A GIFT OF COMPASSION WITH MISSION IN THE WINGS…

By Julie Halverson

Our son, Adam, was preparing for his senior year in high school. He earned a starting forward position on the basketball team in Marion after working extremely hard all summer. This team was rated #1 in the State preseason polls and had a future NBA player, Zach Randolph on it. The Giants went on to capture the State Championship in March of 2000. It would have been any athlete’s dream to play and be a part of the season this team had. Unfortunately Adam injured his shoulder in a preseason game and his senior season never happened. One of his trainers gave Adam these bible verses for encouragement: 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' James 1: 2-4 Adam had surgery in January 2000. When the doctor came to talk to me, he first told me how the surgery went...a very large tear in his anterior shoulder muscle and he was done for the season. The look on my face told the doctor I was devastated for Adam. He gave me some parental advice; like how to handle the disappointment and help our son. Next came a Christian witness I was NOT expecting from a doctor. He talked about perseverance, endurance and opportunities...quoting the SAME 3 verses from James that Adam's trainer had given him 2 months before! My mouth literally dropped open. I was shocked that this doctor cared enough to talk with me about his faith. These verses continued to nag at me every day, but I didn't know why. One month later, my father died from Alzheimer's. I had had so many difficulties to sort out and these verses from James really made sense. I knew I needed to turn the difficult times into opportunities, I needed to persevere and I definitely knew I was facing trials. After much soul searching and praying, I decided to take a mission trip with our church to Honduras in June 2000.

My mission trips have all been to Escuela El Sembrador in Central Honduras, 3½ hours from Tegucigalpa. The English translation of Escuela El Sembrador is "School of the Sower". It is a farm school for underprivileged boys, started in the 1950’s by Donald Hawk. It is still directed by his sons who are missionaries with World Gospel Mission. Their objectives are to educate underprivileged boys, teach them a trade and bring them to Christ through their program.

I had never been to a third world country before. I soaked up all the new sights and situations I could. I have helped build a hog barn, designed sidewalks, poured cement, milked a cow, driven a front loader, watched slaughter day of cows and pigs, painted, cooked and done laundry with a old ringer machine! I was amazed that I saw a family of four riding on "one" bicycle or that some children didn’t wear clothes or shoes. I saw men urinating on the side of the road. Construction was slow and seemed backward. Dirt roads and one-lane bridges were the type of roads we traveled. If the bridge was out, we drove through the river to get across. Armed guards with machine guns stood outside bank entrances and at the airport. Public restrooms didn’t have toilet paper. To prevent crime in Tegucigalpa walls around property had jagged pieces of glass or nails cemented on the top. We weren’t to drink the water while in the capital city. People in the streets came to your car window selling anything from bananas to leather belts while you waited for a light to change. In smaller cities, no one paid attention to stop signs so driving through these towns was an experience! Women carried laundry or parcels on their heads. As we went past a public hospital in Tegucigalpa, there was a long line of people waiting to get into the Emergency Room for treatment. The poverty and filth was clearly evident everywhere. Children played very close to the roads in which we were driving 50 M.P.H. Cows and horses stopped traffic while they crossed the road.

On my second trip, June of 2001, I met a student named Wilson. I was amazed that he remembered me from the summer before. In fact, he was excited to show me that he had saved a basketball picture of Adam in his Bible for a year! He had a gentleness about him that made me curious. Why was he there and where did he come from? Did his mother miss him? What kind of a past had he had? On this trip I learned about scholarship opportunities and I knew that I wanted to sponsor Wilson and have now helped him since July of 2001.

Since I had worked building a hog barn, I wanted to see a pig delivery. It didn’t happen on this trip. Consequently, a missionary asked me to watch him artificially inseminate a cow! Now this was something to see, very educational, but really very gross! I’m always ready to see or learn something new, so I didn’t pass up the chance to observe.

