|
MINISTRIES FRIENDS WITHOUT FRONTIER, A.C. AND UNITED PURSUIT INCORPORATED Dear all: |
|
5 March 2010 We know that all trips of Friends without Frontier (Amigos sin Frontera in Spanish) (ASF for short) have in common is the following: day of departure, days of service and day of return. Everything seems a simple routine, but by the grace of God, each of the trips is completely different in their preparation, their development and definition. Each trip has its own peculiarities and amazing results and lessons learned; each are to succeed in improving our delivery and service, with the aim of doing the Work of God with more excellence and professionalism with the only goal of enhancing the Name of our Creator in every place that we represent Him. The only desire of our hearts is to give our maximum effort to the Most High and do our best for His Glory. This trip to the Town of Llano Grande Reyes in the State of Oaxaca, began for me on the 8th of February. This time I traveled by bus from the City of Houston Texas to Mexico City which lasted 24 hours, and from Mexico City to the City of Cuernavaca another 3 hours, using taxis and buses. It was a very tiring but rewarding trip thinking I would soon be serving my Lord in the mountainous areas in the State of Oaxaca. For the first time I give you the following information: I attend 3 different churches/congregations in the Houston Texas area with the special purpose of presenting a summary of each mission trip, and each church in turn, collects a love offering for ASF. This financial support is always deposited into the bank account of United Pursuit Inc. to be used in support of the Work of God in Mexico. NOTE: A day before leaving for Oaxaca I visited an Evangelical Church (near where I lodged) in the City of Acatlipa located about 6 miles south of Cuernavaca. It was a night of prayer and when the local Pastor saw me, the entire prayer session was centered on the coming mission trip. Than the Pastor asked for an offering. Please observe how God acts in every moment; He used this day, that specific time and place so that some people would be blessed by praying and contributing for the Great Commission. 10 February/4 pm: All the trucks were loaded with all the material, equipment and personal luggage. A total of 8 vehicles were part of the convoy, transporting a total of 44 persons from 15 different congregations, including 7 Doctors, 6 Dentists and 2 Optometrists. 11 Febrero/11: 00 am: We left Cuernavaca for our destination. Arrived in Reyes Llano Grande 10 hours later. Unloaded all material and equipment from vans to sites designated for installing the different clinics: Medical, Dental, Optical and Clinic of the Soul (evangelism), ensuring that all were ready for the next day. 12 February/6:30 am: Wake up to start day: 7:30am devotional, 8:15am breakfast and 9:00am start work. This schedule would be the same for the following days. The dining room was a mile away from the place of service, up on a hill. NOTE: Very seldom we have the opportunity to bathe with hot water, and this was one of them. The person in charge of the Clinic of the Soul (evangelism) named Elsa asked if I wanted to take a shower, because she had made friends with a lady that was willing to offer us her home. On hearing that it was a chance to shower with hot water, I readily accepted. We went to that home; I showered. And while my sister Elsa bathed, I met a young woman (24 years old) named Rocio Coronel Maya which was the hostess. And behold, again the presence of God; this is how God works through his children. His Spirit led me to present to this young woman the Good News of God’s Plan, and she was saved. 13 February/9:00 pm: We celebrated the birthday of ASF’s human leader Doctor Antonio Moreno Ramos, pie and all. God rejoices our hearts when we need it most. NOTE: In all my missionary experience I had never met a person who, after having received Jesus into his heart, did not want any literature or Bible. He said, I’ll have much time to learn in the Christian Church. And, by the grace of God, this will happen soon, because I was informed a place was already available where all new converts could gather together to worship the new God they have just found. This is another great blessing of the Lord, as it is the first time He provides a gathering place before a church even exist. 14 February/7:00 pm: We began to dismantle the camp. About two hours later, the Town’s Mayor and his entourage held a special dinner to thank us for the work. ASF was presented with a scroll of recognition and an official invitation to return whenever we wanted. NOTE: A further proof that the desire of God that none should perish and all to come to repentance: a young woman had already been evangelized by another evangelist, and she refused to be saved, but on her second opportunity she came to me, and this time she was converted. Glory to God. Also I should say that there were several people who professed the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses that were evangelized. Some were saved and others not, according to God's plan. Of the 54 people who came to me, only 2 rejected Christ and both belonged to that sect. 15 February/5:00 am: We finished loading all vehicles and at 6:00 am we left for Cuernavaca. After 5 hours of traveling, the ASF van suffered a malfunction in the right front wheel. The wheel bearing was defective and replaced; the trip continued. At approximately 2:30 pm, this same vehicle had to stop for the second time; the front left wheel also had the "bearing" defective. It was decided that some people changed vehicles and only 2 people to remain at the repair site. At midnight we arrived at Cuernavaca. All things were unloaded. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED BY THE GRACE OF GOD!
STATISTICS MEDICAL CLINIC: A total of 712 patients were treated. DENTAL CLINIC: A total of 295 people received 444 treatments. OPTICAL CLINIC: 200 persons were examined and 152 received eyeglasses. SOCIAL WORK: Many Bibles were distributed, dozens of NT's and plenty of other literature. Many young persons and adults (both sexes) received hair cuts and 198 were given scarves. The Children's Ministry was very active throughout our stay. CLINIC OF THE SOUL: Evangelism: From a total of 617 persons who were evangelized, 530 of them were converted (including 110 children / youth) and many more were touched by God’s Holy Spirit.
For all those interested in traveling with this Team, I would like to say that I traveled from Houston Texas via bus to Mexico City’s North Bus Depot on the 8th of February; from there by taxi to South Bus Depot, and from there to the City of Cuernavaca via bus and from there into another taxi to the Town of Acatlipa, my lodging place. Returned to Houston the 19th. It took me a total of 27 hours going in and back 28 hours. Round-trip cost for transportation was only $ 269.49. But compared to the cost of traveling by airplane ($533.78) there is a big difference. LAST NOTE: I must tell you this: after all that traveling, evangelizing people from early morning to late evening, day after day, there was not a moment I did not feel healthy and strong. I returned to Houston the 19th and, the next morning I felt sick; the doctor’s diagnostic: a light case of pneumonia and bronchitis. There is no doubt that what God tells us in Philippians 4:13 is absolutely true. I was able to do it all because Christ gave me the strength. Sincerely, Raul G. Sifuentes In behalf of Friends Without Frontier, A.C. and United Pursuit Incorporated |