In the past two weeks we’ve had Cross Point Teams down in the Dominican as well as Honduras. My friend and Cross Point elder Dr. Walter Stephens led our trip down to Honduras and I asked him to let us know what they’ve been up to this week. This was our first mission trip which was made up of people from all 4 of our campuses! This is what I received from him yesterday.
We have just completed four days of clinic in Duyure, Honduras. We have had the privilege of treating 1,447 patients in our medical, dental and eye clinic. We also dispensed over 5,000 prescription medications. 248 teeth were pulled, 220 pairs of glasses dispensed, and we even amputated one toe. Members of the team were able to personally deliver $1000 worth of food to feed 25 families for one month. The construction team worked at the local church and school laying stone for a fence and they dug a hole 12′ X 12′ wide and 8′ deep for the latrine.
This is my fourth year working with Mission Lazarus in Honduras. I originally traveled with a friend and a very small group to work in the first medical brigade to Duyure with Mission Lazarus. They have been investing in the people of Southern Honduras for the last ten years under the direction of Jarrod Brown. They provide medical care, education, evangelism and a home to children abandoned in this area. This year 28 members of Crosspoint joined the effort with 19 going for the first time. We stay at Mission Lazarus Ranch and travel 2 hours each way up and over a mountain to love people that are living in third world poverty. Surrounding villages have assigned days with some walking 3- 4 hours each way to have a chance and see an American doctor and take home medications that we can pick up at the corner pharmacy. Here’s a picture of the people waiting in line (in the rain) to be a part of the clinic we were putting on.
What strikes me each year is that despite their poverty, these people are happy. As opposed to most of us that are unhappy despite our wealth. It reinforces to all of us here that our joy cannot be found in our “stuff”, but in loving others as Christ did. We have discussed in our devotions each night about living as Christ and as “Christ Followers”, not our American idea of a Christian. The challenge will be to keep that perspective once we return home.
That is so awesome. I wish there were some way to convince every Christian to do a 3rd world mission. Or at least spend a week with the poorest of the poor here in the USA. Nothing short of life changing.
What an awesome way to impact some communities for the Kingdom of God! In April, I helped with a similar medical clinic in Haiti for a week. I was also impressed with the gratitude and apparent happiness of people who live in such poverty and suffered great tragedy on top of it.
That’s true…I was amazed when I went to Jamaica this summer…the people are SO happy and thankful, though they have what we would deem as “so little.”
This is an awesome work!!
Could you elaborate more on what he meant by
“about living as Christ and as Christ Followers, not our American idea of a Christian”.
I think I have an idea of what he meant by this.
Just wandering if you could clarify the difference of the two, and the perspective he spoke of?
In reply, I could not explain it better than David Platt did in his book “Radical.”
Walter
Thank you for the reference.
Platt said, “the Holy Spirit and the Word”
Every message ever preached should close with that.
Praise GOD.
Glad to have you as an elder.
So I have to go buy a book to find out what was meant?
Tony,
Of course this is a generalization, but our American idea of Christianity (in my opinion) doesn’t look like the call that Jesus gave his disciples. We look more at what the church can do for us than if it can reach the world. We measure a church’s success by how many people come into that church instead of how many people that church sends out. I will quote from Radical.
“Because we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him into a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with. A nice, middle-class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn’t mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have…A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American Dream.”
I am not a theologian nor have I ever written apologetics. I am simply a Christian and an American and trying to reconcile the two as I try to be conformed to His image, not Him to mine.
Walter,
Thanks for replying… I didn’t mean to imply that you needed to. I was being mischievous thus the winky smile face.
That being said. I understand your reply and it is a scary indictment – not of the church – but of us individuals who are afraid to take God on His word. Afraid or too content.
“What strikes me each year is that despite their poverty, these people are happy.”
I found the exact same thing when I was in Mexico. Not only were they joyful they were very generous as well.
Incredible and Amazing! Thank you Pete for allowing Walt to share this experience. The pictures on the Mission Lazarus blog brought me to tears.
Those pictures tell such an amazing story.
Very blessed to have been a part of this amazing trip!! I would agree that everyone should experience mission work (in or out of the country) in some capacity. If you are not able to directly be a part of a trip, there are many ways to still contribute–prayers, contributions, more prayer….!!!
And I will have to say the ranch at Mission Lazarus is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been!!!
S.
Thanks for blessing me with your writings.
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It’s so amazing that people are happy despite of their condition. It’s not the material things that would make them happy, but knowing God is there to supply their needs abundantly. This mission surely touched their hearts to know God deeper.