Radical Missions July Newsletter |
Radical Missions is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-government organization (NGO) funded by private contributions. We work solely in the country of Guatemala in Central America. We are not affiliated with any corporation, single church, or other organization. Donations made to Radical are tax deductible.
|
|
|
While building churches in the Tecpan region, we cultivated a relationship with a local man named Nicolas. A self-confessed sugar-holic turned brittle diabetic, Nicolas could not afford his life-saving medicine. We stepped in, not only providing medicine, but also equipping Nicolas to regain his health by following a suitable diet.
During an unannounced visit to Nicolas’ village, Tim found him sitting in the street drinking a 2 liter bottle of soda. Nicolas’ family asked us to stop helping him because they knew he continued to overindulge in a sugar-heavy diet. They were also aware Nicolas’ medicine cost $430 a month.
Nicolas agreed with his family. He chose to give in to his addiction and stop taking his medicine, even though it meant impending death.
Before he died, Nicolas gifted the land next to his house to Radical Missions and asked us to build a clinic there for his community. Nicolas wanted to change the fact that his friends and neighbors often went without medical care due to the long distances they had to travel in order to receive it.
So the people in Tecpan rejoiced at the news that a clinic would be built to serve their needs, right? Wrong! In fact, just about everything went wrong. |
|
|
“We had already planted a church there,” Tim said. “We definitely saw the need for a clinic, so we stretched our faith but failed horribly.” This picture is the bare land with only an avocado tree. Funds from churches in Colfax, WA. came in and construction began, but the village wanted no part in it.
Rather than reaching out to us for clarification, the locals assumed the clinic served Christians only, being that Radical Missions backed the project. They falsely concluded we planned to make money by charging people for medical care, a perception met with vehement rejection. |
|
|
“On top of that, the village leaders would not talk to me,” Patty recalls. “They only talked to Tim because he’s a man. Even though talking to me was easier because I am Guatemalan, it didn’t matter. So many Mayan villages are machismo and don’t believe women should be involved.”
Creating an unintentional interference that diverted large amounts of rain water into the neighbor’s corn field, the clinic building generated yet another opponent. |
|
|
Our offer to build a simple drainage ditch fell on deaf ears and seemed to enrage the neighbor even more.
That’s when things turned violent.
Done with negotiation, the irate neighbor attacked a block layer with his machete. Thankfully, the man survived, but from that point, all other block layers refused to work on the project.
The project stood still for many years.
|
|
|
Just as the people warmed up to us, disaster struck. An extreme dry season left the wells below safe level, resulting in contaminated water. As is often the case, the babies suffered most. A rising infant death toll coupled with no local medical care prompted a village official to search for us.
“Lucia’s daughter got married,” Tim said. “And I got to give her away since Nicolas died. Right in the middle of the wedding, the village official came into the church and said, ‘We need to talk to you.’” |
|
|
Meeting after the ceremony, the village leaders asked Tim what it would take to get him and Patty to open the clinic.
“I told him, first, Patty needed to be involved in all aspects,” Tim remembered. “She is the president of Radical Missions. Next, town leaders had to do something about the neighbor who hurt my workers.”
Both demands accepted, talks began again with the agitated neighbor, who agreed to the drainage ditch and promised he would no longer cause problems. |
|
|
Although it took a crisis to foster acceptance, Clinica Colfax opened in November 2019. Miraculously, the clinic stood ready to serve the area just as coronavirus popped on the world stage.
Once again, we showed up, providing food and medicine for the people of Tecpan who were hit hard by stay-at-home orders. This time, with their reputation established, the villages received them with open arms.
“When you are in the middle of a problem,” Tim said, “you can never really see God’s hand in it. But you look back and see it was so obvious that He was working, even through the obstacles.” |
|
|
Today the clinic is open Monday through Friday 8am-4pm. We have a full-time Guatemalan Nurse, an American Doctor, and a Guatemalan Doctor in training. We recently added a Dental room and will have a Dentist working a few times a month to do cleanings and repairs. We have a Dental Team from TN that comes down once a year to do extractions. It is amazing to see what God can do if we just wait for His timing! |
|
|
We wanted to give a special thank you to the seven churches in Colfax, WA that came together to build the Clinica Colfax. Onecho Bible Church
First Baptist Church
Colfax Nazarene Church
Community Bible Church
Catalyst Church
Colfax Methodist Church
Endicott Bible Church
As well as many others that have had their hand in the building, stocking, and finishing off each part of this project. We are still building, adding-on, and improving the clinic on a daily basis. Please enjoy the video below this text to see the clinic as of today. |
|
|
|
|
