Blood. Sweat. Tears. Time. Preparation. Dedication. Sacrifice.
Anyone who has run a long distance race like a marathon knows that to be successful, a great deal of effort must be poured into the process. When the day of the race comes, a beauty comes out in these strong human beings who have stretched themselves to the limits of their bodies’ capabilities. The beauty is found in the moments before the starting gun, as they reflect on the first dream they had of pursuing this challenge, and on all the hard work they’ve done to prepare. It is seen so clearly during the moments around mile 20 when they feel their bodies begin to shut down and they just don’t know if they can go any further, yet they continue to put one foot in front of the other. It is seen in the moment these racers cross the line and receive hugs, smiles, and congratulations from their loved ones in celebration of the race they have run.
I am not planning to run a marathon this year on the World Race, not in the physical sense anyway. But last week as my team and another worked alongside a missionary couple here in Honduras, I was struck by the similarities between long term missionary work and running a marathon. We went to a place about 3 hours from where our squad has been living all month and spent the week serving alongside two American missionaries: Gracie and Lee. Before you can understand the type of ministry they do, it’s really important to get an idea of a few major problems plaguing Honduran society.
Domestic violence is a heartbreaking reality all over the country. Unfortunately, pursuit of justice for these crimes is not a reality. We have been told only 30% of domestic violence, abuse, sex crimes, and rape are reported to authorities. Only 12% of crimes actually get to the courtroom to begin the trial process in hopes of finding justice. Only 1% leave the court “closed”, with a final ruling made by a judge. Let that sink in. 1 percent receive justice.
There are many reasons justice is not carried out in Honduras. Corruption is a principle cause. Police are corrupt. Judges are corrupt. Many of the middle men that are supposed to carry out the process between these two stages are corrupt. They can be paid off. They can choose to ignore facts they see. Or they can just be plain lazy and not care enough to look into a case and find the facts. It is such a sad thing to see not only for those women who have already been through terrible circumstances and now do not get to see their aggressors pay any penalty, but because of this trend the crimes keep happening because the perpetrators have very little to fear in terms of negative repercussions against them.
But the Lord is faithful and is making Himself known in Honduras. His Word says, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.” –Isaiah 42: 3.
Enter Gracie, an American woman whose life experiences have prepared her with a heart passionate for justice and for women facing abuse. By God’s grace, she has worked wonders with the domestic crimes units in the country by reducing the corruption, working alongside police and judges, and moving people to action to stop these crimes from becoming more and more rampant. God has raised her into a position that has so much influence in Honduras.
While her stories about pursuing justice and truth are amazing, the side my team got to see of her and her husband’s ministry dealt more specifically with 3 beautiful young mothers, 13, 15, and 18 years old; their 3 infants, 3 abandoned toddler boys, and 3 abandoned girls with cerebral palsy. All of these children have gone through some really tough life experiences. The three young mothers living at Gracie’s and several of the mothers of the abandoned toddlers were raped by older family members, or sold by their own families for sex to men in the community so they could pay for food. These kinds of “trades” are common and have created an abundance of really young, single, teenage mothers in Honduras. They are often, like the girls at Gracie’s, kicked out of their homes or forced to flee because of the unsafe conditions of living near the man who raped them and caused them to get pregnant.
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”. –Isaiah 40:31
The girls we had the blessing to befriend throughout the week were full of life and laughter. They have been shown a light that took them out of their previous darkness; a light that all three of them now know and have accepted comes from God. The girls live at Gracie’s, take classes from a private teacher who tutors them at whatever grade level they need (2nd, 8th, and high school), and learn to care for their precious babies in a safe, Christ-centered environment. The women on my team helped care for the babies and spent time being silly with the girls, who sometimes just need a chance to be children on their own, as they are still just teenage girls and need to share smiles and laughter.
Another part of our work was to help the live-in nanny care for the 3 toddlers. Two of the boys were left by young mothers who had become pregnant by being raped. The third was abandoned because he had a tumor that was literally half his body size as a two year old. God redeemed this precious boy’s life though, and through a series of miraculous events, Moisés is now happy and healthy and a joy to receive love and affection from.
Finally, three girls with cerebral palsy are cared for at Gracie’s. I was blessed as one of their caregivers during much of the week. I helped nourish these precious girls, ages 8 and 11, one half spoon-full and one baby bottle drop-full at a time for hours upon hours. The Lord showed me what patience and compassion looks like through the task of feeding these girls. What a great reward though when I would see Erica’s laughter as a response to our singing children’s rhymes or Disney songs, or Yvonnia’s big eyes staring back into mine as I whispered comforting words to help her relax so she could eat. Some of the girls even loaded up a wheel-chair and took the girls for a short walk outside, an opportunity they never get to do. Their joy was apparent and it easily spread to us as we cared for them.
While the women worked to care for the little ones, our men spent the week building a second floor to Gracie and Lee’s building to allow for more young mothers to come when they need to escape from danger. Even in the few short days we were there, we had multiple encounters of needy women arriving asking for help. We saw Gracie help a run-away, two women beaten by their husbands, a local woman desiring to run for election to make a difference and improve the justice system, and a kidnapping case. This is where the marathon reference comes in. Gracie and Lee have been missionaries in Honduras for many years. When they came, they had no idea what God had in store for them, yet with unbelievable faith they have both continued to run the race set before them. How easy it would be to give up when the evil so evident in society seems to be caving in all around them! How quick many of us would return to a life of safety and ease in the States when corrupt judges and policemen threatened to assassinate us! But Gracie has stuck with this task assigned to her by the Lord. She has learned to put such great trust in Him in every situation, and He provides her strength.
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” -2 Corinthians 9:8
Gracie and Lee’s pursuit of justice and compassion are clear examples of God’s immense grace for both those in need and for those serving the needy. Their commitment to prayer showed us how powerful words said in the name of Jesus can be. I was incredibly blessed to glean off of Gracie’s wisdom this week as well as to have the opportunity to live alongside such lovable young women and children.
What a beautiful picture-to hear of Gracie’s dreams of pursuing the Lord’s calling on her life; to see His strength carry her through her own weakness when she can’t seem to take the despair and darkness she has to deal with so often; and to know that one day she will be welcomed across the finish line of heaven’s gate to be greeted by her heavenly Father with a big hug and a congratulations for her hard work.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
–Hebrews 12: 1-3
