Help from home

We received a little taste of home when the medical team from Ft. Payne came to help us with our medical mission in the villages. It was nice to see other Americans for a week and have a glimpse of home. Don't get me wrong, we love it here and we love the Filipino people dearly.

If we hadn't already made an impression in the villages, by turning heads as white people enter the village, we surely did when 11 other Americans joined us. The team, made up of several doctors, a dentist, a pharmacist, other helping hands and teens who assisted their parents, provided free medical care to any residents who showed up. Most villages were packed with people and hundreds of people were helped and will hopefully live a healthier life.

How many hands do you need for one person?

Stations were set up for registration and vital signs to be recorded. As people funneled through registration they were seen by several doctors and nurses and provided medicine for any symptoms they had. After receiving medication, they made their way to the dentist to have teeth examined and pulled. The dentist was all the buzz. In every village, people crowded around the area or room where the dentist was working. For them it was a new experience and quite exciting. Still trying to figure that out since teeth really bother me and some of the other team members.

For those who weren't administering medical help, like myself, we played with children, managed the crowds, carried equipment from one station to another and shared the gospel as people waited. There's always something to do, you just need to look for the needs and act. Also, some of the teenagers who were on the medical mission team shared several dramas which explained salvation and other key biblical truths in a modern and artistic fashion. You should have seen the crowds they drew. One thing about Filipinos is that they typically watch every move of Americans, which is great when you share about Christ. So they had hundreds of eyes on them everyday. 

"He said to them, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10:14-16

We all want to thank those who came, gave up their time and stepped away from their practices in America to come serve and offer care for those who are in desperate need of medical attention. Many people were helped because of your efforts and now we can follow up with the households and make sure they are receiving what they need both physically and spiritually.

Such an intense way to weigh children. 

The great part of this mission team is that they enabled us, the Nehemiah Healthcare Team, to enter these communities with great respect and help for the people and show them how much we care. It's just one way God opens doors and allows our mission to be successful and fruitful. Thanks for all you did and helped us do!

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35-36

Crowds of people waiting to register.

Preparing the medicine for distribution.