Spring 2017

“Bethesda Health Clinic isgrace. It is something I couldn’tafford, couldn’t buy, that hasbeen given to me freely.That’s grace. That’sBethesda Health Clinic.”

Through grace, Jamie has foundher way back to health, wholenessand her faith from a deep abyss,a well of darkness of her ownmaking. “I made horrible choices,and almost destroyed my life withmy own hands,” she confesses.Years of anorexia and addictionwere destroying Jamie’s body,and lawless behavior landedher in jail – for 76 long days.

“God never leaves you. You leaveHim,” Jamie asserts. While in jail,her heart opened to God onceagain. “I heard Him very clearly.‘If you will be honest, I will giveyou grace,’ He said. He did.And He has kept His promise.”

Jamie had known aboutBethesda for many years.She was a patient at the Cliniceven during the dark times.

“But on my last visit, Dr. JohnEnglish fired me as a patient,”she says. “He took his oath as aphysician and as a believerseriously. He knew I was lyingand he knew I was abusing mymedication. He told me I couldn’tcome back. That’s when thesnowball started, the snowballthat lead me to the bottom andthen back up again.”

After time in jail, Jamie wascourt-ordered to a treatmentfacility, Son Shine Lighthouse,where she spent a year gettingher life back on track physically,mentally and spiritually. “I beganto feel God working on me.You know, God works within you,and He starts working aroundyou, and He sets you up forwhere you should go next.”

As a resident of Son ShineLighthouse, Jamie came backto Bethesda for both medicaland dental care. “I had to faceDr. English again, and that washumbling, but he actuallywelcomed me. The heart ofBethesda is compassion. It’s not

Continued on page 2.

GRACEBETHESDA HEALTHCLINIC IS

just the care that’s given,” says Jamie. “It’s howyou’re treated when you walk through thedoor. It doesn’t matter who you are or whatyou’ve done. God’s tender, loving care andmercy are in the heart of Dr. English and everyone of the volunteers and employees.”

Now living on her own, Jamie has a full timejob but no health insurance coverage.Bethesda is still her medical home, whereshe’s now proudly receiving preventative care.She’s learning, as she says, “to treat my bodyas a temple. God’s kingdom lies within me. Ihave to take care of it!”

Jamie’s new passion is helping other womensee their value and find the strength and faithshe has found. “God deepened my faith bybreaking me to strengthen me,” she asserts.“The woman of old is dead and gone, and Ihave confidence in who God created me to be.”

Jamie has begun to publicly share hertestimony and her remarkable story ofrecovery with an open heart and without fearor shame. She believes it will lead to somethingbig: “You change a culture by speaking to theheart of a woman,” Jamie proclaims. The painin one woman’s life, the transformation broughtabout by God’s grace, the promise of new lifefound in Him, can indeed be a powerfulchange agent for our time.

Jamie’s description of Bethesda Health Clinicsimply as “grace” is perhaps the most succinctand accurate description of our ministry.Your support of this work creates a vehiclethrough which we can extend God’s grace,welcoming Jamie and so many others whoare hurt and broken, extending to them thegrace we have also received and which noneof us deserve. It is a great gift, unexpected,unmerited and life-changing.

Continued from front cover.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;knock and the door will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

These verses from Matthew have long been a favorite of mine.They speak to me about the fact that God is always here for us.We just have to ask, to seek, to knock, and He will open the door.

At Bethesda Health Clinic, we have a new, catchy phrase that welike a lot: “Here to help.”

As God is always here for us, Bethesda is also here for those whoseek our help. Because of you, and our loving God who blessesthis work, we can open the door to health and hope. Because of you,we can say “yes” when too often the world has said “no”.

This edition of our newsletter is full of stories about the ways weare “here to help.” Bethesda is here to help Jamie, who shares herpowerful story about her journey back to health and wholeness.We’re here to help Shawanna, who is finally turning her attentionto her own health after years of caring for others.

YOU are the reason Bethesda Health Clinic is “here to help.” Weonly have the capacity to serve those who turn to us to the extent thecommunity supports our mission. Did you know that we are servingmore patients than ever before? Forty two percent more new patientsthan any previous year!

Bethesda needs you now more than ever. Can we count on youto make sure that we are “here to help”?

A NOTEFROM JOHN

Because of You...

