News > Latin America

Mexico UBF
February 6, 2014

Yesterday, after worship service, we visited an orphanage for the crippled, along with nine leaders in our ministry. It was the place that we were supposed to visit last Christmas but was postponed due to the New Year leaders’ conference. It took about three hours by car. We went there with several boxes of fruit, some used clothing, and a Christmas offering. We traveled in two cars and came back at midnight.

The orphanage was located on a hill in a poor countryside village. It had one square room in which 22 young or middle-aged physically or mentally disabled people lived together. It was filled with odd smells and moans from their despairing souls. Some of them were crying, while others were murmuring and slobbering. They were living miserably without hope. Probably, they were abandoned when they were young on the street and were exposed to drugs and poor food. When I saw them, my heart was broken, thinking if only they could have met a shepherd before their lives were ruined. I also felt sorry and shameful because I have been enjoying life in the modern world living in a big house. I repented my selfishness, for I was angry when I learned that M. Abraham gave our TV set to this community.

M. Abraham made the people sit down and shared with them the word of God in a loud voice (because most of them could not hear well) and prayed for them. I and our leaders also prayed with them one by one, holding their hands with greetings. Then, I felt Jesus was there in their low places and realized that their lonely hands were Jesus’ hands. More than this, I was surprised by the young couples who had been serving them: Salvador and Erika. Salvador was a wonderful man with passion, and his wife, Erika was a beautiful woman. They have prepared the house for them, feeding them, taking care of them, and bathing them. I said, “You are blessed with overflowing grace because Jesus is here, being with you very closely”. Then they replied, “Well, we are just short.” They were humble. Their three little children were growing healthy, beautiful, and bright, playing and running among them. We told them, “We pray that your children may grow as God’s servants who can serve the entire nation of Mexico, as you serve these 22 needy people”. They responded, “Amen.” We were glad that the offering we brought could be used to build a bathroom with shower, because they had had a hard time bathing them by using a big rubber round container instead of a bath tub. They were so moved by the offering and blessed our ministry with a prayer of blessing.

On the way back, we realized that we were the ones who were blessed through visiting them, though we tried to be a blessing to them. We all agreed with the idea of sharing our visiting report in each worship service next Sunday for those who were not able to visit them with us today. We may serve the sheep on UNAM Campus through 1:1 Bible study to bring them to Jesus with urgent spirit, before their lives are destroyed. M. Abraham served this orphanage last year by visiting and sharing the word of God every week, whether they could hear it or not. His prayer for them is that God may grant mercy upon them with the same mercy upon a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores. He decided to serve them every week after worship service this year as well.

We have a Bible café on Friday and a GBS during the week. Also, for the coworkers who have babies, we have a fishing time on Tuesday. We may serve the evangelism ministry for UNAM campus and unreached campuses as well. May God bless our desire to serve campus ministry.

M. Sarah Hwang (Mexico)