(Left: Carmen and Lacy)Today I would like to share with you the story of my friend, Carmen. I speak of her a lot in my updates. She has shared the testimony of her faith in Christ with me on numerous occasions, and I want to pass it on to you, so that you may be uplifted and refreshed in knowing that God transforms lives in this entire world.
Carmen grew up in a Catholic home, like most children do in Mexico. At 11 years old, Carmen was baptized into the Catholic church during her first communion. While considering her baptism, Carmen heard God’s voice saying, “Rise and come, Carmen,” but she did not understand what it meant. The sound of the voice always stayed with her.
As she grew older, Carmen left the Catholic church and forgot about God. She married at a young age. Unfortunately, her spouse was violent and addicted to drugs and alcohol, and their years together were unpleasant. They had two children together, Hilberto and Dayana.
Missionaries came to her village and began ministering to Carmen and her husband. She said that she always thought her husband needed God because he was the bad person. She was never someone who did bad things, so it never occurred to her that God was important for her life, also. She said, “It was good for him, but I had no use for their words.”
Three years ago, Carmen realized she was pregnant once again. Selfishly, her husband left her because he did not want another child. She was carrying twins. She became ill in the third trimester of her pregnancy, and needed an immediate c-section of the twins. Unable to reach her estranged husband, and her elderly mother, who she lived with, being incapable of assisting her, Carmen called on a visiting missionary friend who rushed her to the hospital. She did not have money to pay the hospital, and so they put her in an ambulance and rushed her away, heading for the state hospital three-or-four hours away.
While in the ambulance, Carmen could feel the vehicle swerving back and forth because the man was very nervous from her screams. Suddenly, the ambulance hit a car and spun through the highway! Carmen said the stress caused her to push, and the first baby started to birth in the ambulance. The driver radioed to the nearest hospital to prepare an emergency room for her. She said she lifted her eyes in the pain and looked at the ceiling of the ambulance. There, two eyes of compassion were looking on her from heaven. She focused on those eyes until the ambulance doors opened at the emergency room.
Carmen birthed two baby girls quickly, and they were not breathing. While she rested in the hospital, unable to be transported due to her own weak health, her children were rushed to the state hospital. Without money to pay for meals, the hospital did not allow her friend to eat. After two days, her friend drove her the state hospital where her babies were waiting for her.
Carmen said she waited in the room for hours with her babies until finally the nurses had to make her leave because visiting hours were over. When she walked into the hallway, her husband was waiting for her. Unsure of how to handle his presence, Carmen accepted his comfort. But within hours of his arrival, her first baby died.
The poor cannot afford embalming in Mexico, so the hospital immediately bagged the baby and buried her in the state cemetery. Unable to say goodbye to the child he had once despised, Carmen’s husband left in shock and Carmen stayed with her last baby in the hospital. For three weeks, she stayed with her child. Finally, the doctors sent her home, but told her that her child had a heart defect. Carmen did not have money for the needed surgery.
After four months, the money finally became available. Her child was beautiful and lovely and had started interacting with her. Carmen gladly gave all she could to make the surgery possible for her baby. Unfortunately, the child had complications during surgery, and just a few days after, she died.
Carmen’s estranged husband moved back in with her, but their angers were too great, and he was very abusive. Finally, he left her for good, and she settled into life again with her children and mother. Some months after the death of her babies, Carmen recalled those eyes that she had seen in the ambulance. She was broken from losing her children, and from the abuse of her spouse, and not having another avenue to take, she looked to God for help.
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Carmen grew up in a Catholic home, like most children do in Mexico. At 11 years old, Carmen was baptized into the Catholic church during her first communion. While considering her baptism, Carmen heard God’s voice saying, “Rise and come, Carmen,” but she did not understand what it meant. The sound of the voice always stayed with her.
As she grew older, Carmen left the Catholic church and forgot about God. She married at a young age. Unfortunately, her spouse was violent and addicted to drugs and alcohol, and their years together were unpleasant. They had two children together, Hilberto and Dayana.
Missionaries came to her village and began ministering to Carmen and her husband. She said that she always thought her husband needed God because he was the bad person. She was never someone who did bad things, so it never occurred to her that God was important for her life, also. She said, “It was good for him, but I had no use for their words.”
Three years ago, Carmen realized she was pregnant once again. Selfishly, her husband left her because he did not want another child. She was carrying twins. She became ill in the third trimester of her pregnancy, and needed an immediate c-section of the twins. Unable to reach her estranged husband, and her elderly mother, who she lived with, being incapable of assisting her, Carmen called on a visiting missionary friend who rushed her to the hospital. She did not have money to pay the hospital, and so they put her in an ambulance and rushed her away, heading for the state hospital three-or-four hours away.
While in the ambulance, Carmen could feel the vehicle swerving back and forth because the man was very nervous from her screams. Suddenly, the ambulance hit a car and spun through the highway! Carmen said the stress caused her to push, and the first baby started to birth in the ambulance. The driver radioed to the nearest hospital to prepare an emergency room for her. She said she lifted her eyes in the pain and looked at the ceiling of the ambulance. There, two eyes of compassion were looking on her from heaven. She focused on those eyes until the ambulance doors opened at the emergency room.
Carmen birthed two baby girls quickly, and they were not breathing. While she rested in the hospital, unable to be transported due to her own weak health, her children were rushed to the state hospital. Without money to pay for meals, the hospital did not allow her friend to eat. After two days, her friend drove her the state hospital where her babies were waiting for her.
Carmen said she waited in the room for hours with her babies until finally the nurses had to make her leave because visiting hours were over. When she walked into the hallway, her husband was waiting for her. Unsure of how to handle his presence, Carmen accepted his comfort. But within hours of his arrival, her first baby died.
The poor cannot afford embalming in Mexico, so the hospital immediately bagged the baby and buried her in the state cemetery. Unable to say goodbye to the child he had once despised, Carmen’s husband left in shock and Carmen stayed with her last baby in the hospital. For three weeks, she stayed with her child. Finally, the doctors sent her home, but told her that her child had a heart defect. Carmen did not have money for the needed surgery.
After four months, the money finally became available. Her child was beautiful and lovely and had started interacting with her. Carmen gladly gave all she could to make the surgery possible for her baby. Unfortunately, the child had complications during surgery, and just a few days after, she died.
Carmen’s estranged husband moved back in with her, but their angers were too great, and he was very abusive. Finally, he left her for good, and she settled into life again with her children and mother. Some months after the death of her babies, Carmen recalled those eyes that she had seen in the ambulance. She was broken from losing her children, and from the abuse of her spouse, and not having another avenue to take, she looked to God for help.
(right: Carmen's daughter, Dayana)
The missionaries that had once ministered to her husband now helped her to understand the Christian faith. They told her that she could find peace and contentment in Christ. She has been growing for two years in the faith, and is very passionate about the scriptures and the love of Christ. Her entire life changed. She now has peace in her home, and she has peace in her own spirit. She also has a joy and a contentment that she claims she thought she would never feel after losing both of her children.
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing the stories of those you are touching for Christ. They encourage all of us who believe in missions, because they remind us that there are still people seeking Christ, and, more importantly, Christ is still seeking people everywhere.
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