Mission Oaxaca - Toilet seats, chillis and home

There is something about the band Third Day that I love – Especially when a tune I need to hear comes on the radio.
I made it home early this morning, 1:30 a.m. to be exact, and it has been a breath of fresh air for me to see my beautiful wife and daughters again, even if it comes with tantrums, Awanas memory verses, signing yet another 2-year cell phone contract and listening to Wiggles videos in the background of my life. It is just plain nice.
As I’m sitting here typing, I’m listening to Air 1 radio and Third Day’s “Light at the End of this Tunnel” just finished. As I prepare to share my final mission thoughts, I thought the lyrics were so appropriate given the people we just served.
“I won’t pretend to know what your thinking.
I can’t begin to know what you’re going through.
I won’t deny the pain that you’re feeling.
But I’m going to try to give a little hope to you.
There’s a light at the end of this tunnel for you.”
Third Day
THANK YOU JESUS
To be honest, we didn’t see nearly the numbers of people I expected. We didn’t see a lot of major problems by United States standards. We had long drives compared to the time we spent on the ground working and I got sick. However, it’s amazing what has happened over the last few weeks.
A little girl will likely be able to continue walking on two feet instead of hobbling on one. A woman will be able to sit, bend over and live a life without the pain of a bullet lodged in her body as a daily reminder of her husband’s murder. She told us she feels she has been given a second chance on life and doesn’t plan to waste it.
What truly astonishes me is the pastors working in these communities where poverty, drugs, prostitution and kidnapping are commonplace. They are abused physically and verbally, yet they continue to preach the good news, if only to a few huddled in shanties without Bibles.
When I went to Guatemala in Sept. 2007, it was a very personal experience to watch God work in dramatic ways. It left me profoundly changed. This time, the impact was very different. My heart leapt out of my chest for those who face such persecution for simply loving and sharing Jesus and knowing they could be killed for it. I’m ashamed to say that even when God presented me with clear opportunities to share without fear of being impaled by a machete, I failed to take them. Something changed this trip and God tested this in Phoenix.
As Rob and I ate salads and chatted about life, out of the blue, our waitress begins to tell us about her boyfriend, Leon, whose mother took him to a Honduran witchdoctor to cure arthritic aches and pains. Leon chose a chicken egg to determine his ailment, was cut by the witchdoctor, bled out, given a variety of toxic herbs and told he was healed. Today he is worse than ever. On top of all this, she just discovered she is two months pregnant with Leon's child and is scared and excited all at once.
Hmm, what do we do now? Although she was working, we offered and she accepted a discrete prayer and said we are the only ones who had EVER done this for her. THANK YOU God for newfound boldness.
I also discovered new friends and we had plenty of laughs. We learned to cope with life without toilet seats and how much water it takes to get a good bucket flush.

We chuckled as Jessica learned she had been prescribing three chilies (pasillas) per day instead of three pills (pastilles) per day. She is also a much better writer than she gives herself credit for which I thank her profusely.

Rob and I became the dynamic duo of Chato y Chewie. We had some great conversations as travel buddies and roommates during the trip. His skills added so much to the team and his gentle heart never failed to brighten my mornings. Thanks Chewie!

We discovered never to take Page into a bookstore near dinnertime and that she REALLY doesn’t like giving shots, especially to team members. It was awesome seeing God reunite her with not one, but two patients from Oregon during this trip. The love she has for the Oaxacan people shines brightly and warmly.

Marilee could be counted on as our portable personal pharmacist whether we needed something for a bug bite or nausea or Mad Libs to cure boredom. I thoroughly enjoyed prying apart every detail of her son’s adoption and the impact it has had on their family.

Don is absolutely unafraid to tackle even the most complex procedures with a smile and still make time to pray with anyone in need. Elena (photo soon) was our mother hen, always doting over every detail, making sure we were all safe with paperwork in hand and ready to provide encouragement when we felt low.
THANK YOU World Mercy Teams – I love you all!

From the Valley Vineyard Church in Reseda, CA. Pastor Bill Dwyer and his wife, Anamarie shared fantastic stories and were encouragers when we were down. They gave these regional pastors hope that people in the U.S. care for and are praying for them daily.

