by: José Pineda | Director of Church Mobilization
One thing I ask my Lord is that I may witness and hopefully partake in his perfect plan of redemption. Through the years, he has taken me from one place to another; and I’ve seen the light of the gospel penetrate the darkness and bring joy, hope, and eternal life to many who were lost in sin and death.
Since I joined the World Orphans team, I have been blessed with the opportunity to witness his life-changing power in others even more closely and continuously. As we walk alongside our partner churches, caring for the most vulnerable, going deep into the darkness but led by the Holy Spirit, finding those who are ready to be saved, we can only praise God for his amazing grace and everlasting love.
Our brothers and sisters from Nueva Vida church, pastored by Nicolas and Adela, were drawn to a woman who works at a local tortilla shop. Marta is a single mother of three who is deaf and has learned to survive as best she can with many challenges. The Home Based Care committee visited her and her two younger children, Raul and Ana, and found out that Marta had not received formal education so she communicates with made-up signs that only her children fully understand. Despite the language barrier, Adela has become very close to Marta, with Raul’s help as an interpreter. They were also able to put Raul in school last year.
Around September, Marta came to Adela with a very confusing and frightening problem. The family courts had taken her teenage daughter as they didn’t find Marta fit to care for her, and now there was a possibility of taking the younger children from her too. Court decisions regarding the children would take months to appeal and try to get revoked, so there was no time to lose. The pastors accompanied Marta to her hearing and, inspired by deep love and compassion, they took full responsibility for her and the children’s wellbeing. The family judge, seeing the pastors’ pledge to this family, agreed to special terms that allow Marta and her two children to live in the pastoral house on top of the church. They are also responsible for helping Marta resolve the situation of her teenage daughter, Andrea, who was placed in a children’s home for her protection. The pastors learned that Marta had placed Andrea in the care of an older woman, a widow in her community, who was providing her with room, board, and education in exchange for house help. This arrangement was placing the daughter in a vulnerable situation that Marta was unaware of, so the courts took action.
Marta is now waiting for the children’s home to allow her and the pastors a visit as soon as possible so her daughter, Andrea, can meet them in person. They have been communicating by video calls, so she knows that they are all fighting to reunite with her. As we pray for her, we are humbled by the privilege of the part we get to play in providing the support network this family needs, starting with Christ and his church.
God has been awesome in bringing the church to Marta. Personally, I am excited to see the things that he will continue to do in her and children’s lives. Nueva Vida Church and the pastoral family have become her family now; she is loved, accepted, and cared for in ways she may never have experienced before. Now the children have gained a father-figure in Pastor Nicolas, are well cared for as they develop cognitive and social skills, and are fed spiritually. Little Ana, who didn’t speak, is now talking and interacting with other children as well as the adults close to her. Marta, the children, and the pastoral family are all learning Guatemalan signs and are seeking to integrate Marta into the local deaf community. We, the World Orphans staff, are amazed by God’s grace in not only rescuing this family from being separated, but from a life of isolation and defeat.
“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10b ESV
This article was originally published in the World Orphans Spring Insight Magazine 2023.