Friends at the RHU

Friday we resumed the YWAM Mountain Province Health Clinic at the Bontoc Regional Health Unit.  Even though it was only a few days since arrangements were made, many of our regular patients were eagerly waiting for us when we entered the room.

It was good to talk again with the patients who have become our friends.

Last Health Clinic for a While

March 30 was our last YWAM Mountain Province Health clinic before we return to the USA for a time. We look forward to resuming the clinic upon our return to the Philippines later this year. Many of the patients come regularly and have become our friends.

In fact, they honored us with gifts as we celebrated the good that has come from the ministry of the Health Clinic. We received a bag and backpacks made of the hand-woven fabrics this area is known for.  They also blessed us with a song and words of appreciation.

Receiving gifts from some of our patients

During this celebration we had a drawing for prizes. The grand prize drawing included an Ilocano Bible, a bottle of water, powdered milk, and all of the ingredients for a healthy meal of Taco Soup, complete with mangoes for dessert. This prize and the meal it represented were chosen to emphasize the healthy choices we have been teaching:  trust in God, low salt, low fat, low sugar, and more vegetables.  

Since we began offering free blood pressure and blood sugar testing, we have served 1,040 patients with a total attendance of 3,601.


Grace,
Tom

Health Clinic Helpers

Due to the requirement for business owners to undergo drug testing to renew their business permit, the Bontoc Regional Health Unit has been busier than usual. This means that we have been holding our weekly health clinic in the ambulance garage. Although it is noisier being closer to the street, our elderly patients don't need to climb stairs to reach us.

The Bontoc Regional Health Unit

Whether upstairs or down, we appreciate the opportunity we have to talk with our patients. Most of them are regulars who come nearly every week. In 2011, our total attendance was 1,333.

Patient patients awaiting their turn

On each of the first two Fridays of January, we hosted a family from the YWAM Baguio Family Discipleship Training School. They are currently on outreach in Sagada, about an hour from Bontoc. They assisted us with our health clinic and then spent the day with us. These are the same two families we spent Christmas at the beach with.

Lisa showing Miriam how to test glucose, while two of our regular patients, Esther and Dunstan, wait for the results

Thomas and Oliver checking Ines's blood pressure with Oliver's children, Jana and Silas, in the background

After health clinic was over, we had the privilege of being hosts and tour guides around Bontoc. The first stop was always the Bontoc Museum. The Swedish family has three daughters and a son with ages close to our girls.

Annalise, Joshua, Elsalie, Hanna, Alayna, Alexie, and Miriam

After the museum we would enjoy lunch together. One week, the staff of YWAM Mountain Province and some of our SSM students were able to gather for a meal at our ministry center. Whether at our base or at a restaurant, we enjoyed sharing a meal together.

YWAM Mountain Province with Johan and Eva's family

After lunch we would show them around our neighborhood in Bontoc. With the rice fields near harvest, it is a beautiful walk along the walls dividing them.

Our girls showing Jana and Silas through the neighborhood

While the kids played at the plaza, we went to the Bontoc Starbucks (not really Starbucks but I am told the native coffee they brew is delicious). In keeping with local tradition, our merienda (snack) included pancakes. We had such a nice time visiting with our guests that both weeks we needed to make a dash to the jeepney so they could return to Sagada.

Johan, Miriam, and Hanna ready for the trip to Sagada

Oliver and Katja - See Ya Later!

One of the fun things about being with YWAM is getting to know people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Who would have expected an American family to share pancakes in the mountains of the Philippines with a Swedish and a German family?

Ministering in Bontoc

Besides ministering in many of the area villages, here is a glimpse of some of the ways the visiting team ministered within the central barangays of Bontoc.

Making a presentation to the municipal government employees during the Monday morning flag ceremony

Moral Recovery Program with the Philippine National Police

 

Kids' Club in the plaza

Teaching students about discipleship 

Visiting children at the hospital

Praying for patients and assisting us at Health Clinic

Teaching Values Education at Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School

Ministering to local congregations

Sunday in Can-eo

Sunday morning at Can-eo Station Church began with Adriana, Alexie, Alayna, and Annalise leading children's church.  Again they used the translations of the Read Aloud Bible Stories.

Most of the time they used the recordings we have made of a native speaker reading the story.  Sometimes though, the girls read the translation themselves.

Alexie reading "Ti Bassi-Bassit Nga Tao" or "The Man Who Was Too Little".

After reading the story, the girls led the children in a song and taught them the motions that go along with the song.  At first there were only a few children who came.

As time passed, more came.  Some were too shy to enter and stood by the door.

As we have seen everywhere else, even adults enjoy hearing the stories.

Others that were too shy to come in stood at the windows.

After going through the stories once, the girls invited others to hold the book as the stories were played.  This helped other children to be less shy.

"Let me see!"

Wendy again signed a song for the congregation.  This time though, a couple of the ladies who worked so hard to learn the signs last night joined her in the presentation.

And again, our girls found babies to hold and to love on.

With Pastor Rudy's translation I presented an overview of the Bible then we listened to Matthew 27 & 28 using the Proclaimer.  The Proclaimers have been very helpful in both Can-eo and Chapyosen as people gather to study God's Word.