Big Joe could tell you anything about bananas (including the store bought varieties we love now may soon succumb to fungus) and plucks lobster from the California shores with his bare hands with the scars to prove it. We enjoyed long conversations about the perfect meals as we meandered up windy mountain roads.

Glenn shared much wisdom and wit for being just 22 and never complained despite spending each and every clinic bent over patients’ mouths with a flashlight as Rochelle inspected and cleaned their teeth.

Martin and I became good friends, partly because it is good to be friends with the guy who holds your, life in his hands day after day as a van driver, and partly because we share a love of photography and people.

From the Baja Mission in Baja, Mexico, JoseLouis skillfully drove the old school bus to and from clinic sites with a few passengers and all of our supplies. He was a man of few words, but quick with a smile and as a 3-year-old Christian, had an amazing story of salvation to share.

Raised in the Baja Orphanage run by Foundation for His Ministries, (look them up and sponsor a child, you won’t regret it), Raquel is a dental student and had a perpetual smile that lit up even the darkest days. Although she didn’t speak a lot of English, she too was an encourager, always asking how we were doing.
Mari (Photo soon) is also a former orphan, now reconnected with her mother and both serving the Lord. The respect she has earned from local town leaders helped make this mission possible. I don’t have the time in 20 blogs to tell you about the impact she has made in this region.
As pastor of a church in Juxtlahuaca, Pastor Martin (pronounced Mar-teen) and his wife Karen (photos soon) have worked with Mari to make inroads into the tribal regions surrounding this city. He was a valuable source of information about local customs and has made incredible inroads as a resource to pastors in those communities and helping them bring teams like us in.
Minerva (photo soon) is a local doctor who donated her time and energy to each clinic and helped familiarize us with local problems such as intestinal bacteria, worms, high diabetes rates and other issues. Additionally, female patients from the region trusted her skills and knowledge and for good reason. She is a skilled physician and wonderful Christian woman who understands how a healed body can lead to a healed spirit.
I really don’t know what else I can say to wrap this up. Please, ask those you helped pray for and sponsor about the impact the trip made on them. We’ll share photos (100s and 100s) and video and really show you what it was like for us.
Also, pray for where God may take us next. As Don and I traveled to Oaxaca, we discussed Haiti, which has been on my heart for many years. All of us have followed the devastation that followed 2-days later.
I’ll close with two quotes, including one my dear friend and pastor, Jerry Stevens, uses frequently from St. Francis of Assisi. “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”
The last is a personal quote for anyone reading this blog. If you are struggling with seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your life because of finances, health, and addictions...any burdon you need to have lifted from you, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and his name is Jesus.
“Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." A quote from Jesus in Matthew 11: 28-30
Thanks to each of you for sponsoring us and praying for us and reading my rambles day after day. Your support was pivotal to our success and we look forward to seeing all of you again.
This is Chato – signing out from Mission Oaxaca!
God bless,
Sheldon

Mission Oaxaca - Day 8, Liquid sunshine

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn...” Isaiah 61:1-4

Well, you are stuck with me again tonight as our blogger extradorinaire, “Chato” was ill the last day of our clinic.

So, I’m sitting outside tonight in t-shirt weather, listening to the sounds of Oaxaca City and fireworks.

Thinking back on our last day of clinic I’m thinking we should have started the week In Santa Rosa.  Everything else after would have seemed easier!  We were in Santa Rosa, a community set 15 minutes outside of Juxtlhuaca.  The church pastor opened up his home for us to hold our clinic, and when I say “home”, I use the term very loosely.  We were in the pouring rain under tarps so we had to be very creative in our set up.  It all worked out, despite the mud and turkeys wandering about our clinic!  Even in his great need, the pastor gave over all he had in order to serve God and His people.  How humbling is that! 

Even in the midst of my doubt, and I hate to admit, my complaining, God was faithful.  I was quickly put in my place as patients trudged through the mud and rain in order to receive some medical care.  Of course, their sweet, humble spirits shone through and their kindness was so evident.

A house call took Don, Rob, and Elena 50 minutes away to the home of a very elderly lady who lived alone up a very muddy path.  Don needed to reduce a fracture in her wrist as a result of her falling in her home.  She was really grateful and very brave since the procedure was done without anesthetic.  Every Saturday she heats her bath water over a fire so she can bathe for Sunday church before hiking down her hill and trying to find a taxi that may happen through.  Man, how man times have I been too tired to get up for church?  Yikes!  No excuses for me!

