Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand…... Song from the Sound of Music
I woke up at 3 AM the other day with Maria on my mind. Actually – she is haunting me daily since we have returned from Nicaragua. I am overwhelmed by her courage and emotionally drained because I can’t personally help her. I am literally exhausted from it. Ever hear the saying….be careful for what you pray for?
I read a Hole in the Gospel by Rick Stearns (the leader of World Vision) before I left. He encouraged us to pray that our hearts be broken just like Jesus’ for the Impoverished children in the world. I am here to tell you – the prayer worked!
Maria is an amazing young lady that I first met last year in Nicaragua. She can’t be much older than my daughter Ashley (20) – and she is a mother of 2. Two small girls, - 4 and 2. She lives in the Limonal area of Chinandega (by the city dump.) I met her last year – and her little baby caught our attention – because she was swinging in the hammock of the feeding center amongst the smoke of the fire and the chaos of the children waiting to be feed.
Coco is the woman whose home is on the Limonal Feeding Center property. She faithfully feeds the children several times a week. Coco told me that Maria is the only woman in the neighborhood that faithfully helps her day in and day out. Other women come out when the Rotary comes in hopes of getting favors from us (you can see them in the photos of our trip)– but she pulled me aside so I would know that Maria is the only one that really helps her when there is nothing to gain.
Maria is sick. As she chopped carrots or stirred the soup pots – she would clutch over in pain. Not it a dramatic – look at me kind of fashion. As soon as the spell stopped – she would continue working. If you weren’t paying attention to her – you would never know something was going on.
Maria has blood in her urine. The doctors say she has a bad kidney infection. She needs to take strong antibiotics to get better. But Maria is nursing her baby……and the antibiotics will pass through her milk. In order to take the antibiotics – she has to stop nursing.
Easy decision in the United States– the baby is 2 years old. Stop nursing and take care of yourself. But this is the poorest of the poor in Nicaragua…..and Maria’s baby has parasites and refuses to eat solid food. She will only nurse. Maria fears if she stops nursing her baby – her baby will die.
What is a poor mother to do with so few options? Maria does the only thing she can do. She keeps nursing her baby as she keeps getting sicker. Is it a matter of who dies first? Only God knows. All I know is this sweet young lady with a huge servant’s heart – is faced with a horrible dilemma. And all I can do to help her is pray…..
It worked Jesus…..my heart is broken now.
Maria is not a unique story by any means. Each mother in the Limonal area has a heartbreaking story to tell.
But just because the sheer volume of the heartbreak is overwhelming – we can not shut down and be immune to the pain. It’s so easy for us to do…..to shut everything out and live in denial.
I am making a conscious effort this year to live in the pain, to not drown out the mother’s voices….
How do you solve a problem like Maria? Oh that is too big of a problem for me to solve on my own. All I know is I have taken that first step and allowed my heart to break for her……I will not forgot her! I will hold her hand long distance by praying for her …..and I will follow the lead of the Holy Spirit…..where ever he leads me next….
Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him, His yoke is easy, His burden is light, You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions, Just know that He loves them and stay by their side,Love them like Jesus…………… Casting Crowns
I woke up at 3 AM the other day with Maria on my mind. Actually – she is haunting me daily since we have returned from Nicaragua. I am overwhelmed by her courage and emotionally drained because I can’t personally help her. I am literally exhausted from it. Ever hear the saying….be careful for what you pray for?
I read a Hole in the Gospel by Rick Stearns (the leader of World Vision) before I left. He encouraged us to pray that our hearts be broken just like Jesus’ for the Impoverished children in the world. I am here to tell you – the prayer worked!
Maria is an amazing young lady that I first met last year in Nicaragua. She can’t be much older than my daughter Ashley (20) – and she is a mother of 2. Two small girls, - 4 and 2. She lives in the Limonal area of Chinandega (by the city dump.) I met her last year – and her little baby caught our attention – because she was swinging in the hammock of the feeding center amongst the smoke of the fire and the chaos of the children waiting to be feed.
Coco is the woman whose home is on the Limonal Feeding Center property. She faithfully feeds the children several times a week. Coco told me that Maria is the only woman in the neighborhood that faithfully helps her day in and day out. Other women come out when the Rotary comes in hopes of getting favors from us (you can see them in the photos of our trip)– but she pulled me aside so I would know that Maria is the only one that really helps her when there is nothing to gain.
Maria is sick. As she chopped carrots or stirred the soup pots – she would clutch over in pain. Not it a dramatic – look at me kind of fashion. As soon as the spell stopped – she would continue working. If you weren’t paying attention to her – you would never know something was going on.
Maria has blood in her urine. The doctors say she has a bad kidney infection. She needs to take strong antibiotics to get better. But Maria is nursing her baby……and the antibiotics will pass through her milk. In order to take the antibiotics – she has to stop nursing.
Easy decision in the United States– the baby is 2 years old. Stop nursing and take care of yourself. But this is the poorest of the poor in Nicaragua…..and Maria’s baby has parasites and refuses to eat solid food. She will only nurse. Maria fears if she stops nursing her baby – her baby will die.
What is a poor mother to do with so few options? Maria does the only thing she can do. She keeps nursing her baby as she keeps getting sicker. Is it a matter of who dies first? Only God knows. All I know is this sweet young lady with a huge servant’s heart – is faced with a horrible dilemma. And all I can do to help her is pray…..
It worked Jesus…..my heart is broken now.
Maria is not a unique story by any means. Each mother in the Limonal area has a heartbreaking story to tell.
But just because the sheer volume of the heartbreak is overwhelming – we can not shut down and be immune to the pain. It’s so easy for us to do…..to shut everything out and live in denial.
I am making a conscious effort this year to live in the pain, to not drown out the mother’s voices….
How do you solve a problem like Maria? Oh that is too big of a problem for me to solve on my own. All I know is I have taken that first step and allowed my heart to break for her……I will not forgot her! I will hold her hand long distance by praying for her …..and I will follow the lead of the Holy Spirit…..where ever he leads me next….
Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him, His yoke is easy, His burden is light, You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions, Just know that He loves them and stay by their side,Love them like Jesus…………… Casting Crowns
What a powerful story of love, Kathy. A mother's love for her baby, for her friend and for her community. And the love of Christ that flows through her and through you, and your servant hearts. I will pray for Maria too. I will pray that God will continue to use her and strengthen and heal her in the process. I will also pray for you and your commitment to this cause, and I will thank God for the gift you are to me and to all the Marias out there.
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