Strength to the weary

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, …Isaiah 40:28

This has been an interesting couple of weeks. Expressions like “burn-out” and “culture shock” and “hitting the wall” have been used between some of us, and also “just plain exhaustion.” All the same when Troy, Cheryl and the 5 nursing students from ORU arrived, I found myself revived. Troy has led this team for 10 years, and he has become a special friend. Cheryl was the instructor/leader of this particular group, which as always was remarkable in their willingness to serve and dedication to the Lord.

Disappointments turned to praise

We were excited as we headed for El Mosco. The plan was to hold our first clinics in San Lucas and La Cuchara. People from these towns had traveled long miles to reach us during previous clinics, but we had never been to their villages.

It turned out that the authorities of the each town decided that they did not want us coming. We were rather disappointed, but were able to change our plans to include Xineyuba and Ixtayutla. Both of these towns have in recent years rejected and even repelled the presence of evangelical teams.

In Xineyuba we rarely get permission to photograph people, so I usually take pictures from behind

Carmela (missionary), Troy and Laura interviewing patient

For myself, I did not feel the excitement going to these towns, as I had anticipated breaking new ground in San Lucas and La Cuchara. But the work was good. The students were wonderful, and we saw many patients. The doctors some some interesting cases, and students Brittany, Noma, and Thomas worked hard with Sarah in the pharmacy while I handed out the meds and gave instruction through my translator Saul.

Dr. Dave interviewing a patient in an unfinished house in Xineyube

After the children helped pick up all the garbage around the clinic, Bertha had them all wash their hands, then handed out cookie. We were so blessed that they pitched in to help without the promise of reward.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29

At the end of the last day, we returned back to our base. We were planning to leave the next morning before dawn so Bertha and Mary Kay enlisted all the children to help clean up the grounds. Meanwhile I helped Dr. Dave remove a cyst from the toe of a lady from Llano Verde. I bandaged her foot and provided her with her medications and bandage supplies while Dave went to find some dinner.

Soon we were all enjoying a wonderful meal prepared by Dalia our cook. I plopped myself down by the kitchen door, trying to inconspicuously feed my favorite dog “Lobo”.

Suddenly it seemed to me, all the local church people had joined us. Mary Kay, Dave, and Troy were at the far side of the patio with the adults. Mixteco translators went back and forth helping the Spanish translators Elisabeth and Bertha. Laura ran to and fro doing it all. At the same time, the near side of the patio had filled with children.

Noma, a nursing Senior originally from Swaziland painting fingernails

To my left Ashley was singing a Spanish Bible song to the twins (Alicia and Victoria) and Camila. I watched their faces, for what seemed like a long time, and marveled at their beauty. To my right Noma was painting little fingernails; the tiny hands were spread out before her as the girls crowded in. Thomas and Martina were playing Frisbee with the boys. The whole place was filled with laughter and love.

As I walked through the crowd, I still felt the numbness of exhaustion…

Then I realized that someone was asking me about medications. I found my headlamp, secured it around my ponytail, and started mixing Amoxicillin suspension in the dark.

Finally all the people started to leave, Miguel and Andrea, Primo and Francisca, Inez and Maria, Rufina and Pablo, and all those children. “Nos vemos en la boda!” (I’ll see you at the wedding!”) I called to each as they disappeared up the hill, into the dark.

Then it was time for a quick meeting. If we were to beat the road construction crew and avoid a 3 to 6 hour delay, we would have to get up at 4 A.M. and leave at 5 A.M. So we spent the next hour in feverish packing and cleaning. We finally got to bed at around 10 P.M.

Comfort, comfort my people

Saturday morning after we returned to the base we had a “debriefing”. We admitted to our exhaustion, and to disappointments. But as we reviewed all that we had seen God do, we recognized how gracious and how faithful He had been. We saw that He arranged circumstances in such a way that our hearts’ desire to see people’s live touched was realized time and time again.

Maria and Raul. Many years ago I met Raul when he threw rocks at me. Later that day he and his mother received Christ. They came out to help with the outreach to Xineyuba and Ixtayutla.

Not only did 18 individuals choose to follow Christ during this outreach, we also saw one person healed through prayer. We saw evidence of changed lives when some who had received the Lord in years’ past outreaches came and joined in the work.

Can you see the twins, Alicia and Victoria, their little sister Marisol is the little one in the front.

Suffer the little children to come

But the most wonderful part of our debriefing for me was when we talked about the children and how open they were, and how responsive. Those of us who have been coming back year after year have seen these little ones grow up and change. Some of the growth is physical, but we see so much more than that.

Sometimes people say that short-term work is not a good use of your time and money. But I have heard the testimony of Mexican Christians whose lives were changed by Americans who came to their town, and played with them as children.

Those of you who have over the years come to El Mosco and played with the children, I want to encourage you. The loving, the smiles, the time you have given to these little ones are preparing the soil of their hearts to receive the seed and produce good fruit.

Elodia helping prepare for weaving