A Joyful Journey

Posted September 9, 2010

JOY MARTUCCI’S RED PHOTO ALBUM holds more than memories of a recent mission trip. It’s a symbol of the two weeks that changed her view of the world forever.

The album sits in front of her like a story eager to be told. She wants to jump right in and talk about the children, how their warm, dark eyes looked up to her every day for two weeks last summer. But her journey to the remote community in Central America didn’t start when she teamed up with a mission group. It began when she started to question the comfort of her own life.

Last September, shortly after turning 28, Joy says she felt tired. Her days had become routine. She tried to snap out of it by doing charity work with community groups. Even that felt mechanical, like she was being pulled behind others’ will to do good rather than forging a path of her own.

“It wasn’t me,” she says. “It wasn’t mine.”

The emotions swelled in Joy as she sat in the congregation of her church and for five weeks listened to her pastor challenge members to rethink the American Dream. What was more important, he asked, living in a nice house and building a comfortable retirement, or giving love and shelter and promise to a child who had never known anything beyond poverty?

“I remember thinking about my own mortality,” Joy says. “How will I be remembered when I die?”

Then she learned about Fig Tree Ministries, a nonprofit organization founded nearly a decade ago. The ministry serves a remote city in Honduras called Comayagua and regularly brings in groups to deliver food, clothing and to help improve the shelter for an orphanage and a nearby community. The next mission trip was planned for the summer, and Joy and her husband, Justin, quickly signed up.

“We researched it,” she says. “The sole purpose of the ministry was to love on the children. To just love them in spite of our language barrier.”

Half of the group’s work was in a mountaintop community where a daycare is established and continues to operate solely on foreign aid. It provides a much-needed safe place for children of single mothers.

Joy shows photographs of the children making crafts with bright construction paper and glue sticks—the only color among otherwise drab surroundings. The photos also show the group building gardens near the homes, utilizing the community’s new running water system.

About an hour-long bus ride down the mountain, the missionaries tackled their second project, orchestrated by the nonprofit organization, All God’s Children. They provided supplies to an orphanage – and hugs to the children inside. Joy talks about sitting on the floor of the orphanage, a little girl in her lap plays with Joy’s hair as another missionary tells stories to the group. These are the same children who for Christmas received just one Pop Tart each and who are genuinely grateful for the donations of gently used clothing.

“That’s what got me,” she says. “They have so little, and yet they are so grateful for what they are given.”

Unfortunately, there is little hope for the orphans, Joy explains. According to the World Bank, 50 percent of Hondurans live in poverty, and nearly 28 percent of the population is unemployed.

The lucky ones can get accepted into local colleges if they are sponsored by someone who can pay for their schooling. Others long to find gainful employment at fast food restaurants in town. But many have little choice but to live and work on the streets, where they will likely follow a lifestyle of violence and unplanned pregnancies that perpetuate the need for orphanages like the ones where they were raised.

The children who can stay at the orphanage into adulthood are the ones who are unable to get work because they are mentally challenged.

Joy points to a photo of two boys with Down syndrome sitting on the floor of the orphanage with their arms around each other.

“They think they’re brothers, but they’re not,” she says. “Because they’re different they get picked on by the others, so all they really have is each other.”

For 13 days, the mission team worked at the daycare and orphanage, sleeping in a rundown hotel, listening to the distant sounds of fireworks and gunfire, reminders that the country remains in political turmoil. A bodyguard stayed with the group at all hours to ward off threats of violence and kidnapping. Yet, Joy says she was never scared. “I thought if I died doing work like this, what’s to be scared of?”

If you ask Joy what she brought home from Honduras, she would say a quenchless desire to do more of the same. She and her husband have vowed to do one foreign mission trip a year, either to Honduras or another country.

But if you ask about the photo of the boy on the cover of the photo album, she runs a finger over the picture. It is Javier, the older of the two boys with Down syndrome. After their trip, Joy and her husband decided to sponsor him.

“We chose Javier because he was one of the least fortunate,” she says, “and I was afraid no one else would.”

JOY MARTUCCI is an Area Business Development Coordinator with Regions in Birmingham, Alabama.

comments (20)

Joy, I wish I had the courage of you and your husband. I think it is great you are doing mission work. I have always wanted to something like this but have not. I try to do things to help out people that cross my path everyday but at some point would like to do something like you. Thank you for your contibution and I am sure it was well received.

Josh

This is so inspiring.. we are getting ready for "Missions Conference" at our church on Sunday.. it really makes you open your heart (and wallet). My niece is 18 years old, lives in Birmingham, just worked for the last two years earning 5,000 to go on a mission trip to several countries before starting Samford.. to read her journal brought me to tears, mostly from shame of how blessed and greedy we are in America. Thanks for sharing your story. God Bless You.

Fran Nolin

I have always had the desire to help people (especially children) any way I can. I have never considered a mission trip before, but it's something that I would love to look into and try. You're an amazing person. Both you and your husband. Keep sharing your stories. This whole site is spread with so much good cheer. I love to read all the amazing things that people are out there doing. It's truly making a difference. You have touched a life, and it's moments like these that I want to be remembered when I die for how much I have done to help someone else. I think it's amazing. May god bless.

