PHILEO - Do You Know What it Means?

PHILEO - a Greek term meaning brotherly love.

After the destruction of Supertyphoon Haiyan/Yolanda, the leaders of our ministry here in the Philippines decided it was time for us to create, train, and equip a response team. Along with a former US Marine who has now served with YWAM Philippines for a couple of decades, our family has worked hard to establish the PHILEO Response Team.

The PHILEO Response Team is a group of trained volunteers. Our heart is to be hands of mercy in times of need.

We have held two sessions of initial training so far. In May, we held the training here in Baguio City. Just a couple of weeks ago Alexie and I traveled to Talisay on the island of Cebu to facilitate the second session. During the course, participants are stretched physically, mentally, and spiritually as they learn the basics of first aid, water rescue, search and rescue, rope rescue, relief distribution, and living in disaster zones. At the end of the week, everyone is looking forward to sleeping in a bed, eating something that wasn't in a can, and taking a bath. But at the same time, they feel they have gained a lot of skills, made some new friends, and learned more about themselves.

Lauren, Tom, Mitch, Marvin, and Em - PHILEO's first batch
Baguio, May 2014

Front Row: Rey, Mark, Em, Charles
Back row: Ramon, Beinne, Doug, Marlon, John, Peter, Tom, Alexie, Mitch, Melanie
Talisay, July 2014

When we were in Talisay, we had our first official PHILEO response. As we were hiking, we came upon a motorcylist who had several cuts and abrasions after falling trying to avoid hitting some dogs in the road. We cleaned and bandaged his wounds and prayed for a quick recovery.

Tom cleaning and bandaging wounds during a training hike.

The Philippines regularly experiences earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, and storms.  Just this week Typhoon Glenda threatened the southern portion of Luzon, which includes the densely populated region of Metro Manila.

If you are interested in helping equip the team, please check out the equipment registry we have established at myregistry.com. Consider purchasing one, or several, items to equip us to be hands of mercy in times of need.

Dulag for the New Year

Just after Christmas I made another trip to the area affected by Supertyphoon Haiyan. This time I had the privilege of bringing my daughter, Alexie, with me. We went to Dulag which is about 45 minutes south of Tacloban. We assisted a group called "Mercy in Action", a group of midwives who had established a temporary clinic at an elementary school.

Since I have done a poor job of updating this blog, I am going to cheat, while at the same time giving you a better experience, by publishing Alexie's report of our experience.

By the way, "Ate" and "Kuya" are respect terms for "big sister" and "big brother" expected to be used when talking to or referring to someone older than you in the Philippines.

_______________

Dec. 26

The day after Christmas, Dad and I got up really early so that we could get the 6 a.m. Joy bus to Manila. This trip is about 7 hours.

When we got to the airport, the guy from The Philippine Bible Society met us with the 50 Wari Bibles Dad had ordered. We had a lot of luggage. We checked in. The line was quite long to go to Tacloban. This actually surprised me.

Bunches of baggage

We sent a text to Pastor Duane and Ate Christina. They are Ate Norlyn’s friends that work with Hands of Hope. We were meeting them at the airport and Ate Norlyn would come the next day. Buses took us to the plane. It was only an hour trip. 

We circled twice before actually landing at the Tacloban airport. The airport is right by the ocean. They brought the luggage in big carts and everyone grabbed their luggage.  

Kuya Tanno brought the “Mercy in Action” ambulance to take us to Dulag.We stopped at the MacArthur Monument. It was very cool. There were statues of soldiers wading in water. They were in good shape but the rest of park was not.

MacArthur Landing Memorial Park

All along the way, I looked outside. Everything was broken. There were big piles of debris. The sun, the sea, and the palm trees made everything look beautiful despite of everything.  But the smell was not often beautiful.

I think that the people are very strong. They are resilient.  And they have hope.

