The Humanitarian: Reflection on Philippines Part 3

Prior to the trip, I had a very stressful season and was sick. Although, I recovered by my date of departure, I have yet to gain 100% of my strength. I begged God that accommodations wouldn't be too uncomfortable. To my surprise, we were housed in a beach resort where there was enough water supply to bathe (bucket & pail) and importantly A/C at night (it was a tropical temperature). Seven of us women fitted in one room. Three slept in mattresses in the floor (I got my own bed), while the rest shared three beds put together. They all slept like sticks, giving each other space. Since water was limited and roll call was 6am, like clockwork of 10-15mins., we took turns using the bathroom. At 4:10am, there I was standing in the shower pacing the water supply. It rained one day and I felt a drip in my head. I didn't use the shower... extra water supply from the ceiling. Eww.

After feasting on a breakfast spread at the mayor's house, our team went to another town and served a little more than 300 people.

My team was a bit spent, but we visited another town in the afternoon. Our caravan pulled in front of a school courtyard. It was an eerie scene with ominous clouds looming over a campus ravaged by the storm. 

The crowds were already lined up and appeared more than what we have seen in the other towns. The people were a little more rowdy. We set up our stations along the side of the school's building, with military standing by and a trailer parked nearby to distribute food and supplies. 

We saw so many different people, including an adult who has a condition similar to dwarfism (an adult in the size of a toddler) and heard different stories. 

One man's blood pressure reading was off the roof. I chatted with him a little bit to make him relax before taking a second reading.

"How is it so far?"  I asked in Tagalog. 

"It's not so bad. Things are ok. There were houses that we lost; some are still standing and are ok. People are gathered at a common area where there is fire going for light and safety. We have a curfew of 6pm here to stay clear from local military rebels." He responded. 

I totally forgot about military rebels. Arrgh. In the provinces of the Philippines local military rebels exist. They are at war with the national government, often seeking money by taking hostages and holding them for ransom. Humanitarians are not exempt with such danger despite their "good deeds" in the communities. It's even more heightened especially if you are with a group of foreigners (means more money). The big problem is one cannot identify them easily. They could be your neighbor, your friend, your relative or family member. They hide and train in the mountain regions or deep forests or tall grassy regions. Momentary fear creeped in. 

"There are rebels in this town?" I asked. He sensed my fear.

"NOT here. In other places... not near here." He replied. I think he just said that to pacify me. In our road trip back to the resort, our van seemed to go 100 miles/hour along zig zag roads. I couldn't help think that we were traveling that fast because either we hit our destination as early as possible; we were past curfew; or avoid any local rebels from stopping us. 

We continued to see patients even when at one point hail began to pour. The crowds pushed me against the wall. At least those who had umbrellas sheltered me from the pellets. I sensed the mental trauma from their reactions to the presence of rain. I survived, but I started to cough heavily and had a slight shortness of breath. My leader heard and noticed from afar (I guess that was how loud and hard I coughed) to check on me. An hour later, I could no longer serve people - I had reached my threshold of physical fatigue. So I sat inside a classroom and just watched. Our team continued to serve until it was pitched black. Our physicians and pharmacy team were seeing the last few. Everyone, including the mayor, hovered over with hand held flashlights. On our last day we serve over 400 people. In two (2) days, our team served over 1,000 adults, children, and families.

Now after all that, you think our work was done. NOPE. We headed back to Manila and I reached my pillow by 2:30am. I was designated to teach bible study at a 6:30am meeting (4 hours of sleep) - another God-size feat. Later that afternoon, our local team took us in the slums of inner city Manila where they hold food feeding programs to more than 200 children. 

The topic I shared at the meeting was based on the study "Experiencing God" (a lesson I was teaching in New York City) – “what you do reveals what you believe. Based on the biblical book of Joshua 6:1-20, I talked about that when God invites you to join him in His work, it is a God-size work that requires us to step out in faith." Indeed, what I have experienced required a step of faith and a willingness to just do it. The result...an amazing journey that I felt honored to experience and be part of.

Professional photos are credited to the team's photographer.