When my husband Peter’s 76-year-old sister Moreen visited us from England for two weeks, we took her on one of our humanitarian aid trips to an island in the Gulf of Mexico that was devastated by Hurricane Emily last year. There we delivered medical supplies, clothes, and toys to a clinic and an orphanage in an area where nearly 800 families live without water, electricity, sanitation facilities, roads, or work. Yes, the clinic also functions without running water or sewage, and its only source of electricity is a generator that the Family in Texas provided.
In spite of suffering from advanced osteoporosis, Moreen took part in all aspects of the trip, helping with the distribution, having Bible studies, and spending time with many members of the Family. She told her family in England that she had never been hugged by so many people whom she had only just met and who treated her as though she was part of their family. She is already talking about saving up to come again next year.
We made another trip to Mexico with a truckload of food, medical supplies, clothes, toys, cooking utensils, and containers for our projects there. We unloaded half of the goods at an orphanage in Reynosa, and distributed the rest on the island of Mezquital, in the Gulf of Mexico, where people live in very primitive conditions, without running water, electricity, or proper sanitation.
We also served a hot meal to Mezquital residents (the mayor provided chicken and pork, and another sponsor gave tortillas and cakes), and delivered medical supplies to the local Red Cross. Before we left, villagers who hadn’t prayed with us on previous visits to receive Jesus did so.
Originally Published in 2006.