OUR HCF BLESSING

by Dece and Cristy Leonares

Shalom! It has been a blessing for us to be part of Healthcare Christian Fellowship (HCF) family whose mission is to share the Good News of the Kingdom in the healthcare field and with healthcare providers, practitioners and general healthcare community.

Our introduction to HCF was (to our mind) accidental (but then, we believe that in God’s realm – providential) when we sat beside Dr. Grace Ramirez who was the President (and Matriarch) of HCF Philippines in a dinner event. We were then missionaries in the Philippines working to bring the Good News of the Kingdom in rural areas especially among the young people. We were doing projects dealing with environmental justice and organizing in issues related to conservation and community health. The friendship which started at the dining table blossomed to many beautiful lifetime relationships. We felt an affinity and became an integral part of the HCF Philippines becoming lifetime members. We consider ourselves life-long friends of the HCF global family.

While in the Philippines, we participated in various HCF activities every time we could. We joined with the leaders and staff during devotional and prayer time. We shared meals with them. We learned much and received profound encouragement from our brothers and sisters in full time HCF missionary service as they shared of their calling, burden, service, sacrifices, challenges and victories. We attended (and at times assisted) in various trainings and seminars that run year round. We studied principles and skills from these trainings that were very applicable to life and ministry. We participated in Christian medical missions to indigenous people group in a far flung areas in Luzon had a profound experience in expressing God’s love to others we were addressing problems regarding diseases and physical pains. We enlisted in a trip to northern Luzon where we visited various places where HCF Philippines members work and do ministry. We observed many long-term (three-month) trainings and made friends with participants who come from various countries in Asia. We assisted during one global HCF event held in Manila and saw the diversity of HCF work and ministry in various places of the world. We were humbled to meet with godly leaders of the organization. We have a profound appreciation of the vision, passion and dedication of HCF people we met.

Today, we are back ministering and serving in the US since 2015. Currently, we are organizing and mobilizing in the home healthcare field. There has been a growing demand for workers in this area because of the increasing numbers of retirees of the “boomer” generation. While there are still many people who go through the hospitals and other healthcare facilities, there is a growing population that needs health care services in their homes. We believe that home healthcare workers can be God’s missionaries too. We train and equip them on how to communicate effectively the Good News of the Kingdom as they care for their wards and patients – and even interact with other family members. Also, we help in a Messianic Jewish mission movement in the Los Angeles area.

We are blessed to reconnect with HCF through HCF USA in this season. We are looking forward to connecting with and helping with the HCF ministry in our area. Our prayer is that may God’s will be done for HCFI, HCF USA and HCF national movements here on earth as it is in heaven! HalleluYAH!

Photo source: https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines

You can reach Dece and Cristy at dileonares@yahoo.com .