Juarez 2014 – “One Star missions” – by Vince Corcoran @princevince13
Allow me to pull back the curtain on the missions and ministry travel world for you, if just for a moment. There are “missions trips” and there are “ministry trips” – the difference is subtle at times and staggering at others. Scott and I talked about “Five Star Missionaries” a couple of times while in Juarez or en route.
[We all know these people, the ones that require offerings and accommodations and special treatment and a schedule that keeps them from being “overwhelmed by the people” (you know, those pesky people you went on the trip to minister to?) – let's not forget the food requirements, they are allergic to the green M&Ms and they need an albino wolfhound to pet in the back room after each meeting.]
One thing I appreciate about Scott and FX Missions is that the focus is on the One Star – Jesus. Wherever we went, the spot light was on Jesus and what He is doing in the city. With that as the driving force behind the trip, it doesn't matter if you have an albino wolfhound or a yippie, ankle-biting Werner dog named “Osso”. You could sleep on a mattress on the floor like Scott did in Juarez or in a Five Star Hotel in Venice, the reward and fulfillment are the same when the Son of God is lifted high.
Throughout our time in Juarez we spent the majority of our time connecting with the missionaries and pastors on the ground, doing the work. This is one of the wonderful things about Scott and his heart for raising up missionaries, he cares more about the people than he does about the ministry. Now, that is not to say that ministry didn't happen – boy oh boy did ministry happen! But the scope was securely fixed on establishing a friendship and fellowship with the church in Juarez.
In terms of ministering to the people, Scott and I got to prophesy over the staff and people from the rehab center. They were all blessed by it and activated into their own gifts. Then Sunday Scott taught on the prophetic and we did some demonstration. At the end of service we had ministry lines, Scott was the prophet and I was the healer. Scott had some help from the really prophetic people in the church, so his long line didn't last as long as it would have otherwise. Here are the highlights that I can remember from praying for and healing people:
– multiple people with shoulder injuries were COMPLETELY healed…like ZERO pain remaining
– an almost completely deaf woman regained some of her hearing
– one man with a botched hernia surgery had Jesus fix his intestinal suture noticeably enough that he felt around in his abdomen and he could physically feel the difference
– knees were healed on half a dozen people and arthritis in a couple people
– male and female reproductive organ issues were restored (need I say more?)
– my favorite moment was the boy who had to hold his Bible 6″ from his face to read, and after I prayed for him, he was weeping because he could read it at a normal distance for the first time in his life
In the end, the One Star was worshiped, exalted, and magnified. And that is what is most important. The connections made will continue and future trips will surely manifest in the near future. He is uniting His Church in North America!
