Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5
Hope and healing in the name of Jesus. Grateful beyond words to bring you this next story of the work the Lord is doing through his obedient servants in Guinea Bissau.
I am so excited for you to meet Juan, Flavia, and Jaime. They are Argentinian missionaries who have served in Guinea Bissau for the last four years. Juan has completed three of five years of medical school in Guinea Bissau. He currently works in the hospital on the grounds at Casa. He is an ER nurse and works in labor and delivery. Flavia is at home with their son and runs a six month adult literacy program for 20 students at a time. They also help out at Casa in many different ways.
Juan and Flavia spend a couple weekends a month traveling the 10 hour journey to serve the people in the southeastern Boe region of Guinea Bissau. This region borders Guinea. They oversee a medical ministry to Muslim villages where there are no believers. The villages are mostly Fula. You will notice in the pictures above that one quick way to spot a Fula village is to look for the round huts.
The region they serve consists of 79 villages and only one nurse. A couple of weekends a month they travel to the region and set up in a medical clinic. The chief of this village did not want the people to receive medical care for free because he wanted them to have ownership of the clinic and not receive a handout. So each visitor pays $1 to be seen in the clinic and receive any needed services and meds.
The team provides medical assistance all day and at night they have a worship service where the Gospel is presented as well as time of singing and games for the children. This family has beautiful stories of people coming to the Lord through miraculous healing. Several villages who were hostile to the Gospel or had no believers are now seeing fruit. When a team member treats a patient they are reminded, “we can give you medicines, but only Jesus can heal.” The patient is then prayed over and treated. On one trip a women became a Jesus follower through this encounter and when the team traveled back through the village two days later her mother, brother in law, and husband were new believers. Praise be to His name alone!
The desire of Juan and Flavia is to live in this region full time. Their goal is to build a Fula home and live there permanently by 2017. They want to have enough huts on their property to house teenagers in need of a loving safe environment, much like a foster home.
Each medical brigade only costs around $200 per trip. $100 for meds and $100 for transportation costs. The house they are currently renting is $2400/year. They plan to stay in this home through 2016.
We desire at Hope Remembered to fully fund two medical outreaches a month at $400. Travis was able to travel with the brigade last month and the ministry is truly amazing. We would also love to help with costs associated with moving permanently to the Boe region to minister full time.
According to UNICEF, there are only seven countries in the world with a higher maternal death rate than GB. Less than 50% of children in GB receive adequate malaria treatment. People in Guinea Bissau are not expected to live into their fifties. UNICEF states that “the health outcomes for the children and women of Guinea-Bissau are poor and associated with a health system that is under-funded, inefficient and very weak in terms of infrastructure, equipments and qualified human resources.”
The needs are great. Our Healer is greater.
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits– 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6
* To donate directly to the medical ministry simply click on the give link at the top of this page and select general fund. Put “medical” in the notes section and 100% of your donation will be used for this outreach.