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This was the day everything started to feel different.
Basilia (Chilita)
Basilia (Chilita)It was what we stepped into.
But before any of that… there was preparation.
Preparing to Go
Before we ever visited the widows, we went to the store.
We filled three grocery carts with food they would actually use.
Rice.
Beans.
Pasta.
Cereal.
Coffee.
Sugar.
No canned goods.
Just staples.
We packed everything into individual bags, along with soap, so each woman would receive something practical when we arrived.
Because it wasn’t just giving...
it was giving WITH understanding.
Walking Into People’s Stories
This was the day we started visiting widows.
Walking into homes.
Sitting where they sit.
Listening to their lives.
It didn’t take long to realize—
You’re not just visiting a place...
You’re stepping into a life.
More Than Just a Visit
When we stepped into each home, we didn’t just hand out food and leave.
We stayed.
We shared about God's love.
We listened.
We asked about their lives.
We prayed.
Some were open.
Some already knew Him.
Some said they weren’t ready.
And that was okay.
Because this wasn’t about forcing anything.
It was about being present,
and trusting God with the rest.
At the Doorway
Some moments stay with you for simple reasons.
Standing at a doorway.
Being welcomed in.
People like Irma and Maria. Irma is 90 years old, still opening their home, still present, still strong in SO many ways.
Maria is a single, working mom, of children with special needs. Irma takes care of them, while Maria is at work.
Faces I Won’t Forget
Señora Piedad (82 y/o, hard of hearing)
Señora Piedad (82 y/o, hard of hearing)
There are faces from that day I know I won’t forget.
Welcoming.
Gracious.
Fully present, even without hearing everything.
Gracelia welcomed us in, bringing out chairs so we could sit. We had met her at church on Easter. She has a gentle and warm presence.
Her grandson Nico, who has special needs, was there too—excited to be starting school.
Around us were the smallest kittens I’ve ever seen, moving through a well kept garden.
We met Juana while passing out rice.
She came to us hurting, asking for prayer.
Her husband—who had struggled with alcoholism and abuse—was now on dialysis.
She had no one to provide for her.
We prayed.
We listened.
And gave her what we could.
Florinda, who has 9 kids, sang.
Right there in the middle of everything.
No stage.
No performance.
Just faith.
Francisca stood out to me because she was so young. She is a 57 year old widow with five kids and seven grandchildren!
Blanca' s home sat along the side of a mountain.
She worried about landslides, and rightly so.
She cared for her adult son with severe disabilities, who is strong, sometimes aggressive, and because of that, no one in her family could take her in.
She also carried the weight of diabetes in her family.
And yet…
You could see it in her face—
Love.
Strength.
She was a beautiful woman.
Angelita had just lost her husband.
You could feel the grief in the room.
She was grateful for the food and soap.
We shared about Jesus.
She listened—but said she wasn’t ready.
And that was okay.
We trusted God with the rest.
Before we left, I felt prompted to hug her.
And in that moment… you could feel her sadness.
She was a very sweet woman.
More Stories That Stayed With Me
There were more.
One woman had spent years serving in her church, but now her health was holding her back.
She asked for prayer—not just for healing, but to be able to serve again.
—
Another woman was caring for her grandchildren while grieving the loss of a grandson who had been murdered.
At the same time, she didn’t know how long she would have a place to live.
So we sat with her.
Listened.
Prayed.
There was nothing to fix.
Just presence.
Moments
In between everything, there were Moments of stillness.
Moments of music.
Moments of sadness.
Moments of laughter.
Moments of discomfort.
Moments where nothing needed to be said.
Just sitting.
Just noticing.
Just silently praying.
Casemiro
Before we arrived, he was already on our team’s heart.
The man who pushes an ice cream cart up the hill every day to make a living.
But when we got there, he was in bed.
Sick.
In pain.
He had been given antibiotics—but couldn’t read the instructions, so he hadn’t finished them.
Luckily we had a doctor with us.
She was able to assess him and help get the medication he needed.
We prayed.
—
Later, he was up.
Walking.
A little stronger than before.
And you could see the gratitude in him and his wife.
A reminder—
God was already working.
We were just allowed to be part of it.
When “Doing” Isn’t Enough
I wanted to fix something.
But most of the time…
All we could do was sit.
Listen.
Pray.
And leave.
And that’s hard.
Because it forces you to realize:
You are not the solution.
And maybe you were never meant to be the solution.
A Different Kind of Impact
And yet, something kept coming back to me:
God was already there.
Before we arrived.
Before we knocked.
Before we prayed.
We weren’t bringing Him into those homes.
We were being invited to see Him already at work.
What Stayed With Me
When I think back on that day, I don’t remember one big moment.
I remember people.
And I remember this:
Sometimes the most meaningful thing you can do…
is show up.
Not with answers.
Not with solutions.
Just willing to be there—
and to stay, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Scripture
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…”
— James 1:27 (ESV)
A Simple Prayer
Lord,
Help me not turn away from what’s hard.
Teach me to see people the way You do.
And remind me that I don’t have all the answers,
I just have to be willing to show up.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Stay Tuned for Part four, the joy of children!
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