Pastors Unite to Serve Ensenada with Medical Mission
MEXICO – On April 20, Latin American area director Craig Libby led a team of Advent Christians to assist at a medical mission in Ensenada, Mexico. This team included ACGC Missions Engagement Coordinator Catherine Rybicki, Amy Pike and Natalie Pike (Nooksack Christian Fellowship) and 10 of our AC pastors from Mexico. Craig and his wife Kristi are part of the Mexican Medical Mission organization that made this community service event possible.
These events, called “Brigadas Medicas,” offer the community various no-cost medical services. This event was extra special for two reasons. One, for the first time in years, this Brigada was held in Ensenada and second, it was sponsored by ACGC in partnership with the area AC pastors and churches. In addition to medical assistance, the team worked together to offer two worship services on Friday and Sunday mornings (Sunday service shown in video below).
When patients arrived at the Brigada, they stopped at the registration tent to sign up for services. Then they moved to the “Vitales” tent, where vitals like blood pressure and glucose levels were taken. This is where Amy, Natalie and Catherine spent most of their time. They became nurses for the day!
To make waiting a little easier, there was lunch provided and a children’s program. At the children’s tent, drawstring bags handmade by the people of Shiloh Advent Christian Church were passed out to each child.
Patients chose from a variety of services: general medicine consults, ultrasound services, chiropractic services, acupuncture services, dental services, podiatry, ophthalmology (glasses and eye exams), hair cutting, legal services, nutrition education, mental health services and more. There was also a well-stocked pharmacy tent with many different medications available.
Some patients waited hours, others only a few minutes. But as they waited, no matter how long, they were touched by the love of God.
The final station for all patients was the prayer tent. Powerful things happened in that prayer tent. The counselors would ask all patients simple questions, beginning with “how can I pray for you?” It was amazing what the Lord did through a simple question.
Catherine Rybicki said, “Every time I walked by that prayer tent, I saw people weeping and crying out and displaying emotion with a freedom that I don’t often see anymore. These were people crying out to God, and crying on the shoulder of someone who would listen.” Natalie Pike reported that, “no one was holding back their worship to God.”
By the numbers:
672 people in the community of Ensenada were served.
142 volunteers participated.
43 churches and ministries were represented, including 10 Advent Christian churches.
132 people prayed for salvation.