MEMO from God

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An 18-year-old Iran Pedraza had to leave his hometown of Placetas to take care of his bleeding ulcer.

He went to the capital of Villa Clara to receive medical help. It was a time when people had to travel long distances to receive medical help in Cuba. Today he wouldn’t have to travel thanks to the assistance of Medical Equipment Modernisation Opportunity, a local non-profit humanitarian group which provides support for two hospitals in the province.

Pedraza, 32, now is married with a six-year-old son. He said the medical assistance from MEMO has really impacted the community of his hometown of Placetas.

Pedraza said people of Placetas could now get endoscopy tests and treatment without travelling.

"Some people could only see (the benefits) from a medical view but we are getting both," said Pedraza. "We are talking about the spiritual help that they are providing for the church in Cuba. The spirit of the people could see MEMO really cared about us as a country and as people."

Pedraza said MEMO helped him again when his son needed x-rays when he broke his elbow. He said the hospital had everything they needed to look and treat his son.

Pedraza is now a pastor living in Red Deer, Alberta. He said he was invited to work as a pastor because of the large number of Spanish speaking Canadians. He is waiting for his family to complete their application process to come to Canada. He was in Thunder Bay Thursday to give a talk about MEMO.

"Being here (allows me) to see the real faces of (the volunteers). It’s fantastic and a great privilege to meet all those guys," he said.

Pedraza said people in Cuba work hard and try to attend to their own business. MEMO was creating a deeper connection with the community by sharing the love and compassion of God, he said.

"For us, as part of the Cuban people, to see those guys come in every time…the people are very grateful," he said.

The impact of MEMO has grown to impact the whole province, said Pedraza. People from other provinces and municipalities come to receive treatment for various illness and injuries because of the modern equipment, he said.