One of my most precious friends started a ministry over a year ago called Phylla House. The vision behind Phylla House is to reach out to, connect, and disciple single moms, widows, and divorced women. I am a person who finds it easy to encourage and cheer on my friends no matter what crazy thing they want to do. So naturally, I cheered on my sweet Helena as she jumped full force into this ministry. I was excited for her. I was pumped that she was passionate and found a ministry that a lot of people overlook. Let’s be honest, Helena couldn’t do something that is more mainstream. She is an extravagent woman who is naturally inclined to the extraordinary, and does it all with her whole heart. Even in that, I didn’t really understand why she chose the people she did to do ministry to. It was more like a “I am so glad that you are called to that ministry, I don’t fully understand what you’re doing, but I am supportive.” Each time she would talk to me about Phylla House before she started and since it started, her heart explodes. Helena gets passionate and crazy and more humble and (if it is even possible) even more God fearing. I have been happy for her and with her, without really investing any of my heart into it. That sucks to say, because she is one of my good friends. I want to be invested in the things my friends are passionate about.
I had that mentality for over a year.
Until yesterday.
The team I am with right now is doing ministry to widows in Guatemala. The ministry has already established themselves with at least 200 widows in this town. They take it very seriously when it says to take care of the widows, and their plan for the future is to continue on that ministry with the orphans in this community.
Yesterday we expanded the ministry. We took it out of this city and to one about 30 minutes away. Last week there was a small announcement on the radio that the widows should meet at the school on Monday morning. We showed up and they were waiting for us. Suddenly we were met with bursts of color, hugs and cheek kisses, toothless smiles, hearts bursting to love on us, hearts that were waiting for some love, hearts that were hard, women from all ages and all walks of life. They were beautiful. The image is burned in my mind. Most of them speak Quetzequal and Spanish. Our Spanglish had to suffice. We brought 20 stools with us and within minutes they were full, and more women were coming. Our contact began to share with these women about the ministry.
And they kept coming.
He shared that we wanted to write their names, their addresses, and take their picture so that we can come back and visit them in their homes.
And more came.
Soon we were surrounded by a crowd of women. All widows. From the same city. It felt like the beginning of a fellowship, a community, a bond. A few of the women caught my attention specifically. I just smiled at them. Each time I looked they would giggle and talk to each other then cover their faces like they were school girls. These precious old women, proudly wearing their gray hair and wrinkles found something silly enough in my eyes to giggle about. They tried to teach us things in Quetzequal… I retained nothing, but it was fun. They are some of the most adorable women I have ever seen.
My favorite moment came right at the end. We told them about the festival that will be specifically for them at the end of the month, took a group photo, then dismissed them. I got hugs and kisses galore as these women began to leave the street where we met them only 45 minutes prior, but it felt like I had known them forever. As the five sassy, giggling grandmas left one of them turned around to wave at me. I waved back, then she blew me a kiss. I caught the air, like I caught the kiss. Then I blew her a kiss back and she caught the air and held it to her heart and smiled the most precious squinty eyed, toothless smile I have ever seen in my life.
Spending less than an hour with these women did something to my heart to make me realize why Helena does what she does. We cannot leave out the widows. In scripture it says over and over to take care of the widows and orphans, and so many people go straight for orphans and skip over the widows. I saw this reality in a mountain town in Guatemala. I understand more of Helena’s heart and I am so thrilled that God calls people to love the widows. There is strength that widows have that no one will ever realize unless we talk to them.
What an amazing journey God has me on! Hope you enjoyed the pictures from yesterday. All photo credit goes to Christian Yoder and Ashley Loucks. I still need about $3800 before I get off the field in December. Please consider supporting me so I can continue to meet amazing women like this and let them know they are loved, seen, and known.
Much love,
-A
