Removing the Stone: What God Did in the Sierra Tarahumara

After a long day of ministry, we gathered that evening for our usual debrief. One of the local missionaries—Gath, who serves in the villages—spoke up about the new community we'd visited, a place our team had never been before. What he shared moved us deeply.

He likened the day to that pivotal moment at Lazarus's tomb, when Jesus turned to those standing nearby and said, "Take away the stone" (John 11:39). The people didn't raise Lazarus from the dead themselves—they simply obeyed and made space for God to do what only He could do: bring life out of death.

Then Gath looked straight at us and said:

"Today, God used you to move the stone. Through the love you poured out in those clinics, you've rolled away what was blocking hope. I see God now calling this community to life."

His words hung in the air, a quiet but powerful reminder that sometimes our role isn't to perform the miracle—it's to clear the way for One who can.

We just returned from the Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua, Mexico, and honestly we’re still processing everything God did.

This was the largest project we’ve ever taken on. By God’s grace, we ran a 10day medical and dental mission with a team of 102 people. From logistics to patient care, everything came together, and God’s presence was evident every single day.

This mission was also a significant step of faith and stewardship. The total cost exceeded $25,000, with more than $10,000 spent on our pharmacy supplies alone. Every dollar was used intentionally to bring healing, dignity, and the hope of the Gospel to people who often have little to no access to care.

Sometimes… under a simple green tarp, surrounded by trees deep in the mountains, comprehensive medical care was delivered in what many would consider the middle of nowhere. We were only able to reach these communities because the locals spent weeks making the road passable so our vehicles could get through. You would never guess that such high quality care comparable to, and in some cases exceeding, what is offered at hospitals more than eight hours away was being provided there.

This was only possible because of an incredible group of highly skilled, humble, servant hearted professionals who showed up ready to serve.

Because of the size, training, and diversity of our team, we were able to provide care rarely available in such remote areas. Along with medical and dental services, we ran blood labs, X-rays, ultrasounds, and used a wide range of medical equipment. Our team included general physicians, nurses, and medical students; a strong dental team; optometrists; psychologists providing biblical counseling; and nutritionists each one serving with excellence, compassion, and love.

And the care didn’t stop there.

We also had a full children’s ministry team, a donations team that organized and distributed supplies daily, and an incredible kitchen team that cooked not only for our volunteers but also for hundreds of people at each clinic. Five barbers offered haircuts, and most importantly a devoted prayer team sat with patients one by one, shared the Gospel, and prayed with them personally.

We were blessed by a worship team and many others who served quietly behind the scenes. Every person who came through the clinics was treated with gentleness, dignity, and love, as we shared about the One who loved us first Jesus Christ, who gave His life for us and for them.

Jesus speaks of the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety nine to go after the one who is lost. During this trip, it truly felt like God sent 100 of us to the ends of the earth to seek and to find those He loves in the Sierra Tarahumara.

We reached some of the most remote villages we’ve ever served. Many people walked up to six hours just to reach the clinics. They left with medical and dental care but more importantly, they left with the Gospel and audio Bibles in the Rarámuri language, able to hear God’s Word in their heart language.

By the end of the trip:

Over 1,000 people received medical and dental care

More than 2,000 people shared meals with us and heard the Gospel

Over 500 children received gifts and donations through Bible classes and outreach

Throughout the trip, we witnessed undeniable miracles. A blind man received his sight. A man on the brink of death experienced healing and new life. We watched the Gospel transform hearts and families in ways no medical treatment ever could.

God moved far beyond what we were able to do with our hands.

Our optometrist, “Jeremy” shared this story after clinic, still shaken by what he had seen. It is written in his own voice, describing a moment when he knew there was nothing he could do and then watched Jesus do everything.

Here is his testimony:

I was waiting for my next patient when one of our team members began walking a man toward me. As he came closer, I looked into his eyes and immediately knew before asking a single question that he was blind. His eyes were glazed white and moving uncontrollably, consistent with corneal opacity and nystagmus.

My heart sank. I remember thinking, Why did they bring him to me? I’m an optometrist. I prescribe glasses. This is far beyond anything I can fix.

Still, I began the exam.

I leaned close and held up my fingers.

“How many fingers am I holding up?” I asked.

I couldn’t understand what he was mumbling. His words were unclear, but his gestures said everything—he was unable to see.

In that moment, I prayed quietly, Lord, I can do nothing for this man. But if it is Your will, heal him.

Not knowing what else to do, I reached for the lowest prescription glasses I had. As I prayed, I gently placed them on his face.

The moment I held them up to his eyes, I saw it happen.

The whiteness cleared. His eyes turned brown. The uncontrolled movement stopped. His eyes focused and suddenly he let out a loud scream of pure joy.

I stepped back and held up my fingers again. This time, he lifted his own hand and matched the number perfectly. I tried again. He did it again.

There was no doubt. He could see.

We ran toward each other and embraced. He cried for several minutes, overwhelmed. As he clung to me, I made sure he understood this was not something I had done. Jesus was the One who healed him.

What moves me most is something I haven’t mentioned yet. This man was mentally disabled and not fully verbal. Words often failed him. And yet God chose him… someone who could not fully tell his own story to reveal His love and power in a miraculous way.

On this trip, I didn’t just test vision.

I witnessed Jesus heal the blind.

“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight…”

Luke 7:22–23

Our second testimony came from one of our lead internal medicine doctors, who encountered a patient in critical condition.

The man explained that he had not eaten for weeks and, more recently, had been unable to drink even water. Every attempt to swallow triggered violent gagging and immediate vomiting. Medically, this raised serious alarms. The doctors feared severe dysphagia or even advanced esophageal cancer. Without intervention, his condition was life-threatening. If he remained unable to take in fluids, he could die soon from dehydration and malnutrition.

There was no medication we could prescribe. The only possible treatment would have been emergency surgery—something far beyond our facilities, equipment, and setting.

So we did the only thing we could do.

We prayed.

After prayer, we placed him on IV fluids to restore hydration and essential vitamins. As the IV ran, Dr. Flores explained the gravity of the situation to Danny, our medical director, and asked the question we were all asking:
“What do we do now? Do we try to feed him?”

Danny paused, then simply said, “Give him something to eat.”

A bowl of stew and a couple of tortillas were placed in front of the man. Fear filled his eyes as he stared at the food, knowing that every attempt to eat in recent weeks had ended in pain and vomiting. Slowly, reluctantly, he took a bite.

Nothing happened.

He took another bite. Then another—until he finished the entire bowl.

We observed him closely for the next hour. He did not gag. He did not vomit. He was fine.

We believe God healed him.

When everything pointed toward rapid decline and possible death, God intervened—and restored his ability to eat and drink again.

Though we cannot record the names of the nearly 3,000 people who were reached, God knows every one of them by name. What we can share are the names of their communities—names that may feel unfamiliar to us, but represent places where God is moving and at work. We ask that you lift these communities up in prayer:

Bajichi

Choreachi

Sagoachi

Basigochi

Inapuchi

Pilares

Choachike

Paguiranachi

Thank you for praying, giving, and standing with us. This mission was only possible because of your generosity and obedience. God is bringing life to the Sierra Tarahumara, and we are humbled to be part of what He is doing.

With gratitude and praise to God,

-Mateo Cepeda