Abundant Grace Community Church of Dallas: The Pastor from Miami and His Mother

Last August, a well dressed stranger arrived at our church (Abundant Grace Community Church of Dallas) and introduced himself as a Pastor from Miami. It was around lunch time and we were about to begin our mid-week lunch service that we call “PowerLunch”. The Pastor was in Dallas looking for his Mother who he hadn’t seen since he was a boy in Puerto Rico. It had been 22 years since he had seen his Mother, all he had was an old photograph and some family stories that his mother was homeless and on the streets of Dallas. Diego traveled from Miami to Dallas because he was scheduled to be ordained back in Miami and he wanted to share this great event with his lost mother.

The Pastor had stopped for lunch earlier at Ojeda’s, a local restaurant in the area. The manager of the restaurant didn’t recognize the lady in Diego’s picture but told him, “If someone is homeless and on these streets, go see the Pastor at Abundant Grace”.

His Mother, was a regular attendee of our “PowerLunch”; but for some reason was not there that day. My wife, told the Pastor that she would be glad to take him to find his mother; but that he needed to be ready for what he might find. You see, his Mother lives in a dumpster.

The walk from the church to his mother's “home” was a tough one for Diego. But the joy of a Mother and Son being re-united after 20+ years was amazing.