On the medication side of things it is always so confirming when we have some odd medication that one particular patient has need of.  It is a great reminder of how God ordains each trip, each person, patient, and medication to bring Him glory.

I am burdened for the people of Oaxaca and so I pray that dark, hardened hearts would turn towards peace, that lives would be restored and God’s mercy would be extended to this very needy people, both spiritually and physically.

Another thing that stood out was Page ran into yet another one of her patients in the Santa Rosa community.  I actually discovered this little girl in our pharmacy area who spoke fluent English.  I thought it was kind of neat because it is so rare for the area we were in.  Anyway, on her way out, she sees Page and says, “I know you, you are my Mom’s doctor!”  So, Page was able to treat her family as they were visiting Oaxaca and heading back to Oregon soon.  Yet, another extension of God’s perfect timing.

I just want to say the pastors we have met over this week have literally given their lives over to serving the Lord and His people.  The pastors were so burdened that their tears ran freely down the faces.  We heard story after story of violence, hatred, and denial of Christianity.  Our prayers will continue for a movement of God within these communities.

Jesus es el Camino, la Verdad, y la Vida!

Blessings and Peace,

Jessica

Mission Oaxaca - Day 7

I’ve got some exciting news! I have no travel adventures to report – Whoo hoo (at least that is what Liz is saying tonight)!
Today we headed into the lower elevations to the nearly tropical Gregorio Alvarez Putla de GRO. The countryside surrounding this town was simply breathtaking and we thoroughly enjoyed the people, which were a mix of Triquis and Mixtecans.
I wanted to tell you a little bit more about the types of problems we are treating in this region.
In this area of Oaxaca, disputes are often settled old-west style - at the end of a gun. Today a woman came in because she had been shot six months ago. She and her husband were driving when some people that had a grudge against them over a land dispute murdered her husband and shot her through her car door.

Don and Rob were able to make an incision in her back and pull out the fractured slugs that had scar tissue forming around them. The surgical site was cleaned and she was stitched up. She apparently still has bullet fragments in her leg, but Don decided not to pull them out because he wanted her back to heal first.

While Mexico has surprisingly good infrastructure in these remote regions, water quality has definitely been an issue. Many of the people we are treating have intestinal issues related to bacteria from the environment. We are prescribing a lot of antibiotics and antimicrobials in order to treat these folks.
Additionally, Minerva, a local physician who has donated her time all week, recommended all children be treated for worms. There are many different parasites living in the people’s bodies and the medicines are prohibitively expensive for most. Fortunately, World Mercy Teams received a donation of this medication and have treated hundreds of children through these clinics.
The people here have a strong work ethic and they labor hard. This is evident in the premature chronic back problems and numbers of arthritic patients we are seeing, often in their 40s. Additionally, we have treated a large number of people with reflux disease. This comes from the spicy diet most live on.
Genetics also play a role Oaxaca. High blood pressure and diabetes are common in this region despite a relatively healthy diet.
I’m going to keep this short tonight. I am starting to battle some intestinal issues of my own and hoping some sleep will improve my situation.
We have one more clinic tomorrow, fortunately less than a 30-minute drive from Juxtlahuaca along a main road. We are all road weary and looking forward to a little R & R Monday before we return home.
Please continue to pray for our health and also for the churches that are hosting us. Remember, the Christian church in this region is just being established and the pastors and congregations need constant prayer from the persecution they face too often. Pray for peace in this region where drugs, alcohol abuse and prostitution are major issues and where women and children are all too often abducted, raped and held as sexual and household slaves.
My goal tonight is to try to upload a video of Don and Page talking about Mission Oaxaca. If it does load, I’ll add it to the blog tomorrow morning.
Thanks again for your prayers and support. You are all blessings to each and every one of us.
God bless,
Sheldon

Mission Oaxaca - Day 6, My name is Chato!

Warning – Graphic content not suitable for the feint of heart!

As any day in Oaxaca goes, we will start with a pleasant drive down a crumbling road.

Today we encountered a landslide as we made our way to San Juan Mixteco, where we held our third clinic. A backhoe was moving away debris as the hillside continued to crumble in small chunks. After a 10-minute wait, the vans and car made it across the improvised dirt road next to a cliff with sweeping views of the valley. Well, we definitely can say life in Oaxaca is never dull.

