Krista and Jim

Krista: Somebody had recommended My Heart Will Triumph to somebody else. I saw it and was like, “What is that?”

Someone said, “It’s a story about one of the visionaries from Medjugorje.”

And I was like, “What is Medjugorje?”

The book was a page turner– could not put it down. 

One night, after dinner, I told Jim, “I’m going to Medjugorje. I’m being called to go.”

And he said, “Well, you’re not going without me!”

Jim: I started My Heart Will Triumph on the airplane on the way over here. 

Krista: It’s just been amazing blessing after blessing. This is only our second trip, but our first trip, when we went back, I was so overwhelmed. For about three weeks, I couldn’t talk about anything that happened while I was here because it was so special.

I now know that we’re supposed to take Medjugorje with us. It’s been so beautiful this second time too because we have even more family that are here, and some other friends. So many people are being touched by the graces of Medjugorje throughout the world and in our community in Texas. It’s such a beautiful thing. We’ve made life-long friends, really special friendships that you just couldn’t make anywhere else other than here.

Jim: This is very unique to our life. We’ve never done anything like this. 

We brought back the five stones: fasting, nightly Rosary, try to make daily Mass whenever we can. We tried to bring back the five stones and live them and really just share the story. 

[ iMedj note: The five stone of Medjugorje are five actions: fasting, praying the Rosary, reading the Bible, receiving the Eucharist, and going to confession monthly. Father Jozo Zovko recommends these actions that are like the five stones David used as weapons against Goliath. ]

When we came here the first time, Krista knew where we were coming. It was such a short timeline, I just watched Apparition Hill and we got on the airplane with the book [My Heart Will Triumph]. 

When we were here, I wrote down 16 individual graces that our family experienced. So when we got home, we started sharing with everybody that would listen.

When we were here the first night, sat down at dinner next to a young man who was clearly a very nice young man, very well educated. It was very clear that he was here for one reason and that was to accompany his father. He just didn’t want his dad traveling alone, but he didn’t really seem to have much interest in Medjugorje. He was raised Catholic but had been away from the faith. 

Watching the transformation in him over the course of the week was just breathtaking. One night, he tapped his dad on the shoulder and said, “I’ve gotta go do something, Dad. I’ll be back.” His dad looked confused. He said, “I’m going to confession.” That was the first time he’d been to confession in about 20 years. After the apparition, he ran down the hill and ran straight to adoration. Watching that transformation was really amazing for us. 

One of our personal graces was, we would get up in the morning and go up Apparition Hill at 5 AM before sunrise. One morning we got up there, and our middle daughter was already up there. She had left her room at four o’clock in the morning to go hike up the mountain. 

I’ve not asked her what called her up the hill because I already know. I’ve not asked her what happened at the top of the hill, but it clearly touched her.

Krista: When we first sat down to eat at Colombos [a local restaurant], we were sitting by the window looking out over Saint James and took a picture of a cross in the sky. Throughout the whole pilgrimage, it’s been totally focused on Jesus Christ, for me personally. 

That was so much a part of the message [visionary] Mirjana received. I mean, it always is. Jesus Christ being present in our lives. 

Jim: For me, the most amazing thing has been watching the affect of the trip on others, my older brother in particular. 

I had actually called and told them to cancel his tickets because he wouldn’t be able to make the trip. This time last month, I wasn’t even sure that he was going to live. He has a myriad of issues. 

Watching him open up and allow the Holy Spirit to touch him has just been amazing. And watching my little brother and his wife take it all in and experience the Holy Spirit has been really heartwarming.