International Christian Hospice News
July 2010
Guatemala

Greetings from Central America! Thank our faithful Lord for His presence and direction as we work among the beautiful people here. We are reminded again of the honor we are given to serve by offering hope in Christ through ICH.

We began our two months of ministry as Ron flew into Honduras ahead of time to prepare for Susan and the two volunteers from Biltmore Baptist Church. He found our car in good condition after 3 months of storage in Honduras. It is always risky to drive in Central America alone but God gave him safety and endurance for the long trip to Guatemala City. Ron picked up Susan, Janice Codington and Sarah Bradford at the airport where we were also joined by Yesinia Valesquez (a seminary student and our translator). We would like to say a special thank you to Dennis and Cindy McCutcheon who opened their home to all of us overnight. Dennis and Cindy are missionaries in Guatemala City who run a warehouse and distribute medical supplies shipped by container. from Tennessee with Vine International Ministries.


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The majestic beauty of the volcanoes, rugged mountains, sugar cane lowlands, jungle with coffee plantations and bananas always amaze us especially when seen through the eyes of first timers who come with us on mission. The road to Hospital Cristiana Sante Fe includes all this and more! Once again we thank God for our tough little 4x4 Ford Escape. What a challenge for car and driver (Ron)!

God had many special things for us to do and people to serve. Below you can see pictures of our work in the hospital with surgical patients. Families wait patiently for two or three days then patients are discharged and travel home together usually by hired trucks or bus.


Many of the people have never heard the Gospel. Yesinia shared stories and pictures with families by translator from Spanish to Quich’e. Praise God that several women and children prayed to follow Jesus!

On Sunday we led a worship service for the patients and families. The pre/post-op ward became a sanctuary for not only physical healing but spiritual healing.

Simultaneously we provided eye screening clinics. What a joy to see the smiles of many who could not see and we gave them free glasses donated by Dr. Steve Satterfield for reading or distance. One mother said, as she looked at her daughter and touched her face, “Now I can see YOU!” Each person received soothing eye drops (donated by Carolina Opthomology) and was prayed with individually.


Ron provided 2 sessions of training in use of a Glasses for Missions kit for eye screening and making glasses. These 3 people will now work alongside Dr. Sergio in this new area of ministry.

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The afternoons were full of laughter and fun in VBS. 100+ children sang songs, heard Bible stories and received lots of TLC. At any moment the children would gather for bubble making, hugs and pictures.

Ron and Susan presented ICH training in the meeting room of the hospital in the evenings. Local Pastors, clinic workers from nearby villages, church members and community leaders attended. One attendee, Pastor Eligio Garcia who leads a local Evangelical church turned out to be a critical contact.(More on this later) God is continuing to open opportunities for Hospice ministry as we prayed with a patient who was dying and visited in the home of a recent death.

A highlight of our week was to travel up into the jungle highlands to the village of Xojola. We assisted Dr. Sergio and another missionary, Diane Thompson, who have a clinic twice a month in this remote area.

Also in Xojola God has strategically placed Pastor Eligio Garcia who attended our ICH training. He is a well respected leader and new director of 3 large government schools. Currently there is no church and few believers in this Quich’e area and Pastor Garcia’s first desire is for Bibles for each of the 943 students. How exciting that the doors of the schools are open and we had the opportunity to teach, distribute Gospel stories and make crafts with the students in the classrooms. Thanks to Truth Action Ministry and to East Cooper Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, S.C. each child heard of Christ’s love and received an illustrated gospel booklet.



It was an exciting and full week of ministry! One personal story we want to include is about Lucianna. She attended our ICH training this week as the recent widow of Bayron. Through efforts of the BBC team last year this hospice family all came to faith in Christ. Bayron was dying of liver disease and passed away in January 2010. Lucianna continues to work and care for her 3 sons and she freely shared her story with our group. She testified that God sustained her throughout her husband’s illness and death and brought peace through her new relationship with Christ. Through tears she told of her journey of grief and the difficult decision she has made for her family to move into her father’s home in a nearby town. Thank you for praying for this family as they continue to follow Christ.

Thank you to everyone who had a part in the team ministry in Guatemala. We know that you will share in God’s blessings that we have received and were able to give because of our family, church and friends who were behind us. It is an awesome privilege to be the finger tips of the Body of Christ. We are the honored ones who can reach out to touch these dear folks with peace and hope that only Jesus can give.

More news about August ministry in Honduras is coming.

Serving Him together,
Ron & Susan Naish
Directors, International Christian Hospice http://www.intlchristianhospice@yahoo.com/ www.ronnaish@bellsouth.net
As always remember your tax deductible contributions are received at
ICH 145 Chillingham Rd. Irmo, S.C. 29063