Mission To Colombia: Blessings For Brisas 5K

In today's world, needs are found everywhere, even in our own country. We've seen hurricanes and wildfires and devastating shootings in the last month. The saying has been said you can throw a dart anywhere on the map and land in a place that has a need. That is because we live in a fallen world. But we do have hope, and those of us who have the hope of Jesus want to share it with others.

Our dart happens to fall in Brisas del Mar, Colombia.

This little village stole my heart in 2016. To voice the ways they have taught me to feel love, to love others and to reprioritize myself would take an entire day to share. But for this short blog, I want to focus my heart's attention on the clinic in Brisas del Mar. I want to give you a peek into their world, so that perhaps you can understand why this has become my own calling, and the calling of many others as well.

Brisas del Mar is a little village tucked away in the northern corner of Colombia, near the Carribean Sea. The village has around 600 people who live there, and their way of life is so vastly different, one that here in the states we can't even comprehend it until we see it. Dirt roads, minimal electricity, no washer or driers, not even running water through the village. But what they do have is a clinic.

This clinic, the Clinton Rabb Clinic, was established in 2011, with teams that helped build it. It has electricity and clean facilities and capabilities to help the community that so desperately need it. and the arms of love that reach Brisas del Mar through the clinic extend to the neighboring communities as well, like Alto de Julio, Vista Hermosa and more. This clinic has become a refuge for those who desperately need medicine or stitches or blood work or care.

Here in the states we have no idea what it is like to not be able to obtain medicine or healthcare. Even the poorest of us are not turned away, but given the chance to be seen by a doctor. But in Brisas del Mar and other parts of Colombia, when a person cannot afford it, they cannot have it. The hospitals will turn them away. Or, the people won't make it to the hospital because of even the cost to get from the village to the nearest hospital, which is 45 minutes away by vehicle. On dirt roads. And when it rains, it can become impossible to get through the roads to the hospital. They face so many obstacles in getting their health attended to that we cannot even begin to imagine.

and so their ministry of the clinic has touched me deeply. The clinic is funded by the church and the government will have nothing to do with it. The funding for the clinic is running dry and they are in danger of closing down. Let me share some things with you about this clinic.

-They see 700-800 patients a month
- They have a dental room and that is utilized 2-3 times a week, seeing between 18-20 patients. In June when I was there, a dentist came in and was giving clinics to the children on how to brush their teeth. Imagine not even having a toothbrush!
- The bacteriologist is there 3 times a week and sees between 8-10 patients
- To keep the clinic running on a monthly basis, it would cost roughly $5,000 a month. This covers the cost of the doctors and nurses and medicines and labs and pharmaceuticals.
- The closest hospital is in San Onofre, 40-60 minutes away, but by dirt roads mostly, and the people don't have vehicles and have to find ways to get there.
- The biggest issues seen in the clinic are : high blood pressure, diabetes, skin infections, urinary infections, fractures, wounds and cholesterol. These all sound common, right? But to us, who have every day medicines and treatments for these, they are. But to people who have nothing to treat it, some of it is deadly. Without the clinic, these people go without medicine to treat these illnesses much of the time.

It is on our hearts to help the clinic stay open! We have found our calling in Brisas del Mar and the people of the village there have become a part of our hearts and our journeys, even miles apart. And after much prayer, we are setting out to help raise some money for this clinic to stay open.

You can help by signing up to attend, spreading the word, or making a donation. We know that many needs exist, but this is our calling and we are answering it with putting on a 5K to benefit them.
Blessings for Brisas will be held November 4 in Riverside Park.
To register, you can go to Get Me Registered to sign up or make a donation. All proceeds go to the clinic!

But most of all, you can pray! We ask that God will use this to make another little difference in the huge ministry that is happening in that village we have fallen in love with.

Here are a few pictures of the clinic for you to see different aspects of what we are aiming to support