An Update from the Libby Family Serving in Tijuana, Mexico

We had to share this beautiful, inspiring story from one of our beloved field partners, the Libby family with Mexican Medical Ministries:

It was around midday when I, Craig, was escorting a dental patient to the women’s prayer / counseling tent that a glimpse of light caught my eye.  That glimpse of light was reflecting off a wheelchair.  But what caught my attention was that this light wasn’t reflecting off the wheelchair of a patient, it was reflecting off the wheelchair of 1 of 12 local church women counselors.

It was just a few moments later that it was my privilege to meet Sue (name changed).  Sue is a 30-year-old lady from the local church whose infectious smile and positive exhorting attitude is an inspiration to everyone she meets.  Sue was born without legs or arms.  She does have shoulders, but just a small thin 3 inch long bone about as thick as a pencil extends from her shoulder instead of an arm.  Sue boldly declares that all she wants in life is to use everything she has to share Jesus with everyone. While she has no arms or legs, she does have a mouth with which she can speak, a heart that loves Jesus, and a will to change lives for Him. With her mouth she sings in the worship band of her church.  With her mouth she creates paintings depicting God’s glory.    That day at the brigada she placed her wheelchair in the counseling spot in our women’s prayer tent to use her mouth to counsel and pray over the physical and spiritual needs of other ladies in the community. It is so common to look into the prayer tents and see the counselor have their hand on the patient’s shoulder as they pray for them.  The glimpse that I saw was Sue leaning her whole torso towards the patient and placing her shoulder bone (stub) against the shoulder of the patient while praying for the patient’s physical and spiritual needs.  The memories of that glimpse make me smile with joy even now.

Later in the afternoon, while looking for more dental gauze, I came across two prosthetic hands that were given to us to “hand” out to someone who was in need of them.  When I saw them, I wanted to race out of the dental unit and take them straight to Sue.  But the Lord whispered to wait, be culturally sensitive, and seek the counsel of both Sue’s pastor and mother first.  It was agreed by Sue, her mom and pastor that although they were very appreciative of the opportunity, they would decline the prosthetics.  Sue was content with how God has precisely made her. –Wow! (Lesson to be learned by so many of us.) She felt that she could serve God best just as she is. ( – Did I hear you say double wow?)

Although I didn’t get to see her just before she left, I know that at the time I last spoke with her she had led at least 4 women to the Lord that day.

We often hear the theme of being the hands and feet of Jesus.  I fully agree and have used that statement many times as devotional themes and even printed it on many t-shirts.  Sue showed us that she uses all she has for Jesus –her mouth, her heart, her torso (core), and her will.  I’m challenged that if we give more of our mouth, heart, will, and core to Jesus, the hands and feet will follow.

In His Grip,
Craig, Kristi, Josh, & Katie