This month in Honduras our ministry, Heart of Christ, has been a combination of house work, playing with children, construction (we built a wall around a property!), and village surveys for the World Hunger program and prayer walks. It has been amazing to get to do so many different things and feel like you have really done something to help the ministry and the Kingdom. Every day is different and shows me more of God’s work and how random each day can be on the World Race.
Heart of Christ is the ministry run by Momma Gracie and Popi Lee Murphree. Momma Gracie one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met. She walks with a confidence that commands your attention and speaks with authority of the Holy Spirit. Its amazing to see how God has used everything in her life to prepare her for this ministry. Her story is one of rape, abuse, redemption, and complete obedience and faith. Her ministry serves victims of rape, incest, domestice abuse. She not only has a home where 10 children and mothers live with her butshe also works closely with the Honduran police. She is momma and detective. She is so cool. She is like LAW and ORDER SVU of Honduras. Everywhere we go we mention Gracie and everyone knows her. When we get in a cab we say take me to Gracie’s. She has a radio show that reaches 250,000 people. Basically she is the perfect example of a missionary to me.
Popi Lee, I adore him! He is a quiet gentle man but I love to make him smile and laugh. He is the spiritual father to all the kids and its evident how much he loves because all the kids adore him. He prays for each of us each night and knew all our names by day three. He is so encouraging and fun!
The thing I love most about this mission is it is real. Gracie doesnt sugar coat anything. She does devotions with us everyday and she shares how everything is going. She doesnt hide anything.
I think I am finally feeling like this is my real life. The realness and openness of struggles includes us in the mission and also helps us walk along side Gracie and the woman and children. Since we’ve been here Gracie has dealt with computer problems, the firing of a nanny for abuse of one of the cerebral palsy girls, loss of power, etc.. Everyday life and I have loved being able to be apart and feel with them and pray with them.
My favorite moment of the month was this Thursday. I was suppose to work in the house and was feeling “Blah.” I had prayed the night before for God to help me be excited. So I tried to change my attitude on the bus ride to Gracie’s. I thought ” alright Jennie you are going to make the most of this day!” We walk in and Gracie is directing everyone. Today the kids were all going to the dentist.
So I volunteered to go. I thought why not. So we loaded up a pick up truck with 5 adults and 3 children in the truck and 2 adults and the two cerebal palsy girls in the bed of the truck on a mattresses. Everyday living in Honduras 🙂 We played I spy with the boys pointing out all the different animals, trucks, cars, etc.. It was so fun. We showed up at a Methodist Church (whoop whoop UMC!) that was having a dental brigade. The children had come last year so alot of the American dentist remembered them. Now I have to tell you Gracie has three 3 yr old boys Diego, Alejanddro, and Moises. They are so funny and fickle. They love you one day and another they just say no to you all day. Well today was a treat for me. They didnt leave my side. It was such a blessing to comfort them and calm them down while they were being examined by the dentists. We sat in a waiting room for awhile and we listened to music. The boys were so good and I felt like I was a part of their life. There was a comfort I hadnt even realized that has been established over the past two weeks.
During our dentist visit I got to see Gracie as Momma Gracie. She loves those children so much. She put them in her lap when they were scared to get their teeth cleaned and she laid back with them whispering comforting words. She also every chance she got introduced me and my teammate Alena. She would say “They are World Racers.” and then proceed to tell the person all we are doing. I felt like she was my proud mom.
The best part of the day was the end of our dentist visit when the CP girls, Ivonnia and Erica, had their turn in the dental chair. I had been taking pictures of everyone getting their teeth cleaned. When they began with Erica I noticed they were having a hard time holding her down and holding her head up. A dentist asked if someone could hold her head still and I found myself saying “I will!” So I came behind the dental chair and knelt down. I held her head and told her “Esta bien, Its Ok” As the dentist began cleaning there was a lot of blood and spit. It started spraying up at me. The dentist yelled get her a mask please. The dentist said “Sorry spit goes backwards.” I said thanks! I put on my mask and we continued. Gracie was holding Erica’s body and we were looking at each other. She smiled and said “Not how you thought your day was going to go huh?” I laughed and said “No but I like it.” Gracie said “I feel a blog coming on!” She was right.
This day is the perfect example to me of how a life serving God can be. You wake up expecting to serve God in one way and he has something totally different in store for you. Something rewarding, funny, maybe a little gross. Its all about how you choose to see it. I got to comfort chidlren, be silly, and get a little dirty all for God. Thats a pretty good day in my book!
Blessings,
Jennie
