River Ministry in Piedras Negras: Where compassionate ministry transformed a community

Texas Baptists River Ministry connects and assigns churches to specific projects along the Texas/Mexico border as well as in the top 10 most populated cities of Mexico. The ministry is made possible by funds given through the Mary Hill Davis Offering. The Week of Prayer for Texas Missions and the Mary Hill Davis Offering is September 13-20, 2015. Click here for resources for your church to help promote this special offering in your church.

In some parts of Mexico, families often choose to live with physical discomforts in order to avoid pricey medical care. Medical equipment such as examination machinery, wheelchairs and eyeglasses can deliver a costly sacrifice.

In March of this year, Lake Pointe Baptist Church in Rockwall partnered with Texas Baptists River Ministry to host a free three-day medical clinic in Piedras Negras, a Mexican city that is home to about 150,000 people and borders the Texas town Eagle Pass.

Through the ministry, Lake Pointe volunteers provided wheelchairs, dental care, medical care and eyeglasses to around 500 people who would otherwise be unable to afford the care.

Volunteers also took the opportunity to also share the Gospel to patients with the help of local church members serving as translators. Julio Ruiz Reyes, a local church pastor, was amazed to witness the doors the ministry opened for the church to welcome new believers into the faith family.

"It gives us the opportunity to share faith and to give hope because we can see the people are receiving Christ, which is the greatest need," he said.

Did you know, in the past year through River Ministry…

• 972 mission groups volunteers made trips to the border
• There were over 1,800 professions of faith
• 22,000 people were ministered to
• 276 people received counseling
• There were 195 baptisms
• Over 10,000 patients were seen through medical clinic ministries