Two new employees have joined our team! Mesly Mata joined the Hilltop Clinic team in January as a Clinic Receptionist/Interpreter, Bethany Stewart, RN, joined us in February as our new Clinic Nurse. We have truly enjoyed having these two on our staff, and we want to share the joy of knowing them through this month’s newsletter. Meet Mesly and Bethany!
CCHC: Tell us a little about yourself.
Mesly: I am a first-generation Mexican immigrant, and I love interacting with other immigrants, particularly those I share a language with. I graduated from OU with a Bachelor’s in Biology, and I am planning to get into the field of international sustainable development. I am very passionate about social and environmental justice, and I am hoping throughout my career I get the opportunity to help marginalized communities and degraded ecosystems. I love spending time with my family and dogs, playing different sports, and spending time in connection with nature.
Bethany: Hello! My name is Bethany. I am newly married (coming up on 1 year in May) and have one loud, dramatic, but very cute husky. I love spending time outdoors, spending time with friends and family, and cooking & enjoying good food. My favorite color is yellow because I feel like it brings so much sunshine into life.
Why did you want to work at Hilltop Clinic?
Mesly: I wanted to work at Hilltop Clinic because I was looking for an opportunity to share God’s love in my community through service. Seeing this type of service being done at Hilltop Clinic for a very vulnerable community of OKC was incredibly inspiring. It was especially appealing to me to see the care they take in serving the Hispanic community through accessible medical care in their own language, and I wanted to use the skill of being bilingual to be a part of this service.
Bethany: I initially had heard about Hilltop from my good friend, Sarah, who is a volunteer at Hilltop. I was attracted to the intentional and genuine culture that Hilltop Clinic had. Even just from my interview and first days here, I could tell that my co-workers were caring & kind and that the clinic was uniquely set up to meet a need in the community around it. I always knew I wanted to care for people (and all areas of their health) because that is what Jesus did and what he has called me to, but Hilltop provided an opportunity for me to do that around others with the same mission.
How have your first couple of months at the clinic been?
Mesly: My first months have been very rewarding as I have seen the love and grace the doctor and staff show for the families of OKC. I have learned a lot about the healthcare industry and about the high need for quality healthcare there is in the city. It has also been amazing to connect with the families myself on a professional and personal level. It can be painful to watch families battle through their health and financial struggles, but it is also a chance for all of us to show God’s love, and try to serve their needs as best as we can.
Bethany: As mentioned above, my first few months at Hilltop have been great. I have LOVED getting to know my co-workers and establishing relationships with patients and their families. There has been lots to learn, transitioning from inpatient nursing to clinic nursing, but I have enjoyed getting to develop a new set of skills, and I look forward to learning more and more about how to grow in my role as the clinic nurse.
What are some of your favorite things about working at Hilltop Clinic?
Mesly: One of my favorite things at Hilltop is seeing the newborn babies and their moms; the babies themselves are the best part, but it is also great to see the way the doctor interacts with them in such a gracious way. It is also very cute to have conversations with the young patients and see their creative minds at work. Lastly, this is my first time working for a Christian organization, and it has been incredible to see a team so motivated to share God’s love, grow spiritually, and serve the needs of the community.
Bethany: My co-workers and their genuine care for me, patients, families, and the community around them.
What do you feel God is teaching you in this season of life?
Mesly: I believe this season, God is teaching me to receive his grace, live with the freedom this has granted me, and love others by sharing this same grace with them. It is a constant battle with the things this world teaches us to accept God’s love in such abundance, but it is the most liberating truth of all.
Bethany: God is gracious. It is so easy for me to try to rely on my own strength and might to try to meet my standard for myself, but God has been patiently reminding me of foundational truths of the gospel, that I can joyfully look to God’s grace to cover my imperfections, which should lead me not towards guilt, but towards an attitude of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Finally, is there a verse that’s been encouraging to you lately?
Mesly: One of the most encouraging verses for me lately is John 16:33. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Bethany: “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10
Mesly and Bethany, we are so glad you have both chosen to be part of the CCHC/Hilltop Clinic family!
To our readers, please give Mesly and Bethany a friendly “hello” the next time you are in the clinic or are attending one of our events.
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