Her full name is María de los Ángeles Balcázar Becerra, but everyone calls her Doña María.

Doña is a term of respect in Latin American countries. In María’s case, it’s a term that’s well earned.

She is a leader in Paseo de la Primavera, a community near Villahermosa, and took a key role when Samaritan's Purse began a housing project there.

In late 2007, widespread flooding left nearly 80 percent of the state of Tabasco under water. Samaritan's Purse responded immediately with emergency relief supplies. We opened an office in Villahermosa, the state capital, and launched a program to build 100 houses for needy families who had lost virtually everything in the flood. The beneficiaries participate in the construction process, giving them a personal stake in their new homes.

Doña María is one of the hardest workers at the job site. She has helped supervise the work and has brought other community members into the project.

The 53-year-old woman seemed to be happy and fulfilled. She and her husband, Carlos, have been married for 20 years. She has three adult children from a previous marriage. She said she was grateful to Samaritan's Purse for coming to help, and was looking forward to moving into her new house.

But beneath the surface, something was missing. Doña María's parents abandoned her when she was little, and she said she has felt alone for most of her life. Our staff told her that Jesus was ready to fill the empty space in her heart, but she was evasive when asked if she ever had asked Him to be her Savior.

One morning, Doña María began to talk about her burdens. She started crying. “I think I need Jesus in my life,” she said in between tears.

“What a privilege it was to bring her before the Lord’s feet and guide her to faith in Christ,” a staff member said. “This is a new beginning. It is precious to see the hunger for God in this woman.”

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Samaritan's Purse , Mexico , Community Development , A New Beginning