1969 The Early Days…
Even before founding Handclasp Maury & Lois Henrich were part of another organization called Wings of Mercy. They realized they had more and more interest in “medical helps” as for years he had driven down to Mexico and worked with many pastors and discovered they all had something in common – there was a lack of basic medicines and even if American doctors volunteered their time, sometimes there was only aspirin to give when the patient needed antibiotics!
Something else was happening in these “early” years. A revival was sweeping through the drug-using “hippies”, those youth who were struggling in self-hate and misery – looking for something. The 2023 movie JESUS REVOLUTION chronicles this Jesus People Movement from the perspective of one lost young man, now pastor Greg Laurie. But Dan & Chris Henrich were influenced by the Holy Spirit and started to be active in chronicling the movement. Here is a March 2023 newsletter from the Dan and Chris Henrich:
- There are so many things going through my head right now. 53 years ago, we saw the impact of the Jesus People or as the film refers to it the Jesus Revolution (highly recommend seeing this). So many of us were impacted by this revival that started in that “Little Country Church” in Orange County. I was saved right out of High School in 1969 and started volunteering with an organization called Missionary Electronics led by Jim Ford and Howard Petman that was documenting the events that were going on in that revival among the former hippies and others right there in Costa Mesa. We were recording some of the original new Christian music by the Love Song group and others. An innovative multi-screen projector system was developed by Ford, and I took it with Pete, a delivered heroin addict to high schools in the area. We shared our testimonies to hundreds of high schoolers, showed the slide program. We passed out a specially made tract (A Heavy Happenin’ in the Heart) and profiled three young people who were saved during the early days. In March 1970, Dan was involved in an Anti-Drug Event sponsored by the Costa Mesa, CA police department. It was huge and gospel singers Larry Norman and Andre Crouch among others performed at this event. See additional information HERE.
- Certainly, we were impacted to reach out to the unreached in media missions as we started our family in Orange County. Chris and I were actually baptized in the first beach baptism at Pirates Cove – when you watch the JESUS REVOLUTION movie look for us (LOL – Dec 1973 wedding thank you note attached for facial recognition). We were active in our local church and volunteered with various organizations and in 1982 or so, we felt God calling us overseas with Caren (6) and Sam (4). We went to India in January 1984. More details and pictures HERE. But when we were ordained as missionaries at Plaza Bible Church a leader prophesied that we were going to be like a weed, popping up in many places around the world! (And we have) We still feel that our plumb line is media – reaching out to the lost!
- We started with India, then Egypt, then so many countries right up to Summer of 2023 with mobile filmmaking workshops in Thailand, India, and Egypt!
- When we were in Kenya, we knew so many missionaries who were part of the same Jesus Revolution as we were.
- How many of those who attended the Asbury 2023 Revival, and the other revivals will answer the call of God to “reach the Nations”? Time will tell.
In the meantime, Maury and Lois and their warehouse volunteers continued to ship medical supplies.
In early 1971, Maury and Lois had flown down to a remote Mexican village with a team of doctors and dentists. They served as medical helpers as the doctors performed minor surgeries and pulled many teeth. Sometimes more major surgeries are performed in a nearby town. But medicines were in short supply. Maury had received a temporary California State Board of Pharmacy license as a Medical Separation Warehouse under Wings of Mercy and in 1970 processed over $150,000 of donated supplies which were sent overseas. In July 1971, Handclasp International was formed as a 501(c)3 educational and charitable non-profit corporation and received a permanent Medical Separation Warehouse license. A local Pharmacist, David Taylor, was added to the board to oversee this process.
- A story from a Medical clinic in Mexico: A young mother named Rosa shifted her weight from one leg to the other, the fever-wracked child was heavy in her arms and she had been standing in line a long time. Rosa had actually walked several days to the free clinic as she could not afford a Mexican doctor. For perhaps the tenth time, she lifted the blanket and looked anxiously at the flushed face beneath it. She listened almost against her will, to the un-even, labored breathing and a wave of compassion swept through her. Her sigh was barely audible as she gently replaced the blanket and held the small, warm body a bit closer. Soon now, she thought, it will be my turn. The Doctor will give the medicine that will make my baby well again. The morning chill was beginning to give way to the sun’s warmth, it felt good! She shrugged the black shawl from her head, her face — lined and care-worn — belied her tender years. She looked again at the length of the line in front of her. The sun would be hot before she got to the door of the small make-shift clinic. Her back and shoulders were aching now, the strain of a sleepless night with the sick baby was beginning to tell. Oh, how long that night had been: How she had prayed for the dawn! The small limp figure whimpered softly beneath the blanket, not much longer now, she said . . . more to herself than to the child.
