update (a little late)

TWO LATE UPDATES

I apologize for the late update this month. Cathy and I have been moving into a new home, which has consumed my time until now. Next month’s update will also be late, because I want to give a report of our medical mission trip after we return on October 11. In November, the fourth-of-the-month update schedule will be resumed.

 

MEDICAL MISSION TRIP

On October 5, seven volunteers will travel to Jalapa, Guatemala for a week of medical missions and church support. Medical care will be provided at the clinics at Los Laureles and Los Pinos and also in a mountain village near Jalapa. Please pray for Mary Bales, Clay Crawford, Jeff Fowler, Phil Garrison, Leeah Harcrow, Randy Stewart, and Alexis Valenzuela as they minister in Christ’s name.

 

WINFIELD FIRST BAPTIST MISSION TRIP

A dental and medical team from Winfield First Baptist just returned from Guatemala. They spent the week in Eliveth Aguillar Sanchez, a mountain village near Jalapa. They treated over 1000 patients and extracted 225 teeth. A Thursday afternoon children’s activity drew 600 children. The middle/high school dismissed all the students so they could attend. Special thanks to Paul Murphy, pastor of Winfield FBC, and to Drs. Gary Thomas (internal medicine) and Richard Vining (dentistry) for coordinating the trip.

 

A CLOSER LOOK AT HAITI

Mark Brock, a member of the Four Friends Advisory Board, recently traveled to Haiti to investigate the possibility of opening a clinic there. He has an ongoing relationship with a Haitian church that operates a school during the weekdays. He has identified several obstacles that need to be navigated before a clinic could open there. Please pray for the Advisory Board as it continues to pursue a medical ministry in Haiti.

 

CLINIC ON WHEELS

The downtown church in Jalapa has started a ministry to two nearby mountain villages. We are including these villages in our October medical mission trip itinerary. If ongoing medical care is needed there, a “clinic on wheels” may be the best option. A vehicle carrying medicines and supplies would enable care to be delivered in both villages without having to purchase or build a clinic structure. More information about this should be available after the trip in October.

 

LOS PINOS AND LOS LAURELES CLINICS

The two clinics continue to operate six days each week. On the average, 1200 patients are treated each month. Every medical visit and all the medications are free. Each clinic is connected to an adjacent church, and the clinic staff is active in the church work. Please pray for the clinic staff:
Nurses: Lilian, Lorena, Dora

Office workers: Korina J., Patti, Minor, Kelly, Brenda, Korina L.

Security: Pablo, Luis

Cleaning: Kimberly, Sonia

As of today, donations have been received to fund both clinics through December 2. Thank you for generously supporting this ministry.