Over the next semester I want to share a little bit here and there with you.
There is no way that I can share every individual story I had the opportunity to hear. But... I do want to share some of them with you. So... here goes number one.
This is Maryuri (Marjorie in english). She is one of the most precious girls I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know. She is such a friend. Maryuri turned fourteen while I was in Honduras. It was such a blessing getting to spend her birthday with her. Eight months have now passed since Maryuri arrived at Casitas. Maryuri was one of the first girls I met. The first moment she met me, she greeted me with a hug, a kiss on the cheek and a huge smile. Without knowing anything about me she told me she loved me. She captured my heart from the beginning. As we continued to visit and spend time with the girls, I got to know Maryuri and become her friend. She wanted to know all about my family. She wanted to make me things. I have so many bracelets and little treasures from her. After a week or so of getting to know each other Maryuri opened up about her story and the reason she was at Casitas. Maryuri's mother abandoned her a few years ago. So, Maryuri went to live with her aunt. While living with her aunt, a piece of jewelry went missing. She blamed it on Maryuri and put her on the streets. As close as Maryuri and I were, she could not bring herself to tell me about those nights on the street. She was so ashamed and almost scared of speaking of those nights. I began to cry. Maryuri wiped my tears from my cheeks and continued with her story. Her aunt recovered the jewelry. Realizing Maryuri did not take it, she brought her back home. A month or two later her aunt's cell phone went missing. Once again her aunt blamed it on her. This time she was brought and left at Casitas with the clothes on her back.
I believe whole heartedly and with great confidence that Maryuri knows her Father! She is such a beautiful girl. She has such a sweet spirit! God was so faithful and used Maryuri to teach me so much. Maryuri has so little and yet she gave me so much. Every day I came she would have a new bracelet or picture or letter for me. One day she had a whole bag of things. I told her as she gave me the bag, "Maryuri, I cannot take this. This is your stuff." She would not accept my answer. She wanted to give it to me. I wept as i took out the contents of the bag. Maryuri had given me a shirt (even though she wears the same thing for days at a time), a spanish Bible (to help me with my spanish), a book called His Princess- Letters of Love from Your King (Su Princesa- Cartas de amor de tu Rey), pictures she had colored and a few letters. I was so taken back by all the things she gave me and the things that she said to me. I did not deserve any of it! Maryuri wrote in one of her letters, "Maria, I wish so badly I could give you everything I have, I just do not have that much to give." What?? How could this girl with so little want to give away so much? Maryuri has such a servants heart! Maryuri loves the letter in Su Princesa "Te He Dado Un Don" the author quotes 1 Peter 4:10 "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." Maryuri loved it.
As Maryuri and I continued to get to know each other we were able to talk about so much. Maryuri and I had a conversation about sin one day. She was telling me all about her sin and how it was very hard for her to understand still that God would sacrifice His only Son for us. She was blinded by the service we were bringing to them. Her vision was clouded and she did not believe that there was any way that I could be "as bad" as she was or a sinner at all for that matter. God was so sweet to give me the opportunity to share all about my sin with her. I was able to share with her that I have had and still have a lot of the same struggles she does. My circumstances are different but I still fall to sin every day. I was able to share with her about my pride and bitterness that so often take a strong hold on me. I was able to completely open up and expose all of the nastiness within me. This allowed us to talk about God's grace and how there is nothing we can do to earn it. That it is unmerited grace. We talked of how God demonstrates His love for us in while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! Oh how sweet it was to share with Maryuri.
Maryuri and I, just like every friend pair, faced some struggles. Maryuri is still dealing with understanding the concept of "unconditional love." If Maryuri saw me loving on another girl, she would assume that I did not love her anymore. That my love had run out and I had moved to another. This was a struggle but oh so good for both of us. God took hold of my heart and allowed me the words to share with Maryuri very honestly. That I loved her but it was only because of Christ that I was able to do so. And as much as I loved her God loved her so much more.
Maryuri is so close to my heart. I pray for her daily and ask that you would join me in praying for her. She is fourteen years old and living in a dark place but is shining so bright. She is such a beautiful girl who despite her circumstance finds joy in Christ. She prays for me. She loves me even though I do not deserve it. Pray that she would continue to seek and find Christ. That He would continue to reveal Himself to her.
Maryuri taught me so much. She challenges me. I want to be a woman of purpose. I want to be intentional about loving people with the love of Christ. I want to be uncomfortable. I want to hunger even more for the word that I may hide it in my heart and share it with those around me. I want to bring glory to my Father! I want to die to live.
