From February 15-20, a team of medical professionals from our church travelled to Sandia, Mexico to do a medical clinic with Antonio and Jenny Gomez, our Global Impact Partners and 2022 VBS missionaries. The clinic took place in Casa la Palma, a community center and medical clinic built by Antonio and Jenny in Sandia. Our VBS offering last year went to help build Casa la Palma. Here are Riley Weaver’s reflections on the trip:
“This isn’t like the last trip. Last time, more people came to the clinic. Last time, the team was busier.” That’s what was going through my head after the first day of the clinic. I had fallen into the trap of comparison.
That evening, I asked Antonio Gomez, our host for the trip, why there were fewer people this time. He said, “Normally, these medical clinics are big community outreaches. We invite the whole town. That’s what we did last time. This time, we just invited the local church. They haven’t said anything, but we felt like they were being neglected. We need to take care of our own.”
After that, my attitude totally changed. I knew how much this church had done for their community. This church fed daily meals to children in their community for years. After that, they started hosting these medical outreaches. They now have a kids club. They also offer sewing classes for women. This was our opportunity to care for a church that had given so much to its community.
Over the next few days, I loved watching our team connected with this church. Our team members, Tod, Jess, and Sharae, went above and beyond with their patients. They played with their kids. They connected with our host family.
On Sunday, we went to church in Sandia. At the end of the service, there was a time of sharing testimonies. Many members shared about how our team had impacted them. One young man went up front, started crying, and said that he was so touched by Tod’s smile. He had seen God’s love through him. He then sang a song of thanksgiving. It was a very touching moment that I will never forget.
I was worried about this trip when it started, but it ended up being one of the most meaningful trips I have ever been on. I am so thankful for our team members, our hosts, and the church in Sandia!
