Mexico Missions
by Tammy Parker on July 30, 2018Big Heart Orphanage- July 2018
Friday morning we met at the church and loaded up the van with a group of Firestarters- and the perfect amount of cookies for our community outreach! (Thanks everyone!)
Pastor Scott prayed over our team and we headed towards the border that has lately seemed to make much of our headline news.
As a few began to navigate the route we would travel, Holy Spirit began to speak to me about the destination not being just a city, state, or even nation- but rather the destination being the hearts we would encounter there, and all along the way.
Like Felix, the young man we met at Starbucks who wanted prayer for his father recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Or the elderly woman at Sam’s Club who said she cried out to God that morning asking Him to send someone to pray for her. Or the young waitress who was too embarrassed to tell our team what she had need of, but let us pray anyway.
And if we’ll just let Holy Spirit lead & follow His promptings- we will see much opportunities of God’s Kingdom coming and breaking-through all around us. Healing hearts. Changing lives. (Including our own).
When we arrived at Big Heart we were greeted by little Elias. He peeked inside the van doors with a smile bigger than all of Texas, “Oh, it’s you!” he said. “Did you miss me?”
“Of course we did, Elias. We missed you so very much!”
Papi Gator came out to meet us, and began to share about all that is happening at Big Heart. About God’s favor. About new opportunities for even more little lives to be rescued and reached. About open doors and needing God’s wisdom on how and when to walk through them. So we stopped right there and prayed…..
That afternoon we spent time in the backyard with these precious ones.
Laityn showed us the proper way to catch the rain…
We met some of Big Heart’s newest little faces…
And were amazed by how much some of the children have grown since our last visit.
That evening we had a wonderful meal together (thank you, Opal!) and served ice cream to all! The children especially loved this!
Saturday morning the team met under the huge ficus tree out back for coffee and prayer. Holy Spirit highlighted an area to Missy, and we spent some time praying over this.
There are those days in prayer when you feel the atmosphere shift- and a breaking through- and there seem to be no words to explain what just happened in the Spirit- only that you know it can/will impact a nation.
This was that.
After breakfast (Eva’s homemade crepes!), we loaded up the van and followed Micah down to the canals/garbage dump to feed the hungry. This time we seemed to be in the heart of the colonia- and right where God wanted us this day.
Paul and Scott fired up the pit and began to barbecue, we prepared the table, and the people came.
I watched as one little boy ran down the hill, finger holding tightly around his belt loop to keep from losing his oversized pants. Others came skipping barefoot down the hot dusty road. It was obvious they were no strangers to hunger.
We would soon see they were no strangers to gratitude either, as each one walked through the food line and offered their most genuine “gracias” .
One little boy took his plate, pulled it close to his chest, then turned to me and said, “Love you so more”.
It was all the English he knew- and it was enough.
I was undone.
We were all undone.
We prayed for the precious people there, handed out Bibles and tracts, and looked them each in the eyes and told them “Jesús te ama”. (Jesus loves you). Maybe we have become nonchalant to the power of those words, but there is a hurting world out there that is dying to hear them.
After we had served everyone, the only thing we had left was a large cooler of lemonade. So the children, one by one, ran as fast as they could to gather old pitchers and containers and bring them to us.
To FILL.
AND IT SEEMED TO JUST KEEP POURING OUT….
That afternoon we headed back to Big Heart and decorated the cookies that Clara sent.
Some worked so hard to get their creation perfect!
Others decided to skip the cookie altogether and just go for the icing 😉
As I grabbed my camera to capture a shot of all the fun, I saw one girl sitting at the corner of the table, visiting with Kathy, giggling and pouring on more icing and sprinkles than one cookie could possibly hold- and I remembered Papi Gator telling me how much of her little life was spent on the streets- alone, and begging for food.
And here she sat this day… Rescued. Loved. Given a seat at the table. Part of a forever-family.
Thank you Jesus.
Thank you Big Heart.
After cookies, we headed outside for our water-balloon fight! Happy times!
That evening, Momma Deana asked us to pray over/anoint the boys & girls room, and invited us to share during their daily evening devotional.
Missy brought her flag in (and one for each of the children) and began to share about the Holy Spirit. The words seemed to spill straight from Father’s heart and land right into theirs.
As the children were leaving we formed a fire line and prayed & prophesied over each of them, along with some of the interns and staff. One little girl came through the line, received prayer, and came back to Scott a second time. Earlier that day, Momma Deana shared that this same little girl has had some trouble progressing due to all that she endured prior to life at Big Heart. As Scott laid hands on her little head I could see her take a deep breath and it seemed as if she was inhaling all of heaven- and exhaling all of the hurt.
And one by one they came through the line. Some in tears. Some laughing. All receiving.
Last, we got to pray for Momma Deana. What an honor. I have never seen a life more fully-given, or poured-out.
Sunday morning we woke up early, said our goodbyes, and as we began the journey back home the words of this song rang loud in my heart…
“Want eyes to see the world you love. A world that goes beyond myself. Awareness of forgotten ones. Oh make us more aware. Compassion for the ones You made. Hope in these uncertain days. And willingness to change our ways. Oh help us change our ways.
You have said a thousand times. The way we give and live our lives. If we have done it unto them. We’ve done it unto You. So save us from a greedy heart. That stores away in bigger barns. And lead us on the way of love. We open wide the door.
Our eyes are opened, we can’t unsee. You’ve poured out Your life on the least of these. Our hearts are willing our hands are Yours. Tracing Your footsteps we’ll follow You Lord.
Cause there is no one too far gone. Or out of reach of Your great love. You never stop. You don’t give up. Til every heart is found.”
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