Doña Cuca

Doña Cuca began attending our congregation in the city of Jesús Maria three or four years ago when it was still a small group that met on Tuesday nights (Don and Doña are honorifics usually reserved for elderly people.) Although she was almost 90 years old, and a little deaf, she rarely missed and always had a smile and hug for everyone. She was concerned for the salvation of her extended family and always asked for me to pray for them when I spoke there.

She had a hard life in many ways, but she was still full of joy. I loved to hear her tell stories of her life and of the area where she lived which had been colonized by Italian immigrants over one hundred years ago. She still knew how to make many of the traditional recipes.

In spite of her age she was very spunky. Last year we all got a little scared when she told us the water tank on the roof of her house was leaking so she just climbed up and fixed it herself.

I think her greatest joy last year was to see a niece begin to come to meetings with her and to be able to bring some of her great-grandchildren to services.

Several weeks ago, Alejandro Grande, the pastor of the congregation in Jesús Maria called me. Doña Cuca had been crossing the main street and was hit by a truck.

I preached at the wake the next day. The congregation showed up as a body. Their concern and evident love had a great impact on the extended family. I preached the Gospel to them because I knew that is what Doña Cuca would have wanted. Her strong testimony made it easy.

We all missed her at the next Sunday meeting. But we were very happy to see present some of the people she always asked us to pray for.

Sam Masters