Jack was awakened to the sound of the rooster and the smell of the hot, wet air on a late September morning in a village in Nicaragua, Central America.
He immediately got up, shook out his shoes for scorpions, and walked outside of the school building used to house missionaries during short term
visits. The children of Israel, Nicaragua, were already awake to see what the white missionaries would do next.
He could see that it had rained in the night because the dirt road was muddy, and the church tent on the basketball court was soaked. When the guard
opened the chain linked fence gate, Jack headed up to the other school building to collect his breakfast. He noticed that his thirteen year old legs
were tired from walking around a lot the day before. He sat down to eat his cold pop-tart, while waving his hand to keep flies from touching his food.
If one fly touched his food, he knew he could become ill. Jack could not afford sickness, because after breakfast another chaotic day began.
The doors opened to the clinic, and the church services started. Jack’s dad was preaching, his mom teaching the children service, and his younger, six
year old brother was helping his mom with the children. Jack sort of helped everywhere making friends with the translators and helping his dad and mom
with their services. He also helped the other missionaries. There were about thirty-five total in the group including Jack’s family. Jack stopped by
each door of the clinic. Jack saw some workers giving medicine to Nicaraguans, another chiseling a young girl’s tooth without numbing medicine, and
doctors examining people and prescribing medicine. At the end of the line, each family would get beans, rice, clothing, and if any children a toy.
After helping for a while, the first church service ended, and the short break allowed Jack to catch up with his dad.
Jack greeted his father by asking, “Dad, how many accepted Jesus so far today?”
He replied, “About ten so far, but unfortunately, we have no more Spanish Bibles to give to the new believers.”
“Oh man, that’s terrible!” Jack responded.
“We were only able to bring so many. We’ll just have to help the next team raise more funds in order to bring more Bibles next time,” Jack’s dad said
encouragingly.
With this sad news in the back of his mind, Jack went on his way looking for ways to help. No one seemed to need help at the moment, so Jack began to
play with the children. They kicked the soccer ball around and practiced shooting a sling shot for a while. The language difference didn’t seem to
matter. Even though no one could understand one another, they were having fun. After playing for a while, it was time to eat lunch. After saying “bye”
to the children, Jack ran up to the fence and was allowed in the lunch line. After dipping his hands in bleach and soapy water, he was able to eat.
After consuming two hot dogs and a bag of chips, it was time to start the third service. He decided to listen to his father preach. While listening he
was confronted by a Nicaraguan boy his age. The boy spoke quickly in a very thick dialect of Spanish. Jack was clueless and stared with a blank look.
Jack knew he needed help. He began looking around and found what he was looking for, Jorge, (pronounced, Hor-hey in Spanish, but George in English) a
translator and friend working with the team.
Jack pointed to the boy as he asked Jorge, “What is he saying? Who is this boy?”
Jorge asked the boy the same questions in Spanish. The young boy replied with Jack understanding only one of the spoken words in the exchange,
“Victor,” the boy’s name.
Jorge told Jack, “His name is Victor; he is asking you for a Bible for his father-“
Jack didn’t really hear the rest of Jorge’s translated message because he immediately remembered what his father had told him about the Bible
situation, and a sad look came over his face.
Jack said to Jorge, “Tell him that I am very sorry, but there are no more Bibles.”
Dejected, Victor walked back and sat down under the covering of the tent.
Jack said to himself, “Never again will someone ask me for a Bible, and I won’t have one to give!”
After a few more days of medical and dental clinics and church services with many villagers in Israel hearing the Good News and receiving treatment for
illnesses, Jack and his family were on a plane heading home and returning to their normal lives. The mission trip was completed, but Jack wasn’t
satisfied.
Soon after the first trip, Jack and his brother were talking about returning to Nicaragua the following year. Their parents were doubtful and were
unsure about having the necessary finances to go two years in a row. Jack knew that there would be another team going, so he determined to send more
than enough Spanish Bibles with the team heading back to Nicaragua. Maybe he could even send one to Victor.
