Walking through the village daily in Honduras, we made a few friends. There was Jose who ran the pulperia up the street. There was the old woman whom we politely nicknamed Grandma. She was about 75 years old and wore this pretty sweet pair of neon colored Keds shoes. Grandma also always had a smile on her face. A smile that simply overflowed with kindness and joy.
Then there was Mercedes and her sweet family. Mercedes looked a lot younger than she acted, and her smile was full of light and love for those around her. Mercedes also has been battling cancer for at least the last year and half. However she has continued to push through the chemo treatments she can afford, all while taking of the 4 sweet kiddos that reside with her. First there is Orlando. He is the oldest. He is constantly taking care of his younger siblings and helping out his mother. Next there is Davy. He, just like his mother, is full of joy and happiness. One of his favorite things to do is to give hugs, and luckily one of my team’s favorite things to do is receive hugs. Davy also has Down syndrome. Then there’s little Juan. He loves to play futbol, or soccer as us gringos call it. I always saw him running around in the same pair of rain boots that are about 3 sizes too big for his feet, but that never hindered him from making a play for the ball. And last but certainly not the least, there’s baby Emmy. Emmy is 5 months old, and has big brown eyes. Eyes that reflect the beauty of her mother.
From the first day we met this sweet family the Lord laid them upon every single one of my team member’s hearts. Without hesitation on the days when we finished ministry early we would head over to their house and visit for a while and just hanging out, playing soccer or enjoying coconut popsicles together.
Before I started the Race I asked the Lord to give me the burdens of His heart and to give me the courage to follow those burdens. And Mercedes was my first lesson in that. It wasn’t until the third visit that we were told that Emmy was sick. Mercedes simply asked if we could pray from Emmy. She never told us what was wrong with Emmy. And so we prayed, and that day when I left I felt to Lord tugging at my heart, but what was it He wanted?
The next time when we went back to visit we took a translator with us so we could ask how we could better pray for Emmy. We found out that Emmy needed surgery, but that Mercedes could not afford the surgery needed, and that with Emmy’s need for the surgery, many things within the household were being affected. Like Orlando being able to go back to school the next year, or Mercedes going to getting her own chemo treatments.
In total the surgery only cost about 150 US dollars. Yet I asked myself, was this really what the Lord wanted my team to do. Yeah, my team combined had 3 times that amount just in spending money, but money is not the solution to every problem. There is so much more going on here than a need for money. Yet walking away from the house, we knew that the Lord was calling us to help Mercedes in some way. Yet I had NO idea until this month the harvest that He would reap because of our obedience.
So after some prayer and wisdom from our ministry contacts, our team came up with a plan. And upon our fourth visit, as we rounded to corner to Mercedes’s mud hut, Orlando came running down the dirt path toward us. To see such pure excitement in him sealed my heart for what the Lord had asked me to do and that was when the Lord’s peace overwhelmed me. I knew we were doing exactly what He wanted us too.
Fast forward to this month. With Satan hot on our heels all the time, and discouragement about being on the Race has constantly been a thought in the back of my mind. But the Lord always brings you good news right when you need it. Not too long ago I logged on to Facebook and happened across a recent post from our contacts in Honduras. 
It was about Mercedes and her family. After our team left, another World Race team came in after us to get some more information about how better to aid Mercedes. Long story short, they found out that Mercedes actually has 7 children total. One died at age 3 when he drowned in a water pail, and 4 of the remaining 6 have disabilities. Heart of Christ Ministries is now able to administer and aid in vital health treatment and care for both Mercedes and for each of her children. And here’s the bonus. The World Race team behind us had the opportunity of witnessing Mercedes give her life to Christ.
How amazing is it that the Lord used my team and I to plant seeds that could be harvested. How just a small tug of the heart could yield such praise, joy, and encouragement. How beautiful is it that the Book of Life now has 7 more names added to it pages. Ah yes. I see change. And it is so good.
