Since she was a small girl, Maria del Carmen of Trujillo, Peru has had great compassion on the sick and the needy. After encountering Christ, Maria has learned to use this compassion to extend Jesus’ heart to the hurting.
When I was little, my mother sometimes took me to the city – usually to the town square in downtown Trujillo. On some days I would see people with dementia, drunk, or eating garbage. I would look at them and stop walking. Sometimes my mother didn’t notice, but a tear would fall down my cheek. I wanted to hug these people and ask, “What pain is inside you that makes you feel like this?”
As a child my desire was to help people who suffered. When I was an adolescent one of my aunts got sick with cancer. The pain I felt at this time marked my life, so I said. “If I could help people who are in need, this pain might go away.” That is what led me to a career in healthcare.
Though I experienced success in my career, my heart was not filled with joy. As I grew as a professional my pain for the hurting increased. I began to diagnose cases of AIDS, cancer, infections, and other terrible things. There were times when some of my patients would try to kill themselves. They would even cut their veins, and I would have to sew them up because no one else would attend to them. My heart suffered more each day. I took some psychology courses to help others and myself, but it simply wasn’t enough.
One night I called to the Lord, crying out all of the pain that was deep inside of me. When I finished I was exhausted. I felt a deep peace come over me and I entered a restful sleep. When I awoke I felt that Jesus had taken me in my arms. I asked God to send me an angel, and He answered me. The next day I met an evangelist who shared God’s Word with me. Two days later, my mother and I accepted Jesus. Missionaries Robert and Erika Sukkau became my mentors. They have given me lots of spiritual food and they have so much patience. Above all, their wisdom has come to me with lots of love.
I am a different person since coming to Christ. I have assurance as a daughter of God because I know that He will hold me up. It gives me great happiness and joy knowing that through God I can take the Word of life to those who believe there is no hope left. I can tell them that there is another life, there is a heaven waiting for us, and there is a Father that takes care of us though we may not have parents, friends, or family. This is the message I want to transmit.
One of my dreams is to create a home where patients can spend their last days. If they cannot be healed physically, I know the Lord will heal their hearts. I know that I can’t do this alone; it is God who does this work. I put myself in His hands, trusting in His love and mercy.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Revelation 21:4