West Coast Health Care Ministry and Missions Conference

2nd Quarter Board Meeting (June 30th)

World Impact Health Ministry Advisory Board

On February 23-24, 2007, World Impact had its first retreat for the Los Angeles Health Ministry Advisory Board. We reflected on God’s blessings and prayed for His guidance in the coming year.

The members are:

Ricardo Hong: (newly elected Chairman) Harbor Area Rep to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

Joe Henderson: (newly elected Vice Chairman) Medical Liability Lawyer

Luann Lee: (newly elected Secretary) Optometrist

Arnold Balber: Dentist

Eiko Comfort: Public Health Nurse

Rebecca Henderson: Community Health Professor

Joni Loomis: Registered Nurse in Interventional Radiology and the Emergency Department

Diane Pogroszewski: Director of IntoFocus Vision Ministry

Bryan Sauter: Founder and Medical Outreach Director of the Los Angeles Mission Community Clinic

World Impact staff that were present:

Tim Goddu: LA Coordinator

Isaac Voss: Health Ministry Coordinator

Rachel LaBarbera: Health Ministry Intern (our first fulltime intern!)

We had a great time of fellowship and renewal in the beautiful setting of the Oaks. We thanked God for using the health fairs to support the World Impact church plants- Iglesia Jefferson, W3FC and Iglesia Sembrando Una Esperanza. God has also graciously provided a dental clinic in Watts with the support of Arnie Balber’s church, Evangelical Free Church of Canejo Valley . The dental clinic plans to open in the coming year.

At the retreat, Rebecca, Rachel and Isaac presented the Shalom Outreach program. This is a program that enables a community to address its own health problems with a Faith Community Nurse.  It is based on CHE (Community Health Evangelism) but adapted to be used in the urban inner city.

Please pray for the members of this board and all the plans that we have made for the coming year.

Unless the Lord build the house, its builders labor in vain... Psalm 127:1

May we be an instrument of His Shalom.

front row: Rebecca, Joni, Luann, Eiko and Rachel

back row: Bryan, Joe and Isaac

Compassion In Action & Watts Health Fair - April 29th

Greetings again!  I’m a bit late, but truly excited to share with everyone the event

that happened on April 29^th.  It was an awesome time of giving, prayer, unity,

and love.  This health fair was in connection with Urban Outreach and W3FC.  It

was definitely a great day for Compassion In Action (CIA).  In agreement with

Pattie (from Urban Outreach), we were all doubly blessed!  So, let’s get started in

sharing the blessing….

Below, you can see a little of what CIA is all about.  All of these volunteers come

out once a month to meet the needs of people in the community by providing

food, clothing, fellowship, prayer.  The health fair was a natural addition to the mix.

Can I just say that the day felt like it was God directed and God placed.  Everyone

was in community with each other, working together so naturally.  Loved it!  And,

here are the people in line who we are eager to minister to….and, who also ended

up ministering to us.  To the right, Pastor Ron of W3FC led us all in a word and

prayer as we prepare for the day.

Admittedly, in the beginning it seemed as if we were a little bare in the volunteers

for the health fair.  But, thanks to all who came who stepped in and handled all the

stations wonderfully.  I’m sure all of you know how important it is to just be

available and flexible.  God always will take what we have and multiply it, which was

evident here.  Thanks be to God!

Here’s a few pics of the health fair side.  Thanks to Richard and family for covering

the dental and vitals stations!  It was really great seeing a whole family come out

and volunteer. 

There were so many stories that flowed through that day.  I spoke with a few

homeless battling their own demons emotionally and spiritually, a mother who just

lost her son in law the night before, a man totally on fire for God, struggling, but

there to help regardless, and too many who lack the help and resources for any

health care at all…and, that was just in the health education station.  What I enjoy

about the health fairs is that care happens all the way through, not just at a

certain station.  And, it was a blessing having the volunteers from the church at

the end doing the spiritual care and prayer before people left.

Whew!  I just saw how long this was…sorry!  But, it’s hard to truly summarize

what went on that day.  All together we saw about 35 people (that warrants

another whew!).  It was amazing and I look forward to the next one!  Thanks

again to each and every one of you who came out!!!

Eiko

Hi everyone,

This is Harry and Cathy Chu. Thanks for coming to read a little about what’s been going on in our health fair at Jefferson Christian Church.  We are always so encouraged hearing about God’s works in many of our visitors’ lives.  This past fair, we served 24 visitors from the surrounding community. We also had a successful yard sale and some good face-painters!!

(that's Harry on the left and Alba a Jefferson Volunteer on the Right)

One visitor, who we’ll call Fernando, had a history of diabetes, cataracts, very high

blood pressure (170/105!), with no insurance and no doctor.  We always have these moments of hopelessness when we realize how little care we can truly provide, knowing how much long term care he would need and how much of this is not possible with one short visit.  But Fernando continued through the stations and further visited the eye care station (he had a serious case of glaucoma, probably from the diabetes), the health education station, and finally the spiritual care station.  As he went through, we all prayed for him, multiple times.  In the few moments following his departure, we were so encouraged to see him suddenly bring his wife in.  He told his wife of these services, and she also asked that we pray for her and her husband.  They both shed tears, as did we, knowing that our true healer is in Christ and that is more than enough.  Fernando also spoke for around forty-five minutes with Pastor Rigo, the pastor of Jefferson Christian Church, and he and his wife attended the Jefferson service the following day! 

We were also able to minister to the daughter of one of the health fair volunteers from Jefferson Church. The young girl has very poor eyesight which has resulted in her falling increasingly far behind in her classes. Through the Church at Rocky Peak vision ministry and Luann Lee, a volunteer eye doctor, we were able to get the young girl free prescription glasses, which will equip her for a better education.

After this fair, we’ve been praying that we see the ones we minister to as Christ sees them and feel their struggles and joys as He does with His heart.  But more importantly, we are praying for His spirit and power to work in all of us because without Him we can do nothing.

We are excited with so many of the volunteers and supporters that God has brought so far (many from the Church at Rocky Peak, Cornerstone Moorpark, Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles, and Young Nak).  And many also came from Jefferson church itself.  A few of these individuals have asked to be trained in taking vitals, performing eye exams, and praying and caring for the community.  To see this outpouring of love and unity within the community encourages us for a hopeful future.  We eagerly await those that God brings to our doorsteps at the next health fair; both within the ministry and for those we hope to serve.

In Christ,

Harry and Cathy