During the years of sponsorship, I have written and received letters from Wilson. I sent things like soccer and basketball shoes, jeans, sox, t-shirts and shorts. I have sent a monthly check of $30 to World Gospel Mission for his room and board. This has now gone up to $90 because of the high school program he's in. He has been very appreciative and I have been humbled to be able to do this.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think saying good-bye to this boy would be so difficult. One trip he said he had a gift for me. He had made me a key chain out of metal that says "Julie". Of course I will cherish it forever. After developing a friendship with this boy, it was this trip that began the difficulty of saying good-bye. When I left in June 2002, I didn’t know if I would see him again or if he would return to El Sembrador for further studies. He was graduating from 8th grade in November and hadn’t decided yet to come back for the high school program. I cried half way to Tegucigalpa.

I arranged to go for Wilson’s 8th grade graduation! While all my trips to Honduras were wonderful, this one in Nov 2002 was quite special. It proved to be the trip that would change the direction of my life. So many things had to work out for me to even get there, especially someone to run my Day care business. I was able to spend a week in Honduras, which meant I could attend the students’ testimonies and the special banquet held prior to the graduation ceremony. Wilson would have someone there for him before his mother arrived. I had a wonderful time with Wilson, bringing him gifts for graduation, his birthday and Christmas. I met his mother, who thanked me with tears in her eyes, for helping her son. I was nervous about meeting her because I was afraid she would resent me. He hadn’t seen his mother in several years. I learned about his sad upbringing from a friend who also came for graduation. His family was terribly poor and his home had burned to the ground twice. His mother did laundry for others to support her family. I was told his stepfather had sexually molested his sisters and held a gun to Wilson’s head, forcing him to watch. He has since told me this step-father was involved with witchcraft and in 1998, he was killed. Hearing this about a boy I had grown so fond of absolutely broke my heart. I worry about emotional scars he might have from this abuse. I picture Wilson meeting my husband who is such a wonderful father figure. I imagine them playing basketball together!

It was also on this trip that I finally saw a pig deliver her piglets. I was whisked out of the kitchen and taken up to the hog barn on a 4 wheeler where I had a ringside seat on an upside down pail. As we approached the barn and a worker gave me the "thumbs up" sign. I realized everyone knew I was the crazy, North American woman who wanted to see a pig having babies!

On my flight home from Tegucigalpa I met a missionary and his wife at the ticket counter as I was checking in. We exchanged small talk but I didn’t realize Paul would be on my flight to Houston. We ended up sitting next to each other and had a great time talking about his work, his family, learning Spanish, my involvement with El Sembrador and people we both knew with World Gospel Mission. I noted in my journal that this was a wonderful end to my trip by sitting with him. He had a connecting flight to Mexico as he was doing a ministerial seminar there. He was concerned that he didn’t have much time, had to claim his bags and go through customs. Before we parted, Paul had me write my name and address down for him. I had left a jacket in Tegucigalpa and he would see that it was mailed to me.

I never saw him again. After returning home, I learned Paul suffered a heart attack in the Houston Airport shortly after leaving me. I received a group email from El Sembrador, asking for prayer for a man named Paul. I couldn’t believe it. No one knew I had met him. After calling Honduras, I was told he was on a respirator and his prognosis was grim. He died 2 days later at the age of 50. So many things ran through my head…I remembered him kissing his wife good-bye at the gate, and how it had been their "final" good-bye. All the things we talked about; he had comforting words for me when I told him it was so hard to say good-bye to Wilson. I was the last person to talk to him; what kind of sympathy could I offer his wife? Was it a coincidence that I sat next to him or did God choose ME for a special reason? I had never thought of this until a friend suggested it. It helped me as I tried to make sense of this tragedy.

This experience really touched me. I was extremely drained both physically and emotionally. I had said good-bye to Wilson whose eyes told me he was equally as sad, and now this man on the plane dies. What lesson should I learn from it all? I realized how easy it was to take a relationship for granted. I vowed to change that, especially with my husband. I wrote Paul’s wife, Minda, a 3 page, detailed letter of everything we talked about. I also sent her a Prayer Box bracelet that included a special prayer I wrote especially for her. Each year when Nov 14th comes, I write Minda a note and make a donation in memory of Paul. It will be the 5th anniversary of his death in 2007.