- Presently, the line began to move a bit faster. What a welcome relief! New strength seemed to flow through her . . . just a few more people ahead of me now . . . and then, it was her turn. Quickly she pulled back the blanket and thrust the child toward the man in the clinic. Doctor, the baby… “I’m sorry” the Doctor’s voice cut in softly, nothing can be done, we have no more medicine. . . . I wish there was something . . . . his emotion-choked voice trailed off hopelessly, he tried hard not to look at the woman’s tear brimmed eyes.
It was stories like Rosa’s that compelled Maury and Lois to commit all their time to the work of Handclasp International (HCI). In 1971, they wrote that a donation of $1.00 would supply $100 of medicines to a doctor or medical supplies overseas. $100 would supply $10,000, etc.
- Story from the Newsletter: “I guess the greatest project was preparing and hauling a truck and trailer load of supplies to Mexicali. All of our work is accomplished by volunteers These are people who are already leading busy lives, so most of the work is done evenings. So — by the time a complete dental unit was loaded (and that is heavy,) examining table, sterilizer etc., we were tired. but the most valuable part of the load was (tens of) thousands of dollars’ worth of needed prescription drugs, vitamins and first aid supplies. These will be distributed to the various free clinics under the direction of the Federal Health Department for Northern Baja.
- Several hundred pounds of additional supplies have gone out, both to doctors in Mexico, and to Viet Nam to a mental hospital and an orphanage.
- This month we were able to help out with special needs at the Youth Center in Ensenada. The young men being led to the Lord and re-habilitated from lives of crime and dope addiction is a constant labor of love for those in charge.
As the work of Handclasp expanded, stories were posted like:
- Several shipments of requested medicines were sent to servicemen for delivery to hospitals in Taiwan and Vietnam. A large quantity of supplies were taken to clinics in Mexico. Many pounds of emergency supplies, including desperately needed anasthetics were sent to Taiwan and Cambodia. More recently there was an urgent call from the flood— stricken Philippines. Water purification tablets and dysentery medications were air—mailed at once. As you can see, there are many desperate needs coming to our attention all the time.
By the end of 1973 they started receiving letters like this:
- A few lines from a nurse in Guatemala: “The medicines arrived in wonderful shape, and they are a joy to behold! I was thankful to be in the city temporarily so that i could sort and get them ready to go out by truck to the village. It’s going to be fun to get back and start dispensing them!
By 1975, they started to collect medicines and medical supplies for a 40′ container for the Christian Hospital of Calcutta (India). Tons of supplies not available in India. Lois writes about the size of the wooden crates that will go into the container. 18 of them weighing a total of 32 tons worth hundred of thousands of dollars! In the middle of this preparation they were told to vacate their low cost warehouse but God provided a new location and friends to move the medicines and medical supplies worth a $1,000,000 or more!
In 1976, during the 1976 Guatemala earthquake, HCI packed special relief supplies for overnight delivery on the Douglas DC-3 airplane. 10,000 pounds at 200 miles per hour for 2158 miles making at least one stop for fuel – probably in Mexico.
- From the March 1976 Newsletter: Then one day out of the blue came the shocking news of the earthquake in Guatemala! Not many details trickled through the news media at first, but we began to think of many needs that exist following such a great disaster. We remembered our involvement in supplying medicines for people in Honduras following the tornado in that country, and realized we wouldn’t be far off in planning the same way for Guatemala.
- So. . .we got busy and thanks to the help of some wonderful people we quickly prepared a large shipment for Guatemala (sent on the DC-3 above). On the back of this page are a few pictures we want to share with you relating to some concentrated work at the warehouse one day.The task of providing medical help to disaster areas at this time is a very fulfilling experience to us, and you share a large part in this important work. Many of them have lost all their earthly possessions; many have lost loved ones, even whole families. We should also remember the missionaries who minister these days under the most difficult situations. And of course the doctors and other personnel who travel there to give of their time and expertise need our prayers. This is something each one of us can do; please share in the privilege and responsibility to pray for these needs.
The shipment now off to Guatemala, Maury and Lois flew down to Mexico for a week to a clinic run by some Seventh Day Adventist doctors. It was exciting for doctors, dentists and the patients themselves – full of hope to get their medical problems solved. As usual Handclasp brought the much needed medicines for the clinic patients – everything you can imagine and started to straighten the medicine shelves and got the medicine the doctors requested.
In September 1976, Maury had back surgery and as he recovered many friends and organizations stepped in to build boxes, sort medicines and get large crates and medical equipment like huge X-Ray units and hospital beds ready for sea shipping to a hospital in Madras (now Chennai) India. But smaller shipment requests occupied much of their time, some sent by parcel post – a doctor in the Philippines wrote that his boilable needs were so dull he “could hear them going in.” A shipment was sent to New Guinea clinic of special vitamins. And more needles and certain medications to a hospital in San Quintin, Baja California, Mexico.
