Agros, Honduras, and Corrine

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." I stumbled onto this passage (James 1:27) more than 13 years ago while studying abroad in Sri Lanka.

Most of you know that my mother has a very kind and empathetic heart. She does not struggle to care for others. It seems to come naturally for her. However, what many of you may not know about my mother is her large and growing heart for the rural poor in Honduras.

Don, my mother, and I recently visited Honduras together to encourage 24 families we have been walking with for the past 3 years as they work to lift themselves out of poverty. It was the highlight of my year to travel Mom and Don to see our friends in Honduras. It was the first time in many years that my mother "saw me in action" and the first time ever we had travelled together to a poor country. We learned a lot about each other's hearts during the trip, but I was especially taken by my mother during a visit to a local woman's home by the name of Ana Lucia.

The story of Ana Lucia is one that on one hand will break your heart, and on the other give you reason to believe in God. She is 29 years old and has been married for 15 years to a good man named Galo. They have 5 children and live in a home they purchased ~2 years ago. The path to their home is steep and slick with mud. The electricity has been hardwired, but is not yet hooked up. It has two rooms with only a sheet dividing them. The kitchen and bathroom are mostly outside. (Surprisingly, in spite of the obvious differences in quality of life, we both shared the common experience of home improvement projects!).

While a guest in her home, Ana Lucia shared that she was left by her mother when she was only 2 years old. Her mother left her father for another man. Subsequent to this her father disowned her and decided he wanted nothing to do with her. It was not until ~10 years ago that he finally relented and acknowledged her. Ana Lucia was raised by her grandparents.

All of us shared stories of struggle, loss and abandonment that afternoon. Towards the end I was able to share that it gives me tremendous satisfaction and joy to know that my girls are growing up in a situation better than I did (you will recall my mother was widowed when I was 2). My mother was with me, both of us crying as I shared. At that moment my mom got up and walked over to Ana Lucia, gave her a hug, and told her how proud she was of her and that she loved her. Both of them were weeping, it was a beautiful and healing moment for both Ana Lucia and my mother. Ana Lucia was finally able to hear the words from a mother she had longed her entire life to hear.

Something magical happened in that moment. Relational healing. The spirit was there. Joy was found amidst sorrow. Ana Lucia knew she was loved and respected by this beautiful and caring woman from Colorado. This was a gift far greater than money. It was a gift that restored and healed the soul which gives further strength to endure and prosper.

My mother was deeply touched by the trip. She later told me that it changed her life and that she wanted to give more of her life to the poor in the years to come. You cannot turn a blind eye to the rest of the world once you see how the other 2/3 live, especially if you have friends there.

You may have noticed the link at the right hand side of the blog. It is a link to Agros, the organization with which we partner. I thought you would want to know more about the journey my mother, Don and I have been on together these past few years. There is no doubt in our minds that the poor offer an unbelievable door to the heart of Jesus. This was a passion we shared together.

Steve