Ryan Cate is a Physician Assistant who found an outlet to use his medical skills to serve his neighbors through the Compassion Tigard Clinic. After volunteering several times, he now helps coordinate the Tigard Clinic alongside Tara Arnold as a volunteer leader. The Compassion Clinic environment has provided him with a unique way to use his talents while also having more time to pour into people, hear their stories, and tell them about Jesus. We are so thankful to Ryan for sharing his story with us!
“I have always had a desire to serve others with my medical gifts. I had been practicing medicine for probably 10 years and had served in various ministries at my church, but never had an opportunity to volunteer in a medical fashion. My family and I had started to attend Colossae Church when we heard about Compassion Tigard. I ended up being recruited to serve on the medical leadership team and was amazed at the need for medical and dental care in our community right where I live.
I live probably a mile away from the high school [where the Compassion Tigard Clinic was hosted] and still remember taking a run prior to the clinic and seeing the people arriving early and waiting in line to ensure they could get a dental appointment. I knew then that I was serving in the right place. I always think of our town as being rather affluent, but the reality is there are so many people right here in our city that have unmet needs financially, nutritionally, medically and spiritually.
Uniting Together Is Like “True Church”
There are two things that are so meaningful about working with Compassion Connect. One is that it can bring believers from different churches together in one building with a common goal of serving others. It doesn’t matter who my pastor is, how I worship, or what church I attend–all are welcome. It seems like true church.
“I always think of our town as being rather affluent, but the reality is there are so many people right here in our city that have unmet needs financially, nutritionally, medically and spiritually.”
To me church unity means that we can all unite under the cross of Christ. It means that we all unite under Jesus and his word to love God with all of our heart and to also love our neighbors. We need to think less about our personal freedoms and choices and think more like Jesus. He never once thought of himself and his personal freedom, but the wellbeing of others. He went to the sick, the sinner, and the outcast and welcomed them in. When the global church can start living out the Gospel looking after the sick, the widow, and the orphan, then we can see true unity in God’s most Holy Church.
Guest triage at a pre-COVID Compassion Clinic in Tigard, OR
The second is the people. I get time to truly connect with patients. Working for a large medical organization I am always under the clock–20 minutes per visit–but with Compassion I can give people my time. I remember the last patient at our recent Compassion Tigard Clinic at Westside Jesus Church. Because of the pandemic people are feeling lonely and depressed, and I was able to just sit with this older gentleman and give him time. Time to listen. Time to encourage and offer fellowship. I could invite him to church right there.
Crazy Love, Selfless Service
I really think the Holy Spirit led me to getting involved with Compassion Connect. I remember that at about the time I first heard about Compassion Tigard I had just finished reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and it felt like God was guiding me.
“There are two things that are so meaningful about working with Compassion Connect. One is that it can bring believers from different churches together in one building with a common goal of serving others. It doesn’t matter who my pastor is, how I worship, or what church I attend–all are welcome. It seems like true church.”
For me, the importance of service comes from the Cross. It is a simple answer: I am not a perfect person. I fall short as we all do. I am selfish like we all can be. But Jesus has been in the process of transforming me from the moment I was first called when I was 15 years old and it has been a long journey. I am happy to say that over the years of being a Christian God accepted me for who I was–sin, scars, and faults–but he has not kept me that way. True faith in Jesus will change you.
I do feel like God has put on my heart a desire to make the medical side of Compassion better; trying to work with other providers who have been serving and to expand what we can offer. I envision being able to offer more medical screening such as diabetes and cholesterol screening. I think we need to continue to find ways to connect people with continued health care after the clinic is over so that they don’t get lost in the system.”
To learn more about Compassion Clinics, visit us here.
