The Lord Hears

Psalm 57:3 …God sends His love and faithfulness

My pastor shared this with me this week and I feel honored and blessed to pass it on. It is a powerful story of God’s love and faithfulness.

Pastor Alan and a crew from our church go down to Mexico twice a year with a group called Case De Amor. They build houses for very poor people there. Two weekends ago, they were there again building houses and blessing the people.

During their stay, three people from the team were driving down a road in Mexico. They saw a young woman walking with her children. They could see from the terrain that it was a long, sandy road. They knew it was going to be a long while before she reached her destination. They decided to stop and ask her if she would like a ride. The American team did not speak Spanish and the young woman didn’t understand any English. The young woman just pointed for them and directed them down the roads that they needed to go on and they got her to her destination.

The team of Americans returned to the camp and they asked Pastor Alan, “Would it be okay if we got a few items together and some food to bring to this woman and her children?” Pastor Alan said, “Of course.” So they loaded up the vehicle and Pastor Alan went along with them to translate. Down the long, sandy roads they went. They drove and drove but just could not remember where this young woman lived. They were going back and forth, “I think I remember that horse in the pasture…I think I remember that house…that looks familiar.” After 45 minutes of driving Pastor Alan said, “Ok, how about this? How about we just stop at a house and take the food to someone and bless them?” The team really had it in their hearts to find the young woman, but they said, “Ok, under one condition…the family has to have children.” They all agreed to the plan.

They continued on their journey and then Pastor Alan pointed, “Look! There are two little boys running around in the yard.” They stopped the truck and the little children ran to the house to get their mom. The woman came out and he started speaking to her in Spanish. The Americans didn’t understand any of it. “We came to find this woman who was walking down the street and we have been unable to,” said Pastor Alan. The woman was desperate to try to help them locate her. Pastor Alan then interrupted her and said, “No, no, you don’t understand. We’ve been driving for 45 minutes and we can’t find her and we don’t even know her name. What we really stopped for was to bless you with this food.” Handing her the package of food, the woman began to cry.
Just then Pastor Alan noticed that she had a Casa De Amor house. He pointed and asked, “You have a Casa de Amor house. Pointing to himself, he said, “We are from Casa De Amor. We are building a house close by.”

Instantly, as if someone had surprised her, the woman asked him to wait while she ran into her house. She came back out with a picture album. She opened it up and pointing to the photos, she tearfully explained, “This is the team that came down here last year to build my house. Since then, my husband left me with five children and my 16 year old daughter just told me she is pregnant. I worked the other day and I took all the money that I made and bought food. I have no idea when I will work again. I have no way to support myself or my children. Last night, as I prayed, I opened up this photo album and I pointed to these pictures. I said, “Lord, would you bring these people? I need you to bring these people to me. I don’t even have shoes for my little boy to wear.” Pastor Alan smiled and said with tears in his eyes, “Well, here we are.” The other team members were asking him, “What’s going on? What’s she saying?” He turned around to translate for them and it was then they handed the woman a small bundle of cash, “And this is for your little boy’s shoes.”

That night, as they headed for camp, they were amazed at our awesome God. They shared this story around the campfire magnifying this amazing God we serve. He is faithful and able in every way. All of the people felt compelled to take up a collection of cash for her. The next day, they had purchased food and brought all of their leftover food to her house for her and her family. They had so much food that it filled a small room in her house.

While the team was there ministering to her, God gave them an idea. Pastor Alan asked the woman, “How would you feel if we came back and built a small store off of your house? We would give you some money and items to get started and you could have a store?” This woman wept as she realized God had provided for her food, shoes, money, and a way for her to make a living…and all she asked for was shoes.