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CORDOVA, CEBU (August 4, 2025) — The True Vine Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in partnership with Gilead Cares, hosted a free medical mission on August 3 at Purok 5, Sambagan, Catarman, Cordova, offering a variety of services to the community.

The event, which served 239 residents, provided medical and pediatric consultations, dental extractions, minor surgery, vital signs, and random blood sugar checks. Residents with vision problems received free reading glasses; those with health issues received free medications, and all children received nutritional supplements.

The medical mission was sponsored by Elmar R. Largo, director of Ojuma International Ministry, in collaboration with the publishing ministries of the Central Visayan Conference.

Elizabeth Degamo, a resident of nearby Purok 6, said this was the first medical mission in her area in her 28 years there. While she acknowledged that the government also holds medical missions, she noted they are often in distant locations.

A volunteer of Gilead Cares, a team of medical professionals dedicated to serving those in need, shared her passion for the missionary work. She said providing free services makes her happy, and despite being exhausted from her hospital duties, she never declines an opportunity for community outreach.

"Even if I'm exhausted from a hospital duty, I'm still unwilling to say no to community outreach programs — to say no to the Lord."

The True Vine church was formerly the True Vine Baptist Church. In May, 25 of its members converted to the Adventist faith following an evangelistic effort by the Adventist-laymen Services and Industries, in collaboration with the Adventist Professionals.

Pastor Ronald Abao, district pastor of Mactan Islands, shared how rewarding it is to nurture a new church and witness its gradual growth.

"It is wonderful to see how this new church is beginning to adapt to its new faith. I am also pleased that the publishing department and a fellow believer are willing to contribute financial support for both this medical mission and the evangelistic meeting," Abao said.

He also shared that the True Vine church, which is currently undergoing the registration process to become an official company, is the result of independent evangelistic efforts. Abao then recounted that the gospel was initially introduced to the community by Zaldy Gaa years ago.

Later on, Gaa's ministry resulted in the baptism of Pastor Melvin Waslo, the True Vine Baptist Church pastor, who then shared his new beliefs with his congregation. Some years passed, and with constant ground work by Joel Ramos, who was sent by the Adventist Mission of the Central Visayan Conference, the members finally chose to follow the example of their pastor's footsteps.

During an evangelistic event organized by Adventist-laymen Services and Industries (ASi) and Adventist Professionals (Ad Pro) in May, 25 of his members were finally baptized into the Adventist faith.

That night, another evangelistic meeting began in the area, culminating on August 3. "Please pray for this gospel meeting, so that many more souls will be brought to Christ," Abao added.