God Had Another Plan – We Had To Act Fast!

April 24 at 12:52 am, late at night, I received several WhatsApp messages:

• Hello Mirta   12:52 am   
• You might say to Ruben to send the money with Herman?   12:56am                                      
• Also the anesthetics and needles that had achieved for the project. We are going to be a week but here in Familia Feliz ( Happy Family). And I do not have any Anesthesia     12:58 am    
• I am in a place in the middle of nowhere to 3,7 mile of Familia Feliz. I came looking for signal only to send you this message  1:00 am                                                                      
• There is not anesthesia in town     1:00 am
  

It was not a surprise for me receive WhatsApp from Gabriela Garcia, late in the night. Since January we were writing, back and forth, preparing the project for Puerto Ustarez, I knew that she worked late and many times we talked even after 11:00 pm.

But now it was different, we were toward a few days with my family in Argentina, we have traveled by a family emergency and I was in Entre Ríos in bed now for 4 days already with  gastroenteritis. On 18 April, 4 days before the trip I wrote to Gabriela that we unfortunately were not able to make the trip; a decision that cost me a lot of pain and tears because for many months we were planning about it. The trip was planned from April 25 to 29.

Since I have not received response from Gabriela, when I received these WhatsApp, I returned the joy and enthusiasm. I immediately put in action, they were all sleeping, but God had another plan, we had to act fast! I began to send WhatsApp messages to Ruben and Romina, our friends who were in our little house in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Remember I was in Entre Rios, Argentina; Gabriela in Rurrenabaque, in northern Bolivia. And at 6:30 am, Herman was preparing to travel from Santa Cruz to Rurrenabaque with the missionary airplane to find the rest of the group that had come from Argentina to work on this medical missionary project. Gabriela and Gustavo had planned to stay a week longer to travel with us to Puerto Ustarez.

At 2:29 am I finished writing by WhatsApp to Ruben and Romina everything that had to do; go to TV Station, search for the suitcase with the medicines that was in the cold room, draw some things, find in my bedroom all missionaries books which I had in a box, also seek a box of Bibles and do not forget the $ 500 dollars (to help in the trip to one of the dentists who had come from Argentina). Everything before the 6:30 am had to be in the hangar for Herman to take it to Rurre. Thanks to God Romina and Ruben acted quickly and at 6:00 am Ruben was reaching the hangar after a few setbacks, such as finding the cold room with key and where were the boxes of the Bibles also under key. I am very grateful to them, many times God asks us that we have to act quickly, that is beautiful when you see the hand of God guiding all, despite the fact that at the beginning it seemed to be a failure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 6, we had the privilege of knowing and have in our house to the first group that came from Argentina to Rurrenabaque. We were able to visit the Red ADvenir Channel together. Here are Dayana, Iver, Román, Pr. David and Kevin. After 2 days of trip driving from Argentina, Iver Perales, who is dentist, he was tired but had the courtesy to accompany me to the Health Center ADvenir in Barrio Lindo and help me to find and prepare a long list of dental surgical instrumentation that was going for the medical missionary trip. What a blessing was Iver!

 

The Educational Unit with a boarding school “Familia Feliz” form part of a project of Gospel Ministries International (GMI), American Adventist organization of volunteerism that provides assistance to children who are orphaned, abandoned, abused, and families with scarce resources. Home to a maximum of 60 students per year that range between 5 to 17 years of age, which remain within the property by 9 months per year, from February to November, with a holiday break 2 months remaining.

 

The property where you will find the hostel has about 617 acres and is situated about 8 Miles south from the city of Rurrenabaque in the Department of Beni in Bolivia.

 

Familia feliz holds economically exclusively through donations. Inside the property there are six small houses inhabited by groups of 8 to 12 students separated by age, sex, emotional and psychosocial development at the time of your arrival (trauma of life, psychological problems, family background, etc.).

Each house is called “Home” and also has a distinguished name: “Home of the cereals”, “Home of the dried fruits”, “Home of the Plants”, “Home of the Fruit”, “Home of the Beans” or “Home of Miguel” (name of the director of the Educational Unit).

The houses are built on the basis of concrete and brick, some with thatched roof and other with metal roofs. The classrooms, despite having electric light, are dark, small and poor ventilation, making it hard and heavy the school day because of the high temperatures of the place.

 

 

 

 

 

In this medical missionary trip is counted with the presence of professionals and assistants of various countries such as Peru, Argentina, Bolivia and Romania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We  are giving thanks to God for been able to work with this medical missionary project with:

• Portable dental unit.
• Portable dental chair.
• Dental surgical instrumentation.
• Medication as (Gauze, Anesthesia, Needles, Etc.)
• Bibles.
• Missionaries books.
• $US 500 (Ticket from Argentina for a Dentist)

Bibles were given to a group of brothers who visit every Friday and give Bible studies to the soldiers.

Special thanks to Saray Gonzales and Becky Gates for having provided the portable dental unit and the surgical instrumentation of the Health Center ADvenir in Santa Cruz; that means neglecting dental patients at the Health Center for 3 weeks.

 

Special thanks to Gabriela Garcia , to all professionals and builders who participated in this project. So many people were and will be blessed by all the work done.

 

I want to invite you who are reading; if you want to give a week or two or maybe three months of your time to work in God’s missions.

 

There is much to do!

 

   Then he said to them,  ” The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”    

Luke 10:2 

                                           

God gave us this Mission, to go and help the most needy!

 

We also appreciate very much all the people who are supporting us with their prayers, words of encouragement and donations so these Medical Missionaries projects can be made!

 

God bless you richly!

 

Mirta & Miguel Farias