When we arrived, Ate Vicky (director of Mercy in Action) met us and showed us around. She asked what we saw ourselves doing. I was too shy to say. I was so glad that Dad did.  I wanted to help medically. Pastor Duane, Christina, and I were assigned to cook. Dad was going to help in the Medical Clinic.

We set our tents outside on the cement below the overhang. There were holes in the overhang.

We ate dinner with them and started to make up the packs for the new mothers of supplies we had brought with us. These packs included a Bible, a package of 12 diapers, a baby shirt, 2 diaper wraps, a water filter, and a mosquito net.

A sample of a gift pack for moms

Dec. 27 

The next day, Pastor Duane, Christina and I took a motorcycle to the market or palingky.  They wanted to get some balls and I wanted to get buckets for the water filters. We found buckets easily but not balls. Not many shops were open.

In the afternoon, one of the midwives, Ate Michelle, was going to get load for her phone invited anyone who wanted to go to go with her. Dad wanted to. About 5 minutes later, she came rushing back asking for Dad's EMT bag and then again for the ambu bag. I was frightened and went out to see what was going on. There was a big crowd of people around the lady who was down. When she became conscious, she resisted help. Finally they got her into the back of a big truck. Kuya Nick, who is an ER nurse, Dad, and Ate Norlyn went in. Ate Norlyn had just arrived when she jumped in to translate. I had struggled with starting to cry earlier but once we made it back in the clinic, I really did start crying because I was so overwhelmed and Dad was gone.

Later, I went with Pastor Duane and Ate Christina went to a Sari-Sari store and got tomatoes, eggs and onions for dinner. All the kids followed us.

The Baguio Cooking Brigade: Ate Christina, me, Pastor Duane, and Ate Norlyn

Dec. 28

I also got to experience a birth. Kuya Tanno said that there was a labor so Ate Jenny, the nurse that I was following, and other people rushed in there. I followed. I was unsure of what to do but Ate Vicky said that if I was going to be in there to get some gloves on and help so I did. She asked me to hold the mom’s hand. She did not scream. Her water broke and there was also some blood on the floor. It happened really fast. I was asked to take pulse every five minutes but I could not and it was too much pressure so someone else did. I put the baby hat on the baby girl. I spent the next few hours with her. Ate Christy was with me most of the time. We checked her pulse and did a fundal check every so often. We also did some paper work. The baby was nursing and the mom resting. Then 2 hours later, we clamped the cord on the baby’s side and I got to cut it. When the mom went to the CR (comfort room, or bathroom), I got to hold the baby. She had to change her clothes which were sweaty and bloody. Later the baby had her check-up. They gave her a shot of vitamin K and something else.

My first delivery

Dec. 29 

Ate Norlyn, Ate Christina, and Pastor Duane left.

Pastor Duane’s nickname for Dad:  MacGyver!

Sorry I can not divide it up by day much anymore.

Soon after, I was able to follow Ate Tara around. She was doing prenatals. She would feel the position of the baby and measure the fundal height (height of uterus). I took some blood pressure. Also they checked her hemoglobin. I got water if they needed to take some medicine.

I also had to cook so I left early to cook. It was hard to cook by myself.

I decided to start working in the medical clinic. Kuya Nick was amazing. He let me listen to lungs and then he told me the sound. He always would let me do stuff and include me. I learned a lot. I got to put on steri-strips.

One time we made crab grilled cheese sandwiches together from the crab a patient brought. They were amazing and fun to make. Kuya Nick said that how I could make money for college would be to sell these from a van in dreadlocks. 

The usual and the treat

Dec.30

A 14-month old came to us with burns all over her chest and side. They had been boiling vegetables and she had tipped them over on herself. She cried herself to sleep. They dropped I.V. liquid over the burns while Ate Jenny de-brided (cut off the dead skin). She woke up as they were dressing her burns with ointment and gauze. She was crying so hard that I started to cry. Her eyes pleaded me to help her but I could not. She even reminded me of Kiera, a little girl from Bontoc, so it was so much harder. We heard later that she is doing well.

