In Venezuela, Adventist Church Provides Free Medical Care to Thousands of People in Andean City
November 17, 2022 |Barquisimeto, Venezuela | Marcos A. Izarra and Inter-American Division News Staff
For more than three months, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Venezuela provided free medical services to thousands of people in Merida, a city in the Andes Mountains in northwestern Venezuela. Healthcare services were provided by more than 70 medical doctors, 15 leaders and dozens of church members who volunteered their time and expertise to assist more than 2,700 persons.
It is the first time free medical services are extended more than a few days throughout the West Venezuela Union territory and part of a larger strategy to offer assistance to so many who are not able to access or pay for such services, church leaders said.
Church member volunteers take the blood pressure of one person in Mérida, a city in the Andean Mountains in Northwest Venezuela during a three-month medical missionary initiative led by coordinated efforts by the West Venezuela Union. [Photo: West Venezuela Union]
The headquarter office of the Central Andean Venezuela Mission and two centers of influence located in various spots throughout the city were opened for the services which sponsored by the union and “Sonrisas para Jesus, or “Smiles for Jesus Foundation–an Adventist lay organization in the country which has been partnering with church’s health community impact for years.
“This has been a historic medical journey in this Andean city,” said Pastor Jean Carlos Rivas, personal ministries and evangelism director in the West Venezuela Union. “It was very surprising to see how persons in Merida would come close to us to be cared for and that opened more doors to better connect with people.” The evangelistic plan was to provide medical services for several months and end the initiative with a week of evangelistic impact, he said.
A young person is treated by dental professionals in Mérida, Venezuela. [Photo: West Venezuela Union]
As a result of the eight-day evangelism campaign led by church leaders and theology students from the Venezuela Adventist University, a new church was reorganized plus two new congregations organized with 106 baptisms and dozens of persons following bible studies.
“We are extremely happy with what has taken place here in Mérida, just an extraordinary work done here,” said Dr. Leo Acosta, Dean of the Theological Seminary at the Adventist University in Nirgua, Venezuela. “The coordinated efforts have impacted a city which is fundamentally Catholic, very grounded in their beliefs but health and evangelism is something that doesn’t fail.” Many would just ask for Bible studies at the different centers. More than 679 visitations were done thanks to the medical impact.
More than 400 met every night in Merida during a week-long evangelistic series that followed the medical missionary impact across the city. [Photo: West Venezuela Union]
The evangelism impact, coined as “Living with Hope,” and coordinated with the Adventist Youth Hope project, saw more than 11,000 literature and 6,000 missionary books distributed as well as 586 bible studies.
“We praise God for this wonderful medical impact, and we consider that this work must continue strong with the work of discipleship, because it’s not just about reaching 106 baptisms, but our purpose is to focus on forming leaders, grounding new believers in the truth that can defend and love deeply this cause,” said Rivas.
Two new young women are prayed for before they are baptized in October at the end of an evangelistic campaign to close the medical missionary initiative in Merida. The two women were part of the 106 persons who were baptized as a result of initiative. [Photo: West Venezuela Union]
To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the West Venezuela Union, go to