After service, we held our health clinic, testing blood pressure and blood sugar for all who were interested.

As we squeezed arms and poked fingers, Wendy gave lessons in sign language, and the girls twisted animal balloons for the children.

Concentration and expectation!

Grace,
Thomas

What's on the Menu?

At Friday's Health Clinic, Lisa was talking with one of our regular, diabetic patients about his elevated blood glucose level. He asked her, "Do you think it could be because of all the whiskey and dog meat I ate last night?"

Check-up Check-out

This morning we held our last health clinic before our return to the US. We were a little surprised because we normally have about 20 people per week and today we had 54! Ten of them were first-time patients.

Throughout the 20 months of this ministry:

• 608 different people have come
  
• 1516 times
  
• 364 have screened positive for hypertension
  
• 216 have screened positive for diabetes
  

We have enjoyed the opportunity to serve the people of the Bontoc area. In cooperation with the Bontoc Municipal Health Office and our supporters in the USA, we have attempted to encourage physical and spiritual health within our community. In exchange for this service, our patients have become our friends.

Even though we were very busy today, it was a lot of fun. For the first two Fridays of the month, patients who attended were entered in a prize drawing. This week we drew from all of those names to see who would win the prize.

Vincent (he was holding the balloon in an earlier post) helped us out by drawing the name. Many shouts of laughter and teasing erupted when he drew his grandmother's name! But since he can't read yet, no accusations of corruption were made.

Some of the items in the prize bag were an Ilocano Bible and all the ingredients needed to prepare a healthy meal.

Vincent helping Lola Augustina inspect the prize

Innocencio - patient, mailman, and friend

Lisa with our friend Jeannie. Jeannie came to our clinic more often than anyone else.

Some of the staff of the Bontoc Municipal Health Office - and us and Jeannie

Our patients really enjoy it when our daughters join us. Many will ask about them when we come alone. Today Adriana and Alayna helped us out. Alexie often comes, but this time Adriana came and Alexie stayed home with Annalise who finds 1-2 hours a little too long to find enjoyable.

After the prize drawing, the patients surprised us with a thank-you song. Somebody had handwritten many copies of the words and distributed them to the patients awaiting their turn. Together they all sang to express appreciation to us.

It was a fun morning.

Digital Kid Photos

Kids and digital cameras can be a frustrating combination! Kids move fast in action, expression, and emotion. Digital cameras take time to turn on and focus. Even more irritating is the delay between when you press the shutter button and the photo is captured. A child can be out of site in that amount of time.This little guy came to our health clinic last Friday. He was brimming with excitement about the balloon and had a beaming smile to prove it. While his Lola (grandmother) had her blood pressure and glucose levels measured, he smiled and played with the balloon animal I had made him. Lisa got the camera out to capture the joy in his face. However, between the time the photo was initiated and the electrons were captured in silicon, the smile had vanished.

Fortunately, we did get to enjoy many smiles before and after the picture was taken. Perhaps the most enjoyable was when Lisa showed him his picture on the back of the camera. A video camera would have been needed to share that experience.

By the way, the YWAM Health Clinic has been going really well. Our average attendance has been increasing. Since it began a year and a half ago, we have seen 590 different patients with a total attendance of almost 1400. That's a lot of squeezed arms and poked fingers!

Before going on furlough we will hold the clinic 3 more times. Please pray with us for our patients:

1. That they will understand God's love for them and His concern for every part of their lives.
2. That change is needed for the proper care and healing of their bodies and souls.
3. That they will forsake the pagan practices in light of the truth that sets them free.
   

Thump, Thump

On Friday the YWAM Baguio DTS team joined us again for the YWAM Health Clinic. We did not have as many patients as usual, perhaps because of the athletic tournaments at the schools and the parade. But it was still a good time talking with people as we took blood pressures and checked glucose levels.

Did I mention the parade? When taking blood pressures, you are listening for the pulse in the artery of the arm. You try to listen for the thump, thump of blood in an artery with a parade of several school bands going right outside. No contest - drums win!

But once the parade passed, we were able to begin again.

Below are some stats about our clinic since we started in October, 2008:

• Number of patients served: 496
• Total attendance: 996
• Number screened positive for hypertension: 296
• Number screened positive for diabetes: 152

We really enjoy being able to serve the people here. Many have become friends that we look forward to seeing each week. When walking about, it is common to stop and talk with one of our friends from the clinic.

Grace,
Tom

Going Can-eo"ing"

The Discipleship Training School team from Baguio came this week (see earlier entries 1, 2, and 3). This time the whole team is here and will be in the area for about 3 weeks as part of their final outreach. The girls have been so excited as we looked forward to their arrival. We made friends when the team was here before and during the times we have visited Baguio during the DTS.

So far the team has made a visit to the Bontoc Museum and has been spending time playing with the kids at the plaza. We just came from the YWAM Health Clinic.
After lunch, a jeepney is scheduled to take us to Can-eo. We will spend the weekend there and come back on Monday. We also plan to make the hike to Chapyosen while we are there.