ADOPTING A HAWAIIAN AUNTY IN NEED
Arriving at Paula’s house for the first time, her smile grew bigger and bigger as each of seven Molina children greeted her with an “Aloha Aunty” and a hug. Then we sat around her on the front porch and listened intently as she shared a little about her past and current situation.
The more Aunty Paula told us about her story, the wider our eyes grew. How could the woman in the story, the one who had endured so much in her life, be the same Aunty sitting before us? The one with the loving smile and thriving plant business, the one who was now inspiring others and giving back to the community?
THE ARMS OF OUR COMMUNITY
Hers was a tale of overcoming obstacles few of us could imagine, from life-altering childhood trauma and 13 years of homelessness, to a present series of setbacks that were threatening to take away all she had restored over the last decade. This was someone who deserved love and support, and we had quickly determined to wrap the arms of our community and new organization around her.
Jumping into action, we began by rallying the community to support her through one of the toughest phases of her life, coordinating events for her business and taking key items off her immediate stress list. Her desire to share her remarkable life story was another essential project to move on and within days we had conducted a full podcast interview, as well as committing to see her vision for a book come to life.
FROM TALKING STORY TO TAKING ACTION
There would be many more challenges to face, but we had succeeded in showing Aunty that she would never have to face any of them alone, and that not only had the Lord revealed His loving ways by bringing us together, but that He would continue to comfort and strengthen her at every turn.
