A Children’s Heart Project staff member puts the salvation of a mother of a child with a heart defect in God’s hand.
By Carola Contreras, the Children’s Heart Project coordinator in Bolivia.
At different moments of my life, I have seen people crying, looking for the solution to a problem, or trying to overcome a trial. In many cases, they came to me looking for help. I would immediately start thinking through the best options and most brilliant ideas until I came up something I was sure would help.
When I began working for Children’s Heart Project, I quickly realized my words and ideas would not always work.
During the first weeks here, when I was still learning many things about the project, I met with a young mother named Patricia. Her baby had a congenital heart problem that could only be cured through corrective surgery. She was the first mother I met who came to me crying inconsolably.
Patricia decided to move with her daughter to an area at a lower elevation so that her heart wouldn’t have to work as hard. Her husband stayed, and the distance strained their relationship.
To make things worse, her marriage was on the brink of divorce and she didn’t feel the support of her husband. This was one of the hardest moments of my career. While I normally came up with a list of creative solutions, I now felt trapped. Nothing I said or did would calm the pain of this mother or solve the child’s illness. The only thing I could do at that moment was to pray.
During that time—while I spoke to God, the creator of everything that exists, the God who formed this baby in her mother’s womb—I understood that nothing I said or did would help if I didn’t first understand that Jesus is the answer and solution to all of life’s problems. Not only for the family but for my life as well.
I realized that the best thing I could give this mother was Jesus, and He would take charge of bringing peace and hope to that family.
That day I shared the Gospel with Patricia and asked God to plant the seed in good soil. I was hopeful that another person would come into her life for the harvest.
The waiting time for Patricia’s baby to receive surgery was not long. From a long list of children, God chose her child to receive corrective surgery in North America. Several months later, they flew to Minnesota for the much needed procedure. They waited several days before the surgery, and during that time the host family and interpreter shared the Gospel with Patricia.
The day of the surgery, en route to the hospital, Patricia understood her need for a Savior and began to thank God for sending his Son to die on the cross. She repented of her sins and asked Jesus to be her Savior.
Carola was excited when Patricia returned home with salvation and Maira returned home with a repaired heart. Carola will continue to check in with the family occasionally to make sure that Maira is healthy.
“After that, nothing was the same,” Patricia said. “I was filled with peace. And despite my concern for the surgery, I knew everything was in God’s hands.”
In the end, the surgery was a success. Patricia and her baby returned to Bolivia without incident, and one year later, Patricia is still in love with Jesus. Her family is more united than ever, and her husband wants to know more about Jesus. The only thing I can continue to do is to pray, thanking God for His protection and provision in their lives.
The lesson I learned is that Jesus is the infallible and trustworthy answer at every moment. There is no idea, option, or response that is more brilliant than Him.
“You will seek me and find me, when you see me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV).
