Reflections on a broken world with a broken heart

This is Greg.  This will be my first post this trip.  This will be a good post.  I'm sorry this is the first.

I have had many thoughts and experiences thus far during our time in the Phils (as we lovingly call our asian home).  I have also had the privilege of having other individuals take pictures and share our weekly exploits.  For an idea of our weekly trips please see this blog of Zach and Kyle who are fellow med-students with me: http://www.indavaophilippines.blogspot.com/   This website will give you a great idea of where we go, and what we do.  The following with be a hodge-podge of my thoughts, joys, struggles, victorys and tears.

It has really been a great time thus far. 

It has also been challenging to the bone:  Physically, emotionally, socially, and relationally. 

Upon arrival we were greeted by fellow missionaries and dear friends of ours.  Manny who is a missionary here with his family drove us to our home in Agdao (a squatter slum) in his yellow VW bus.  The whole trip I thought, boy do I want one!  Upon arrival we immediately settled into our humble abode.  It was the cleanest, nicest, and most comfortable housing any of us have ever had while in the Philippines.  It has served as a nice home base thus far.  It has become smaller throughout the weeks as other team members and friends have joined us.  As of last week our seventh guest joined us and the house began to feel somewhat small.  The three bedrooms are full to capacity, and the house is teeming with life and energy.  Those of you who have struggled to hear during a skype or gmail phone call can attest to this fact.  Overall I believe we have begun to experience in a very small way the life of a typical filipino who lives with his family and extended family in one small house.

Throughout the weeks of outreach our housing has been typically Filipino housing including sleeping on cement floors, sleeping on bamboo floors, sleeping on hardwood floors, and sleeping in hammocks suspended outside under native shelters.  Our team has enjoyed the housing and also struggled with it.  Members have enjoyed and struggled with the mosquito nets that are vital to bugbite-free life.  I have personally enjoyed the bucket showers that are part and parcel with life here.  The refreshing blasts of cold water dumped over head that trickle to our toes helped cool sun warmed skin.  The team has seen the simplicity of bathroom facilities here.  The CR or comfort room is the Filipino bathroom.  It varies from being nearly western in it's design and cleanliness, to a simple hole in the ground surrounded by a 3/4 wall of bannanna leaves and palm leaves.  Personally I struggle very little with the simple housing, bathing, and bathroom facilities.  My struggle is the realization that what we visit for only a brief time (four days..) is the permanent house and public building for the Filipinos we serve. 

The stark contrast between the beauty of God's creation here, and man's exploitation is very difficult for me to digest.  Seeing the abject poverty contrasted with God's beautiful flora is akin to gazing upon a human body riddled with scars due to war, disease, or abuse.  All over the Philippines, and especially around Davao, it is hard to miss the small slum houses surrounded by Palm trees, papaya trees, or bannana trees.  The poverty is especially hard to handle when once realizes that the Philippines is the most corrupt Asian country.  Just 90 or so years ago it was leading the industrial revolution in Asia.  Since then it's reputation has plummetted, much like healthcare is withheld from the poorest of the poor here in an attempt to pocket a few more pesos. 

On suffering and redemption: Hasta La Vista Baby and the 28 year-old redemption.
Just two weeks ago I was rocked to the core over three seperate patients.  The first patient was a young 25 year old man who was struggling with Pott's disease.  Pott's disease is Tuberculosis (TB) of the spine.  This man had been diagnosed a few months before with TB, and started on anti-TB medication.   The medication would heal his infection, but would not cure his rotting cervical vertabrae.  He had lost all sensation and muscle control below his waste, and had very minimal upper extremity muscle control.  He was seated within a wheelchair, and his head was held upright with a hand tied cloth brace. 

His life was ravaged at 25 years old due to a preventable disease. 

His only hope for cure is God's healing. We (his family and I) ate Durian together and prayed together as one Body for his healing.

A man of few words, some of his only and last words to me were a familiar Terminator quote: "Hasta La Vista baby".  Yes Eduardo I hope to see you again.  And with new legs and vertabrae.  If not in this life, we will run together in heaven.

Right now "Our God is an awesome God" is playing on my computer.  It is good that God is reminding me of His goodness because that reminder is needed when facing man's sinful and despicable heart in the face of human suffering.

Another woman, 54 year olds and dressed in her best clothing it seemed (her native dress) presented to our small clinic with her daughter.   Her daughter who spoke english gave me her chief complaint: "backpain."  Not an uncommon complaint in the USA or the Philippines.  Her daughter added, "She also has had TB in the past".  Oh great I thought.  This is common only to the impoverished nations of the world.  One of the horrible manifestations of TB is backpain when the bacillus infests the vertabrae and turns the bone to liquid mush.  Very similar to termites destroying wood.  Her daughter concluded the chief complaint with a haunting statement. "She also had Pott's disease a year ago."  My heart sunk within my chest.  My first clinical thought was that she had Pott's disease again with reactivation of a latent and previously treated but not eliminated tuberculosis infection.  My spirit screamed within my body, "Arrghh!" a primitive scream of anger at sin, and the powers and principalities of darkness in this world that hold people in bondage and make them suffer.  This woman I found out had received year long government issued treatment.  She had not been tested to see if treatment was successful.  Even if she could be treated and the TB eliminated she would still have bone disease and a possible permanent handicap.  I asked the daughter about financial resources.  The family has none.  Mom can't work on the farm.  I asked about siblings.  Only the daughter, and she is the only worker on the farm.  I asked about father.  Her died not too long ago.  My heart sunk once again.  I asked, "what did he die of?".

TB.

Damn TB. 

