A Heart Transformed
by Lisa Steele, FLM Executive Director
With slumped and trembling shoulders, the man standing beside me kept repeating, “Tenga misericordia” (Have mercy) as we prayed. His wife, Rosa, stood nearby in their tiny kitchen, silently praying with our Family Life Missions team in Honduras.
The man pleading for mercy was Rosa’s husband, Francisco. Rosa and Francisco Velásquez-Padilla are raising their three grandchildren after their daughter left for the United States. Francisco works odd jobs in the surrounding mountains to provide for his family. They attend a local church that partners with us in our Family Preservation Program. They diligently attend every workshop we provide. Rosa is a recipient of our entrepreneur program and has begun a tortilla business in her home. She makes 300 tortillas daily by 6:30 am to sell to local businesses and families.
But the weight of raising a young family and providing for their needs weighed heavily on Francisco. He did not feel close to God. He felt defeated as he stood, unsmiling, apart from everyone.
Nine months later, I visited the Velásquez-Padilla family and a Mission Team from Fellowship Bible Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They came to make needed improvements to the home and to serve the family. As we gathered, a man came through the front door and spoke to us. He wore nice pants and a clean plaid shirt and stood tall and sure as he spoke. It was Francisco! He welcomed everyone and then told us how he asked the local government for help but received nothing. He did not know how to help his family--until he saw the love of his church and participated in our Family Preservation Program. He never imagined he would have a group of “North Americans” standing in front of his house, eager and ready to help him! It had to be a gift from God. Francisco began having hope as he saw God’s mercy in their life. He ended his talk by saying, “Glory to God!”
I could not wait to speak to him! I told him what a difference I saw in him. He was a changed man! What happened? He answered me, “Yes, I am a changed man. I have God in my life, and I have hope.” He was smiling, and his face was filled with joy. I saw a heart transformed.
Life is still hard for the Velásquez-Padilla family, but they are part of a community of believers. They receive tools and resources to better their family and strengthen their faith.
Most importantly, they have the hope that only God can provide.