Don Clemente

We first met Don Clemente in May of last year. We had decided to take a "road" trip. Essentially, we were looking for the back road out of town in case of an emergency...like a wash-out or landslide. As we passed through Cerro Blanco (White Hill), we saw Don Clemente. He immediately offered us the best of his hospitality...fresh produce from his land, and the beginning of a friendship.



We continued visiting Don Clemente, sharing Bible stories at every opportunity. In June, when we had our friend Rosa (a nursing student) visiting, we were able to offer some basic medical check-ups.(Some of you may remember the blog about Marbella...this is her uncle.)

In November, Don Clemente was out cutting firewood near his home when he fell down the mountainside. We're not sure how far of a fall, but Don Clemente was injured pretty severely. His family brought him to the clinic in Pine Hill. And because of a God-incidence, we happened upon the clinic that night. We offered our serviced in any way that we could--we offered to transport Don Clemente to Tuxtla to the hospital, but he refused. We eventually took him to his brother's home where he could be cared for by family. At that point, he was basically paralyzed. He couldn't lift his legs, let alone stand or walk.

Visiting Don Clemente

Through a series of God-incidences, we have been able to minister to Don Clemente. Unfortunately, many people arrived at his home to take advantage of his illness, offering "medical" treatment or "spiritual" healing in exchange for large sums of money. Clay was faithful to visit and to continue to share the Gospel. And then one day in December, we met a Christian physical therapist who offered to travel to our village to provide treatment.

The therapist has been coming every 2 weeks. He gives a treatment and then shares more about the Gospel, assuring Don Clemente that the only One who can heal him is the Great Physician.

This weekend, we stopped in to visit Don Clemente. I hadn't seen him since December, when he was bed-ridden. I watched him stand without anyone's help. And then shuffle across the floor and back various times. Praise the Lord!