2 Months since coming back...SMI Testimony...

            When I arrived at SMI, I was at a very low point in my spiritual walk.  Throughout the school year I had become confused about my faith, and I questioned God about all the circumstances in my life that made no sense to me.  I knew that God had called me to go to SMI this summer, but I really had no clue how He would use such a jaded person like me to do His kingdom work.  Now I realize that God placed SMI in my life precisely because He knew how much I needed it. 

            For 5 weeks from June 22 to July 26, I split time between Harlingen, Texas, which is located in the top physician shortage county in the US, and Matamoros, Mexico.  With 30 Christian doctors, medical students and staff from across the nation, we addressed the medical needs of the community through clinics, health fairs, and door-to-door screening.  Just as importantly, alongside local churches we addressed their spiritual needs through prayer and evangelism. 

            I guess I would compare SMI to a Christian version of the MTV show The Real World.  “This is the true story of seven strangers, picked to live in a house to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real.”  Well we were thirty Christian strangers in a run-down dorm, and like the show we got to know each other’s strengths and faults sometimes too well.  Students came from states varying from Alabama to Pennsylvania to California.  We were definitely a motley crew, and I wondered how well we would be able to relate to one another.

            I was initially taken aback to see how many of us were experiencing the identical struggles in our lives, and we were able to bond with each other almost instantaneously through our shared experiences.  Through praying, sharing, playing, and doing ministry together we were able to minister to one another and point each other back to Christ.  I can’t stress enough how instrumental the other students were in putting me back on the right track.  I could see how God had handpicked each person to be there.

            While personal growth and healing was a huge aspect of my experience, I was even more amazed at the works God was doing in Harlingen and Matamoros.  The stats are just a glimpse of what happened: 18 sites visited, 450 houses health screened in Texas, 950 patients seen in Mexico, and 140 confessions of faith in Texas alone.  There were many more in Mexico, but we didn’t keep track.  Our ministries in Texas and Mexico differed drastically.  In Texas we worked with two local churches and went door to door in their communities offering health screenings and sharing the gospel as the opportunities arose.  In Mexico, we set up clinics at local churches and met physical and spiritual needs as the patients streamed in.  It was obvious that patients in both areas had inadequate healthcare and were spiritually hungry.

            I remember an old lady we came upon in Texas as we were going door to door.  She was very friendly and welcomed us into her home.  We performed the health screening, and during the health survey we started asking her spiritual questions.  She said she was raised as a Catholic, but she didn’t attend church very often.  She also told us that she had tried reading the Bible before, but it didn’t make too much sense to her.  A team member began sharing the gospel message to her very simply and clearly.  While she shared, the rest of the team prayed silently.  When I looked up, I was surprised to see tears streaming from her eyes.  She kept on thanking us for sharing the gospel with her and told us how much it made sense to her now. 

            This wasn’t an isolated incident.  I know because after every outing our team would meet up and share our experiences.  There was story after story of people coming to the Lord and people breaking down in tears.  Sometimes whole families would accept Christ.  It was surreal seeing the power of the gospel.  Many times I questioned how this was possible.  But a student pointed out to me that there are hundreds of supporters praying for exactly these things to happen.  People have been praying for SMI ever since last year’s SMI ended.  So why should I be so surprised when God answers the prayers of his people?

I can't believe it's already been 5 weeks.  i go back to cali tomorrow...i don't know if i want to go back yet.  we just had a festival to close the trip...we also got some preliminary stats..pretty crazy stuff:

Sites: 18.  Houses Screened in TX: 450.  Patients Seen in Mexico: 950.  Accepted Christ: 140 (woohoo!) plus many many more came to know Jesus in Mexico, but we didn't keep track.

Also, a med student at smi saw that many kids in mexico were running around with no shoes.  so he started collecting donations (projecto zapatos) from the local churches we were partnering with.  today we found out that we raised over $1000 to buy shoes for the children. 

lots of love to all the docs from the valley baptist family practice residency, all our awesome translators, all the pastors and the local churches, and lawrence and gigi from friends of Jesus international (our liason to mexico).  sola cristo.

We've been working with local churches in 2 communities: Los Vecinos and San Benito in Harlingen, Texas.  it's really amazing and also very encouraging to me how hungry the people are to hear the gospel.  it brings to reality the verse: the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Yesterday at Los Vecinos we came to a house where people were partying it up on their front yard.  most of them were black and the guys i talked to professed faith in Christ, which was all good.  at that point, their friend angel strolls by.  he wants a health evaluation so we start talking and when i ask him if anyone's talked to him about jesus christ he says no.  after the health screening (he's a healthy 18 yr old) i shared the gospel with him and just like that he accepted christ.  it's cool how god works cuz he was the only hispanic guy there and the only one to accept christ, and the church we work with happens to be a spanish-only speaking church.  as we invite him to church, please pray that he will start going and get plugged in. 

The next house was a very sweet old lady who was raised catholic, but didn't have an understanding of the gospel message.  she said she would read the bible over and over but just couldn't understand what it meant.  we gave her a tract and explained it to her, and she was so thankful for it.  she kept saying how nice the tract was because she could actually understand the message.  she was really open to going to church and seemed excited about it. unfortunately, her daughter came to pick her up for english classes so we couldn't finish our talk, but for sure we're going to follow up on her next week. 

Follow up is so crucial.  i see it like the seed falling on different soils, and following up and plugging them to a church helps ensure that they will grow and not fall away.  which is why the local church is crucial.  we're here for like 5 weeks, but this is their community.  i think our role is to provide a lil spark for the church, to encourage them.  but a big prayer request is for the local churches here, specifically Primera Iglesia Baptista of Los Vecinos and San Benito.  pray that they will continue the work god has started through in their community.