Emergency Evangelistic Medical Mission Crusade

If you scroll down a few blog entries you will see Mark and Lucy's blogs from February 3rd and 10th. Both of those entries shared about the tremendous fog, rain and cloud experiences we had here at Refuge Ranch during the first week of February. You know things have to be really wet when a house sitting on the top of a mountain floods! Well, that same flooding caused major disasters in the Mexico City area.

Chalco is a community on the outskirts of Mexico City. It is actually outside of Mexico City proper and belongs to the State of Mexico, just like us. We drive past this large community every Sunday on our way to church, do business there regularly and have a very good fellow pastor friend who lives and ministers there. In fact, the land for Yahweh Rapha Medical Center is located in Chalco.

The heavy rains the first week of February caused heavy flooding on major roadways leading into and through Mexico City. Part of this flooding was caused by a "river" that grew beyond its boundaries. Truth be told, the "river" is an OPEN drain canal, one of the major waterways carrying waste out of Mexico City. This "river" did not simply overflow its boundaries, the concrete walls of the canal actually broke, spilling sewage onto the only highway heading into Mexico City from the east (the one we use to get to the airport and church - hence Ashleigh's adventure trying to get to the airport the day of the flooding!). The sewage did not only cover the highway, which remained closed for more than a week, but buried an entire neighborhood in Chalco!

Flooding in Chalco

The governmental authorities were most interested in repairing the highways and thoroughfares that were damaged by the flooding, as the economic survival of the city depends on that transportation. They simply did not have the resources, time or interest to help out the people of Chalco. Our close pastor friend, Pastor Saul, who lives and ministers in Chalco, contacted us on Sunday, February 7th, to tell us that he had 180 people living in his small church who had been flooded out of their homes. The government had not shown up to provide shelters or any kind of relief. He asked our local church for food, blankets and clothing for the refugee families. He then asked Victor to hold an emergency crusade at his church in order to meet the medical and spiritual needs of the people there.

EMMC volunteers observing the flooding.

Our core EMMC volunteer team had just returned from a crusade to Veracruz on February 6th and they are preparing to head out on another crusade to the state of Guerrero this coming Tuesday. We praise the Lord for the servant hearts of our crusade volunteers, for their willingness to drop everything and come at the Lord's beckoning call. Victor coordinated the crusade preparations, but the volunteers themselves carried out an emergency crusade in Chalco last Friday, February 12th. Victor could not attend because he was helping us prepare for Martita's 15th birthday celebration. We are so proud of the crusade volunteers for the ways in which they have matured and grown in their service and leadership skills to the point that they can carry out local crusades without Victor's presence!

Crusade volunteers working in the pharmacy. You can see the pink mats in the background used for people to sleep on at night.

During the ONE DAY crusade, the volunteer team attended to 82 general medicine patients, 22 gynecology patients, 18 dental patients and gave 40 haircuts! The crusade was carried out in the same way in which we carry out all crusades. After a patient is seen by the doctor or dentist and while he or she waits for the prescription to be filled, a crusade volunteer shares the Gospel message of Jesus Christ with that person on an individual basis! Last Friday, during the one day crusade, 44 individuals made decisions to follow Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior!Cleaning a wound - the loving attention given while cleaning a physical wound many times leads to the healing of spiritual and emotional wounds.

Leslie, a volunteer EMMC dentist, working on a patient.

Just imagine, someday when you are in heaven you might be walking down a side street of gold with another believer and ask: "So when did you hear about Jesus Christ and decide to follow Him?" He will respond: "I grew up in Chalco in Mexico and there was a week when it rained and the canal broke and flooded my home. I was forced to take refuge in a local church that had opened its doors to those in need. While we were staying there, a team of doctors arrived to care for our medical needs and they also told us about salvation through Jesus Christ. That day I prayed to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior." Excitedly you respond: "You're kidding! It was the team from Fishers of Men wasn't it?" He looks at you with surprise in his eyes, "Yeah, it was!" The rest of your excitement you keep to yourself and silently thank the Lord for all the sacrifices you made to financially support Fishers of Men and for the time invested on your knees praying for the ministry of Fishers of Men that made it possible that this individual, your brother in Christ, could now be walking down a street of gold at your side!

Four of the individuals who made decisions for Christ were local governmental and police authorities! They had gotten wind of the medical crusade and had shown up to "check it out". Once again, truth be told, they showed up to make it appear that the government was the one providing the medical care for "its people". This point of view may appear to be cynicism on my part, but I assure you, it is not cynicism, it is realism. The amount of corruption, selfishness and crookedness in the government, and society in general, in Mexico is shocking! I have lived here for only 7 years, but cannot deny what we ourselves have experienced of this corruption, selfishness and crookedness. Well, this time, the authorities got more than they bargained for - they got a Savior! Praise the Lord!

Cesar, an EMMC volunteer, sharing Christ with two police officers!

The Bible reminds us that we should not trust in man, but place our trust in the Lord. We are thankful for the honor and privilege of serving as the Lord's ambassadors when man fails man in order to point man to the only True and Faithful One - Jesus Christ!

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7