Our devotion this morning was the story of Jesus bringing a girl back to life, the daughter of a Jewish leader named Jairus. As Jesus was walking to the Jairus’ home, a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhaging for 12 years. She reached out and touched Jesus’ garment and was healed. Jesus turned to her and said “Woman, your faith has made you well”. Pastor Jason highlighted that even Jesus had to deal with interruptions, and suggested the team be mindful that God is also found in life’s interruptions.
Our site for the remainder of the week was in the town of Caballo Blanco (White Horse). True to its name, a statue of a white horse was stood proudly to greet our bus at the town’s entrance and was located about one hour from our lodging in Retalhuleu.
The site of the clinic was not a school or a municipal center (such as had in the first half of the week). Instead, it was the town’s Roman Catholic church. There is a long tradition throughout history of churches being made into makeshift hospitals, especially in wartime. This week, in a place where worshippers gather to worship and praise God, it will also be the site of a healing done in Christ’s name. The church’s full name is Santo Cristo de Esquipulas. This name is not common for even Spanish speaking Christians but is of local importance. In nearby Equipulas, Guatamala, the basilica has a famous statue of “Christos Negro” (Black Christ) which helped the original Spanish missionaries in the area share Christ with the native peoples there. For Caucasian Christians, it is a good reminder that Jesus did not come from Europe and have skin like Europeans, but Jesus was a Palestinian.
Upon arrival, members of the team organized their stations. The layout of the church facility was well-suited for the clinic’s needs: a large space with an overhead roof was perfect for the patient waiting area and orientation for candidates for surgery. For privacy with the patients, the doctors set up in a space with dividing walls made sanitation gowns draped on cords and secured by tape and laundry pins.
At 10:30am, at about the time when the clinic was really humming with activity, the clinic was seized by an interruption and drama when the wind came, the heavens opened and there was a rainstorm. It caused quite a commotion. Those who were in open areas ran for shelter. Everyone had to raise their voices to commutate because of the rain. The cords that held the tarp outside the pharmacy broke due to the high winds. Quickly members of the team found rope and a ladder and re-secured the tarp. After about 20 minutes the storm left as quickly as it arrived.
For most of the patients, their visit to the clinic ends with getting medicine in the pharmacy, located at the entrance to the church sanctuary. One woman, upon receiving her medication and before leaving, stood at the doorway to the church, revering the altar above which a depiction of the crucified Christos Negro was prominently on display. Like the woman in Mark who sought to just touch the hem of Christ’s garment to receive healing, this Guatemalan woman knew the true source of all healing, and paid respect to him for the blessing she received that day.