Working at the medical clinic, I usually signed people in. I would get their name and age and see what was wrong with them. We had people come in for so many reasons. Most came for cough and cold. Puncture wounds were not uncommon. Several times we also had motorcycle accident victims come in. One guy had a snake bite. A little girl had drunk kerosene. We also had asthma patients come in which was usually small children. We did a lot of wound care too.

I also did a lot of wound care. It was nice to do daily dressing changes as we got to get to know people and their names. One was Kuya Michael. He had a wound on his head and his arm from a motorcycle accident. Then there were siblings, Ray Gerald and Alyssa Mae. They had been involved in the motorcycle accident that had happened the first day. Ray Gerald’s foot was raw on one side. Alyssa Mae had some cuts on her face and shoulder. There was some concern for her shoulder.

A look at the medical tent, Ray Gerald, and Kuya Michael

It was so cool because, while I was there, I was kind of in charge of giving out A-20. This was a food supplement from America. Whenever someone came for it, I would measure their MUAC (measurement of their upper arm), get the mother’s name, age, how many times she had received aid, the age and gender of her nursing baby, her barangay, and cellphone number.  Then I gave the aid. It was also for the pregnant ladies.

I took pride in handing out American aid.

We had to move because the wind was so strong that it would blow our tent which was scary. We moved into the medical tent. We would set up at night and take down in the morning. We moved once more inside the building because they needed room in the tent.

Our final address, 2nd tent on the left

One time a little baby came in who had reached for some rice. She had burned all her hand. She was such a cute baby. Usually as long as she was nursing, she did not cry when she came back every day for dressing changes. I got to hold her some.

One time, a little boy came with asthma.  The treatments did not work and we could not understand each other. It was so sad. I was glad that I could understand some of what he said like when he asked for water or to use the CR. The family did not have money. Kuya Matt gave them money so that they could take the ambulance. But they had to go the opposite way to get the ambulance. This was so hard for me.

Once school started, we took care of students whenever they got injured. One little boy was very scared. I was trying to stop his arm from bleeding and he would pull away. They had to hold him down for a tetanus shot and to clean it and put on steri-strips. It was very hard to see us have to force him to let us help him. His mom came while we were cleaning it.

I learned so much from my time especially with the three nurses in the medical tent: Kuya Nick, Kuya Matt, and Ate Jenny. They all taught me so much. 

I loved playing with the kids. They all knew my name. I gave high-fives as I went in and out. They also gave me some flowers. One day I did some gymnastics with them. It was fun. They were so sweet.

Chilling out at the school flagpole

Katrina was a sister of a new mother. She is eleven. She slept in the big tent and we did too for a while. She swept the tent especially after she saw dad sweeping. She was very interested in medical stuff. Dad showed her how to use a stethoscope. She helped me with A-20 some too. She is very sweet. She and I spent some time together. When Dad showed the Jesus film in Tagalog, she and I watched it together. We got to take pictures together.

Jesus film for the community

Trisha was one of the triplets. She  and Nicole were so sweet and we spent some time together. Trisha's brother hit his toe when he was playing soccer with Dad so we changed his dressing.

Christian was one of the boys. His parents are not together. He lives with his Grandma. He speaks English very well and is very bright. We also talked and spent some time together.

Front row:  Christian and the triplets.  Kuya Tanno is with me in the back

There were NAVIS doctors from Germany that came in the afternoon. They were a great resource to us and gave us a break.

Back from Haiyan

My friend and YWAM coworker, VJ, and I spent the last two weeks in the region of the Philippines where Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda left a path of devastation.

YWAM Cebu staff has been tirelessly serving the incoming/outgoing teams with good food and clean beds.  While there I met a Discipleship Training School outreach team from Mexico who arrived to do ministry in the area of YWAM Cebu.  When the earthquake happened, they adapted their ministry to assist with recovery.  Then they had to evacuate due to the typhoon.  They finished their outreach assisting with relief efforts for the typhoon.  What a great group of students - what an incredible outreach experience!  I also had the privilege of meeting others who were on their way to apply their skills and resources to assist with relief and recovery efforts.

