Worship in Action: Brazil
Posted by daveray on 7 April 2008
A new Worship in Action emphasis has launched! For the next two months we will be partnering with the Brazil Medical Mission trip as they bring much-needed medical care to the slums of Fortaleza, Brazil. Meeting the physical needs of the people gives the team an open door to address their spiritual needs as well. A team of evangelists will present the Gospel to every patient that walks through the door.
The team will be in Brazil from May 30-June 7 and will be converting a church in the heart of Fortaleza’s poorest districts into a medical clinic. There they will provide medical services across a wide range of specializations to people who cannot otherwise afford it. Eight hundred people will pass through the clinic each day, meaning hundreds more will be turned away. Many will choose to wait overnight to keep their place in line. The sheer volume of patients means that a well-stocked pharmacy is critical. We want to raise $5000 to purchase medications for the trip.
The team will also be running an eye clinic using a portable instrument called a Focometer to find corrective lens prescriptions for hundreds of people. The workers will then attempt to find the correct prescription among thousands of donated used glasses. This work is time-consuming as it is often difficult to find a pair of glasses that exactly matches the prescription. However, the developers of the Focometer have also developed a one-size-fits-all frame with lenses that can be snapped in to fit the prescription of the patient. Each pair of these glasses costs only $10. Our goal is to purchase 400 pairs of glasses.
The medical mission team also loves to give out toothbrushes, especially to the children. The Brazilian diet is full of sugar, particularly among the poor. Sugar is cheap because sugar cane is so abundant in this tropical nation. However, dental care is poor leading to many dental problems throughout the society. Even something as simple as a toothbrush can make a big difference to a child’s dental health. We want to collect 300 new toothbrushes for the team to distribute in Fortaleza.
As the medical team works to mend the wounds of the poorest of the poor, they will have a wonderful opportunity to point the people toward the Great Healer, the Mender of souls. Don’t miss your chance to support this team with your gifts.
