Chiapas Medical Campaign

With hearts of appreciation beyond our ability to express in words, we thank God and the team that was so willing to serve Him and others last week in Chiapas. Hundreds of people were helped that would not have seen a doctor or dentist otherwise. It is humbling to be God's servants in linking together those willing to do all they can to relieve the pain and suffering of so many in need. Thank you Dr. Nichols for your continued compassion to people everywhere, especially here in Chiapas, and for your perseverance in finding ways to make another missions trip possible. We value your friendship and the years we have all worked together. We also thank Dr. John Mahoney for viewing the work in Chiapas as a place where God has linked him. You are so needed with the work in Chiapas. You walked into our lives and the ministry God has in Chiapas having already adapted to the call. You are a walking, living Bible for all to read from your pages.

We love for those on the missions trips to give their own account of the week. Dr. Jim writes the following report and tells of others that God put together in Mexico. Their lives touched ours, and it was an incredible week!


Dr. John Mahoney from New Iberia accompanied Jim Nichols to Chiapas for a medical/dental mission trip from March 17-25. I have learned to not question God about the team that He assembles for each trip. Sometimes there are 30; sometimes there are 2; but it's always just what He wants. This trip was no exception. Dr. Mahoney has been doing short-term missions for over 10 years in neighboring Oaxaca, but the missionaries that he was linked up with have moved back to the states. This resulted in a phone call to me, asking about dates and opportunities in Chiapas. We often don't understand why a door of effective ministry sometimes closes, but are grateful that God is always faithful to open another door. And thank God that He opened a door into Chiapas for John. What a blessing he was to the Indians and to us!

God also had Dr. Lulu, the Mexican physician from Tuxtla-Gutierrez, along with Dr. Hernan Constantino, a Mexican dentist also from Tuxtla-Gutierrez, and Barbara, a "Swiss/Czech" who had been living in Chiapas for several years and was an invaluable help interpreting. It was a truly diverse, international group, but all part of the family of God.

We worked the first day in Tuxtla at Casa Hogar Alegre, the Christian orphanage, then went into the mountains in Chenalho. Monday and Tuesday we had a long, bumpy ride to Oxanam, very deep in the mountains where we worked all day for the 2 days. Then we worked in Chenalho Wednesday, Thursday and half of Friday. Medical and dental care were provided for the underprivileged Indians, along with prayers and presentations of the gospel. Bodies were healed, and souls were touched, all for the kingdom of God! There was also evidence of God's continuing renewal and transformation in the lives of those of us who were working on this trip.

Thank you Russell and Charlotte, for your faithful availability that enables the rest of us to have the opportunity for missions trips like this. May God continue to pour out His most abundant blessings on you and your work!

Crossroads Church - March 4-11

Thank you Crossroads Church for the contribution to build yet another block church here in Chiapas. We appreciate the support you have been for many years with the work in Mexico. Bud, Vance, Eddie and Mike - we are grateful for all the hard work you did last week and for the great time we had together! Thank you Bud for the very kind words! We appreciate you taking the time to give us a summary of the week in your own words.

On March 4, four of us from Crossroads Church in Lafayette, LA traveled to Tuxtla, Chiapas, where we spent the week working on completing a church building in the village of Saclamantojtic north of Chenalho as well as other smaller work details that needed completion in another area called Santa Marta.

We were greeted by Russell Linscombe at the airport in Tuxtla on Saturday afternoon, and from arrival to departure, our stay was both productive, enjoyable and a great blessing to us as well as those we were there to serve.

Any trip to a foreign country with interior travel and hands on work requirements usually has its own challenges and problems. However, we are pleased to say that this trip was void of problems due mostly to Russell and Charlotte's planning and organization of the itinerary for the entire week. When we arrived, food had already been stocked for the week; our rooms were clean and ready for occupancy, and a hot meal was waiting at the mission center. After approximately 16 hours travel in the day, that hot meal was a major blessing!

Each day started with a hot breakfast, then off to meet the warm greetings and smiling faces of brothers and sisters of the Tzotzil Indians that were getting their own place to worship the Lord. Their hospitality and love shown to us could not have been more genuine if we were relatives of their own natural family, but the bond we have in Christ will never be forgotten should we not meet again on this earth. Again, Charlotte had a wonderful meal cooked each evening upon our return. As a special treat, our friend Pastor Alejandro and his family had us in their home for dinner on Thursday evening. We enjoyed a very special time of fellowship with music and laughter. Mrs. Rosa presented us with gifts she had hand made. We will always remember the love and honor extended to us as we were made to feel like the family we are in Christ.

We left Mexico full of many memories experienced in a brief encounter of being used by the Lord, but with a sense of the reality that we received as much from the family of God in Mexico as we could have ever given to them. There is not enough room to describe our experience, as anyone that has been there would agree, but we thank the Lord and his servants: Russell, Charlotte, Pastor Carlos, Pastor Alejandro and all the other believers in the Chenalho region for making our time in Mexico such a rich experience that has impacted our lives for eternity!

God bless you all abundantly!

Bud, Vance, Eddie and Mike

--update--
Answer to Prayer! Crossroad team, we wanted you to know that the mother of little Mariano gave testimony in service last week of the healing her son had received the day you prayed for him at church. Pastor Alejandro had called forth the family and asked the American team to pray for Mariano, a 2 1/2 year old boy. He no longer could walk without pain and his legs would give out from under him. They were all frightened by this but knew to go to God for their source of healing and strength. You laid hands on him and prayed at the alter during the Sunday morning service according to the Scriptures, and now he is walking completely normal. We thank God for His faithfulness to do what only He can do and also for your willingness to come ready to be used of God in any way needed. Mariano is enjoying life with the ability to walk normally and without pain. To God be the glory!

Pastors receive own transportation!

There was excitement in the air as the three couples prepared a meal to show their appreciation and gratitude. The Indian women cooked but even the men got in on serving our food and taking care of us. It was quiet an evening! Last week we had the most incredible opportunity of giving 3 of the head pastors here in the highlands their very own vehicle. The meal was to express their deep gratitude and the kind words and love they showed us was so moving.

You have read and heard the words of Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Throughout the last 30 years, we have bought several vehicle of our own, and it was an exciting event. But nothing has ever compared to the joy we received in presenting these pastors with their own means of transportation. They tried to be so reserved and control their emotions, but as they put it, "It's like a dream!" There were moment of great "laughter and joy" and other moments of "tears of joy." We prayed for their safety and ability to learn to handle the new blessing and responsibility. It will take faith to even believe for the gasoline to keep the vehicles running, but our God is able to meet that need for them. These 3 pastors combined have 40 years of ministry, oversee 36 churches and walk anywhere from 3 to 10 hours to reach some of their congregations. Their knees and feet are literally wearing out from the extensive use. We told them that their knees are now just for praying , and we need them to last a long time!