It was like any other day of ministry with my comrades of T-Squad – the air was hot, I was smelly, and orphans were tugging on anything and everything that was attached to my body.
I saw her pushing herself down that long and dusty road to nowhere accompanied by only a malnourished and starving puppy. This old Swazi woman, ever so slowly maneuvered her way down the dirt road.
Her arms tired, her face hopeless, and her spirit wounded. This woman was in a wheelchair that looked like it had been fashioned in the early 19th century.
There was no telling how long she was on the road by herself in the hot African sun unable to move and get herself home. My squad mate and I ran over to her with the translator to see if we could help her out. We asked her if we could push her home and she politely smiled and agreed.
When we finally arrived at her home, she ever so gingerly climbed out of her wheelchair and onto the step of her doorway. We asked her if she needed prayer and when we did, my life changed. She began to tell her story through some of the most heartfelt tears I have ever witnessed. Her name was Maria.
Maria lived by herself in the middle of the hot African bush with no water, no food, and no community. At one time Maria had a good life. She had 8 healthy children and a husband who loved and supported her, but her life dramatically changed.
Maria helplessly watched as all 8 of her children passed away, possibly from HIV, sickness, or other tragic incidents. They left no children behind, just a deep wound in Maria’s heart.
Her husband died just 3 years ago, which left Maria alone – completely alone.
One night while she was sleeping, three men broke into her house to rob and kill her. As she tried to escape, the men beat her legs with hammers so that she couldn’t run away. After they had robbed and beaten Maria, they left her to die.
Miraculously, Maria survived, but only after losing one of her legs.
For three years, Maria has been surviving on her own, simply existing in this harsh and cruel world. No joy, no happiness, and no one to care for her or take care of her.
As she told her story, tears poured down her wrinkled Swazi face. How do you pray for a woman who has nothing? How could I possibly tell her that God loved her when in fact her life reflected something completely opposite? Her children were dead, her husband was deceased, she was nearly murdered in her own home, and nobody cared or even knew that she existed.
These are those hard moments whe
re you have to pray with faith-filled eyes, not simply through the eyes that were witnessing such a heartbreaking encounter.
Maria was in fact a believer, and despite everything, KNEW that God loved her. She didn’t feel like a victim and death did not have a hold on her.
After Evan prayed, Maria never even asked us for money or a handout. Instead, in the midst of her sobs, she told us she just wanted a little bit of food – she was hungry.
She was a 65 year old orphan with no family, no place to call a home, and nobody to love her. Evan prayed for her and promised her that we would not only bring her food the next day, but a pair of shoes as well. She managed to get around in her wheelchair in the dirt with only a sock on her foot.
I’ve fed orphans all over the world, seen the homeless living in cardboard boxes in the worst of slums, but I have never met someone like Maria. Someone surviving alone and forgotten about by the rest of the World. It made me reflect upon my own life back in
Kentucky.
I live my life overlooking the Maria’s in my own world. I’m busy worrying about ME, living for ME! The truth is, I didn’t have to come all of the way to Africa to find my Maria. I could have simply looked out my back door. The question is, why don’t we even notice?
Why don’t we intervene when we see an injustice in the world? Why don’t we become a voice for those who can’t speak?
Wow Seth, this was hard to read. Totally broken! Thank you World Racers for introducing us to Maria! Praying for her!
Prasie the Lord that World Racers Team they are reaching these areas.May God all their Mission work and use them mighty power for His glory. We will be praying for Maria
Robin,
Thanks for thinking about how to help her.
Better to use the money to help her make a life for herself there. Moses’ mom, Philile, is a good example of how we can help turn a life around.
I have chills…. how powerful that God sent that team to her. She’s been “existing” for awhile and many teams have gone there; but God knew exactly who was supposed to see her.
Oh Seth, this definitely breaks my heart. I am grateful for the world race teams that go and visit the forgotten. I assume this is in Nsoko because I recognize the picture of the kids is at Mahangeni. I pray for more of the church to rise up to care for the orphans and the windows in the faraway places, the ends of the earth. The good news is she is not an orphan, she knows Jesus, but I pray for community for her and the others women especially in this area, widows who have no family left because of AIDs. I pray that they would not feel so alone, but in the company of other women, who are going through the same life experiences, would be encouraged.
Thanks for sending people out, to the ends of the earth.
I have been so broken for Maria since you first posted about her. I am praying for her everyday. I asked the Lord for the opportunity to meet this woman. I would love to sit with her and listen to her speak. She has had no one to listen to her for so long. I would love to hold her hands and pray with her. To push her wherever she needs to go (until God causes her leg to grow back…which I am fully believing He will do). I just want to serve her and love her. To be her legs when she needs them. Thank you for introducing me to Maria. I will pray for her daily until I get the priviledge to meet her. Please continue to give updates about her. I love her already, and I don’t even know her yet.
If Maria is independent to the point that she wishes to stay in a an area that is hard to survive in, can the locals with the help of outsiders gather many like her and build a community that helps to sustain families, share God’s love and give her the chance to share what gifts God has given to her as well. Every one needs to feel needed and to have a meaningful purpose in the lives of others. It sounds as though with the loss of her family she might feel less needed which isn’t the case. Please let us readers know what we can do to help.
Any chance we could bring her here to Gainesville?