 World Relief has provided medical services to thousands in the Juarez area since the late 1980's. Hundreds of volunteers have been richly blessed through the relationships they have developed over the years.
Due to violence in this area, work teams to the Juarez area were suspended in March 2008. At that time no one realized they would not return for over five years. So there was much excitement, and some apprehension, as they made plans to return to the dusty, sandy city of Juarez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas.
In a city named the most violent in the world in 2010, they expected to see destruction, boarded up buildings and broken windows. However, they found a bustling border town that showed resilience. They couldn't help but notice a beautiful new park close to the border and roads being constructed.
But, it didn't take long to also see the extreme poverty, hurting people and broken-down shacks as they drove further into the city, an indication that great needs still exist there. They set up their mobile medical clinics in small neighborhoods in the most poverty stricken areas of Juarez.
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Long Term Care and Relationship Building
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 Over the past few years, the World Relief Medical Committee has rethought how to effectively run short-term medical missions. The World Health Organization and other organizations with significant experience in cross cultural missions, have recommended that short term missions focus less on acute medical care and more on health education and creating long term relationships with those we serve. We need to have true compassion. Look people in the eye. Learn their names. Stop and listen to their stories. Feel their pain. Walk with them, and say, "You matter to me and to God. I am concerned about your future, and I will not abandon you." And mean it.
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Health Screening and Education
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Utilizing this understanding, the medical team to Juarez was planned with an empathetic approach and longer-term focus. Seeing the physician and dispensing free medications was not the emphasis. Instead a health screening and educational clinic was implemented. The team of fifteen Americans and over twenty Mexicans worked side by side to provide an educational health fair with six different educational booths.
The teaching booths-
 Spiritual health & Bible stories for the children - Wholesome nutrition
- High blood pressure & diabetes education.
- Exercise
- Dental health and hygiene
- First aid training
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It is Rewarding to See Hope
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 Physicians were also available to provide consultations and limited acute illness medications. Chronic medications (blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) were not distributed. A Mexican dentist and ophthalmologist joined the team and provided needed consultations.
One physician on the team stated, "I really enjoyed being able to diagnose a few diabetics, and give them the tools they need to control symptoms and share education to manage their disease. It is very rewarding to see hope in their eyes. I loved watching people's eyes get big as they realize how much sugar is in a 20 oz. bottle of Coke. We were also blessed by talking to mothers about the best way to help their children to eat fruits and vegetables."
Of course the "bag of goodies" was a big hit. These included health kits, school kits, rice pilaf, soup, and homemade soap, all assembled and provided by our brethren back home. During the fours days of clinic, 1,329 families were served.
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 Join a medical team and experience firsthand the joy of serving others. Medical team dates are listed in the Silver Lining and World Relief website.
- If you are a healthcare provider, sign up on the health care provider registry to get updates about World Relief medical missions.
- Assist in making health, school, or first aid kits for teams. For more information contact:
Kathy Schifferer tomandkathy@schifferer.com 847-695-7510 - Contribute to financially support the supplies needed for World Relief Medical Teams.
- Most importantly, pray for the spiritual and physical blessings for those we serve and the safety of future mission trips.
For more information:
Email the Medical Committee
Call Cheryl Herrmann
309-385-1082
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Thank you for your prayers and support for the important work through the Medical Committee... to glorify God with high-quality medical care utilizing the resources with which we are entrusted.