Continued from…
http://morganmckeown.theworldrace.org/index.asp?filename=how-one-boy-broke-my-heart-part-one
Angela sung open the door of her home immediately asking if I wanted to hold her son again. Umber hopped into my arms while she escorted me and Jorge, one of our translators, inside. I sat on the hard wooden bench and started pouring everyone cups of the soda I had brought. It was a vastly different scene then my first time at her house almost a month earlier.
After my initial visit, I made up my mind that no matter how much Angela (the mom) resisted, I would visit her every time I had the opportunity. A few days later when we went back to Lomo de Corvina I grabbed a friend and tried to make my way back to her house. I got completely mixed up trying to find her home in the jumble of similar plywood squares.
I searched the street asking everyone if they knew a woman who had a three year old son and one and a half year old daughter. In a small community I was surprised by the fact that no one seemed to know her. I finally found a grandma type lady who led me back to the house. On that second visit Angela was still hesitant but actually asked me to pray for her and her family.
About a week and a half later I stopped by again and her husband answered the door. My first thought was that the abuse in the family most likely runs deeper than parent to child, which breaks my heart even further.
Since being in Peru many of my friends from here have told me stories about abusive parents and husbands. Abuse runs rampant here and seems especially prominent in Lomo de Corvina, a poor area where we have been planting a church. During a children’s festival the Peruvians we are working with did a skit where the Dad hits the mom. Most of the children and wives actually laughed an “oh this is familiar” laugh while watching.
The day that Angela’s husband was there she told me that she couldn’t talk and was busy. I said it was no problem, and then invited her to our first service at the church we were building on Sunday morning at 10 am. I honestly didn’t expect her to come but wanted to extend the invitation anyway.
On Sunday morning we as we climbed the steps up to Lomo I was amazed to see Angela and her two beautiful children all waiting for me. It floored me that they had actually accepted my invitation. Umber sat in my lap while Angela and I chatted for a long time, waiting for the service to begin. There was a communication break down and the service didn’t end up starting until after noon. Angela had to leave, but I was still overjoyed by the fact that she came at all.
Me with Angela, Umber (in my lap) and some other girls while waiting for the service.
The next Tuesday, our last day in Lomo, was when I found my self invited into her home for the first time. We had an amazing conversation. I got to tell her how much God cares about her and she told me how much my visits had meant to her. She even asked me how to pray. Angela said that she would attend other services at the church we had built. She has believed in God for a long time but not been able to go to church because they were all too far away.
My prayer for Angela is that she will not only get to learn about God’s love at church, but that it will be a place where she can relate with other women. Abuse thrives off of loneliness and isolation. I believe that for Angela having a place to learn about God and build friendships with others will drastically change her every day life. Please continue to keep Angela, Umber and their family in your prayers!