Just a note, San Juan Mixteco is 12,000 feet in the mountains and we are based in Juxtlahuaca at 5,000 feet. These are truly cloud people. The Mixteca tribe is another one of Mexico’s beautiful, and short people with the elderly women wearing these beautiful blue shawls they make by hand.

Today’s clinics went smashingly. We were housed in a community building with plenty of room (and kid control) so we were able to do the work we needed to very efficiently. We treated a lot of general aches and pains and a few diabetics and injuries. Rochel, our wonderful volunteer dental student and Glenn, not a dental student, cleaned teeth. I’m not sure how many we treated, but all were very gracious and appreciative.

One highlight for me was seeing team members pray with people. When someone would request prayer or we felt the Holy Spirit leading us, we could go aside and pray with them. Bear in mind, that the Christian church in this region has only been recently established and there is no Bible in the Mixteca language. Our presence and medical care helped move the church in this community forward.

I nearly became a casualty myself this afternoon. As I took an afternoon bathroom break, I failed to remember that the biggest person in this region is well...Joe...and then me. Each doorway is sized appropriately (I swear it can’t be more than 3’9”) and I forgot this fact as I rushed out of the bathroom and WHAM, my forehead hits the doorjamb, my knees hit the floor and the woman taking change for the bathroom laughed as though I was Curly from the Three Stooges. Oh the pain!

It never ceases to amaze me as I watch God in action and this trip is no exception. Although my bag of meds was confiscated in Guadalajara, our sponsor church has a supply of medications that went well above what was taken and had additional meds that have been truly needed. God’s provision has been well above what we expected and that has been awesome.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

God is also using us in remarkable ways. Yesterday, Rob treated an extremely nasty burn on an 8-year-old girl’s foot. Left untreated, gangrene likely would have set in possibly leading to an infection that could have killed her or left her with an amputated foot. Please pray for her continued recovery.

God was very evident today as we departed San Juan Mixteco during a short burst of rain. After local church members laid hands on us and prayed for us, (AWESOME) we departed on the same roads we came in on. As we climbed, we came to a section of road where four dump trucks were sliding as they moved away from a construction site. We were forced to turn around on a narrow road, the clay filling the tread on our tires.

We did manage to turn around and find a return route home although the wet roads and steep terrain made even me, a very stoic driver and rider, nervous at times. Marilee took out the Mad Libs and we took our eyes off the road for a few good laughs. Who knew firefighters hosed hydrogen peroxide into wet diapers?

I’ve probably already overstayed my blog time so I will finally tell you the meaning of my blog title, “My name is Chato.”

Pastor Bill in his wisdom decided I needed a Mexican name. Apparently Sheldon just wasn’t working. After brainstorming a few options, we decided Chato was manly enough and common enough to work. So now when someone says “CHATO” I strike up a masculine power pose.

Well, maybe we have gotten a little too much sun here.

We LOVE your comments and have started reading them each night. Your words of encouragement are great. Keep them coming.

Please continue to keep us in prayer. Elena was very sick last night unbeknownst to us, but was fine today. Please pray she stays healthy as well as the rest of us. Please pray that each clinic our last two clinics will really allow us to impact lives for Christ and that they run as smoothly as today.

And if you would, please pray for my forehead – it still smarts pretty good.

God bless,

CHATO

Mission Oaxaca - Day 5 The Triqui peoples

Today I decided to take some time off and my friend and teammate Jessica graciously decided to pick up my slack. We had a great day today and treated many illnesses and injuries and met some of the most beautiful (and little) people I have ever seen.Sheldon

Today our journey brought us to Tierra Blanca. It was a Triqui village where the people spoke in their own dialect. English was translated into Spanish and then translated into Triqui.

We were greeted by switchback trails, (excuse me, I mean roads), and a herd of goats. We were grateful the roads were dry. Once we reached the town, the patients were lined up ready to be seen.

The Triqui women dress in traditional black and red huipil, a poncho style woven garb. The women weave the huipil on looms and each can take up to a year to make.

Mari, an outreach minister from the church that is hosting us, along with Rob, our team RN, took a supply of Mebendazole (used to treat intestinal parasites) to the local, bilingual (Spanish and Triqui) school.  There they treated 180 students!  

