Dave Overton
Glory Reborn Founder
Sat Sep 05 2009

July 2009 e-News

header.1 Medical Outreach

Taking our services outside of the clinic. This past month our clinic had the pleasure of joining with a local church and a ministry of doctors to offer free medical check ups to more than 500 families living in the Cebu City area. David and I were honored to be part of organizing and participating in the event. It started out as a simple idea by a doctor in our church to gather all the medical professionals in the church and unite together to use our skills to reach other pastors in our city who are in need. As the idea grew, medical professionals from within the church and community alike began to unite and we soon needed a larger facility to hold this medical outreach in. In the back of the church was a large warehouse and so, over the course of several weeks it began to be converted into a small triage center. Soon we had bathrooms, a small kitchen area, a sound system and booth, flooring, air-conditioning, a kids area, a patio, and then medical stations/rooms. There were stations for dental care, eye exams, minor surgeries, pediatric check ups, family medicine, OB-GYN check ups and even a pharmacy! With the Glory Reborn exam tables, ultrasound machine and buckets of equipment we began treating hundreds of women in the OB-GYN station. Partnering with our three mom doctors, as well as volunteer doctors for the event, we were able to give complete cervical and breast cancer screening, ultrasound scanning to each woman that needed it, biopsies, health teachings on womens issues, vitamins for everyone and counseling. The families that came were so thankful for the free screening and medicine and we all enjoyed every moment to improve our skills and bless others in need. It was very rewarding for our staff to join together and serve other women outside of the clinic and to partner together with many other medical professionals who share our heart to serve. For most of these women this was their first time to have a full check up/screening of this type, and for many the first time to see their baby on ultrasound. It was very impacting all around to move outside of the walls of the clinic and unite together for the health of Cebuanos in our city. Glory Reborn was even asked to join with the doctors organization again for future events and we have willingly accepted! Oh what joy there is in giving a tangible, practical hope and help to your neighbor in need. Youth Team This summer, Glory Reborn also took on its biggest team of visitors to date. Kings Kids El Paso, TX brought a group of 18 to serve along side of us for nearly three weeks. In another outreach to the local community Glory Reborn partnered with the El Paso youth and the citys poorest neighborhood to offer our medical services and message of hope. Just a few kilometers away from the clinic is the community of sea gypsies kkep know as the Badjao. Many of you have heard me mention these women in previous letters but this summer Glory Reborn was able to make a more solid relationship with this community. By partnering with the government entities working in the Badjao community, we have developed a pregnancy and delivery program that caters directly to these poorest of the poor women. We have enrolled several of them into our program with special privileges and hope to change the maternal death rate in this area of the city where it is currently the highest. These women are hesitant to seek medical care due to cultural beliefs and a lack of income. We are excited to be working with the government and with the indigenous peoples of this area. Together with the El Paso youth, we also distributed school supplies and bags to a “school” that has started in this Badjao community. By “school” I mean a bamboo hut on stilts over the largest area of sea water mixed with sewage one can imagine. The kiddos were so eager to receive their supplies and bags and have an afternoon of games and fun with a room full of Americans! We were just happy that the school on stilts held up with all the jumping kiddos and additional people. God was good! The youth also got to minister along side a friend of ours who serves in the dumpsite where thousands of families live. Overall it was a successful trip of service to local Cebuanos and we were happy to see this next generation of youth catch the heart and vision to serve those in need around them. Thank you to all the youth and leaders who came we appreciate all of you!

Challenges Although this month has been full of beautiful babies and connections within our community, it has also highlighted the harsh realities of poverty and the lack of sufficient health care in the Philippines. In the past week we had a baby born with a cardiac defect who will need to seek surgery outside the Philippines. We also transfered a mother to the overcrowded city hospital where she did not receive a cesarean section for over 12 hours and her baby did not survive. In the same week a previous patient of the clinic was murdered by her husband, who also died in the tragedy. We are currently helping the family and assisting with the baby that was left behind. While these situations have broken our hearts, we continue to believe that there is a greater hope for the nation of the Philippines and we hold onto the anchor of our soul, Jesus Christ. We know that though the realities around us can be overwhelming, there is still a tangible hope that is living through us and in us for Cebu City; in the hearts of each mother we reach and in the medical system itself. Thank you for your prayers and support as we believe for tangible change in hearts and the medical system around us. Success We want to thank each of you for your continued support of Glory Reborn Clinic. Great things are happening in the clinic and through the staff. We have made some amazing connections locally and are excited to tell you that this October Glory Reborn will hold a fund raising dinner locally in Cebu City. We are blessed to have friends who want to share our vision with those in the local community. We are specifically hoping to gain connections and raise support for our much needed new building. After seeing just how many moms and babies we can possibly fit into a three bedroom apartment the organizers of the event are determined to help us get into a place of our own. We are so thankful for their determination and willingness to help make a fund raiser locally possible. This one time event will come along side of each of your faithful donations to help make the vision of a larger facility possible for Glory Reborn. With a more complete facility Glory Reborn will be able to host more complex cases and avoid the hospital situation where inadequate care is given. Thank you for being part of changing the health care available in Cebu!

Financial Update finances Year to Date, Glory Reborn has raised 60% of our annual budget! We really need your help to meet our budget this year! Glory Reborn is a registered 501c-3 non prot organization.

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