Most Recent EMMC

     The most recent Evangelistic Medical Mission Crusade took place from August 17-23, 2014 as part of our partnership with the Guerrero Baptist Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma to support their church planting initiative in the greater Acapulco area.  For many, when they hear the word “Acapulco”, images of five star hotels, beaches, restaurants, discotheques and swimming pools come to mind.  However, when the EMMC team hears “Acapulco”, the images that come to mind are quite distinct. A very small portion of Acapulco caters to international, and national, tourists, while many other parts of the city succomb to severe poverty. It is to those parts of the city that Fishers of Men travels in order to shine with the light of Jesus Christ through providing free medical care and share the hope of Jesus Christ through giving the Gospel message.

The volunteer crusade team

The first two days of the crusade were spent at Iglesia Renacimiento (New Birth Church), led by Pastor Calet Lorenzano, also the leader of the church planting initiative in Acapulco. There the team was able to provide 257 attentions. (Remember: each time an individual sees a doctor, dentist, hair stylist or physiotherapist it is considered one attention given. If time allows, the individual may visit more than one of these services, resulting in two or three attentions given to one individual.) Of those attended, all of whom heard the Gospel message presented to them one on one, 27 people made decisions to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Praise the Lord!

The tarp announcing the crusade and the free services available which hung outside the church on the additional temporary tents set up to attend to the patients.

Victor supervising the inside of the church which housed the pharmacy (on the left), the kitchen (in the back) and the doctors (on the right).

Becky (right) sharing the Gospel with an attendee.

The second two days of the crusade were spent at Iglesia Juan 3:16 (John 3:16 Church) where the Lord has called Pastor Memo to serve. Here the team provided 258 attentions and 35 individuals opened their hearts and lives to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. To God be the Glory!

An aerial view of the inside of the church divided into the sections used to meet the needs of the attendees.

Free dental work

An aerial view of the pharmacy....all medications are given out free of charge.

Free haircuts.

Rosa (left) working hard to feed the entire crusade team.

Urban areas, many times, result in fewer people attended to than in rural areas. This may seem contradictory, since there is a greater concentration of people in urban areas, but those individuals tend to have a bit easier access to medical care. In the rural areas, many towns and villages have no medical services whatsoever. The government may send in a doctor once a month or several times a year, but the chances that the doctor's visits coordinate with an individual's illness are slim. However, even considering the “lower” numbers than on other crusades, it only cost Fishers of Men $6.00 to take the Gospel to one person on this most recent crusade! By God's grace, and through the team's efforts, there are 62 individuals who, today, have the real hope of Jesus Christ, the promise of Heaven and the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives! If we consider the cost of this most recent crusade, divided just by those who received Jesus into their hearts, it only “cost” $48 for each of them to receive that gift of eternal life, and free medical attention! (Actually, that is not totally accurate....Fishers of Men donors invested $48 for each of those individuals to make that decision. It cost Jesus Christ His life!)

The names of the two host churches on this crusade very accurately sum up the passion behind all that we do at Fishers of Men: providing the hope and spreading the message of John 3:16, the “heart” of the Bible, so that many may experience New Birth through Jesus Christ! Thank you for making that possible through your prayers and giving! Please continue to pray for Pastor Calet and Pastor Memo, as well as for their families, the new believers and these local churches who seek daily to share the love of Christ in their communities.