Stuck

I have taken a little break from my blog. It is because of Barbie’s health. The following short article on the annual report for CRF tells about the ordeal that Barbie has been through lately. However, it doesn’t tell the entire story. When we finally arrived back in Amarillo, Barbie had even greater complications resulting in two surgeries. She is now recovering at home. Her healing will be long term, and she still has some serious health issues. So we cherish your continued prayers. I love the picture on this blog. It shows Barbie hugging Pin. Pin is the medic who helped evacuate Barbie from Jakarta to Amarillo. Thanks Pin!

Stuck
By Milton Jones

I have never felt so stuck in all my life. Barbie and I went to Indonesia for the wedding of my oldest son, Patrick, to Grace Go. Patrick and Grace both teach at a Christian school in Jakarta. Indonesia is the most Muslim country in the world, but the school where Patrick teaches is probably the most academic in the country. As a result, leaders of Indonesia send their children there to get the best of educations, even Muslims. And Patrick and Grace give them the best education—one that includes Christ.

Patrick and Grace got married on the island of Bali, not only one of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia but also in the world. We have hardly ever witnessed a more spectacular event than their wedding. At the end of it, Barbie and I were commenting on how our trip was just perfect. But we spoke too soon.

When we arrived back in Jakarta, Barbie was diagnosed with blood clots. I was told that she needed a certain kind of medicine. I went to the pharmacy and was told that we couldn’t get it in Indonesia. I felt stuck. I couldn’t get what I really needed. I was afraid Barbie would have dire consequences without it. I’m not used to not being able to get things that I need. I’m an American. I have money. But on this day, none of that mattered. And then I realized how it felt to be stuck. So many people around the world can’t get what they need. Whether it is medicine, food, water, housing, or the message of Jesus–they are stuck. And no matter what they do, they can’t seem to find a way not to be stuck.

We hospitalized Barbie. But we needed to get her home. And the one thing you can’t do with blood clots is to fly. We were stuck. To save her we needed to get her out of Jakarta. But to get her out was the one thing that would most hurt her.

We finally got her some medicine. It is what she really needed. And then she developed a horrible allergic reaction to the medicine she was taking. We were stuck again. Do you take it because it saves you? Or do you quit it because it hurts you? I didn’t know what to do. And I realized more than ever how people feel around the world who face immense problems of disease and poverty and simply don’t know what to do. Most people who are marginalized not only don’t have resources—they also don’t know what to do about it.

To make a long story shorter, we finally made it home. We got unstuck. Why? We had some family, friends, church members, doctors, and money to help us find our way home. Most people who are stuck don’t have the resources I have. That is where CRF comes into the picture. We help stuck people who don’t have resources get unstuck. We help them to find their way home even if they have never had a home before.

What is CRF? We are trying to be friends to the hurting who are stuck in this world. I think our annual report will show how we are truly befriending the hopeless and helpless and getting them unstuck.