Hope this finds you all continuing to give thanks for the many many blessings that our Lord Jesus purchased for us …
It is very cool here today and I am anxious to get wrapped up in a blanket and start on a new book as part of getting recharged for the new week to come but wanted to share this with you right away.
The Lord is moving in a mighty way, in many mighty ways really. You can feel it in the air and it is exciting. Wish you were here with us to experience all of what is happening in Mexico.
This morning , after worship and as Pastor Frank was starting to teach, Hermana Felipa arrived in the sanctuary, you might remember her from the videos in particular one where she recieved a winter coat…she ‘ s the one who dreamed of her conversion BEFORE she was converted, eliminating the need for translation to her obscure mother tongue. Anyway, she came in late and walked up the middle aisle and placed a grocery bag at my feet. I did not open it until after service . Inside the bag were a couple of dozen tomatoes , a Coca Cola and two bottled orange juices. This was our sister’s offering and it truly touched our hearts. You see, Felipa, although in her mid 70’s has been working extra hard of late, harvesting tomatoes and tying back the vines. They say it is THE HARDEST of all filed work around these parts and she has been having to work even on Sundays the last 2 weeks. She works from about 4am when she walks about a mile to meet the company transport ( a big flatbed where about 70 workers ride standing up pressed like cattle for another 45 minutes.) She will board the same truck home at around 5pm. Then she’ll trek that mile in the dark and have to get a fire going to heat up some beans and possibly tortillas. She shares one cold 10 by 8ft cinderblock room with her daughters and their husbands and their many children. The room has no electricity, plumbing or running water. They sleep on the concrete floor side by side upon blankets to make it softer. Her work days are from 12 to 14 hours long and for that time she will be paid $50.00 pesos or about $4.60 US. This morning she walked over a mile in the cold air to get to service with her granbaby strapped upon her back carrying her offering. The soda and juices cost about a dollar and eighty cents………… Almost half of what she earns in a days hard work. I was so taken aback by the generous offering, from a woman just converted a couple of months ago. Immediately the account of the widow’s mite was borne in my heart. She hasn’t heard much teaching on giving from us thus far, but in her heart she KNOWS, in her heart she is GRATEFUL and that gratitude overflows in her. Oh, and she’s a widow. I believe I got a firsthand eye witness version of the Gospel in motion today and we fervently pray the Lord’s immense blessings upon such a faithful woman that He will give her the strength of an eagle and make her aftrenoon restful and rejuvenating! And for those of us who are struggling today, with whatever might be the problem, Felipa should be our example and our standard. If she can do it we certainly can in CHRIST. I for one, will drink my Coke very slowly today appreciating it to the very last drop.
PF says he loves you BURD and that he misses you as well………
yours……
Month: April 2009
April Report New Clinic
Today was Opening Day at the new Clinic in our building. I told you that the couple in Idaho had retained a Doctor and a nurse for this 1 day a month to start out.
Everything went absolutely perfectly without a flaw!
Amazing for a first day experience, absolutely amazing. And my helper did not show up! At first I thought , “Oh, dear, it will be a mess,” but with Nurse Ernestina doing intake, Dra Jeanette doctoring, me as pharmacist and Frank as everything else , it went unbelievably smooth.
36 patients in total were attended to. Basically run of the mill maladies, sore throats , flu, ear infections etc with the exception of two little girls who REALLY REALLY needed to be seen and treated.
One had a basic knee scrape that was SO infected that it was actually gangrenous.(gag) Very very crucial that she was tended to. Dra. debraded and cleansed the area and rx’d antibiotics. I gave her her first dose and Dra asked me to continue with debrasion and cleansing for 3 more days. The child is about 5 and is basically left in the care of an Aunt who does not seem to care much for her. Her parents are working the fields in Fresno California. Bless her heart. Her name is Vikki, please keep her in prayer. Dra. Said that if not taken care of she could lose her leg and all could have been prevented by simple hygiene. I will keep up with her as she lives just down the road.(Lord help me as it is really gross) Praise the Lord we had the meds to give her and a DR to see her!
Then there is little Marcela, whose chicken pox have become TERRIBLY infected (again hygiene is lacking). I am sending photos of her. Will keep up with her as well.
Francisco is out delivering the few meds that we needed to purchase, stuff not in our dispensary-only a few things so we were prepared in an excellent manner!!
I am WORN out, being a pharmacxist is pretty darn tough and I will never ever again complain when I have to wait for a script to be filled. I repent of that as I kept many people waiting today. I think we are all pretty tired as we worked straight thru.
Explaining the meds kept me totally occupied 100% of the time. Thank God I cooked yesterday for today’s meal or no one would have eaten. We served 68 for lunch as well, again praise Jesus!
But all in all, for the first time we were really well prepared and well organized,so hallelujah! All of the prayers helped a lot. I can’t get over it because I do not think I have ever seen anything start off so well…..I mean we are two basically simple people, not real highly educated or refined and we were able to stock and open a HOSPITAL. That is basically what it is and it just shows that Yahweh can do whatever He wants with a heart that is willing. He still uses the foolish things(us) to confound the wise!
There was a general feeling of peace throughout and we were able to pray over several patients, the community seemed very LOVED and appreciative. It is hard to explain but it was almost like they could not get over that someone would do all of this, start a health clinic just for them. It is an awesome expression of Yahweh’s love for us all. That for these few people He made it possible for people from all over the USA to come together and combine finances and resources and time and bless THEM. I heard people saying “Gracias A Dios” who never say that…………and that says a lot to me.
I am amazed that after so many years of praying for this , the dream is now a reality. God is Good and He is FAITHFUL to bring His Word to pass, over and over and over again. I stand in awe this night. Again.
I also want to thank you BURD, AP, the Family and Harvest of Faith for your constant support.
As I watched children with empty milk jugs and bleach bottles straggle up the hill this evening coming to get water I realized how blessed we are to be able to bless these people with what we have. The water has become so important! Right now we are supplying about 15 families with their only source of clean drinking water. If we do not have water they must drink the dirty, even black water which is often contaminated with feces. Clean water is just a luxury they cannot afford. Obviously that leads to disease, malady and constant pain in one way or another for them. When we arrived in Mexico the Lord told us we would be His “water carriers.”
We did not really understand then, some 11 years ago. Then in Cantu we were given the drinking water dispensary to operate for a year, so the whole town’s water passed thru our hands. But now we are able to give freely this water and we never intended to, it just happened that one person came then another and now they come from all around. And when we GIVE it to them they can’t get over the fact that it is a gift. Praise God. Plus the symbolism of the “water” is not lost on me! So anyway, thank you all for that. We couldn’t do any of this, nothing really, without you who care for us and express your love with the utmost offering, the rarest offering, which in this time is money. I mean many will donate someTHING , many will offer to pray, but FEW will actually give money and everyone KNOWS that we have to have it to survive. Again, many, many thanks for your gifts and sacrifices.
Harvest of Faith 