Having concluded our clinical work at Marilao, this morning allowed the team and Bukang Liwayway (BL) workers to reflect upon God’s amazing work over the past 2 weeks. After breakfast, everyone had a chance to share and evaluate the work done, as well as plan for the future to help the poor.
Minor issues were addressed, but overall everyone was encouraged by the fact that more patients were seen more efficiently. The team was especially blessed with the help from Christine, a nurse from Chicago who joined the team. She was very efficient in assisting with patient triage (the process of sorting out patients’ health issues and assessing the urgency), and this allowed for easier and more efficient consults.
The addition of an enclosed roof, fencing and benches around the basketball court in Trece Martires helped with the working conditions. Perhaps the biggest improvement came with the installation of 2 air conditioning units in the main working area in Marilao. The funding of these units were raised from the donations from our dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as through the recent fund raising events at EFCA. A big thank you to God and to all who donated for improving the working conditions at Marilao! The team noticeably worked more efficiently, and were able to work continuously without fatigue from the heat.
In a previous blog, it was mentioned that a 4 year old boy with seizures had ongoing problems due to his parents being unable to afford his twice daily medications. By the grace of God, the team unanimously agreed to support the child through the Chronic Diseases Group program. Upon hearing the news, his mother almost broke down with joy, which is testament to the amazing power of love demonstrated by God. They will start attending weekly bible study starting on Friday.Prayer points and challenges facing the BL workers include the need for more nurses to follow up patients with chronic medical conditions, and the need for more youth workers. The BL team is also welcoming sponsorship for more nurses and workers to help within the poor communities. Now that the foundations have been laid, and the patients have been exposed to the gospel, the biggest challenge would be to follow up with the patients to consolidate the good news and allow more to come to Jesus!
After an extensive photo session and emotional farewells, the team headed back to Manila in the afternoon to rest before our trip back to Sydney on Friday. We sampled another amazing Halo-Halo in the evening!
We concluded the day studying the last chapter from the book of James, which taught us the importance and power of prayer. As we reflected upon the many miracles God performed throughout the last 2 weeks, not only has He answered our prayers, God has also provided support and things that we had not prayed for. Praise the Lord!“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”
James 5:16
Leo