While staying at YWAM Cebu, I instructed several teams so they could make rocket stoves where it may be helpful.  We also made a day trip to Bogo at the northern end of the island of Cebu to assist with food distribution.

Preparing relief packs for distribution in Bogo.

Bound for Bogo...

Church in Bogo

VJ praying with a victim of Yolanda in Bogo.

Isn't she adorable?

We also met with two other coworkers from YWAM Baguio to spend a weekend ministering on Bantayan Island.  There was so much destruction there and we heard that many of the smaller islands surrounding Bantayan Island were much worse.  We surveyed the area and distributed tarps to about 45 families; it was more than two weeks after the storm and people still did not have roofs to protect their families from the rain.  We had the honor of helping install tarps on a few of the houses.  At one point I was waiting for my coworkers to come with supplies and had a great time playing games and singing songs with the children who had gathered to watch the "Americano" stand in the downpour digging post-holes with a tool resembling a flattened pipe.

Recovering a boat sunk during the storm.

Bound for Bantayan Island

In the video above, the children are singing a song about their "sparkly" house above the clouds. 

Preparing one of the 45 or so tarps we distributed.

Morten, me, and VJ with Moises and part of his family whom we helped by installing a trap on his roof.  Their house was shifted about 6 feet backwards due to the storm.

YWAM Baguio Training Center team enjoying dinner.  There was no electricity, but the flash lit up the room.

Then we spent nearly a week in Tacloban, one of the areas most affected by the storm.  Here the damage was unbelievable.  On Bantayan Island, houses were damaged, moved, and sometimes utterly destroyed.  But in Tacloban not only was the damage to structures so much worse, but the storm surge also washed away their belongings.  When we arrived, no businesses were open.  No food or other goods were available for residents or workers unless it was brought in from outside of Tacloban.

Just a few scenes around Tacloban

 We did our best to minister to people, but a week will not accomplish much in a place where recovery will last for many years to come.  The first morning we went out at low tide and our group recovered or buried 13 bodies.  One day we cleaned the building we were allowed to base our operations out of; the men cleaning the muck and destroyed appliances out of the lower level restaurant.  On other days we cleared the rubble and muck from the house, yard, and street at the home of a resident; assisted a neighboring fisherman build a shack over the water near his boat; distributed water filters to neighborhood leaders; charged phones with our generator and showed Gospel films at evacuation centers; and distributed tool kits so people could begin building shelters for their families.

Charging phones, lights, etc. for residents at an evacuation center.

Setting up water filters in different neighborhoods

VJ writing messages of hope

Mahal ka ni Hesus - Jesus loves you!

Sorting clothes for distribution

It was an honor to be able to work alongside such a great group of compassionate servants.  We had no electricity.  Our drinking water was from a water filter.  Baths were with cold water and a flashlight.  Sleeping was done on the floor with whatever mat you may have brought.  Foul smells were everywhere.  The work was often filthy and disgusting.  Yet there was excitement and joy as we helped the people of Tacloban in any way we could.

Part of the team of YWAMers after cleaning a local believer's home, yard, and street of muck and debris.

In the end, I believe that we were able to reach out to sojourners as they explore faith as well as encourage disciples as they follow Christ.  May God be glorified!

Heading to Help after the Havoc of Haiyan/Yolanda

Image of the path of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda which hit the Philippines November 8, 2013.

Arrangements have just been completed for me to travel to the area devastated by the recent earthquake and typhoon. I will begin traveling Monday morning (Sunday evening for most reading this email). My friend and coworker, VJ, will travel with me to Manila by bus then fly to Cebu City to join with YWAM Cebu, which is coordinating relief efforts for all of YWAM.  Besides being a faithful follower of Christ, VJ is Filipino and speaks the language used in that part of the country.  (He is also a fantastic cook; I look forward to seeing what he can do with tuna and ramen noodles!)

