During our most recent chat, Brandy was with a visiting team as they ate breakfast before heading out for a busy day. He graciously delayed his own breakfast long enough to talk about his love of going out with sponsors to visit the children they sponsor, and their families, in their homes.
He said, “Home visits are important and I love doing home visits with team members. It’s big for me. I just love people in general. I love spending time with people and I love that the people we visit have a lot to share that isn’t material. You get to know the people and how they live. And when you get to know them, they aren’t just numbers. Working in the Sowers4Pastors office, we see lists and there are numbers for the kids. But when we meet, they are not numbers. We meet their families and understand their struggles. These are people that live close to me but they have different needs. It’s a real blessing because you realize they are happy. You might see a kid playing with a piece of wood his father carved into the shape of a car. The families have good relationships.
“They visit each other when someone is sick. If one family’s mango tree ripens early, they take mangoes to others. As a staff member, it reminds me of how important the ministry is. We are a channel of blessing and what we do has a big purpose. We share the love of Christ; we share the love that Jesus has for us.
“The other thing I enjoy is that I can speak English, even though it’s not perfect. As I translate, I am able to connect two cultures. The sponsors and the families can share stories. They hug. They cry. They pray. It is amazing!”
Brandy admitted that he could have talked all morning on this topic but he limited things to stories involving three home visits.
Story 1
Three weeks ago, team members from the Lighthouse program were doing home visits. One of those visits was to a family whose house had caught fire about six or seven months ago. While the fire could have been worse, the family lost clothing, beds, and other possessions. Since the fire happened during the day, neither the family nor their neighbors were home. However, the church was very close and the pastor was there working on a sermon. The pastor was able to help extinguish the fire and comfort the family in the aftermath.
Brandy pointed out that while it was sad because the family had lost possessions, there was a bright side in seeing the community step in to help them. The community joined together to give the family clothing for their children. Someone gave them a bed. As a result of the experience, the family began attending church. They are now strong Christians. The parents, who weren’t married before, got married. The oldest daughter joined the worship team and is now a Sunday school teacher.
S4P is trying to help them replace part of their roof that is leaking, and repair electrical wiring that was damaged. The ministry is also planning to change out a sink and purchase two beds for the kids.
Story 2
Two days ago, Brandy was with team members in Guacutao. One of the children in the program lost his father only a week earlier. While the child’s sponsor was there, she wasn’t sure it would be an appropriate time to pay the family a visit. When asked, the family agreed to a visit. They were able to share their pain. The sponsor was able to cry with them and pray with them.
The child’s father had been working in the States for a year. He was actively involved in a worship team, as he had been in Honduras. About five months ago, he was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer. He told his family that he was ready to die in the States and told them not to go to the expense of transporting his body back to Honduras. Somehow, he was able to travel back home just eight days before he died.
While that is an incredibly sad situation, the sponsor and Brandy were able to hold a sacred space for the family in which they could share their grief.
Story 3 (which involved 3 houses)
The final stories are happier than the last one. They involve visits with the Lighthouse team.
Brandy said, “When a sponsor comes, the neighbors, aunts, and cousins also come to visit. At the first house, there were people waiting for the sponsor. We played cards and watched the kids play soccer.”
At the second house, they also played a card game the sponsor had brought along. It was a hit! In fact, it was such a hit that people at the next house heard the noise and started coming over one-by-one. Then the mother from the next house said that she had food for them. She gave the guests chicken soup, which Brandy declared to be the best he’s ever had. The homes were just a few feet away from each other so the maker of the fine chicken soup went back to playing the boisterous card game.
Final Thoughts from Brandy
“It’s difficult for a lot of people to come down and visit their child. I understand that.” Brandy laughed and said, “I don’t know how I would do it if three hundred people wanted to come. But I know it’s important and I enjoy doing the home visits. I feel very blessed.”
-posted by Christi.
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