Ups and Downs
A recent “up” moment in the Mobile: Stanton Mom Melina came to visit with Stanton Baby Cammie and Stanton Dad Will!
Every week at Stanton Healthcare, I brace myself for the inevitable ups and downs, trusting that God is working through our ministry in both the mountains and valleys. Sometimes, a pregnant mother will walk into the Stanton Mobile bent on having an abortion, but after she sees her living baby on the ultrasound screen, the client will choose life instead. That is an “up” – knowing our clinic team helped save someone’s life! A “down” can be as mundane as the Mobile battery conking out or as critical as a client leaving the Mobile still undecided about her abortion decision.
This spring, our team experienced an “up” and “down” at the same time. A young woman, Ashlyn, entered the Mobile looking for help. She was pregnant, in desperate need of housing and other resources, but she wanted to keep her baby. That was an “up”. The “down”? Ashlyn is a former foster child, abuse victim, and meth addict. The baby’s father is also an addict, and Ashlyn wants to get clean for her baby. But at that first visit to the Stanton Mobile, our clinic team knew that when Ashlyn left the safe space of the Mobile, she would almost certainly use meth again, to the detriment of her baby’s health and her own. Ashlyn also shared that she doesn’t have faith in God and feels like she has no purpose.
When I heard this client’s story from Roxy and Sarah, I was heartbroken for Ashlyn and her unborn baby. But I also heard about another “up” from Sarah: “I let her know that... her life matters and she has a purpose. That she is beautifully and wonderfully made by God and regardless her life matters to us and to Him.” In the midst of sadness and brokenness, the Lord used our clinic staff to speak truth and love to this precious woman, made in the image of God. Ashlyn continues to be cared for by our Stanton team, and we ask for your prayers for her and her baby.
When I consider these challenging moments in the Stanton Mobile, I am grateful for God’s mercy to our staff and to our clients. He has used our little clinic in some big ways, and we are honored to be a part of His plan for our community.
The Mobile itself, the big purple bus, has had a rough time of its own this spring and summer! The battery did die unexpectedly, and then our A/C took a nosedive. There was a small electrical fire that affected our upholstery (and gave our brave sonographer the opportunity to deploy a fire extinguisher!), leaks in the roof... and the list goes on. The usual spring maintenance checklist doubled overnight, as we added several more critical repairs and replacements.
Although a mobile clinic is quite a blessing because we are able to serve anywhere there are roads, it is also a challenge to keep up on the maintenance of the many finicky aspects of a modified RV. And as you can imagine, the costs add up when we are talking about a custom mobile with RV parts – we can’t just slap some paint on it! And items like A/C and a sealed roof are critical in extreme weather.
Here are some of our major repairs that are on our list this summer, along with the actual quoted costs from local vendors. We always request, and often receive, non-profit discounts from generous merchants, but the total is still a bit overwhelming.
Reseal roof: $800
Repair window wraps: $575
Sofa and chair upholstery: $1430
Oil change: $125
Filters: $85
Transmission service: $239
Generator service: $155
New battery: $232
Total: $3641
We have some savings, praise God, but those funds are saved for emergencies. I am hopeful that our friends and partners in the High Desert (and beyond) will step up and help us cover these needed repairs and maintenance so we don’t have to pull from our savings!
If you can give a little extra towards the Mobile’s repair fund today, the team and I would be incredibly grateful. Our Client Care Coordinator, Roxy, has been busy this past month not only serving clients but also making all the phone calls to get quotes and schedule service. She is making these calls in faith that our supporters will step up and help cover some or all of these costs. I would love nothing more than to be able to tell Roxy that the $3641 bill is 100% covered by special gifts!
Donations can be made through our secure online system here, or by sending a check to Stanton SoCal at P.O. Box 189, Wrightwood, CA, 92397 with “Mobile repair” in the memo line. All your gifts are tax-deductible, and all your gifts are received with gratitude. Thank you for believing in the work of Stanton – thank you for supporting our ministry to mothers and babies whose lives are saved and changed in the Stanton Mobile.
With Hope,
Sienna Melendez
Executive Director
P.S. Speaking of "ups”, you should read this amazing “up” story about our sweet client Melina and her family (pictured above). Melina and baby Cammie are thriving today, filled with hope and joy because of the Stanton Mobile and the work we are doing with your help, for God’s glory. Thank you!
P.P.S. As you can see by our list above, it’s expensive to maintain a mobile clinic. If you are local to the High Desert or Inland Empire and can offer one of these services for a reduced price or even free, please contact me! We are always grateful for generous supporters who provide a gift of service.
*Client names changed to protect privacy. Photo used with permission.