I will admit this morning was difficult for me. I was feeling a bit emotional.  I miss my family and was discovering my role within the team.  We had team devotions this morning and given an opportunity to share how we were holding up.  The encouragement and prayer I received from such a lovely team meant the world and I felt blessed.  I have been feeling some attack from the enemy on this trip.   I wanted to share a couple of verses with you that were shared with me this morning (thank you Raquel and Page.)

“Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous.  Do not tremble or be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 

“Finally brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – If anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians’ 4: 8-9

A neat point was brought up in the van today, compliments of Marilee.  While our visit and service fills a temporal need, God’s love isn’t temporal.  It is eternal and it stays in the town we leave behind.  Our hearts and prayers continue for the Triqui, Mixteca, and Zapotec tribes we are coming in contact with.

We are beyond blessed to have your prayers and support.  What a beautiful thing.  The support given to our families while we have been away has been wonderful.  They are serving their own mission at home!  Many thanks.

May the God of peace be with you,

Jessica Griffin

 

Mission Oaxaca - Day 4: Old faces in new places

The circumference of the Earth may be roughly 25-million miles, but it’s amazing when we are reminded what a small world we truly live in.

Today we ate a late lunch in a town roughly halfway between Oaxaca City and Juxtlahuaca. The Restaurante Yosocuta specializes in pescado (fish) dishes with fish that are caught in the lake directly behind it.

After we ordered our drinks and meal, Page is chatting with the group when she hears a faintly familiar voice saying “Doctora Griffin.” She turns and is suddenly face to face with Dominga Cruz, a patient of hers at the Salud Medical Clinic in Woodburn, and her son, Aden.

Both were in this town visiting her husband’s family. Dominga lives in Silverton and Aden attends Eugene Field School. I got a shy, Aden to say hi to his teacher, Heidi (sorry, I didn’t get her last name) and some classmates.

It’s amazing when God reminds us of the impact we can make on those around us and brings us together.

As you may have guessed, we are arrived in Juxtlahuaca following a harrowing climb up El Diablo, better known as The Devil’s Spine. The road wound up a large mountain as we slowly climbed, avoiding crater sized potholes along the way. As with any road, single lane or otherwise, cars, busses and other traffic would take any chance they could to pass us, seemingly mindless of the bus wreckage near the bottom of the mountain. There were no skeletons waving at us, but there were plenty of crosses and makeshift memorials along the road.

Along the way, we stopped at a 16th century cathedral in the mountains. It was being restored by the government and had the most amazing paintings. I am awestruck by the passion artists of that era had and how beautiful the art is. I took an art history class and slides can never do justice to the true beauty of this work.

I’ll keep this short and sweet in the hopes I may be able to get some food and rest in order to prepare for the clinics we will hold tomorrow through Saturday.  God has been very gracious to us in regards to health and safety. Please continue to pray that he further blesses this mission and the people we will serve.

We miss you all and look forward to sharing with you in the coming days.

God bless,

Sheldon

Mission Oaxaca - Day 3

Have you ever seen those test tracks in the commercials for fancy sports cars? The Ferraris or BMWs or other cars making their way up a curvy mountain road with the agility of a fox make it look so nice...and maybe it would have been if we were in those cars.

Today we traveled to Ixlan, Oaxaca, a town 2-hours from our base at Cristo por su Mundo and unlike the swift sports cars, we were riding in passenger vans. Rob and Jessica clung to each other in the hopes that they could keep from becoming sick as the road hugged the cliffs where we could imagine other 12-passenger vans filled with missionaries lay at the bottom.

The experience was only amplified when trucks laden with all manner of goods would pass us on double curves, the drivers with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a cigarette or cup of coffee. The minivan holding part of the Vineyard group did have to stop after the brakes began touching the floor from overheating. We let them cool, shuffled most of the passengers to other vans and away we went.

Who said missions trips were never fun?

Today the entire group of Canadians, Californians, Mexicans and Oregonians worked together to treat many many people. We don’t have an exact count, but our dentist and her assistant took the brunt impact of the work as they cleaned and pulled teeth. I won’t post the video of that – you may be eating breakfast.

