vitalwholeness

His name was Alfredo Jimenez. Alfredo showed up at church one day and we got to know one another. He was a musician originally from El Salvador. Most of his adult life was spent away from his home country, first in Costa Rica and then in the United States. His classical instrument was the French Horn, taught to him first by his father. He also played classical guitar and recorded with a band.

For a short time Alfredo played with our band at church. But he was not healthy and eventually became very ill, so ill that he died. We were sorrowful for him. A number of those close to Alfredo gathered to memorialize him.

Fast forward: Through the church Facebook page people followed the story of Alfredo and those who knew him drew our attention to portions of his family who still live in El Salvador – a brother, Carlos, and his daughter. We contacted them and by a miracle of only six degrees of separation we corresponded. On one of the mornings our mission team was in El Salvador Carlos and his daughter showed up to greet us.

Carlos had not seen his brother in over forty years. But then a group of North Americans showed up in his country with stories, a CD of Alfredo’s music, and an unexpected connection that brought the past and present together in an entirely unexpected way. His eyes glistened as we spoke of his brother. He showed us pictures of Alfredo from his youth. Suddenly Alfredo was alive again, alive to a brother who, for all practical purposes, had lost him long ago. He was alive to us in a new way, not disconnected from the world, isolated as a stranger among us, but rather as a family member who finally made it home for one final farewell.