My team and I began this week in San Lorenzo, a small village just outside of Parramos. San Lorenzo is the location of one of our ministry partners that my team will be working with over the next six weeks. They focus on home visits with families and have an amazing children’s soccer ministry. The first part of this weeks blog takes place during a home visit with a young man named Franky. Franky is a loving son, brother, soccer star, and aspiring DJ. Franky was also given a cancer diagnosis nearly five years ago this month. A diagnosis that his mother told us was initially mere months. Yet by the grace of God we met with Franky in his bedroom five years past the timing the doctor had given him. We talked for nearly two hours about sports, life, his diagnosis, and at length... his music. DJ Franky was fast to pull out his tablet and mix tracks right before our very eyes. He even mixed some English songs so our team could sing along. What a guy! Franky had this vibrance and joy that would make no sense to someone looking into his life. He’s 21 years old, severely underweight, in a wheelchair, and has been in and out of hospitals the past five years. It would be really easy for him to feel sad and depressed about his diagnosis, Franky explained to us. He says he spent awhile after his initial diagnosis alone and depressed over the unknown that his life had become. But it was because of what the Lord has given him and purposed him with that he was laughing and smiling with us. His music, family, and God had saved him.
Maybe I should have told him in the moment but Franky changed my life in those few sweet moments we got to share together. He spoke life and joy when it would have been so easy to go the other direction. It was in these moments that my heart broke. For Franky, his siblings, his parents, for those who would never get to hear his music. He was truly an amazing person and someone I will not soon forget. As our visit came to a close my team and I prayed with Franky and his family as they got ready for another trip to another hospital. Recently Franky has gotten sicker and doesn’t know how long he will be there or if he will ever return home but he assured us that the situation was in Gods hands. His faith was so amazing and steadfast that in the face of the unknown he still gave it to God. Something I often forget to do during the unknown of my life.
As I left Franky’s house and made my way back to our ministry site, the classic quote came to mind. Break my heart for what breaks yours Lord. I’ve thought a lot about those words since my visit with Franky on Monday. I don’t think the purpose is to live in our heartbreak but to use it as Christ would have. The heart ache we experience when we meet people like Franky is not to make us sad but to call us to action. Not to heal or necessarily do anything with those who are hurting, but to love them as much as we can during the time we know we have with them. To follow one of the greatest commandments, Love your neighbor as yourself.
To love all people means a lot of things. It means we celebrate and rejoice when applicable but it also means to cry and mourn with those doing the same. Love by itself is a powerful thing, but with Jesus it becomes even more so. It means we cry, get dirty, maybe even get kicked around, but then Jesus comes. Jesus comes and he picks us up and restores our peace, like he did with Franky. He gives a peace and understanding that surpass all things like it says in Philippians 4:7.
While my heart ached from our visit I was encouraged by what Franky had told us. “God has it.” My hope over this next year as I encounter daunting or challenging things is to remember always the faith Franky has. To say “God has it” and walk in faith knowing everything will be okay.
As always, thank you for the prayers and taking time to read my blog. Please reach out if you’d like to talk through my comments or any way you can get ahold of me.
Much Love and God Bless
Jaden