While I won’t say it was a well-oiled machine, many people were treated for all kinds of conditions and thanked us profusely. I love to see their smiles, especially the older, toothless ones, and just see how big an impact you can have by giving a hug, taking a temperature and letting them see a doctor who genuinely listens to them, treats them and prays with them. It doesn’t take much to really show God’s love in very tangible ways.

We arrived home around 9:45 p.m. and tomorrow we are on the road again, this time to Juxtlahuaca, a 6-hour drive with more of the same of today. On Wednesday, we will begin clinics in various villages around that town.

Just a note, villages in Oaxaca bear no similarity to anything in the U.S. They are groups of homes built in an area along dirt back roads. While they have basic utilities, there are no grocery stores (unless you like Coca-Cola and junk food). Many of these villages predate the Oregon Trail or other substantial events in U.S. history and families will live there for generations and never leave.

More recently, young men will leave their wives and children and venture out to find work in agriculture. If they are lucky, they will make it into the United States for seasonal farm labor, especially in Oregon, which has a large number of Oaxacans living there.

As for us, we all need a good nights sleep and a shower, but hopefully will be refreshed and ready for Wednesday. Please continue to pray for our good health and that we will have a lasting impact on those around us. Please pray that we will be able to make each clinic run smoothly and that we will have all the supplies we need. (Would it be too obnoxious to as you to pray for our blood pressure machine and thermometer – these gave us some serious grief today and I almost threw them down a cliff on the way home?) I’ll let you decide.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. You are all blessings to us and your words of encouragement have been awesome.

God bless,

Sheldon

Tes Blog

Hello everyone - sorry, nothing to report. e are just waking up and I needed to test this blog to see if something is working.
God Bless

Mission Oaxaca - Day 2

Here was today in a nutshell. We woke up, had a great 3-hour praise and worship session, I ate a grasshopper. Whew, I’m glad I got that out of the way.

OK, so you aren’t here to ready the nutshell version so I’ll give you the entire skinny on Day 2 of Mission Oaxaca.

As an update, the entire team made it to Oaxaca and Cristo por su Mundo, the Orphanage we will call home for two more days. Rob, and part of the team from a Vineyard Church in L.A. had most of their luggage delivered today although Rob, from our team lost his bag of clothes. His meds made it through. He is in good spirits given his inaugural mission trip has been a challenge, but the two of us are roughly the same size so I’ll give him half my clothes. I knew there was a reason I packed four pairs of brand spanking new underwear!

Today we worshiped at El Roco, a church pastored by Omar, who is quite a character and the one who laid the groundwork for our medical mission in the highland later this week. The church had garage doors, which opened up and I’m sure the entire neighborhood was feeling the spirit of the worship band and the people in the church. It was simply awesome to say the least. I highly recommend that more churches open up their windows and let the spirit flow into the streets.
Page, who will never be a day over 29, had her birthday here in Oaxaca today and the church gave her a rousing Happy Birthday and a hands-on blessing, which was awesome. I have video, but will have to upload it when I have more bandwidth.

After the service we took spent some time in the center of Oaxaca City enjoying the food and people. Page, Marilee and Jessica had a great time with the Churros and we all ended up with the ingredients for the insanely good hot chocolate they make down here.

Me, I ate a grasshopper, fried I think, and apparently made a brilliantly funny face although nobody could get it in a photo. And they wonder why I like to be the one behind the lens.

Tomorrow we will drive two hours out of town and hold a medical clinic with the Vineyard group and a group of YWAM folks from Canada. I made a few Canadian jokes and they are now demanding restitution for my apparent insults. Who knew Canadians were so touchy eh?

Fun aside, we need plenty of prayer as we begin the real work of healing bodies and spirits. Please pray that we will be well rested for tomorrow and that the melding of two medical teams with different ways of doing things will be smooth.

Please pray that we will have the supplies we need to treat everyone that comes through our doors or that we will find a place to buy what we need. Pray for our health and safe travels as we move from place to place.

God is working here, that is evident. There have been some early trials, but we know all of us will have an impact for the Kingdom of God and that lives will be touched. Always remember, you are as much a part of this team as the people here on the ground. We need your prayers and encouragement and we thank you for giving up so much to help us serve.

