Just outside of the local hospital, volunteers set up tables, drink coolers, and plates of hot food to share with families caring for a sick relative or friend. In Mexico public hospitals are not the same as hospitals in the US. Instead of nurses and staff taking care of non-medical as well as medical needs for patients, families are expected to cover these duties for their hospitalized relative. In addition, hospitals are mainly located in larger cities, meaning rural patients and their families must travel far for treatment. All together this makes a hospital stay even more stressful and costly for patients and families.
Our team in Mexico has hosted outreach days at the hospital in Piedras Negras sporadically over the years, but it was a new intern that recently revitalized the ministry. When Emi was 16, she was diagnosed with a thyroid problem that would eventually require three surgeries and multiple trips to a hospital in Monterrey. The combination of medical procedures, being far from home, and all the uncertainty that a health issue brings left Emi sad, tired, and afraid.
This is not an uncommon feeling among patients around the world, but the added stresses of the Mexican public hospital system can compound those emotions for entire families. Emi’s experience gave her a passion to help other patients in the same way she was helped by a total stranger outside the hospital in Monterrey. She shared the moment that changed her perspective:
“In the middle of that emotional and physical exhaustion, something small—but huge for me—happened, some people arrived early in the morning to hand out coffee outside the hospital, they might have thought they were just giving out coffee and a few words of encouragement, but for me, it was much more than that.
“That simple gesture gave me strength I didn’t know I needed, reminding me that I was not alone and that even in the middle of pain, God makes Himself present through others. That experience marked my life. I understood how important it is to accompany those who are in a hospital—not just with material things, but with words, with love, and with hope. That’s why the desire was born in me to serve and bring encouragement to people who are going through difficult times in hospitals. The mission is to share words of comfort and be a reminder that God is near, even in the midst of suffering.”
Emi not only shares her testimony, she lives it out. Ater joining the CrossRoads Missions Mexico team as a year-long intern, she took over the hospital ministry as her own. Every Wednesday they bring a meal, drinks, and encouragement to the hospital. “Showing the love of God in action, beyond words, accompanying the sick and family members reflects the compassion of Christ in a tangible way.”
Staff and volunteers alike take time to not only give meals, which are very needed for caretakers, but also share conversation and a listening ear. Caretakers often sit outside for a reprieve from the hectic hospital environment and sometimes want to process or share their story. “We must be a reminder that they are not alone, the presence of someone who listens and accompanies gives comfort to those who are going through difficult times.”
Through this ministry so many have been impacted, in and out of the hospital. Volunteers are moved by the stories and compassion of those they serve, while families and patients are encouraged and supported by the volunteers.
You can support this ministry by:
Volunteering – schedule your mission trip today!
Praying for volunteers, patients, and caregivers
Donating to the hospital ministry (choose “Hospital Ministry” in the dropdown menu)
Keep up with all the Mexico field is doing on their social media
Check out everything we put into our hospital care packages! Bring some of these items with you on your next mission trip or donate items on our Amazon Wish List