...We are Here to Help

“From everyone who hasbeen given much, muchwill be demanded; andfrom the one who hasbeen entrusted withmuch, much more willbe asked.” Luke 12:48

Dr. Bill Starling paraphrasesthis verse from Luke into amodern saying we have allheard: “To whom muchhas been given, much isrequired.” It’s a saying heand his wife, Marie, striveto live by and which hasshaped their involvementwith Bethesda Health Clinic.

“I’ve been impressed athow many physicians andnurses and lay peoplehave invested themselves here at the Clinic,” says Bill.“But then Tyler is like that,” adds Marie. “This is a givingtown. People see a need and they respond.”

“You know, fifteen years ago those who founded the clinicrecognized the needs of the medically underserved, andthey responded,” says Bill. “And they’ve been respondingever since.”

When Bill and Marie agreed to chair the Dr. Luke Societydinner in February, 2017, they were also responding toa need – to raise funds to support the Clinic. “What is

happening here is soworthwhile,” Bill asserts. “Ittakes skill and good heartsto make it all happen, butit also takes money. TheDr. Luke Society dinner isone of the ways the Clinicraises the money it needs.There are no Federal dollarshere. We have to raise it allfrom charitable gifts.”

Sunday School teachersfor 32 years, Bill and Marieknow their way aroundthe Scriptures, and theyare quick to point out theonly reference to Bethesdain the Bible. “It’s onlymentioned once, but itsmeaning is very clear:House of Mercy,” says Bill.

“That’s such an apt description of Bethesda Health Clinic.It’s a house of mercy. Patients are afforded mercy bythe talented, giving people at Bethesda and our abilityto extend that mercy is made possible by our generouscommunity.”

“We’ve all been given so much,” says Bill. “Some havewealth, but we have all been given the abundant graceof God, the Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.Through the mission of Bethesda, we can use whateverwe have received to serve others. We can all respond.”

BILL AND MARIE

STARLING

Stephen and Diane Rydzak

Charles and Maureen Stone

Noah and Helen Israel

Su Holder, Mary Irwin

Marilyn Richey, Eleanor Cameron

Scott and Robyn Lieberman

Lindsey and Vicki Bradley, Steven KeuerElmer and Betsy Ellis, Bill Moore Derrith Bondurant, LaVerne Gollob,Catherine Harrison

DoctorLuke Society... 201 7

On a brisk March Saturday morning,runners and walkers participating in the4th annual FRESH 15 Road Race didtheir part to support health and wellnessprograms at Bethesda Health Clinic.

“We are proud to award FRESH 15funding to groups that exemplify thestrength it takes to support every senseof the term ‘family’ – passion, hope,dignity, belonging and protection – allof which are vital to building lives thattruly make a difference,” said TrentBrookshire, executive sponsor for theevent. “We are proud to have raisedover $500,000 in the past four years fordeserving charity partners, and we takegreat pride in the fact that every singlepenny from registration goes directlyback into our community.”

“Bethesda Health Clinic was honoredto be a partner with Brookshire’s in theFRESH 15 race again this year. Bothof our organizations are supported bythe community and both emphasizethe need for a healthy lifestyle. The

FRESH 15 team put on a first classevent, and we were proud to be chosenas a beneficiary. Bethesda has beenawarded $40,000 and the proceeds willgo towards equipping our dental clinicwith items needed to help decrease thewait time for our patients and keep upwith the tremendous growth we areexperiencing in this area,” saidJohn English, M.D.

More than 4500 runners from all overTexas and beyond competed in the15k, 5k and 1k kids’ races. BethesdaClinic was blessed to be one of thecharitable organizations benefitingfrom the race proceeds.

FRESH 15 EVENTBENEFITS BETHESDA

...We are Here to Help

SHAWANNA“I had been praying and praying, and finally I asked God, ‘are yougetting my messages?’ because nothing was happening. ThenDonnie Gaines called me to her office at Bethesda and saidBethesda was going to help me get my teeth fixed. I thought itwas a joke. Things don’t hardly ever happen good for me.”

But Shawanna was wrong. Something very good indeed wasabout to happen for her. Bethesda has a special “patient adoptionfund,’ accessible only at the recommendation of one of thedentists and available to be used when a patient’s situation requiresgoing ‘above and beyond’ to help them. Dr. Holland recommendedShawanna, and using the patient adoption funds, Bethesda wasgoing to extract all her diseased and damaged teeth and createdentures for her.

As a single mother, caring for her own elderly mother and herthree children, one of whom is disabled, Shawanna had no timeor resources to care for herself, and she hadn’t been to the dentistin a long, long time. Finally, awake night after night because of thepain, she knew she couldn’t wait any longer. There was still onemore obstacle – an enormous fear of the dentist which causedher to have panic attacks.

