About
Founded in July 2009, Siloé Ministries, Inc operates in the small village of Santa Anita in the La Mision valley–40 km north of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, and home to approximately 5,000 people.
The Community
The already-precarious La Mision economy has suffered greatly due to the worldwide economic downturn and the media-fueled fears about traveling to Mexico. The primary local industries of construction and tourism have been nearly wiped out in recent years.
Unemployment in the La Mision area is approximately 40%, with youth unemployment even higher. Those that are fortunate enough to have jobs still only make about $15-20 per day. Many families struggle to put food on the table, and alcohol and drug abuse are widespread.
The Clinic
We run a small community clinic on the grounds of our local Christian fellowship, Templo Cristiano Elim. Patients range from a few weeks old to the elderly with ailments that include diabetes, acute infections, hypertension, dermatological conditions, and everything in between! Currently, the medical clinic is open to patients Tuesdays and Thursdays, and our dental ministry received patients on Mondays. We also regularly make house calls during off days.
The clinic, and our ministry at large, is run solely on donations. We do not charge the patients for their consult and will pay for their lab fees and medications if they are unable to. The clinic has contracted with a laboratory in a nearby community that has agreed to perform testing at reduced fees. Some patients make a small donation if possible and others have shown their gratitude with gifts of fresh fruit or homemade tortillas!
Nearly 100% of donated funds go directly toward our patients and our medical missions and outreach efforts. Our facility costs are negligible, our administrative costs are fractional, and all of our American staff are unpaid volunteers who raise their own support. Our philosophy is, the more we receive, the more we can give.
In addition to providing medical care and education, we desire to edify each patient’s spiritual health. We pray regularly with patients, provide Christian counsel, invite our patients to church and, most importantly, share the good news and love of Jesus Christ. Our Jesus-centered approach is emphasized by our ministry’s name, “Siloé” a biblical reference to the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus sent the blind man to wash. Learn more about our name.
Outreach
We regularly seek out opportunities to minister to communities beyond the La Mision valley where we are located. Our team partners with Prescribing Hope, a U.S.-based medical non-profit, at a rural clinic near Tecaté several times per year. We have hosted a Christmas outreach in an outlying migrant community the past three years, where we shared a meal and the gospel with 50 needy families. We have a vision to reach more communities throughout Baja and other parts of Mexico as the Lord provides us with new opportunities and additional resources.
Missions Hosting
One of the activities we enjoy the most is hosting short-term missionaries and volunteers. We regularly coordinate weekend or week-long service trips for visiting doctors, PAs, nurses, and dentists. We welcome non-medical volunteers as well, and have planned and hosted missions experiences for individuals who just want to serve and reach others for Christ. As our capacity grows, we expect missions hosting to be an increasingly important aspect of our ministry.