“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Matthew 24:36 NRSVA
It rained for a week straight as the medical mission team arrived in Ixtepec, in the Northeast corner of Puebla, Mexico. We heard that there were mudslides and roads were out in all directions. Few from the villages arrived to receive care. We wouldn’t be able to get home, so, we stayed another day.
And then, they came.
From the mist and rain, barefoot, walking miles, they came.
Hoping for relief from pain and isolation, the Indigenous Totonaco people from the states of Puebla and Veracruz came – undaunted by the weather, they walked to the tiny Methodist Church in Ixtepec, seeking medical care.
The medical mission team from Wesley Memorial Church CMC in Cleveland, Tennessee, has been a partner with the Ixtepec Methodist Church and Give Ye Them to Eat (GYTTE) for eight years, serving around 1,000 individuals twice a year.
For a few sacred days storms raged, but language barriers faded and compassion flowed freely. We discovered that sacred spaces aren’t built of brick and stained glass – they’re made of shared bread, laughter, prayer and muddy footprints caused by the rain.
Despite the effects of Hurricane Priscilla, our spirits stayed light. Standing under a tarp or huddled on plastic chairs from the local beer distributor, our guests sat, waiting. Doctors used cellphones and headlamps for a while until a borrowed generator hummed to life. The lights amid the storm were inviting. And they waited.
Inside, the team of doctors, translators for Spanish and Totonac, nurses, pharmacists and volunteers saw each person, listened to each story.
On humble benches, they were invited to bare their soles and have their feet washed. Many arrived with open wounds, fungal infections, or other problems – but they left with treated feet, lighter hearts and a visible sense of restored dignity. The foot washing tradition is very spiritual, caring, and Christlike – a living reminder of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet and calling us to love one another through humble service. Some had never had their feet touched by a stranger. I asked one of the women who was washing the feet of those before her where she saw God in all of this. Her eyes filled with tears as she choked back what we all felt… “I saw God in each person here.”
Prayer
Heavenly Creator of all, we know you are present among us and throughout all of creation. In this season, allow us to be present with you in the world and people around us. Bless us to see you in all the people and miracles around us today and always, amen.
Deaconess Kimberly “Kim” Lewis is a Global Missionary and co-director of Arbol de Vida Training Center, Give Ye Them to Eat (GYTTE) / Proyección Humana de México in Puebla, Mexico. Her husband, Rev. Patrick “Pat” Lewis is also a Global Missionary and serves with GYTTE as director of training, promotion and interpretation. GYTTE focuses on sustainable agriculture, basic health, and eco-technologies like fuel-efficient stoves, rainwater harvesting, composting toilets and low-cost construction techniques.
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