After brainstorming ideas with his dad, Jack and his dad designed and bought prayer journals for Jack to resell to raise funds for the needed Bibles.
From the profit of one journal, six Bibles could be purchased. Jack’s goal was 1,000 Spanish Bibles.
Jack preferred to remain behind the scenes and usually avoided speaking in front of crowds. However, Jack found it quite easy to tell others about his
encounter with Victor, and amazingly donations and money poured in. On the first Sunday, Jack made over $800. God blessed Jack while speaking to other
churches about his goal and his mission. After several months of selling, the journals were paid off. Jack had enough money to buy 1,550 Bibles - 550
over his goal! But, Jack wanted more. He desperately wanted to return to Nicaragua!
God soon began to work in Jack’s family. It became obvious to his mom and dad that Jack should return to distribute the Bibles, because he had been
totally devoted to this project. After months of saving and a family yard sale, enough money was in hand for the trip.
“The mission organization never sends a mission team back to the same village. So I didn’t want you to get your hopes up about being able to give
Victor a Bible in person,” Jack’s dad explained.
“I understand,” Jack said, but he was sad about the news as he thought about the fact that he probably would never see Victor again.
As the months had passed, Jack absorbed what little news he heard about Nicaragua. The only reports of national interest were those of damage after a
hurricane made landfall over the country. Jack often wondered about the village of Israel and Victor. Where they okay?
“This news is unbelievable!” Jack’s father reported one Sunday afternoon only a few weeks before the scheduled mission trip. The missionary in
Nicaragua had called to make an unusual request for the team. Would they consider returning to the village of Israel? The village had been damaged
heavily by the hurricane, and construction was needed as well as medical supplies. Could it be that Jack would see Victor after all and hand him a
Bible? Jack knew that God had intervened!
Incredibly six short weeks later, Jack found himself on the familiar bumpy, dirt road leading to Israel. Jack’s heart raced as he knew he may be
reunited with Victor. Various thoughts raced through his mind as he wondered if Victor was still there or even still alive after the terrible
hurricane. Jack glanced to and fro from the bus window as he began to recognize the school buildings, the tent for the church services, some of the
children, and VICTOR! He was standing there, faithfully waiting for the mission bus to arrive when their eyes met. They both immediately smiled. Jack
jumped off the bus with excitement and told Victor, “Uno momento (One moment in Spanish).”
Jack ran into the school building where the Bibles were being stored. There was a wall of boxes. Jack took a knife and opened one of the boxes sitting
beside the wall. He quickly grabbed a few Bibles, found a translator, and ran to find Victor in the crowd of children. They sat down on a concrete slab
and began to talk.
“Victor do you remember me?”
(Translated) “Yes!”
“I remember that you wanted a Bible, so I brought some to give you. How many are in your family? I want to give you all Bibles”
Suddenly Victor began to cry. At first Jack thought that they were tears of joy, but he realized that Victor was very upset.
Jack asked the translator, “Why is he crying?”
The translator asked Victor, and he reported a sad answer.
“He said that his mother passed away a few weeks ago, and it was an illness that you white people can cure.”
Jack was heartbroken, and he tried to comfort Victor. Once Victor stopped crying, Jack gave him the Bibles. He was very grateful and ran to his house
to give one to his father.
Jack handed out a Bible to each person that became a Christian that week, and even had extras to leave with the local pastor to distribute later. But
none were so dear to Jack as the ones he had given to Victor. The rest of the week was a blur. There were crowds of Nicaraguans, doctors, and dentists.
There were church services, clinics, and construction. All that Jack knew was that he felt happy and satisfied like never before.
Today in Jack’s family photo album is a picture of Jack and Victor. The captured moment causes the emotions of that day in Nicaragua to come flooding
back and to spur Jack on as he continues to share God’s word with others. Jack is known very well in this mission house in Africa ... for I am he.
Thanks for reading!!!