Day 6: Rio Verde Medio

The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 

Matthew 25:40 

Tuesday was a demanding day. The team was excited because it was the birthday of our mission leader, Shelia Duncan. After a good night’s rest, as well as a great breakfast prepared by our Galilea brothers and sisters, we all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Shelia, replete with cake. 

We then headed to Rio Verde Medio, loaded up into the back of four pickup trucks. RVM is one of the poorest communities in this area. Situated in the hills of the Awa Reserve, they are literally the “poorest of the poor”. Our team had been there once before, about five years ago. Many people were waiting for us when we arrived. 

The majority of our team was devoted to working with the children of these communities through the ministries of Vacation Bible School and of baseball. The members of Sonora Baptist Church poured out their hearts in playing and working with these children. Ben is a baseball coach at St. Xavier high school in Louisville, and Lauren is a division one softball player. Their unit was thrilled to teach and watch the children display innate athletic skills. Several of the men on the team were deeply moved to see the children’s joy. Such relationships have long-term benefits. 

On the way home, along the steep and winding gravel roads, a motorcyclist collided with the side of one of our trucks. He was thrown to the ground, damaging his bike, and impacting his knee. Remarkably, he sustained no serious injuries. Two of our truck drivers rendered mechanical aid, straightening the kick-start with an eight foot pipe from their truck. They got his bike started, and once his knee felt better, he was on his way. We all gave thanks to God. 

That evening, back at the Liebenzell center, one of the ladies on staff was developing severe abdominal pain. She had previously been found to have gallstones, and it was clear she was experiencing a gallbladder attack. We gave her what medication we had, and prayed for her. Within fifteen minutes, her intense pain was relieved…clearly the result of prayer. 

Through these and other experiences, the team felt very much in the middle of God’s sovereignty and providence. Tomorrow was planned to be a more ordinary day serving the people of Lita proper. 

Humbled by how He takes care of and protects us, 

Dr. Tim and Dr. Kim