A Little Boost, A Lot Of Hope

Meet Linda.

Linda is 27 years old.  She has five kids.  The oldest is a girl who is 12 years old.  The rest of the kids are boys with the youngest being two or three years old.  A couple of weeks before we arrived, Linda and her kids were living on the streets of Xenacoj.  Linda worked in one of the sweat shops making 80 cents an hour, and her kids stuck together during the day taking care of each other.  Linda’s husband was no longer in the picture.  I’m not certain of the entire story, but Linda was essentially abandoned and left to figure things out herself.  The community didn’t really embrace or help her out.  In fact, I got the impression that she was somewhat shunned by the community, because her husband left.

While Linda doesn’t fit the American definition of a widow.  She has essentially been left as a widow.

Thankfully, GO! Ministries found out about Linda.

Again, I don’t know the whole story, but a week before we arrived GO! Ministries took Linda and her family in.  They gave her a place to stay.  And they gave her a new job – first to take care of her kids and then to take care of some things for the ministry.  This is just the lift she needed.

Linda doesn’t know how to read, and her children were destined for a similar path if someone didn’t step in to provide a boost.

Now her four oldest kids get to go to school every day.  They are learning.  And they have a hope.  Dave, the missionary, is helping to show them what a father looks like.  He’s pointing them to Christ.  He’s teaching them to be respectful, and he’s teaching them to do their best.

Linda is also learning to read.  When she graduates “first grade”, she will get a raise in pay.  When she graduates “second grade”, she will get another raise.  She will learn skills that will help her survive and thrive.

Linda and her family have hope thanks to a little creativity, observation, and action.

Sometimes it takes a little boost to get off the ground.

When you and I reach out to help the widows and the orphans, we are following God’s Word.  And we are also dealing in the market of hope and love.

Linda’s story could have been one of despair and desperation.  But it’s not.  She now has a story of HOPE!

How can you give someone a boost today?  How has someone’s act of kindness given you hope?