God bless,

Sheldon

Mission Oaxaca - Day One, Adventures in travel

Mission Oaxaca is off and running and although we have already lost 1/8 of our medical supplies, most of us are all smiles as we sit in a Mexico City terminal waiting for a flight.
What started as a routine trip through customs in Guadalejara turned into quite an adventure. I was selected for a bag search and my 50-pound bag of medical supplies raised plenty of eyebrows. I gave them the appropriate forms, however I was taken aside and told I would have to pay a "Broker" for the supplies, primarily over the counter meds, to travel with me.
Forgive me for lying, but when the customs agents asked where the rest of the supplies on our list were, I told them they arrived a day ahead of me so I didn't give away the fact that three of our other med bags had made it through. Poor Elena said she was pretty worried, as she and Don could only catch glimpses of me as the sliding exit doors to customs opened and closed.
I was eventually able to talk to Don and we decided to leave the bag of supplies there.  I guess God had someone else in mind for them.
We had sent Rob, our nurse, ahead of us and in the confusion and chaos of the entire ordeal, everyone missed their flights. By this time Rob is alone, looking for Don, Elena and I, his first time in a foreign nation and he doesn't speak Spanish. He ended up booking a flight separate of us and although we know he got on the flight to Mexico City, he is currently in a terminal, 1-mile from us. I guess we'll see him in Oaxaca at 4 p.m..
Don, Elena and I added a leg, and 7 hours to our voyage, but we believe it should be smooth sailing from here to Oaxaca.
We are tired and a little hungry although there is no shortage of chain restaurants in our terminal. Please pray that all of the misadventures for this trip are now complete. Please pray that Rob will continue his trip safely and that he gets some rest. Also pray that the rest of our medical supplies make it to Oaxaca for those who need them.

Our Team - Part One

With just three days left until our team leaves for Oaxaca, I am continually blessed by the generosity of others. 

Yesterday Maddy unpacked 152 toothbrushes and put them in little plastic baggies that we will give to children we encounter. This is in addition to the 100 or so that have were donated by a dentist in Silverton and individuals.

Together, we were able to raise nearly $1,400 that will not only pay for travel expenses, but medications and other needs we may encounter. I also truly appreciate your prayers as we get ready to go.

One of the biggest questions I am asked is who is going on this mission? I'll try to introduce them along the way as I get to know them. One person I love to work with because her heart is so full of love for the people she helps, is Dr. Page Griffin Jossi.

Page works as a family physician in Woodburn through Silverton Hospital and will be one of our docs. She is fluent in Spanish, which is a tremendous blessing to the team. This will be her seventh mission and her second with a medical team. I worked with Dr. Page in Guatemala in Sept. 2007 where she helped treat hundreds of women and children. While she was there, she was able to visit Carlos, the baby her and her husband Pete were in the process of adopting from that country and who now lives with them.

This trip will carry special significance for her because half of the patients she treats at her clinic in Woodburn come from the Oaxaca region of Mexico. In preparation for this mission, she chose a verse from the Bible book of John to carry her through.

"These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:31. 

"Just as John's purpose was to bring people to faith, I am praying that through our ministry of love through providing medical care, we will encourage the people we are serving to know truth and put their faith in Jesus," Page stated.


Thanks again and keep coming back. I am really looking forward to showing you know good God is to his people.
Sheldon

Mission Oaxaca - Jan. 2 Packing Party

We're down to six days before the World Mercy Teams crew takes a red eye to Oaxaca, however none of us are sitting on our laurels just waiting. It takes a lot of preparation...and prayer. Please continue to pray that we remain healthy and strong before we leave. Pray that we will make it through customs with everything we pack and that the people in Mexico laying the groundwork for our arrival will have everything they need.
Today we inventoried medications and supplies before packing eight bags to the airline's 50-pound weight limit. All of our supplies are donated or purchased through financial donations to World Mercy Teams.
There will be five clinics in various locations, although we will be based in Juxlahuaca about four hours north of Oaxaca City. There are two docs, a nurse, a pharmacist and assistant and two medical assistants traveling with us. Another doc and a dentist, several translators and other mission support folks from Mexico will also be there to help.
Please continue to pray for our team as we prepare to leave our families, work and other parts of our lives to help treat hundreds of people. Pray for our health and that we have all the supplies we will need. Also pray for the people who will serve with us and the people God will bring to us for healing.
Many blessings and thank you for your prayers and support.
Sheldon
Don Ives talks about Mission Oaxaca