“What struck me most is how happy they are for how little they have,” said Aaron Doorn, 16. Doorn was one of nine members of Orland Park (Ill.) Christian Reformed Church who traveled to Xalapa, Mexico, to provide medical and dental care in a poverty-stricken area known as El PorVenir.
The team partnered with the Luke Society, an organization that works with indigenous medical professionals.
The Orland Park church has worked in El PorVenir since 2003, helping to build a ministry center with a medical clinic and dental suite. Karen Doorn said, “It is impressive how the whole area changes with good health care and nutrition.”
Besides offering medical care, the group distributed clothes and Bibles, visited people who were sick, and taught songs in Spanish to children at a Saturday Bible school.
About the Author
Ruth Moblard DeYoung, a former Banner news correspondent and teacher, writes children's books. She is a member of Hope Christian Reformed Church in Oak Forest, Ill.
