John Delancy's Experience in
Honduras: Here I Am Lord
Many are called, few are
chosen.
Over a year ago I heard Bishop Chip
talk about a medical mission to Honduras.
I'll confess to only knowing approximately
where it was. I don't remember what he said
to compel me to ask him for more details,
but I did. From the moment I heard about it
though, I knew I would be going. In a complex,
confusing life, it was something I could cling to with absolute certainty as 'the right thing
to do'. It wasn't until
this past week that I completely understood why.
I had seen the pictures of the children and environment they live in. I suppose
I am
over sensitized to such pictures from the television commercials about the
starving
kids in Africa. I was looking at a place that I had never seen and at children I
had
never known. There is an interesting phenomenon about taking pictures that seems
to
be universal. The pictures simply can't tell the story. They cannot show you
what is
to the left, right, up, down or behind. They cannot tell you what you are
hearing,
smelling or feeling. They cannot give you the sense of isolation or frustration
you
get when you cannot communicate with the people around you.
The experience itself borders on surreal. You leave Mississippi's mild winter to
the
summer in Honduras. You put yourself in the hands of people you have only met
once
with absolute confidence. You work until exhaustion and cannot sleep. The older
women have a shy habit of carrying a dishtowel to cover their mouths, but openly
nurse their babies. In the dentist's chair some children fight with every ounce
of
strength while most won't even flinch. Living in that world, even for a week,
seems
to destabilize what I thought I knew about human beings.
For members of the teams the experience was like summer camp of long ago. For
the
people we go to help, it's like Mardi Gras. It's truly hard to tell who benefits
more. They have received medical, dental, veterinary, and optical care from
people
whose only motivation was to help. We received an opportunity to serve our Lord
and
His people. We also received extensions to our families. I personally came back
with
a greater sense of purpose and a desire to be a better, more humble and grateful
person.
I have been asked, "Why do you go to Honduras?" I couldn't really answer that
until
the team meeting in January. We sang a song during the last service of the
weekend
called Here I Am, Lord. The words of the song say it best. "I who made the stars
of
night, I will make their darkness bright. Who will bear my light to them? Whom
shall
I send? Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I
will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart."