After 3 long Covid years, and the devastating death of our leader, Pastor Pablo, I returned to Chiapas in May for a 6-week stay, living with my dear friend, Jan, Pablo’s wife. Despite some travel and personal anxiety, it was a joy!
The majestic mountains were unchanged. The long, narrow, 2-lane, windy road, and the topes, were unchanged. Disparities still exist, but the kind, simple, proud Mayans are still the same. It is still a step back in time. It still felt like coming home.
The clinic we built, Las Manos de Cristo, is alive and well! The mission and clinic staff have had some fear and trepidation with the death of Pastor Pablo. Changes in projects, personnel, job descriptions are occurring. It will be a year of transition, for sure.
Nurse Mari, and new physician, Doctora Mildred are kind, competent, and filled with ideas to grow the clinic. Dra. Mildred is taking a long certification course in Ultrasound interpretation. We envision little VW cars advertising our services with loudspeakers, and handing flyers to the taxi drivers who bring patients up the hill to the clinic! There is a new large TV , and health posters in the waiting room.
We are planning a Medical Caravan with US healthcare providers in Feb. 2024. These healthcare brigades are sorely needed, provide a huge service to the people, and bring patients to the clinic. The people have asked, “When will the American doctors come back?”
The little Ocosingo mission church, Nueva Vida, is thriving. Jan, along with Hermana Antonia and Hermana Rosita started the congregation some years back, and poco a poco, it has grown. There is a steady congregation of 70 to 80 people. They outgrew the storefront shop they were in and have been able to purchase land, up the hill near the clinic, and are in the process of building a significant sanctuary, kitchen/dining area, Sunday School rooms and pastor house! The summer construction groups will work on the building.
It is an active congregation, with young people, Sunday school, church celebrations, and activities! The whole congregation traveled to the river at Aqua Azul the Saturday before Easter for worship, swimming, and a fresh fish fry! It was a beautiful day to go down to the river to pray.
Jan and I made a lot of house visits, and have weekly Bible studies with the ladies of the church. Jan also is teaching a weekly basic Bible class to elders and deacons, as requested by Pablo. She also teaches a New Believer class every Sunday.
She was able to take a few days off for a little 2-day getaway to Misol Ha, a spectacular waterfall deep in the jungle. The falls drop straight down to a deep cenote-type pool. With help from a strong friend was able to walk down the steep, rocky steps and over the giant boulders, and dive into the cool pool for a glorious swim! It was a peaceful place, full of jungle flowers, the roar of the falls, and the loud howl, and moan of the monkeys high in the trees. We walked, read, studied, swam, ate, and repeated. A restful time.
Hebron USA 