Christ Himself Opened the Door!

By Sofia S., on mission in Argentina

I met Beatrice, a 44 year old woman, in the soup kitchen that we help with several times a week in the mornings. She was a very small, fragile looking woman. At first, she kept her distance from us, but slowly this physical distance became a familiarity and then a friendship. Beatrice had had lung problems for 4 years. Coming to the soup kitchen was her outing of the day – she lived in her bed the rest of the time.

One evening we visited Beatrice in her home. Her home was very simple; she and her husband Mario did not have much. Her husband had lost his job during covid, so he began to garden and sell what he grew in order to provide for his family. The front of their house was very green, with tall weeds and small spots organized of different herbs. We entered her room and there she sat on her mattress with an old blanket and a big smile on her face. She said to us ”I’m always embarrassed to show anyone my home, but I know that y’all are not here for my home. You are here to be with me.”

Beatrice so simply told me what my mission was: to be with her. Throughout the visit she continually repeated ”I’m so happy you are here. Thank you for coming,” with a big childlike smile on her face. As we chatted, she asked her husband to bring us honey and butter. These two things are a luxury for our friends, and honey is used only on special occasions usually. As we were leaving, her husband brought us the last two grown lemons from their tree. I felt unworthy of receiving these generous gestures from them. They were the most valuable butter, honey, and lemons I have ever received, for they were given with love.

We came on this visit to bring the presence of Christ, and very quickly I realized it was Christ who opened the door and received us on this visit. I found that I was the poorest person in the room, for I was in front of Beatrice and Mario, who were rich in love, generosity, and joy.