We celebrated the first Compassion Tillamook on February 25th! After talking with Tillamook’s Clinic Coordinator, Kourtnie, it is clear that God graciously provided everything needed to ensure the clinic was a success. Even in the midst of trials, the team lacked nothing.
A week before the event a large number of volunteers began calling in sick, unable to make the clinic. The Tillamook team jumped into action, calling four local churches and their prayer teams. The community prayed over the clinic and individual volunteers. We did not have one more volunteer call in sick. On top of this, fifty new volunteers showed up the morning of the clinic. Kourtnie put it this way, “we just had this amazing God intervention where He said ‘Lean on me’ and we did.”
This is not the only way God provided for Compassion Tillamook. Two weeks before the event, not a single dental volunteer had registered to serve. But at the last minute, God provided three dentists and seven hygienists for the clinic. Each volunteer was vital in completing fifty-one dental appointments. A grandmother was overcome with gratitude as her grandson received critical dental care that he would not have been able to receive otherwise. Thank you to the volunteers who showed up to serve – you made an impact!
As we spoke with Kourtnie regarding the clinic, she detailed the moment that impacted her most. As she took a moment to look around, she was overwhelmed by the gratitude radiating from the community members. Kourtnie explained it this way, “Just simple gratitude for basic things was so impactful and made all of the hours worth it. It was really amazing to see just how happy we could make them with toiletries, clean clothes, and household items…God provided all of that for us to pass on to them and it was just super impactful to see on their faces”
In order to accommodate the clinic, Living Water Coast Church shut down their Sunday service and in doing so brought the church to the community. There was worship, devotionals, and praying at the clinic. Speaking on the moment, Kourtney said, “The Holy Spirit was just so present. You could see people crying, just feeling the Holy Spirit move in that moment, it was amazing. It was a good reminder that the Holy Spirit is not just in the four walls of the church. This is what the church is. We are called to go out into the community and reach people”
We want to take a moment and praise the Lord for His provision, presence, and love at Compassion Tillamook. He never fails to amaze us. Who are we to predict what the Lord can do?