On September 19th a group of churches in the Puget Sound region came together to host their very first Compassion Clinic, which also happened to be our first Compassion Clinic during the time of COVID-19! During the summer months we consulted health authorities about the safest way to operate Clinics during the pandemic and started fundraising for essential new supplies. The Puget Sound Clinic was the result of many prayers and preparations and we are celebrating the fact that 56 community members received dental care, 37 received medical, 38 received optometry, and everyone who walked through the doors encountered the love of Jesus through the amazing volunteers who served.
Share a little bit about your role in the Compassion Clinic:
Christine: As the Regional Director, I had the pleasure of laying the vision before the Lord in fervent prayer and trusting that He would orchestrate the body of Christ to be drawn to do His work. Throughout the process I could only keep my focus on Jesus Christ trusting that He would bring it to pass if this was His will! It was so exhilarating to watch the LORD move and work in the hearts of the leads, volunteers & the guests!
Byron: My work life is in healthcare. I work as the Director of Payer Contracting with a large local health system. I grew up around healthcare as my mother was an MD and took care of many immigrants. As a result of my work, I see how hard it is for the underserved to get care. I was the team lead for Medical, which also included PT and Optometry.
David: My name is David Jung, and I am a full time missionary to the US of A. Originally born in South Korea, raised in Hong Kong since 1 year of age, and studied in a British school in Hong Kong. My role in the Compassion Clinic was as Translation team leader, and also co-leading the whole event.
Kawehi: Kawehi served as the Church Connection leader for the Clinic. She also volunteers at the Adorned In Grace Bridal Shop in Lakewood, WA and gives her time at several other nonprofits in the Puget Sound region!
Running a Compassion Clinic in “normal” times can be a difficult feat. Can you share a little bit about why you felt it was important to be part of leading a brand new Compassion Clinic in the time of COVID?
Christine: The world and community desperately need HOPE and LOVE of JESUS CHRIST! I heard very clearly, “if not you, than who? If not now, then when?”
Byron: In these times, people need more help than ever. Because of COVID we had to limit the number of total guests and number of guests at any one time. We needed to keep spacing for those in line and waiting, take temperature checks and fill out a symptom attestation before entering the building. Everyone had masks, and volunteers had to wear either E95 masks or surgical masks, constantly use sanitizer, and wipe down all exam tables and other equipment after every guest.
David: Having grown up where I received medical whenever I wanted without (or very little) cost, and learning that it’s not that easy in some countries, made me realise the importance of having access to medical and dental care. It always baffled me how health care in the US is so expensive, and tied to work…and even so, it doesn’t cover everything. Hence, working with CC health services was a pleasure, and also it was about time for the uniting of churches – to come together and work together for their community.
What motivated you to be part of this event, despite the challenges?
Christine: Because September 19th was a significant day; the “Feast of the Trumpets,” the Lord pressed on my heart that He would set this day aside to exalt His name and show forth His glory to the Puget Sound! So even though there was no commitment from anyone or church in April-June, our small group began praying and trusting that the Lord would make a way!
It is evident to me that His return is imminent and that every day He gives us is by His grace to share the hope we have in Him. What better way to share Jesus than to have a Compassion Puget Sound Free Gospel Clinic! The main purpose is for His glory and His honor as we demonstrate to the community that we are Christians by our love & unity!
Can you share some specific stories from the Clinic while they are still fresh on your mind?
Christine: The testimonies from the guests and the volunteers wake a sleeping soul and is water for our bones! The LORD IS MOVING AND CHANGING LIVES!
- One Doctor said, “I came empty but now I am full!”
- Volunteer: “I have always wanted to go on a missions trip and never had the opportunity to do so, and to have this in my backyard was life changing for me!”
- Volunteer: “Being a missionary in Africa I felt like I was able to serve my people without leaving home.”
- Social Worker for African Refugees: “This is a HUGE HUGE GIFT for my people, I had nowhere to go and did not know how to help my people! Compassion Puget Sound fulfilled a desperate need! We do not know how to thank you enough!”
- Guest: “This was a miracle! I thank God for Compassion Puget Sound!”
- Volunteer: “It was great to be a part of God’s Kingdom Ministry to be united to serve the community!”
- Volunteer: “It was such a great time to connect with other churches and to serve side by side in ministry!”
Byron: The community needed it. The refugees, all 100 of them, needed the help and were very grateful. One guest had back problems due to torture in his home country. We also encountered a woman in whom we found signs of cancer and arranged for followup.
The volunteers were amazing. They jumped right in and made it all work with very little guidance.
David: Having been in this country for just over a year, and learning new things whilst learning to swim in the deep end, makes it an interesting story in itself. Working with and interacting with guests and volunteers has been an absolute pleasure, talking and getting to hear stories of where they are from and where they are going (or would like to go). Also, looking Asian and speaking with a Brit accent throws people off, and is a great way to start talking to people.
