A nine-member missions team from Welsh Neck Baptist Association, led by Tom Brown, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lamar, recently conducted free medical clinics in five towns in Nicaragua – the “Land of Lakes and Volcanoes.”
Pastor Tom Brown of First Baptist Church, Lamar, shares God’s love with locals.While a local doctor volunteered his time to see patients, Sylvia Wetherbee of Opportunity Mission Ministries, Jessie Tanner of Mechanicsville Baptist Church, and Bobby Shoemake of Lamar First Baptist filled prescriptions with the help of a microbiologist from Maryland. By packing all of their clothing in carry-on bags, team members were able to carry boxes of Bibles and donated medicines to distribute.
Reading classes were also offered, following an eye exam that used a children’s Bible for an eye chart. A local pastor spoke to patients before they left the clinic, and many who were not members of a Christian church were given an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ.
During the clinics, Chris Pierce and Andy Sumner of South Hartsville Baptist Church passed out candy and crocheted butterflies to attract a crowd on the street. The butterflies carried the message of 2 Corinthians 5:17, which proclaims that upon accepting Christ, one becomes a new creature in im.
As children gathered to receive candy, team members would initiate games and singing for more candy. When people gathered around to watch, one of the team members would tell them that the group was from the United States and was visiting Nicaragua because they loved them and want them to know the source of that love – Jesus, the Son of God. Eight made decisions to receive Christ.
In the evenings, Frankie Tanner, pastor of Mechanicsville, Dave Worthington, pastor of South Hartsville, and Brown shared an outdoor stage for a crusade with national celebrities. Crowds gathered early and stayed late to hear God’s word preached.
Other team members included Steve Wetherbee of Opportunity Mission Ministries, Vincent Soto of Mechanicsville Baptist, and Nita Huntley of First Baptist Church, Darlington.
Local pastors were also encouraged during a one-day pastors’ conference held in Sometilla, Nicaragua, at which all three Welsh Neck pastors spoke. The pastors also delivered messages on a Christian radio station that reaches into part of Honduras. The Welsh Neck team participated in a dedication service and the laying of the cornerstone for a new radio tower on a nearby mountain that will allow the station to proclaim God’s word to more of Central America.
The team also visited a school – started by the Nicaraguan pastor who began the radio station – that not only teaches basic academics, but also has a technical research program to teach irrigation methods, land conservation, and animal husbandry.
To address the medical needs of the people, the pastor also hopes to train more nurses and house teams of medical volunteers.
Welsh Neck Association leaders are planning to return to Nicaragua for a youth crusade in August. Another team is planning a trip next March. For more information, contact Welsh Neck Baptist Association at (843) 332-7771.