Jose and
Severa are two of the most faithful people in my class. Rarely do they miss a class unless they are sick (and even then rarely...) or off on a mission trip somewhere in Southern Mexico.
Jose is one of several leaders in a little church that has a missions mindset. The attendance is less than 30 regularly, yet they have sent off and support several missionaries.The average income for a family in the church would be $400/ month. So each tithes to pay the lights, water and propane bills etc. and at the end of each month they take special offerings to pay their missionaries. Much more than 50% of their total monthly offering goes to support their missionaries working with Native peoples of Mexico. A really inspiring group!
On one of their trips to meet with some folks who have gone out from the church to live in the south, they think
Severa contracted some kind of disease. She came back with severe, bloody
diarrhea. She has seen multiple doctors and was in the hospital for a week. She has to have some tests done (
colonoscopy) to check for colon cancer. She has had the
diarrhea since March! The problem is that they have purchased government insurance for their medical needs and although the tests would be free, she has to wait until September to get them done! That will have been 6 months with
diarrhea and other symptoms until the test, never mind any operation. Tijuana has dozens of Doctors and clinics to take care of this privately, but the cost is about $500.00 and this couple makes less than that each month... If you could please pray for
Severa!!
Her husband Jose was on a trip to encourage their missionaries in southern
Baja when he woke up in the middle of the night sicker than a dog. A visit to the Doctor provided the same frustration
Severa had-- yes you are badly ill, wait several months for an appointment. So they scraped up what they had left for the month and got some tests done. He has severe
prostatitis. A normal test for a 50 year old is about 4.5 or so- his test was 25.6! He has had severe fevers for 2 weeks now, extreme pain all the time, but esp. when he urinates and he looks like hes been run through the ringer.
He needs an appointment with a urologist but the government urologist (one for a city of 3 million!) has no appointments. At all. He does not know how long it will take. He has been taking medicine that has helped a little bit- only a low grade fever now, but still excruciating pain. He told me yesterday that a Dr.'s
appointment outside of insurance is about $50.00 plus any tests and medicines. But they are tapped out already, having paid a lot for their medication.
So I was talking to my young men (Elijah Caleb and Jacob) this morning about this. We did not have enough support this month to get a full paycheck and I've had both of our vehicles in the shop twice each this month which has further drained the account. I'm wanting to help out, but we don't have much right now until child tax credit comes in on Friday. Even then, after paying the bills that it pays and some gas and food money, we will have enough left for Caleb's birthday party at a water park. So I told them we were cutting back- no eating out for the rest of the month, no tacos or soda or anything like that- but even so, we would not have enough to help Jose out with medical bills.
Then Caleb said "what about the
waterpark... we could not go there and give that money to them." Elijah and Jacob agreed. They said it was a much better use of our money to help these guys out--what if the have cancer, or if his infection gets much worse and he gets really sick?!
I am so proud of my men! They get it- They understand loving God with everything you have and loving your neighbour like yourself!
Isaiah 56
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
