In Guatemala at the beginning of month 5, we had a chance to enter a hospital home for orphans. One section is filled with mentally disabled men and woman, 57 to be exact. As we walked in, I asked God to allow me to feel what He feels and earnestly open my heart into this moment. As we walked through the doors, seeing person after person strapped down into wheelchairs and unable to move or speak broke my heart. I couldn’t stop crying and I had to walk away from the scene. This was the first time in the entire race where I couldn’t engage.
Speechless and distraught, questions filled my mind. Asking God what, how, and most importantly…why? His comfort and counsel met me in my brokenness and spoke true life into my heart. Scripture and wisdom came rushing into my mind and ran its course to my heart. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor 4:17-18
The Father told me, if anything, I should be jealous because, they have indescribable treasure in Heaven. They are taken care of and He has them. So coming to month 7, in Malaysia, our ministry was to engage and invest in mentally disabled people to cultivate a family feeling. I felt privileged to have this opportunity and blessed by how open they were to us. Each one of the residents with the disabilities had a unique style of showing Jesus and love. We all soon became friends, something I didn’t think was possible in the first moments of having my heart broken for their condition.
Honored, if I could sum it up, I felt honored to know them. Walking up to them, each one of them shouting my name as best they could, laughing, high-fiving, and hugging showed me the fruit of the friendships that were made. Spending time with them, encouraging them, speaking life and love deeply into the men and women there was so life-giving. It was challenging in that it could push your patience, but resting in the relationship rather than the mission empowered me in those moments of relying on the Lord. The joy they had in throwing cards down on the table, the amount of fun they experienced in throwing a ball hundreds of times, or dancing to a song they never heard before, time froze in those moments for me. Yes, we became family and so much more, we were true friends.
The woman who dedicates her whole life to this ministry has a beautiful heart that few people embrace. She has a life calling into serving those who can’t serve themselves and loving the “un-lovable” from society. In Malaysia it’s illegal to evangelize to certain locals about Jesus, but through ministries of invested care like love, a door of influence from the Holy Spirit moves into the hearts of the residents. They know Jesus loves them and how to pray over one another. Serving one another in the best ways they can and worshipping their hearts out…was a blessing to live around and in.
