Our daily mission focus in the barrio of Las Palmas, Tegucigalpa, is child care and early childhood education for children living in poverty situations. However, with a vision for the future of these children and their families, and with a vision for wide-sope ministry to the entire community of Las Palmas, community development and community outreach becomes a natural extension of our ministry to the children and can be a wonderful relationship building tool to create the opportunity to share Christ with the lost while meeting very real and very pressing physical needs. The important factor being that eternity matters and anything not built around Christ and His Word will pass away. James 2:14-18
As I began making physical plans for this first-ever medical and dental outreach for Foundation Casa de Luz, I spoke with several doctors and nurses to ask their opinion on how many patients for which we should plan to provide care and medicines. The number generally came in around 75 to 100 patients. So, I began to budget and purchase medicines and medical supplies for around 100 people. Several of YOU sent funds to specifically be used to purchase these supplies. THANK YOU!!
It is exciting to share that out of 17 volunteers and medical professionals, 14 were Hondurans who spent the day serving their own people! The 3 North Americans were a huge blessing, but all 3 of us agreed it was fantastic to watch the Honduran people be enabled and equipped to do the work of the ministry on their own! Extraordinary! The 3 medical doctors and 2 dentists we hired were all Hondurans. One Honduran woman cooked lunch, another helped dispense medications along with our North American nurse, 3 Honduran men shared the Gospel with the patients, others carried chairs, swept the floor, washed blood from medical instruments, or simply helped hold squirming babies so their moms could receive medical care.
From the time we opened the doors to our child care facility to allow patients to begin receiving care, the stream of children and adults never once ceased until we closed the doors at 5pm! The human chain of those waiting for care snaked all around our property and into the mud-covered street. We were blessed that God granted us a cloudy day with no intense sun scorching down, and no soaking rains to bother the patients. We also had electricity ALL the time we were serving the sick! (That, in and of itself, is a rarity lately!) As the line of patients continued to grow, I began to become concerned about running short of medicines or supplies, since I had only planned for around 100 people maximum. We prayed for God to meet the need and, interestingly, just like the widow's oil in 1Kings 17:14, our supplies were more than sufficient for each patient, and we even brought home a small box of left-overs to use in the future! Glory to God!
At one point the press of the crowd, the cries of sick infants, the pain etched on some of the faces, and the strenuous effort of trying to maintain order in the middle of the frenzy of activity was almost more than I could bear up under, and I felt a desire to just close my eyes and wish it all away. I am glad that at our weakest moments God is most glorified! Instead of wishing it away, I sensed God nudge me to keep pressing into Him and keep praying for strength and inner calm even in the midst of chaotic surroundings. (Maybe no one else can understand what I am saying and maybe I am the only one who likes to try to think she has some sort of control over her surroundings and doesn't like her life too "messy", if so, then just ignore what I am rambling about...but if you, too, struggle with being at peace in the middle of crisis, maybe this is a helpful reminder.) The more I kept my focus on Christ, the more I could sense His presence and guidance and peace over my own heart. Where the "rubber meets the road" for me spiritually, is when I take head knowledge and move it to heart practice, "do the walk" not just the talk; put the Word into practice. As I stilled my heart and mind in God's presence, His peace and joy flowed out of me and I was able to continue smiling, sharing, touching, hugging, taking blood pressures and temperatures, and leading our team without a melt down. Not one thing changed in my environment. The babies kept right on crying, the line of patients kept pressing in, the muggy air go muggier, the mess got messier...but Christ was present in it all. He lent His strength and peace, in contrast to the weakness and strife I felt initially. Instead of me trying to grip tight to control, I let go and Christ did it all! He is excellently equipped for every need, if I will only allow Him access to meet my need and cooperate with Him! Praise God, His mercy is plentiful and He never tires of extending patience to me!
God is so good. Yesterday, as a result of one medical and dental outreach, 169 ailing bodies received physical mending, many broken hearts received spiritual healing, and one weak and needy missionary received a fresh reminder of the power of God's peace for every circumstance in life...even, or especially, when we are supposed to be the ones in the lead! Thank the Lord that in His Kingdom leaders don't have to be perfect, we just need to stay connected to The King! I urge you to stay connected...it makes all the difference between victory or defeat!
(Matthew 5:16, Matthew 10:42, James 2:14-18, 1 Peter 2:12, John 15:1-8)
Because Eternity Matters,
Valerie for us all at Foundation Casa de Luz
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