March update

This month’s news:

1. In February, the Los Laureles clinic treated 816 patients, the most ever in a single month since opening in August of 2015.
2. The clinic at Los Pinos also continues to attract new patients each month. In February, 407 patients received free care here.
3. In February, the total cost to deliver medical care was $5.72 per patient.
4. Preparation continues for the upcoming medical mission trip to Jalapa from April 27-May 3. In addition to medical care, highlights will include a youth lock-in, home visitation, Sunday worship, and ministry at the dump.

Upcoming events:

1. The downtown church in Jalapa is praying about starting a fourth mission church in one of the poorest areas near Jalapa. This new mission would be in the mountains just outside Jalapa where many impoverished Guatemalans live in small communities. Please pray that God will give the downtown Jalapa church wisdom as they embark on this endeavor.
2. Another prayer request: The mission church at El Terero has a full-time pastor, but the Los Pinos and Los Laureles churches do not. With growing ministries, both these churches are seeking pastors. If anyone is interested in providing financial support that would enable this to happen, contact me (Randy Stewart; 256-302-4296), and I can give you the specifics.
3. Another non-medical need is a church floor at Los Pinos. Again, I can provide details if anyone wants to know more.
4. Operation Amalia, our diaper and infant hygiene ministry for dump residents, is expanding. Fifteen babies will now receive an exam and diaper supplies each week at the Los Laureles clinic.
5. A mission team of 15 volunteers from Temple Baptist Church in Fairview, Alabama will travel to Jalapa June 24-29.  They will be doing evangelism and discipleship activities at Los Pinos and Los Laureles, including the city dump.
6. Around Labor Day, a medical-dental mission team from Winfield First Baptist Church will minister to the mountain people outside Jalapa, where a new mission may soon be started. Please pray for the Paul Murphy (pastor), Gary Thomas (physician), and Richard Vining (dentist) as they prepare for this trip.
7. In early October, a team from Four Friends International will again spend a week in Jalapa and its surrounds. Hopefully this will include some volunteers from DHL in Atlanta who will seek to improve the overall health of the community through education, water purification, and other support measures.
8. Four Friends International will hold two charity golf tournaments this year. In July, Chesley Oaks Golf Course in Fairview will again be the host site. In September, a similar event will be held at a course in the Birmingham area. Dates and details will be provided in future updates.
9. Feasibility research continues for a new clinic in Haiti within the next two years. Hopefully, we'll have more information to share by year’s end.

The impact of Four Friends International extends beyond medical care. Though the clinics are our primary focus, the ministry also provides…

1. Daily necessities. Fourteen Guatemalans receive monthly income through their work in the clinics, enabling them to provide necessities for themselves and their families. Among them are nurses, office workers, security guards, and housekeepers. In addition, two of our nurses, Lilian and Alejandra, reside in apartments at the rear of the clinics.
2. Community pride. When the clinic at Los Laureles opened in 2015, the city erected a new street light right outside the clinic door. The reason they gave: “We’re excited about having a clinic in our community.” The same pride is on display in Los Pinos as well.
3. Church support. Both of our clinics are adjacent to churches that partner with us. Our goal is spiritual health as well as physical, and many of our activities are directed thusly. Worship, evangelism, discipleship, Bible study, and VBS are some of these support activities.
4. Vital education. Health education is a major emphasis, and the Guatemalan clinic staff and American volunteers continue to provide information to patients about diabetes, hypertension, seizures, infant hygiene, and other important topics. In addition, Four Friends International is closely aligned with the Matthew 9:36 Project that has helped over fifty children each year to get out of the dump and into schools.
5. Ministry base. Because of the ongoing care at the two clinics and our partnership with adjacent churches, teams from the United States are beginning to travel to Jalapa for medical and non-medical ministry activities. Teams from Alabama (Mobile, Winfield, Fairview) and other states (Arkansas, California, and Texas) have ministered in Los Laureles and Los Pinos, using our clinics as a ministry base.
6. Social outreach. Although we don’t restrict ourselves to social ministries alone, we do provide various programs for the underprivileged. Medical care, diaper care, water purification, the ladies’ sewing ministry, and the clinic apartments are tangible ways to show the love of Christ to the Guatemalan people.
7. Abiding relationships. Over the past seven years, the people of Jalapa have become dear to us. We count them among our closest friends and companions. Geographical and cultural distance is no obstacle, for the universal language of the love of Jesus connects our hearts. This unity of spirit is probably the most cherished outgrowth of our work here.

Each $250 donation to Four Friends International provides a day of medical care at both Los Laureles and Los Pinos (i.e. $125/day each). This includes medications, clinic staff, and utilities. Our goal is to be able to provide care the entire year at both clinics six days each week. To date, we have received enough funds to continue care through April 22. Thank you for your gracious support of this ministry.