This began as an email and then it became this...

Grandma!

I love you, and I hope you’re feeling better!

I’m praying for you every day, and I’m thanking God that He has given us more time with you.  I want to tell you about something beautiful that happened because of you.  When you got sick, I was very upset to the point that I was having trouble completing my work and interacting with other people here at Amigos.  I remembered that one of our teenagers, Francisco, had told me that he was interested in the rosary so I asked him to pray with me for you.  He readily agreed and we decided to pray up at the cross on the hill near the grave of Oscarito. Francisco brought another teenager with him, and on the way up to the cross we were joined by two younger boys. That night we prayed the rosary for you, but it didn’t end there.

Francisco was especially interested in learning more about the rosary so he asked me to teach him what I know about the rosary. Since that day about two weeks ago, Francisco of his own accord has been leading the rosary every night after dinner. He has been joined by another teenager, and the two of them have added to the rosary by selecting Bible passages and discovering additional prayers like the Memorare and the St. Michael prayer. I’ve been able to participate most nights. Sometimes the rosary group has 5 people, and sometimes it has 15.  Kids, teenagers, Honduran workers, and gringo volunteers participate.

Francisco and the other teenager end the rosary with spontaneous prayer, and it’s very humbling.  They thank God for the sun and nature, the beds they sleep in, the food on the tables, a pair of shoes, the clothes on their back, the family of Amigos, and the opportunity to study.  They ask God for the rain as there continues to be a drought and water problems throughout the country of Honduras. And they continue to pray for you.

Watching these events unfold and the kids’ voluntary participation in prayer, I feel the overwhelming presence of God and His love, and it makes me question: what did I do to deserve to experience this love?  I first learned of love from you, my parents, my family, and now I experience this love that surpasses barriers of physical distance, culture, language, and human weakness.  I have done absolutely nothing to deserve to be a part of it, but God is love. God loves. He loves without limits, and we experience His love with and through other people.  

Francisco has had some difficult times since I’ve known him, and our friendship has not always been easy for me. It’s ironic or rather perfect that God should choose him to grow my faith and love this summer.

Grandma, thank you for being one of my first teachers of God and love. Thank you helping me to develop my ability to give and receive love, to experience God.  

In the five days that I have remaining here, we will continue praying the rosary for you. And after I leave here, I have peace in knowing that the prayers of my loved ones in Honduras and those of myself are heard by the same God and Source of Love. This reality will connect us in a way I cannot put into words just as it connects you and me now while I am far away from you.