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This year we decided to keep the clinic open during our vacation in t= he states using our Dominican staff. = This is part of our move toward greater sustainability. The staff did an amazing job and = we are very proud of them. Th= ey not only maintained the program services such as general consultations, = OB-GYN, dental and eye care as usual, = ; they actually expanded our clinic’s outreach to include sono= gram and imaging services to detect osteoporosis, prostate and breast cance= rs! We also now have a = Dermatologist one time per month to diagnose the many skin conditions affli= cting the people here. Throug= h the clinic, we are reaching an even greater segment of the population by = not only treating them but preventing serious illnesses from spreading with= early detection. &= nbsp;

This woman gets a bone scan examination to detect Osteoporosis. Early detection is the key to prev= enting debilitating conditions.

Dr. Hernandez, (left) is our clinic physician who helped organize the= Medical Imaging Program with this team of specialists pictured here.

Susy Cabrera, our clinic administrator registers patients and managed= the entire clinic in our absence. <= /span>Great work!

Good things continue to happen in San Marcos! The school has become T= HE school to be in throughout the impoverished community. In three years, and with the help and sa= crifice of many dedicated people, we have turned this depressed neighborhood into a thriving center of h= ope and healing. The deep pov= erty that exists in San Marcos breeds illiteracy, sickness, and depression.= But, education, consis= tent healthcare and simple faith in a loving God are restoring human dignit= y again, thus giving these children a brighter future and a chance to make = something of themselves. Thank you, Child Sponsors a= nd visiting work teams who are helping us to make the dream work in San Mar= cos!

In the Dominican Republic, Kindergarten graduates walk through their = community on graduation day to show off their colors and achievement. Congratulations!

The children wait patiently for their name to be called to receive th= eir diploma. This ceremony gives them great confidence to continue their pr= imary education. Many Dominic= ans never finish their primary education for lack of funds and overcrowding= in public schools. Als= o, education is not this country’s priority especially in the poorer = sections.

= We want to thank everyone who= opened their homes to us this summer.&nbs= p; We drove more than 6000 miles and spoke in several churches. It was a time to see family and t= o renew old friendships, as well as make new ones. We also shared at Children’s Hospital in = Washington, D.C. Many people = were interested in coming to the Dominican Republic with a team. Most importantly, we had time to spend = together as a family. Our chi= ldren are growing up quickly and we must cherish the moments we have while = they are still young.

We usually bring our surgical teams to operate at the public hospital= in Puerto Plata, but now we have another option. Our clinic doctor, Dr. Hernandez is also the dir= ector of a small community hospital in Rio San Juan, located forty-five min= utes east from Sosua. He allo= wed Hope International’s surgical team, whom we work with once a year= , to operate there in June. Neither hospital is well equipped. We needed to repair the anesthesia machine and purcha= se some medications but the team brought most everything else. The general surgeon at the hospital beg= an months ago getting patients with complicated surgeries he could not perf= orm. Dr. Jim Lindemulder and = his two residents, Dr. Erin Guilles & Dr. Matt Palmer who operated on e= ight women in two days of surgery. <= /span>All are well now and the hospital has asked for another surgical outr= each.

With the newly remodeled and expanded public clinic in Los Charimicos= that we finished in May, the= people were able to line up by the hundreds to be diagnosed and treated by= Hope’s team of doctors and nurses.&= nbsp; The prayer staff was on hand to provide an extra measure of co= mfort and healing to the crowds. &nbs= p;

Kurt Holthus, founder of Hope International = Ministries takes a moment with some nurses on his team. Below, a local school is used for a mobile clinic location. = The people came from miles around to get help from Hope.

Many people come here to marry because of the location and the natura= l beauty of the sea. Dr. Esta= ban Ramirez and Dr. Erin Gillies were engaged when they came to the DR in J= une to work with Hope Ministries. Before returning to the U.S. they asked R= ob to marry them on the beach. = It was a short ceremony but a special moment for both of them. We wish them many years of happin= ess and God’s blessings on their marriage.

In Canada Please Send Donations To:

Calvary Communit= y Church

2418 5/6 Side Ro= ad RR #2

Shanty Bay (Barr= ie) ONT, Canada L0L-2L0

tbcalvry@drlogick.com

Make checks paya= ble to Calvary Commu= nity Church

Your donations a= re tax deductible.

<= span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:red;font-style:italic;text-decoration:und= erline; text-underline:single;font-weight:bold;language:EN;mso-ansi-language:EN'>= In the U.S. Please Send Donations To:

&nbs= p; Island Impact Ministries