Day 2 of Medical Mission
We began our day with another rousing ride in the van and the jeepney. Each vehicle was packed to the roof with supplies and people. Ryan and Kelly had their first adventure in a Jeepney- and their first ride was a scenic one through the city of Lucena, past rice fields and crammed village streets, around trikes and pedicars (bicycles with side cars), and all at break-neck speed.
The final setting for today's adventure was a little concrete church by the sea. The large open widows looked out onto a beach lined with fishing boats, and beyond that stretched the ocean. We were thankful for the breeze that made its way through the windows into the crowded clinic. We had several hundred people packed into a very small, hot, and humid space from our start time of 8 AM to when we finally treated the last patient at 4 PM.
Two of our biggest blessings today came in the for of Dr. Argel Ramirez and Melissa. Having two more medical professionals on site to see patients and help answer the many questions from the non- medical volunteers helped us get through every patient who came through the door. We even had unexpected help from Dave- an Australian making a quick overnight visit to Sankey. He jumped right in an ran the asthma breathing treatment station- and had a great time entertaining the kids with his iPhone apps.
There were many patients whose stories broke and touched our hearts today-
Note from Kelly:
God is so good! My time here has been amazing and I feel this is what I was made for! The medical missions has been such a blessing to be a part of. The stories we have heard are heart wrenching. A mother came in with her little girl and thought this little girl was suffering from seizures. Doctor Jeff felt otherwise. After he began asking questions, we found out this woman was not her mother. She was a friend of the mother's and took this little girl after the mother tried to abort her late term. The seizures was actually cerebral palsy due to the attempted abortion. We cleaned her wounds and hugged her lots! She had the most beautiful smile! God has a purpose and plan for this little girl!
Puss Buster story of the day:
Kelly has renamed Kurt “Sir Lancer-lot.” Today she got to see Kurt apply his skills lancing an abscess. While yielding his mighty lace, he was able to strike with pinpoint accuracy. A 50 year old Gentleman with back pain, ear pain, knee pain, cough, and a special surprise under his arm that he wanted us to take a look at. We had he lay down, take off his shirt, and to Kurt's joy and surprise there was a mountain of raw and angry flesh, like a dormant volcano. A fresh flow of pus was waiting for its opportunity to erupt. Kurt's, with bravery, skill and courage, he was able to make an incision 2 cm wide and 2 centimeters deep. He then had to insert a probe deep into the mountain to finish breaking up the hard and impacted pus. With all his might, he squeezed at the base of the mountain until the lava flowed and covered the surrounding area with a thick mixture of foul blood and puss. It was amazing to wound.
Kurt's quote for the day: “We serve an amazing God!”
