Yesterday, as normal, we went to the precario neighborhood to have Bible Study. As we asked the ladies how their week went, I struggled to not get discouraged...
Catia: told us about how she has someone calling her house, threatening to kill her and her kids because of a debt her x-husband owes.
The other Catia: sleeps with her Bible because of the value she has in it. She wakes up every night because she has horrible nightmares in a cold sweat about someone trying to grab her Bible from her; she just lost her baby 2 months ago
Marta: told us about her husband, how he got into a drunken fight and got all of his teeth knocked out so now no one will hire him to work with people because he has no teeth. He's depressed and won't leave the house for the same reason. He is very discouraged because he had just begun to be interested in God. She is thinking about giving her daughter to a family member to raise so her daughter doesn't have to suffer in her home.
Catia's mom and Hermalinda: told us about the issues they have with their drug-addicted sons. Catia's mom's son stold a beautiful blanket that her mother made for her to sell for drugs
Angelica: told us about how she almost got assaulted/raped on her way home the other day; told us about when her husband was in jail
Gloria and Ana: are sisters, their brother just got stabbed multiple times because of drug activity
the other Marta: couldn't come to the group, but her brother died and is sad because she can't go to the funeral in Nicaragua
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THIS!?! Some days it's hard for me not to think that I have nothing in common with these ladies. But those are lies. We all need Christ and that's enough to have in common. The most amazing thing about these women is their faith in the midst of trial. They say with such confidence, "But I trust God." They really believe it.
It makes me think, would I have the faith these women have if I were in their circumstance? Would you? I hope so.
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