b Cheri LeBlanc, MD: February 2009

Monday, February 16, 2009

Valentines Day Outreach

The Healing Hands team pulled out of the Healing Place Church parking lot at 7 am on Valentines Day to spread the love of Christ in the Donaldsonville community.  A true love affair for the lost and hurting right here in our own backyard.  One of our volunteers, Anna, brought long stem roses for all of the women who came into the clinic.  As these precious ladies left they were given a rose and a hug with an assurance that Jesus truly loves them.  Thanks Anna for sharing the love of our Savour with these special ladies.

But it wasn't just the ladies who were receiving the love of Christ and a warm reception.  I have to tell a story of a man who recently lost his job and without insurance didn't know where to turn.   This man named James was sent to us by heaven on this special Valentines Day.  You see, James suffers from asthma and without breathing treatments and medicine, he runs a high risk of being in the hospital or worse.    

When Dr. Cheri began to examine him and ask questions about his well being, she discovered that he was using a nebulizer (breathing treatment machine) that his dad had before he died.  This may not seem like a big deal except that James' Dad died in 1996 and James didn't even know how long his dad had the nebulizer before that.  James was very appreciative of the visit and medicines that he received but what was about to take place was something that neither James nor Dr. Cheri saw coming.  

James asked Dr. Cheri where he could buy the filters for his nebulizer.  This shocked the good doctor because she wasn't sure of what he was referring to, nor how long James had been using a dirty filter in his breathing treatments.  Being led by God's Holy Spirit, Dr. Cheri remembered that there was a brand new nebulizer in Ele's attic (mobile medical unit for those who have recently started to follow).  She called for me out of the church and together we went into the exam room to present Mr. James with his brand new nebulizer.  As we told him how much God loves him and presented the brand new nebulizer to him, he began to weep.

Now James didn't look like the crying type in his biker t-shirt.  But, Jesus wept and I believe that real men do cry when touched by the love and compassion of our Father in heaven.  Dr. Cheri and I prayed for James and hugged him as he left with all of his Valentines presents that he had just received from His Father in heaven.

Who says Valentines is only about candy and flowers?  "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son and whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

All for His Glory,

Joseph LeBlanc 

posted by Joseph & Cheri LeBlanc @ 6:06 PM 0 comments

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Going the 2nd Mile

This weekend we had an awesome opportunity to drive several miles north of Baton Rouge to St. Francisville.  Now, the title of this blog is "Going the 2nd Mile" and I am not referring to the distance that the mobile medical and dental units have to travel.  

The team in St. Francisville always serves up Christ with such excellence.  They even cleaned out a supply closet so that we could use it as a prayer closet!  The ministry started in a small electrical closet and here we are four years later still in the closet.  Lord may we never get out of the prayer closet in all that we do!

The story I want to tell of going the second mile is about one of our volunteers, Cherie Lormand, who has responded to God's call to pray with the women who come into the clinic and to help develop a prayer discipline for all prayer volunteers.  When I heard of what Cherie had done in prayer with one of the elderly ladies this weekend, I had to celebrate her story.  

A lady came in for medical attention like all of the others, but this grandmother had a heavy heart concerning her grandson.  Her concern was not revealed until she got into the prayer closet with Cherie Lormand.  As Cherie listened to the grandmother's heart about how her grandson was being verbally abused by a family member, a heart of compassion developed.  As I heard of the details of what was done and said to the grandson, my heart broke, and what Cherie did in response was the very heart of Christ.

Cherie prayed with the grandmother and when she finished asked for permission to call the grandson and pray with him over the phone!  Now that is going the second mile for Christ! Only God knows how He will use the healing offered this day by the hands of a servant of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ!  Thanks Cherie for being the hands and feet of Christ this day!

All for HIS Glory and Because He Lives,

Joseph LeBlanc

posted by Joseph & Cheri LeBlanc @ 12:45 PM 0 comments