This is Maryuri (Marjorie in english). She is one of the most precious girls I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know. She is such a friend. Maryuri turned fourteen while I was in Honduras. It was such a blessing getting to spend her birthday with her. Eight months have now passed since Maryuri arrived at Casitas. Maryuri was one of the first girls I met. The first moment she met me, she greeted me with a hug, a kiss on the cheek and a huge smile. Without knowing anything about me she told me she loved me. She captured my heart from the beginning. As we continued to visit and spend time with the girls, I got to know Maryuri and become her friend. She wanted to know all about my family. She wanted to make me things. I have so many bracelets and little treasures from her. After a week or so of getting to know each other Maryuri opened up about her story and the reason she was at Casitas. Maryuri's mother abandoned her a few years ago. So, Maryuri went to live with her aunt. While living with her aunt, a piece of jewelry went missing. She blamed it on Maryuri and put her on the streets. As close as Maryuri and I were, she could not bring herself to tell me about those nights on the street. She was so ashamed and almost scared of speaking of those nights. I began to cry. Maryuri wiped my tears from my cheeks and continued with her story. Her aunt recovered the jewelry. Realizing Maryuri did not take it, she brought her back home. A month or two later her aunt's cell phone went missing. Once again her aunt blamed it on her. This time she was brought and left at Casitas with the clothes on her back.
I believe whole heartedly and with great confidence that Maryuri knows her Father! She is such a beautiful girl. She has such a sweet spirit! God was so faithful and used Maryuri to teach me so much. Maryuri has so little and yet she gave me so much. Every day I came she would have a new bracelet or picture or letter for me. One day she had a whole bag of things. I told her as she gave me the bag, "Maryuri, I cannot take this. This is your stuff." She would not accept my answer. She wanted to give it to me. I wept as i took out the contents of the bag. Maryuri had given me a shirt (even though she wears the same thing for days at a time), a spanish Bible (to help me with my spanish), a book called His Princess- Letters of Love from Your King (Su Princesa- Cartas de amor de tu Rey), pictures she had colored and a few letters. I was so taken back by all the things she gave me and the things that she said to me. I did not deserve any of it! Maryuri wrote in one of her letters, "Maria, I wish so badly I could give you everything I have, I just do not have that much to give." What?? How could this girl with so little want to give away so much? Maryuri has such a servants heart! Maryuri loves the letter in Su Princesa "Te He Dado Un Don" the author quotes 1 Peter 4:10 "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." Maryuri loved it.
As Maryuri and I continued to get to know each other we were able to talk about so much. Maryuri and I had a conversation about sin one day. She was telling me all about her sin and how it was very hard for her to understand still that God would sacrifice His only Son for us. She was blinded by the service we were bringing to them. Her vision was clouded and she did not believe that there was any way that I could be "as bad" as she was or a sinner at all for that matter. God was so sweet to give me the opportunity to share all about my sin with her. I was able to share with her that I have had and still have a lot of the same struggles she does. My circumstances are different but I still fall to sin every day. I was able to share with her about my pride and bitterness that so often take a strong hold on me. I was able to completely open up and expose all of the nastiness within me. This allowed us to talk about God's grace and how there is nothing we can do to earn it. That it is unmerited grace. We talked of how God demonstrates His love for us in while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! Oh how sweet it was to share with Maryuri.
Maryuri and I, just like every friend pair, faced some struggles. Maryuri is still dealing with understanding the concept of "unconditional love." If Maryuri saw me loving on another girl, she would assume that I did not love her anymore. That my love had run out and I had moved to another. This was a struggle but oh so good for both of us. God took hold of my heart and allowed me the words to share with Maryuri very honestly. That I loved her but it was only because of Christ that I was able to do so. And as much as I loved her God loved her so much more.
Maryuri is so close to my heart. I pray for her daily and ask that you would join me in praying for her. She is fourteen years old and living in a dark place but is shining so bright. She is such a beautiful girl who despite her circumstance finds joy in Christ. She prays for me. She loves me even though I do not deserve it. Pray that she would continue to seek and find Christ. That He would continue to reveal Himself to her.
Maryuri taught me so much. She challenges me. I want to be a woman of purpose. I want to be intentional about loving people with the love of Christ. I want to be uncomfortable. I want to hunger even more for the word that I may hide it in my heart and share it with those around me. I want to bring glory to my Father! I want to die to live.
1 comment:
what a beautiful post!!!
thank you so much for sharing this!
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