“I was breathing hard and praying and praying when I sat downin the dentist’s chair at Bethesda, and you know what the dentistsaid?” Shawanna asks. “He said, ‘do you want us to pray for you?’PRAY for me! YES! I knew I was in the right place and all my fearand anxiety went away.”

New teeth are a new beginning for Shawanna. “I’m going to haveteeth in my mouth,” she says, “First my teeth. Then lose weight.I’m going to be too cute!”

To Shawanna, Bethesda is an anointed place, a God-sent place.“I’ve been through a storm and back again, and I kept asking God‘why’? But God knew what He was doing. He sent me through thatstorm and to Bethesda. When bad things happen, God is gettingyou ready for a blessing, and for me that blessing is Bethesda. Ifyou hear of a lady in the church house who can’t stop shoutin,’that’s me!”

Bethesda is an anointedplace, a God-sent place.“ ”

Because of You...

Many women like Shawanna shoulder big burdens andbig responsibilities. The pressing priorities of caring forothers, financial insecurity, even abuse, become the focusof their lives, causing them to neglect their own healthand well-being.

At Bethesda Health Clinic, the Women’s Advocacy Initiativehelps patients address these “life stressors” and begin todeal with them, while at the same time working to improvetheir physical health.

“Advocacy is so important at Bethesda,” says DonnieGaines, Patient Advocate Coordinator. “Yes, Bethesda isa medical and dental clinic, but we can’t deal with physicalhealth alone. There are mental, emotional, social andspiritual aspects to healing people. If you’re worried aboutfeeding your babies at the end of the month, you’reprobably not going to focus on monitoring your bloodpressure. If we can find resources to help a woman deal

with her family’s food insecurity, then she can start payingattention to her blood pressure. That’s good for her andgood for her family.”

A grant from the Women’s Fund of Smith County willmore than double the Clinic’s ability to help women inneed. Shuna Mast, a full time patient advocate, has joinedDonnie on the staff.

“As social workers, we look at the patient as a whole, andwork with them to develop a plan,” she says. “When peo-ple are facing multiple crises, they don’t know where tostart. We help them put things into perspective. What canwe focus on first? Just one thing at a time.”

“We listen a lot,” adds Donnie. “That’s part of their healingtoo. Sometimes a patient will say, ‘no one has ever reallylistened to me before’. It may take an hour, but we listen.That’s just what we do.”

WOMEN’SADVOCACYINITIATIVE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16VILLA DI FELICITA

...We are Here to Help

Vera Moore, John English, Kristen Seeber and Patty Steelman

409 W. FergusonTyler, TX 75702

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDTyler, Texas

Permit No. 14

To learn more aboutthese events orBethesda Health Clinic,contact us at:409 W. FergusonTyler, TX 75702903.596.8353www.bethesdaclinic.org

Board of DirectorsRich KnarrPresidentSue SaxenmeyerSecretaryRamsey StarksTreasurer

Michelle BrookshireRandall ChildressBarry JonesDavid KrafveFritter McNallyJohn MerrillAmber OwenRebecca SandersH. Don Smith, M.D.Tim R. Smith, D.D.S.Larry StokesCharles Stone, D.D.S.Todd TuttJoseph Woelkers

Todd Raabe, M.D.Board Emeritus

Rev. Pat MalloryBoard Emeritus

John English, M.D.CEO / Medical Director

Advisory CouncilKen DanceChair

Maxey Abernathy, M.D.Harold BeairdJerry CaddyTracy CrawfordSam Houston, M.D.Thomas Lowery, M.D.John MintonMac MoseleyDavid Nichols, D.D.S.Ron Pinkenburg, M.D.John SoulesWilliam Starling, M.D.Pat Thomas, M.D.Rev. Pike Wisner

Publication BoardManaging EditorDiane Thomason

Graphic DesignAutry Design

PhotographyMotoPhotoTyler TodayDon Bristow

In February, AVCO Roofing organized a donation drive in the Hollytree community and filled three trailers with donationsfor Hangers of Hope. All proceeds of the thrift store go back to the clinic and provide the additional resources needed to

greatly expand Bethesda’s services. We are very grateful to both AVCO Roofing and to all of the members of the Hollytreecommunity who donated items in support of Hangers of Hope and Bethesda Health Clinic.

AVCO Roofing Hosts Donation Drivefor Hangers of Hope

THANK YOU TO EVERYONEWHO DONATED!