working that day but God did! What was originally thought to be a 6-12 month project God did in a Tuesday to Saturday. Lucy likes to celebrate like they have a God who is BIG. They didn’t have any money but decided to throw a big lunch. Someone ended up offering everything that was needed for the party. “That’s our God!”So after Ricardo’s vacation he tendered his resignation to the construction company. Now they offer Christ-centered educational programs for kids, daily meals, church services and so much more for the community here. They pray to expand, purchase more land to build a school or possibly storefronts for their sewing/clothing project.
God is faithful and has blessed & sustained them this whole time. Every story has a purpose because God has a purpose. This place exists because God wanted it to and we are all privileged to be a part of it!