In reality damn sin. 

Our human condition is plagued by sin, and the physical bodies of men and woman are dieing because of it.  While their bodies die of it, their spirits die as well. 

Eternal seperation from God. 

Torment.

We need to do something about this sick fact. 

I have seen too much human suffering this trip to want to only attack that aspect of our human condition.  Because of my relationship with Jesus and my desire to do His will I can't solely care for the sick and dieing.  I must do the will of my Father.  I must eat of His food (John 4).  I must preach the gospel and see the Kingdom of God increase in number.  I must see the gates of Hell tremble as God and His army advance. 

My Jesus is leading the pack. 

Will you join?

(back to story)

Talking with the daughter my heart ached for her.  She could be an orphan soon.  Giving up all of my knowledge of TB and of Filipino healthcare freely I felt unfufilled.  We prayed.  The translator, myself, the daughter all lay hands on "mom" and asked God to heal her body.

I am trusting my Dad that He will.

[The redemption and realization story to continue later]

The Mountains

There are few places on earth that I have yet witnessed that have taken my breath away.
Those that have managed to do just that are forever locked away, and I can smell the freshness of those places, taste the sweetness, and actually feel the overwhelming wonder of the experience when I look back. These mountains are one of those places for me - for Greg I know as well!

For the first half of last week we had the honour and SHEER JOY of being in the mountains. The 4 hour hike into the village was excruciatingly trying on our bodies... the JOY of the LORD was our strength!

We saw many patients, as well as the Lord's hand as we ministered in this remote village.

<:~beautiful~:>

Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL.

{beautiful on the}

ON THE mountains

MOUNTAINS  

{on the mountains}

ARE THE  feet,  

the FEET{of him who}  

OF HIM  

who brings

who BRINGS

brings GOOD NEWS.

GOOD NEWS.

Good. News.

Trisha

This is B-Jen and her new baby girl Trisha I had the JOY of catching on Wednesday! Today I saw them again for a baby check -up. They have brought me much joy.

B-Jen is from Samal, the island nearest to Davao. She has been having prenatal care at a Mercy Maternity outreach clinic that goes to Samal the first Saturday of every month! I had the opportunity to join Mercy on the very first of these outreach clinic's to Samal just before I left the Philippines in September of 2008! It is awesome to see the ministry growing - and B-Jen had medical care throughout pregnancy and birth because of this ministry.

There are no Doctors or hospitals on the part of Samal the B-Jen is from. She and her bana BEAMED with delight as they rejoiced in the first little addition to their family.

"Let the little children come unto me, and do not hinder them; for it is to those who are childlike 

that the Kingdom of the Heaven belongs to.."

Matthew 19:14

Phase one week one:

This is what my mind is catagorizing as Phase 1 of med school year four. It is the only way I can compartmentalize all the moves and relocations this year will bring. But it is so much more than just a phase...

Approximately one week and 14.5 hours ago we landed in Davao City, Philippines. It is hard to believe we have already been here a week! Although there have been times, in the past, that we hit the ground running even faster than we did this time, it is hard to believe all that has transpired in the last 8 days!

Davao feels like home, and it is fantastic to be here, yet totally different to now be here as a married unit! The jeepney routes are still the same, the roads are still in the same places (for the most part), and the language is still a point of break-down in communication. Vocabulary is quickly coming back to me, but it is SO very frustrating to have forgotten any in the first place!

Davao is still the city we know and love, but there are many things that feel differently about this visit. God has been imparting different things to us about this city than he ever has before, and this is both challenging and exhausting. Some of the things I used to just right off as "just how it is in the Philippines", or, "not something worth getting hot and bothered by", are more and more on my radar... OUR radar. We desire wisdom to know what to do with this new found knowledge/passion/fury/thing.

Human trafficking has been on Greg's radar for some time now, but it is only recently that I've stopped to consider the state of affairs in the world today in this arena. The statistic's are horrifying... and the reality is brutal. I have never cared more than I do since yesterday-

In talking to one of my lovely Filipina friends of nearly 4 years now, I was shocked and horrified to hear that her best friend, and a dear friend and previous patient of mine, has been MIA for the past two months in Dubai.  She went to work as a "domestic helper" as a means to dispel the brutal beast labeled "poverty".  In the four months since she left Davao she has only contacted her "husband" twice. Once soon after she got there, using the cell phone she had brought with her, and then again about a month later. The second time she had borrowed another DH's phone from next door to make a quick call to say that things were horrible, she wanted to come home, and her phone had been "confiscated" by her "boss". I don't know about you, but this has SKETCH written all over it to me!

Human trafficking comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I really don't know what is happening in this unknown household in Dubai... but honestly, I think I would be horrified to know. The completely tragic thing is that this happens ALL THE TIME, ALL OVER THE WORLD.

What are we to do with this knowledge? I really have no idea. People just don't talk about this stuff. But apparently it's a real issue... and Davao City is currently ranking #4 in sex tourism, and the Philippines in general being #3 in Human trafficking. These are just the facts. Without the feelings involved of knowing these woman's stories... or these children's for that matter.

Heavy thoughts for the first post of the "year". Usually my statistical thoughts go towards maternal/infant mortality rates, and percentages of births attended my skilled attendants. This is a new coin for me all together.

Speaking of birth... I have already has 4 shifts at Mercy, and this morning a tiny 5lbs 5oz baby dropped from the sky into my arms at 7:03am. This was a beautiful thing, and a wonderful joyous treat to be involved. They have their own struggle with poverty, but today they could see what grace and love mean in the physical, financial, and spiritual sense. Why do some things seem so easy...?