The inspiration for creating Julie’s Prayers and Squares came after a few months of sorting out my thoughts, my compassion for what life deals us, my love for creativity and a special way to connect with people. I began designing these Prayer Box bracelets three years ago. I was SO inspired by the opportunity to send this perfect gift to Paul’s widow. I believe God wanted me to share my experiences. I have tried to turn my sadness or difficulties into positive action, just like the verses in James suggest we do, and have not been disappointed with the results.

These prayer box bracelets are not solely my design as others are making them. I try to use some vintage beads in every bracelet as I love to flea market shop or go antiquing. But what IS unique about my bracelets is the story that inspired me to make them. I love the concept and all the occasions that make giving this bracelet just the perfect gift. I have personally written 50 different prayers that you can choose to be included with your bracelet. It is such an uplifting gift for someone facing a difficult divorce, illness, or death; and for a joyous occasion such as birth, marriage or engagement, or for that special person, a mother, sister, daughter, grandmother. Many give this bracelet to someone who has lost a loved one. The presence of prayer means so much during a difficult time.

I wanted to bring Wilson to Indiana for the holidays this past year, but it not did not happen. The government has so many regulations before they will permit a Honduran native to travel. Wilson would have to own a vehicle, a house, have a job, have a bank account and have family in Honduras. He’s only 21 and at this point, has only family. I have a savings account called "Wilson’s Trip to USA" and I will keep saving and keep praying that someday this will happen. I want so much to have him meet all of my family, friends and attend church with me!

My 6th trip to Honduras was June 2004. I went alone and stayed at the home of a missionary couple. It would be a week of vacation for the students. Wilson and his 14 yr old brother, Osmel were among 20 boys that didn’t travel home, partly because I was coming. Wilson got to come to Tegucigalpa to meet my plane which he has never done before. My luggage didn’t arrive until day #4. For the first time ever, I had put a change of underwear and a nightshirt in my carry on, along with my toothbrush. I was there 12 days and spent the first week with Wilson every day. I was able to have meals with him, attend a village church together, travel into the nearest town to shop for little things he needed. After classes, Wilson’s daily job is to make 16 loaves of bread for the boys’ dinner meal. On my last day, I was able to help him make bread. I looked like "I Love Lucy"....I had flour everywhere!! One morning he brought me a few slices of his bread so I could taste it. Another day I had several pieces of clothing made by a 26 yr old seamstress. Material for 10 pieces cost $80.00. Labor to sew them was $60.00. Lixa wanted a new set of pots and pans; in exchange for labor, I bought her a new set of pots and pans at Wal-Mart and took them with me! They don’t have patterns like we do here, you just tell her what you want, draw a picture, she measures every inch of you, and makes the garment. NOTHING had to be changed when I went for the fitting. All 10 pieces were finished in 6 days!! This was a priceless experience….! Another night Wilson and I sat up until the wee hours talking about his past. He told me everything (in Spanish) and ended up in tears. My limited Spanish vocabulary totally left me at this point. I tried to explain to him how he needed to make positive things happen in his life…that it was up to him to use opportunities God was giving him to make a better life for himself. And I reminded him that the only reason I was in Honduras this time was to see HIM. When I told him this, he began to cry again. It was a time of closeness a mother would share with a son. I wanted to say just the right thing to comfort him and no Spanish words would come. I kept saying, "Lo siento" which means ‘I’m sorry.’ Then my tears started. We finally said good night but how does one sleep after this? I could not. Another day we went visiting in the villages and I witnessed extreme poverty like I’ve never seen before. At this point, I still only had the clothes on my back…no luggage. What a lesson I learned about getting by with less. Almost every evening there would be a dozen boys come to the house to play UNO, Spoons or Skip-Bo. Of course the good byes were difficult, I always dread it. Wilson came to the house at 6:30 am, before school, to say good bye. I left a large piece of my heart in Honduras this time. I was beyond SAD.

