August update

MEDICAL MISSION TRIP: October 5-11
There’s still time to volunteer for the upcoming trip to Jalapa. The cost is $1500 per person. Both medical and non-medical volunteers are needed. Deadline for registration is August 15. If interested, call or text Randy Stewart (256-302-4296).

GOLF TOURNAMENT REPORT

Two charity events over the past month yielded over $20,000 in donations for the clinics at Los Pinos and Los Laureles.  The fifth annual North Alabama Golf Classic at Chesley Oaks in Fairview welcomed 47 golfers, and the inaugural Birmingham Golf Classic at Highland Park drew 27 golfers. Thanks to all who participated and to those who helped organize the events. A special shout-out goes to Jeff Fowler, the director of both tournaments.

JULY CLINIC REPORT – 1,274 patients
Los Pinos Clinic

July 1-6: 119 patients
July 8-13: 126 patients
July 15-20: 120 patients
July 22-27: 124 patients
July 29-31: 70 patients
TOTAL: 559 patients

Los Laureles Clinic
July 1-6: 142 patients
July 8-13: 145 patients
July 15-20: 173 patients
July 22-27: 168 patients
July 29-31: 87 patients
TOTAL: 715 patients

PRAYER LIST

• A medical/dental team from Winfield First Baptist will minister in Jalapa later this month. Paul Murphy, pastor, will lead this team.
• Mark Brock will travel to Haiti in late August to further investigate the possibility of starting a clinic at a Christian school there.
• Our clinic nurses continue to minister every week. Lilian has been the nurse at Los Laureles for 4 years. Lorena started serving at Los Pinos when it opened last October. Dora also joined our team last year and alternates days between the clinics each week.
• The church at Los Laureles is looking for a full-time pastor. Los Pinos has a new pastor named Marcos. Pastor Filiberto continues to serve at the downtown church, and Pastor Raphael continues to minister in El Terero.
• An exciting new ministry to two mountain communities near Jalapa has been presented to Four Friends International. In addition to ministering in Jalapa and its surrounds, the plan would also allow Four Friends to provide medical care each month in other areas of Guatemala. This is very early in the planning stage, and there is no guarantee that it will materialize. If it does, more details will be provided in future updates. Please pray for God’s wisdom and direction regarding this novel ministry opportunity.

REMINDERS

1. Online donations are now possible from this website. Both one-time and recurring gifting is possible. Go to the web version and click on one of the two “donate” buttons at the top righthand corner of the home page.
2. Each $250 donation pays for one day of medical care at the two clinics. This includes medications, medical staffing, and utilities.
3. Four Friends International has no salaried U.S. volunteers or employees and no paid board members. An anonymous donor covers the organization’s annual taxes, insurance premiums, and legal expenses. This means that 100% of your donations are used to provide care at the two clinics.
4. As outlined in our mission statement, each of our clinics must be adjacent to a partnering church. In this way, Four Friends can provide both spiritual and physical healing to impoverished areas.
5. Operation Amalia, a project supported by Four Friends International, continues to provide diapers and supplies each week to fifteen mothers who live in the dump. It is amazing to witness the improvement in the infants’ hygiene since the program began.

GIVING UPDATE

As of today, donations have been received to fund both clinics through November 15. Thank you for generously supporting this ministry.