Rebecca

I am an avid reader of "See the Good" and always enjoy the stories of how some are impacting lives in a positive way. Joy and her husband have been touched by a special person in an orphanage, but it has all been led by Gods' hand. She and her husband will be blessed beyond measure by what they are doing and by what they intend to do in the future. We all need to remember that we can also help in our communities by doing little things for others. God bless you both.

Judy Bates

Joy, We are so proud of you and Justin and thank God for His grace in your lives. Thank you so much for sharing the story of how God used your trip to change your view of the world. You are so inspiring to Betty and me.

Jim Warren

Joy, I too have encountered the children of Honduras. My husband and I have been on several mission trips to Honduras. We went with Baptist Medical Dental Missions out of Meridian, MS. My husband worked construction, and I worked with children for Bible School. We have not been in a while due to my husband's health. God bless you!!!!!

Wanda

What a great testimony, Joy! It's an encouraging story for all of us to pick something, go somewhere, do anything we can to help those around us. If I didn't know better, I'd say you go to the same church I go to. God has been using our pastor to pull my heartstrings toward helping children, and your story touched me to the core. Thanks, Joy... and good to see you're doing well! I had no idea you worked at Regions too! Small world...

Melissa Flanders Griffith

Wow! I'm also very interested in missions. My husband & I myself have talked about taking our family on a mission trip. Thanks for sharing! Most of all thanks for sharing "love."

Mickie Kerr

Joy, this is truly very touching, and let me just briefly explain why. I am originally from Central America, Nicaragua to be more precise. Honduras is my neighboring country, and your story touched me so deep. It had me in tears the whole time I was reading it because it reminded me so much of my childhood and also what is continually going on in Nicaragua. I was fortunate and blessed to have moved to America after the earthquake in 1972, so therefore I can identify myself with some of those kids in Honduras. My hope one day is to do exactly what you are doing, and I pray God will bless me with the resources to carry out my vision. So, as a Central American, I want to say and express my deepest gratitude to you and your husband for doing such an extraordinary and humbling work by reaching out to the human race from a different part of the world. May God bless you both.

Dee Melendez

Thank you for sharing this experience. Truly amazing how you and others touch people's lives regardless of the language barrier and other obstacles. Many will remember your presence, kindness and 100-watt smile.

Jill Lasseter

It is always amazing to see how something so little to us can be so big in another country. Our youth group has sponsored several children in other countries with their allowance and lunch money they get from their parents and are always the ones who are willing to go help on summer mission trips to help the homeless or children in inner-city projects. Thank you for giving of yourselves. It is easy to write a check, but when you give your time the blessing is so much greater. My favorite saying is YOU CAN'T OUT GIVE GOD.

D Yeoman

"What was more important, he asked, living in a nice house and building a comfortable retirement, or giving love and shelter and promise to a child who had never known anything beyond poverty?" Wow. That's a real eye opener there. Thanks for the story.

Roi

You are an inspiration! The love you've shown to these children who are less fortunate will come back to you two fold. I think that you will be remembered the way we all should want to be remembered--not for the things we have in life, but by the way we have treated other people.

Steven McNees

Joy, I am so proud of you, to have one of my peers reach out and touch so many. You truly are a inspiration for all of us. I am sure they loved your smile, kindness and overall attitude. Thank you so much for Sharing this Special Moment. You have truly made a difference.

Teresa Vick

Your story was a true inspiration to me. Like so many others, I have always wanted (and planned) to do mission work - but it hasn't ever been "a good time." Now I feel committed to make the time. Thank you for sharing such a powerful lesson.

Dawn

Joy & Justin, What a touching story! I'm so happy to read about the impact these children had on your life, and your worldview. And I'm sure the impact you had on them is tenfold. God bless you both!

Mary W

This is such a beautiful and breathtaking story. How joyful it is to hear that someone is reaching out and helping the community! I would definetely recommend volunteering in any Central American country. It will change your life! And what is most gratifying is the feeling satisfaction and pride you will feel after you do something so wonderful as Joy and husband!!! Best wishes to your family, little Xavier and all of the children of Comayagua!!!!!

Andrea

Joy, having been on mission trips to Honduras & Dominican Republic, I can testify to the poverty we as Americans will never truly know. We often forget how blessed we really are (and how spoiled). I hope God allows you to continue your mission work. Thanks for sharing your story - hope to see more of them.

Joy, you have many gifts and your best talent is your ability to share yourself with others - both at work and while away. Keep up the good deeds!

Todd Fredella

I love to hear stories like yours. It's such a blessing to be able to help and give love. God's Love. I had the privilege for many years to go to Juarez Mexico to help out in their orphanage and community. The joy that it brought to my life to be able to make a difference in someone’s life and reflect on my own life opened my heart even more. Thank You for sharing your story. God Bless.

Patricia Gutierrez