What Now?

What do you do with a week in Honduras that has changed your life? When it’s over, I mean. How do you take those stories that you lived and heard and saw – and then go back to your ordinary, everyday, walking around kind of life in America?  My mind still reels with memories of the children, that container shipment, those dresses and pajamas, those books to dance for; my eyes still brim over with tears throughout the days. I bet there are other stories, too, that happened there without my presence or knowledge – some of the school evangelism events, the day trip to City of the Angels, the men’s crib, the children. We want to know about those memories, too. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a complete picture of our amazing week in Jalaca, Honduras – that week that changed all our lives?

My friend and colleague, Tim, traveled to Rwanda a number of years ago, a mission sort of like ours. He was accompanying Immaculée Ilibagiza, a survivor of the holocaust there. Theirs was a mission of peace and forgiveness, yet one of sharing their story with people like me who didn’t understand what it was all about. His blog (http://timokeefe.blogspot.com) informed and inspired, horrified yet challenged me. My inspiration for this blog came from Tim’s journaling – to leave a mark on this important week. You can visit Tim’s blog to experience his amazing, miraculous trip as well and you will be further inspired by Immaculée’s book, Left to Tell. (http://www.lefttotell.com)

Therefore, I will pen my memories to the best of my knowledge. And I await your memories - you know, those journals you have all been keeping ;).Send any and all entries to my email at EJZTBarnes21@aol.com to be reposted as guest entries to the blog. I am counting on you to respond, too, and react to some of the entries that are published. This blog could be like a conversation, this back-and-forth commenting to be continued conversations on our week’s experiences. Please feel free to invite anyone you wish to visit our blog and share their thoughts.

I emulate Tim, too, in getting some of those ideas for his blog. The name chosen as the title for this blog is a direct quote from Mr. Jim; but, it wasn’t quoted to me. Like Tim, I try to listen closely to those around me and capture other people’s words and impressions. (My teenagers probably will laugh; my hearing is not that great. Or my memory sometimes. So, since I heard this at the Honduras airport and finally wrote it down several airports later, it might not be perfectly represented. But, the last three words definitely were exact. Forgive me for any mistakes I might make now… and in the future.)

At our last breakfast in Honduras, we feasted on McDonald’s biscuits. Most of the team members were stretched on connected tables across the width of the airport. I was privileged that Mr. Jim and Mrs. Georgia’s small table just happened to be right behind me. They weren’t really sitting there though. They were mingling, hugging the team members; checking on food orders; greeting people. Their table was actually more like a meeting place for them to find each other.

So, as I chewed, I overheard (okay, eavesdropped) Mr. Jim say something like, “Hasn’t it been the most wonderful week, dear?” She was quiet, I imagine, chewing, too. But, in my mind, I pictured her nodding and smiling. Jim continued with these memorable words, “Miracle upon miracle!”

Ah, folks. Remember who is speaking!?! This is Jim, the loving and faithful man who tried to start an orphanage through all the traditional organizations assisting him. According to those organizations, though, Jim and Georgia were too old. According to God, though, Jim and Georgia were just right. He implanted that miraculous ministry in their hearts and even when others did not capture the vision, they were faithful to see it through in other, less-traditional ways. Thanks to this lovely couple, thirty-eight children’s lives are changed completely from horrors of neglectful parents, prostitute mothers, abusive fathers, rapes, extreme hunger, poverty, terror after terror. Instead, their lives are now full of smiles and hugs, rice and beans, teachers who educate them, tias who care for them, Jim and Georgia who nurture and inspire them, and Jesus who loves them no matter what. Thanks to their commitment, this whole community is better-fed, better-clothed, better-doctored, better-equipped, better-informed, better-inspired to follow Jesus. And thanks to their mission’s mission, this whole country will be better prepared for the future as these precious children are brought up as educated, thoughtful, caring Honduran citizens with a vision for the impact they will make on their world. I am sure that this couple has sat back and shared stories in their mission house, the winds blowing through those open windows and the sounds of chattering children wafting through. I am sure they have seen their share of miracles – more miracles than we Americans could probably imagine. Yet, when they look back at this small seven-day period, Jim describes it as “Miracle upon miracle!” How blessed we are to have been a part of the miracle!