Placido and Toni Mercado
Bolivia
Over the last ten years MRI has partnered with South America Mission (SAM) in sending teams to work with missionaries Placido and Toni Mercado. The focus of these trips has included ministry with men and women, Bible clubs, construction, medical clinics and more. To see photo albums of these trips have a look on the left sidebar of this page or choose, “Go with MRI” from the menu.
The Mercado’s began ministry by visiting the Ayoré people in 1995 while still in medical school. They both graduated in 1998 and their ministry slowly expanded into more formal involvement with the Ayoré and also with other rural and indigenous communities.
Placido is Bolivian and Toni is the child of missionaries to Brazil. Their call is to use their profession, as medical doctors, to touch people at their felt need and show them Christ’s love. They currently work with a team to offer care at a free walk-in medical office, help provide free surgeries, hold day clinics in remote communities and work on surgical campaigns in small, key towns. These efforts help open doors for friendship evangelism, counseling and children’s ministry. They also teach Bible studies, work with their team to hold camps for indigenous youth at risk for drugs and prostitution and to support the Ayoré church association through conferences and support/discipleship of indigenous Bible school students. Their team also provides seed and other start-up help for micro-projects and provides school supplies for indigenous children in need of them.
Due to the breadth of the work in which they have been involved, it has become increasingly more clear there is a need for a national organization to help manage the ministry. They and their team are in the process of achieving legal status as The Raphá Bolivia Foundation. Through this foundation and through strategic cooperation with other individuals and organizations involved in indigenous and rural work in Bolivia, the Mercado’s hope to continue to do their very best to reach every last corner of Bolivia with Christ’s love.