My 7th trip was June of 2005. It was much like my sixth trip in that I was there when the boys were on vacation. Wilson and I helped with a rummage sale, did some projects for Lori Hawk, who I stayed with and spent an afternoon at a swimming pool with several others. This was a special treat! My 8th trip was Nov 12-19, 2005! Wilson graduated from high school on Nov 14th which is a big deal in this 3rd world country. As a special gift, Wilson finally got to meet my husband, Rich, who traveled to Honduras for his FIRST international trip, without knowing any Spanish but Buenos Dias! Talk about stepping out of the box….Rich is not the adventuresome traveler that I am. Our oldest son, Nic, went with us. I have dreamed about Rich and Wilson meeting for 4 years and can’t believe it happened. I know Wilson was very excited that Rich came. They spent time together watching movies and playing Hillbilly Golf. My favorite picture of them together is Rich teaching Wilson how to tie a necktie which I don’t think Wilson has ever worn before! This was a father/son type photo which was emotional for me because Wilson doe not have a father. Rich and I signed his diploma because we were his ‘padrinos’, which means sponsors. We saw the college campus Wilson has been accepted to and we will be helping him with expenses. Wilson was 21 in December and has matured into a very handsome, confident young man. We are so proud of his accomplishments.

An acting director at El Sembrador once said, "Being a missionary is God loving people through you." I have tried to become more service oriented as helping others is so rewarding and humbling. Each time I travel to Honduras, I try to have at least one new experience on the trip. That way my expectations are never too high. I started this on my second trip and it has worked! Trip #7 had 21 new experiences….that was a record!

I have been humbled by a Honduran man who asked me to pray for him to be able to quit drinking. I was touched by a teenage girl who had tears in her eyes as she said good-bye to me. I was moved when a little girl wanted to hold my hand and sit on my lap. I was sad to think giving a little boy one piece of gum made him so happy. I was bombarded with emotion when a village church sang a "good-bye" song to our work team. Every member of that church bid us farewell with a hug, some with tears. Mission work has made me more sensitive, compassionate and emotional which is frustrating for me because tears flow too easily at times. Most Hondurans have so few material possessions but have much in spiritual wealth and inner peace. They are happy and hard working people.

In closing...while in Honduras one summer I realized something that has taken me 3½years to be aware of. The verses in James I: 2-4 help me to remember that God puts opportunities before us to strengthen our faith for a reason. The doctor's name in the beginning of my story, the one who did our son's surgery, was Frank Wilson! It was 1½ years later that another "Wilson" would have significance in my life. It could just be a coincidence but I’m not so sure. ‘Wilson’ isn’t a common Hispanic name. Sometimes we miss opportunities if we don’t step outside the box. But isn't it awesome what's happened in my life because Dr. Wilson took time to share these verses of scripture with me and even make copies of them from his bible which he had at the hospital! Don't pass up an opportunity to witness your faith or let someone witness to you; it may be out of your comfort zone, but just listen. Remember the verses in the book of James. Turn difficult times into opportunities...your life just may take a different direction! Because of this, I will never be the same again! These verses certainly have special meaning in MY life and they really do help me get through some difficult times. After 19 years of running a private day care out of my home, I retired in May of 2004 . It was an emotional finish for me but I knew it was time; my heart is in this business and my mission work in Honduras. I can tell you that sharing my experiences and showing my jewelry has enriched my life beyond words. I have met the neatest women and heard some amazing stories of how others have been touched by my prayers and the jewelry. That alone has been the biggest reward for me!

I will end my story with a song sung by my niece. ……it really sums up my feelings, my burdens, my joys, my spirit and my future. The words were written by my 18 yr old niece, Kayla, dedicating the song to her classmates as she graduated from high school. The music was written by my brother, Kurt. It has been translated into Spanish and sent to Wilson as a source of encouragement… of promise…. that’s what I hope it is for each one of you. It’s called LOOK TO THE SKY.