Kawehi: We received a phone call on the Thursday before the Clinic about this huge group of African refugees that needed help. The day of the Clinic, their connection was on site on her phone telling them how to get to the church. She had 100 that she called and we tried to get 10 or 15 people in per hour so we could filter them in as they came. I didn’t realize that there were so many African refugees here. It was great to see how they were met and taken care of.
And then we had this beautiful young lady, a single mom with six children who’s staying at one of the shelters here. When they got there, the children were very hesitant. They were very sheepish, they clung to her. Some of the boys were even crying because they didn’t want to go in. But then when they left, they all got coloring books and food, and they had smiles on their faces. To see that difference was just amazing. When she left, she was so happy that her children were able to be seen and that they felt better when they left.
I know there’s a need now, and I really didn’t see the need before. I thought it was just oh, this is kind of fun. It’s just a big event. Well, no, it’s so much more than that, so much more than that. And that shift came from meeting the people, hearing the stories, having a man cry in front of you because he now has reading glasses that cost a dollar. And then he walks over to the prayer tent and picks up a Bible and says, “I can read the Bible.” And we ask him, “Do you have a Bible?” And he says no. “Well would you like a Bible?”
When we told him he could take that Bible, His face was just like, “Really? Really? I can take this?” I mean, they were shocked at that. They were shocked that we were giving them Bibles because in their country, they would die if they had a Bible.
Are there any ways you saw unity being expressed amongst the churches that were involved?
Christine: By God’s Grace He united and brought over 10 churches from the North, East, West & South of Puget Sound together for this clinic. It primarily is through the work the Lord is already doing at Solutions Dental where we serve over 12 Pastors, & through the volunteers at Adorned in Grace who attend various churches. They are the representatives and ambassadors for the vision!
A lifelong eternal relationship has formed over the past 5 months of planning but more importantly our relationship continues as we are in fellowship weekly in and through our regular activities at the ministry location. From this Clinic a men’s Bible Study group began two days later! This is being led by an African Pastor and one of the guests! WOW! ONLY GOD!
David: Indeed! As I mentioned earlier, unity is something that is not easy for churches to do, and having lived through a church split when I was a teen, it makes my heart yearn for more unity. Learning we are all different parts of the body, on the collective whole, churches can also be a part of a bigger body when united. Not always, but learning to put differences aside to work together is something that the churches need to show in everyday life, to people who don’t know Christ. It was a pleasure meeting different people from different churches I don’t think I would have met them otherwise.
Kawehi: We had 10 churches that were involved. We had one church that gave us the property, one church that brought about fifteen volunteers, one church brought the food, one church gave us the sound system, and then all the rest of us that volunteered were all from different churches. We had churches that were involved in so many different things. As the body of Christ we absolutely were the hands and feet of Jesus. And it didn’t matter what church you went to. It didn’t matter.
And I think we saw unity not only in the churches but also in the community. I mean, we got the fencing donated. That was a $3,500 donation. The toilets were donated, the hand washing was all donated. We got lunch for the volunteers donated. We got coffee in the morning from Starbucks donated. I mean, and we did this in three months!
Would you have any encouragement to share with other leaders who are on the fence about hosting a Clinic right now, or those who are thinking about it for the first time but haven’t jumped in yet?
Christine: I encourage them to pray and ask the LORD to lead and guide and confirm the work of His hands. He will definitely answer their prayers if they ask in faith!
Byron: Do it. The need is there. Get the health department involved to review and guide being COVID safe. Don’t be too big due to COVID, but reach out to those in need.
David: Yes, don’t over think – just jump in faith to what Abba is doing! Prayerfully contemplating and hearing from Abba is good too, but when there is nothing going against your spirit for uniting in the name of Christ, then what are we waiting for? If a foreigner, who is in the US on a valid visa to be a missionary and never lived in the US before can make calls, do some admin and help where help is needed, then what is stopping you?
Anything else you’d like to add?
Christine: There is so so much joy that we are all bursting and if it is God’s will praying and planning for the next one On March 27th! We are also continuing to follow up with several guests at Solutions Dental and they are even being discipled through the classes we offer at Solutions Dental & our Adorned in Grace ministry location.
Kawehi: All we did that day was be the hands and feet of Jesus. We saw situations and it didn’t matter where you came from. The volunteers we had were amazing, amazing, amazing. They just welcomed everybody in. They didn’t care who you were, where you were, from, what your situation was, everyone was welcomed in. They were treated with love and respect. I was also amazed at the doctors and dentists and how they were treating the people.
When people left they couldn’t say enough about how that doctor was so nice, that dentist was so nice. “He was so kind he really wanted to hear my story.” We had dentists that said, “I’ll be here and I’ll bring my whole staff with me next time.” We had doctors that said, “I know three other doctors that will come with me next time.” Some of our doctors didn’t know Jesus, and I believe at the end of the day they understood what it was to feel like Jesus as a servant.
Learn more about the Compassion Puget Sound epicenter here.
