It’s a pleasure to be able to speak to my brothers and sisters in Christ. On July 13, we hosted Dr. Esther Khatibi a very successful Brasa Luncheon. Khatibi, a local family physician in Corpus Christi, also runs My DOC, a nonprofit clinic for pregnant women.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders build in vain and unless the Lord watches over the city the guards watch in vain,” said Khatibi, quoting Psalm 127:1

She related that God prepared her for her current role, starting all the way back when she was a child, the youngest of six. Khatibi’s mother had divorced when Khatibi was five years old. During that time, Khatibi saw time and time again that the Lord would provide for her family.

Khatibi, by her own admission, had always been the weird one. People saw her as strange for her large family, Persian descent and for her Christian faith.

After being pushed by her father to learn Spanish, Khatibi began teaching English as a second language. This also prepared her for the ministry as many of the pregnant women that come through her doors do not speak English as a second language, or at all for that matter.

Following her work as an English teacher, Khatibi began teaching GED classes, something she noted was more challenging than teaching English. The students came from a more colorful background, often criminal. One student even threatened to slash her tires after she caught him cheating. Despite this, she got him to come around and just a month later, he instead cleared the snow around her car.

“You know, all of those things just shape you and make you,” said Khatibi. “I'm sure a lot of you know that as you get older, you are happy with who you are and when you’re young, this whole idea of fitting in and being what everybody wants you to be is a deception actually. You know what God really wants for you. You have to listen and obey him and be true to that calling and that passion that he’s put in you.”

With God having shaped her, Khatibi opened her pregnancy clinic as a non-profit . Patients pay a minimum of $75 a month to come into the clinic as often as they want, regardless of insurance status. Khatibi recalled a time when a woman wanted to come to her clinic specifically due to the affordable cost. Even though she wouldn’t deliver at the clinic because she would be moving out of state soon, she wanted to receive care from Khatibi while she could.

“I just know beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything in my life was to help me deal with these patients and that being the weird one has turned out to be a good thing,” said Khatibi. “So as Christians, remember that we don’t fit in with everybody. Remember that when it seems like you’re the odd person out, God is using that for you and for your ministry.”

Khatibi’s clinic is accepting volunteers and donations for individuals who can answer phones and see patients. She needs help with grant writing and accounting especially. By supporting De Koning Ministries, our partners also support ministries like this. Visit mydoc.org for more information on Khatibi’s ministry. 

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