Martha's Story
Martha Christina's Story is like many others here in Honduras, Central America and other countries.
Her dream was to have a man, raise her children and be happy. Since the cost of a marriage license is about two weeks wages here, most people can't make the choice to go without food. Therefore there is no commitment and the man leaves after three to five years when things get difficult. Due to having had a controlling mother, Martha's life has been full of controlling men who leave her and the children due to not having a binding marriage contract.
This has left Martha feeling rejected, useless and unable to care for all five of her children. When I met Martha, the three older children had already been living with other relatives since they were babies, because Martha did not have food to feed them and the next man in the house did not want them. She didn't know any other way of life. Her mother's example was full of men too. Martha didn't really know her father. Her father figure was the man that helped raise her.
Everything seemed to be going good again for Martha with her last man, until he snapped. Right after Christmas 2012. He burned down everything in the house, TV, Cell phones, the children s' toys and all their clothes. Martha made a plan and ran away with the two children she had by him. In February, he found them. Martha was outside with a machete cutting wood for the fire. He was inside the house trying to molest the two year old before he started killing them all with a hatchet. A cousin walked in at the right time and screamed with a shrieking voice. Martha, relatives and neighbors in the surrounding area came running. She and the "man" began to fight with the hatchet and machete. The relatives and neighbors overpowered him and led him to the police. At the police station, they found he had two warrants out for his arrest. One was from killing his previous woman and three year old son by setting the car they were in on fire. The second was because had killed a doctor or a teacher.
Martha was traumatized by all of this and entered a period of crying and depression. When we met her a few weeks latter (March 2013), she was still sad and hungry. As we talked with her we realized she didn't know Jesus. A missionary friend, Gracie Murphy, shared her testimony of abuse and gave her the salvation message. Zamy, one of the girls that live with me got the honors of leading Martha in prayer to receive Jesus in her heart. It was instant! Her dull old face turned into a youthful, joyful smile.
We were also blessed to know that a Honduran lady pastor was at the same place we were at. So Martha changed clothes and with the help of Gracie's husband, Lee, they climbed into a huge concrete water tank known as a pila . Martha was baptized and came up out of the water smiling even bigger.
At that time we were not able to take Martha or her children into our house. Martha was above our age limit for the girls in our house, even though her social age was much lower. After much prayer, the decision was made to let them come. As of April 11th they will be living in our house for about two years. Isn't God good!
This has left Martha feeling rejected, useless and unable to care for all five of her children. When I met Martha, the three older children had already been living with other relatives since they were babies, because Martha did not have food to feed them and the next man in the house did not want them. She didn't know any other way of life. Her mother's example was full of men too. Martha didn't really know her father. Her father figure was the man that helped raise her.
Everything seemed to be going good again for Martha with her last man, until he snapped. Right after Christmas 2012. He burned down everything in the house, TV, Cell phones, the children s' toys and all their clothes. Martha made a plan and ran away with the two children she had by him. In February, he found them. Martha was outside with a machete cutting wood for the fire. He was inside the house trying to molest the two year old before he started killing them all with a hatchet. A cousin walked in at the right time and screamed with a shrieking voice. Martha, relatives and neighbors in the surrounding area came running. She and the "man" began to fight with the hatchet and machete. The relatives and neighbors overpowered him and led him to the police. At the police station, they found he had two warrants out for his arrest. One was from killing his previous woman and three year old son by setting the car they were in on fire. The second was because had killed a doctor or a teacher.
Martha was traumatized by all of this and entered a period of crying and depression. When we met her a few weeks latter (March 2013), she was still sad and hungry. As we talked with her we realized she didn't know Jesus. A missionary friend, Gracie Murphy, shared her testimony of abuse and gave her the salvation message. Zamy, one of the girls that live with me got the honors of leading Martha in prayer to receive Jesus in her heart. It was instant! Her dull old face turned into a youthful, joyful smile.
We were also blessed to know that a Honduran lady pastor was at the same place we were at. So Martha changed clothes and with the help of Gracie's husband, Lee, they climbed into a huge concrete water tank known as a pila . Martha was baptized and came up out of the water smiling even bigger.
At that time we were not able to take Martha or her children into our house. Martha was above our age limit for the girls in our house, even though her social age was much lower. After much prayer, the decision was made to let them come. As of April 11th they will be living in our house for about two years. Isn't God good!