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A reminder of God’s faithfulness in the mission field

When Melodie asked Elena* to help, she didn’t hesitate to say yes. Melodie Francis is a Fellowship International missionary serving in Honduras, specifically at Casa Hogar, and not too long ago, one of the children, Laura*, had an emergency. With several staff members sick, it was difficult to find someone who could stay overnight at the hospital; but Elena, a young woman over 18, didn’t think twice.

What was supposed to be a one-day stay turned into seven days of treatment for Laura, which meant Elena stayed overnight for the entire week. Staff members visited during the day while trying to manage a full house of children and still be present during this emergency. Melodie was deeply impacted by Elena and her willingness to stay and care for Laura:

“I remember one time I walked in the room, and Elena was putting hydrating cream on Laura. During the first couple of days, the girl needed diapers. She's a kid with Down syndrome, and she wasn't even able to get up and go to the bathroom without having severe coughing fits. It was really hard with all the tubes. So, Elena even helped clean her up and do all these things.”

Melodie thanked Elena for her help, knowing how much it meant to the staff at Casa Hogar. But Elena’s response was something she didn’t expect:

“You did it for me when I was little”.

In that moment, Melodie remembered when Elena was about eight years old. She had kidney problems, and Melodie had taken her to San Pedro and to Tegos for treatments. But Melodie had forgotten about those moments. In the life of missions and ministry, you give and give for so long, and after nearly 20 years of Melodie serving in Honduras, some memories fade, yet not for the person who was directly impacted. Elena thanked Melodie for all she had done, and now, years later, she was doing the same for someone else.

Missions work doesn’t always show its fruit right away. There are moments when the results are clear, and you feel rewarded by your work in foreign places. But there are also seasons when you work, give, and sacrifice without seeing any visible outcome. This story and what Melodie experienced remind us that even when we don’t see the fruit, God is still faithful and we never know how many people He has touched through the lives of missionaries.

Today, we witness the results of the efforts of countless missionaries who, decades ago, went to the ends of the earth to share the truth to which many of us can now testify. We are the fruit of God’s work through people we may never meet in this life.

May this be an encouragement today if you are a missionary in the field struggling to see the fruit of your work. God sees both the work and the workers, and He uses them for His purposes.

And if you are not a missionary, but this story has stirred something in your heart, take time to learn more about the work of Casa Hogar in Honduras. There is so much need, and the workers are few. Could this be God calling you to this field?

* For security reasons, we are not disclosing the names of the girls in this story.