Once we are there, we will be assigned to a task and location. Currently it looks like we will be sailing over to Tacloban and joining other YWAMers already working in that place. The building has no electricity or water, but does have cell phone coverage.

We are packing a selection of hand tools, my emergency medical kit, some donated medicines, safety gear, a sleeping mat, and a mosquito net. Before leaving YWAM Cebu, we will need to purchase our food since there is no functioning market and all of the crops have been destroyed so no food is available. Not long ago, this area was known for the tourists who flocked to its beautiful beaches to unwind. It is amazing how quickly things can change.

Please keep us in your prayers. Although the stories and images are beginning to fade from the headlines, the situation there remains dire. Pray for our safety throughout the journey and while doing our work there. Pray that we will be an encouragement to those who have been at work there already, many of whom were responding to the earthquake in early October when the typhoon struck. Pray that we can bring comfort and hope to those who have lost everything and live among those who have lost everything in a place that has lost everything. The Filipino people are strong and resilient, but this is a heavy blow for any people.

YWAM Philippines is committed to walking through the recovery over the long term. Prior to the disasters we already had a network of ministries partnering with local churches in the areas of training, mercy ministry (like what is going on now), and evangelism.  YWAM has been in the Philippines for decades and we will continue to serve as God provides opportunities.

Tom

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

Solar Light in Kakabay

Every time we have gone to Valley Cathedral, I have had the privilege of accompanying Greg on a trip to Kakabay. Greg is on staff at Valley Cathedral and has done a lot of ministry in Kakabay. In the course of our visits we have performed puppet shows, taught at the school, baptised a new believer, spoke at a funeral, played basketball, as well as spent time chatting.

This time I was excited to bring simple solar technology to help light a home. Recently I came across an article about solar lighting using inexpensive materials and common tools. (You can check it out by clicking the link at the end of the post.) Although it is not helpful after dark, a solar bottle-light can provide free lighting in dark rooms and houses during the day. Greg and I talked with the pastor in Kakabay, Pastor Robert, about whether this would be helpful there, especially since Kakabay has no electricity. 

Pastor Robert suggested that we install a light in the home of Teresita, or Tess. She is a widow with about 10 children. Her husband is the one I baptized and at whose funeral I spoke. I was glad that he chose her home. Because installation is easily reproducible, he assured me that we did not need to worry about causing jealousy within the community.

Tess

The church on the left; Tess's house on the right

As we drove to Kakabay I was excited to see that the garbage dump has now been moved. In the past, you had to drive or hike through the garbage to get to the village. You still pass the dump on your way to Kakabay, but it is now off the road and in a fenced area. This is very good news, especially for the students who traverse this path every day.

Soon after we arrived, we got to work preparing the bottle for installation. We learned along the way that it is important to make sure you don't leave sharp points on the metal since they can easily poke a hole in the bottle, not good. As I showed Pastor Robert how to install the bottle-light, Greg worked with the many eager children to take pictures and video.

The tools and materials, chisel and bleach not shown

The process is simple. Prepare a piece of roofing metal with a hole that fits snugly around the midsection of a clear soda bottle filled with water and a little bleach. Apply sealant to ensure this will not leak. Cut a hole in the roof for the lower portion of the bottle to slide through. Secure and seal the flashing. Enjoy free lighting as light is gathered in the upper portion of the bottle above the roof surface and dispersed in the room below. If you watch the video in the post and the news video linked at the bottom of the post, you can see how it all works.

Preparing the bottle-light before making a hole in the roof

It was hot up there! I cannot imagine wearing a jacket.

Tess watching the progress from below

Curious relatives peering through the doorway

It works!

 You can watch our progress in the video below...

After the installation was complete, we went for a walk through the village. A few things have changed since I last visited: the basketball hoop is in a new place, a friend's home is now completed, etc. But most remains the same.

Greg or one of his helpers caught this photo which I could not help but include.

Kakabay's only running water, besides the often stagnant stream

Click here to see the report I mentioned about solar bottle-lights.

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