We walked into a tiny little house in the next village up from ours in the mountains in the D.R. And to my surprise it also doubled as a store. I was the last one to walk in and I saw this beautiful girl that was young and quiet, not able to make eye contact with us. She seemed like she wanted us there but didn't quite know what to talk about. We went through the typical pleasantries and learned that her name was Luisa. She's sixteen years old and had said she had gotten married a year before. I told her that Jeremy and I had been married for 5 1/2 years and she smiled. I asked her if she had any kids as I heard a baby coo from the other room and she said yes, that she had a baby boy. I asked how many months old he was and she said 11 days. She must have seen my face light up because she then asked if we wanted to see him and of course I insisted.
She brought him out from behind the curtain that separates the store from their home and I fell in love immediately. He was the most precious little baby, truly a blessing from the Lord. His eyes were open wide, staring with love at his mama, knowing he was safe and secure.
We talked more with Luisa, sharing bits of our testimonies with her. We shared about who Jesus was and what He had done for her and her baby boy and then we asked if we could pray for her. The three of us girls that were there gathered around her and prayed for her, her husband, and baby Luis, that God would open the eyes of their hearts to Him and that they would know Jesus as Savior. When we finished praying she looked up and said "Please don't leave." We all just stood there for a minute as she helped a customer and when she finished with that she said in Spanish, yet we all understood it, "I really enjoy the company."
I think that at that moment all of our hearts melted as we understood that even our very presence was ministering to this young mother. So we stayed and I got to cradle that baby in my arms for quite some time as she went and washed her hair and then helped other customers at the store. My prayer was that as I looked into Luisa and baby Luis' eyes, that they would see Jesus in me. I prayed that I could show his love to them in whatever way they needed and I think that I was able to do that, even in the simple act of a hug or cradling that baby for a while.
It may not seem like much. But that's how powerful and awesome our God is. He uses even the smallest things to move in people's lives in the biggest ways.
