Crossroads Invasion Part Three

Good morning again from Managua, Nicaragua!

This week marks the third week of the Crossroads Community Church “invasion” of Nicaragua. The past week has been full of really neat experiences. On Tuesday of last week, the Medical and Women’s Issues focused teams arrived. While Crossroads had done some small clinics in the past, this was the first Crossroads team focused exclusively on medical care. Another great aspect of the trip was the partnership between three churches. Deciding they could accomplish more together than separately, Crossroads Community Church, Crossroads Restoration Church and Dulles Community Church formed one cohesive unit. Additionally, the team had the opportunity to work with two Nicaraguan nurses and a Nicaraguan doctor, which was a huge blessing.

Wasting no time, the medical team set up a clinic in El Canyon Wednesday morning complete with a hand washing seminar, a triage station, clinical examination teams, a medicine distribution department, and even a dental cleaning unit. Over the course of the day the team was able to see eighty-eight people who normally would not be able to see a medical professional and/or would not be able to afford medication. By working with Pastor Josue, Yamileth and Maria Jose, the team was able to bless the people who were most in need and show the community that the church is a place of hope.

Wednesday, however, was just the beginning. On Thursday afternoon, the team traveled to Veracruz for the second clinic of the trip. As they began to see patients, the line to get into the clinic continued to grow. By the end of the day, the medical team had seen an incredible 183 people! Needless to say the team was exhausted and took Friday to recuperate for the next clinic on Saturday. On Saturday morning the team arrived at Bethel School, one of the schools the education team the education team had the privilege of working with. Partnering with Maria Elena, the director of the school, the team was able to attend to 122 people from the community. In the end, the medical team was able to help nearly 400 people who typically have little access to medical care and medication. In addition to physical healing, the team was able to play a part in spiritual restoration of a life. Touched by the sacrifices the team was making for his people, the team’s bus driver, Freddy, through conservation with Tito, the pastor of Crossroads Restoration, started a relationship with Jesus Christ.

In addition to addressing the physical needs of the people in El Canyon, the Women’s Issues part of the team worked with Yamileth and Maria Jose to speak to the emotional and spiritual needs of the women in the community. Specifically, the team worked with Nidia, one of the psychologists at Puente de Amistad, to begin a discussion on domestic abuse issues, a huge problem in the poorer communities of Nicaragua. The hope is that by bringing the issue to the forefront, the team can help Yamileth and Maria Jose begin an ongoing dialogue with the women of El Canyon. The presentation was a great first step and a blessing to everyone who was in attendance.

This week is the final week of Crossroads summer outreach to Nicaragua. Over the course of this week, the family team hopes to build into the young people of El Canyon as well as be a picture of what it looks like to have a family who is committed to each other and Christ. We are excited to see how God uses their time. I look forward to telling you all about it next week!

– James Belt