Straight to the Heart

Well, hello again, yesterday was far tougher than anyone thought it would be when they got out of bed in the morning. Even me, having been through it before, forgot just how tough it was. So tough, that I sit here with tears in my eyes the following morning.

After breakfast and devotionals, we prayed together, and left for the first ministry of the day. NOPH (Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital) is where we spent our first leg of the ministry day. We broke up into three teams. I split up the three guys, and each took a team: one went to the childrens ward, one to the "annex", and I took a team to the adult wing (surgery and accident section specifically).

I will only share from my experience, as I saw it through my own eyes, with a little understanding from my team (Ginger, Ally, Cyndi). We walked through an area of a lot of people either getting ready for surgery, or recovering from surgery (no separation), and the other thing there was a variety of accident patients. One woman named Lydia asked for us to pray for her (Ally and I will never forget her...), she had breast cancer (an obvious growth on one side). When we were done praying Allison leaned over and hugged her, and Lydia kissed Allison on the cheek. That was about all it took, we were very emotional from there on. Next was Kenneth, a young boy who had suffered very severe burns. With no clothes on, skin pealing away on the front of his legs, and blisters on the back side, Kenneth was the prime example of the conditions of this government funded hospital. I make no apologies for the picture, but it is the only one I am sending. My heart can't take sending you any more.

We prayed with everyone, most got prayer a few times. No one refused us the privilege of praying for them. As they lined the hallway with beds, and the overcrowded rooms offered us smells that made us uncomfortable, we watched God work through us as we offered hope. We touched everyone, no matter what their medical problem. We smiled, and we prayed.

We all went back for a very tough lunch at the ministry center, but after a time of debriefing (and a good cry by all) we were better. So, we planned out our next ministry.

The next place we went was called Talay. It is a government funded mental facility. Nothing you have ever seen in the states compares to this. No real treatment is offered to these people except for phsychiatric medicines. Many of their families are ashamed of them, and will not come and pick them up. Their housing is predominantly outdoor cement cells, with metal bars that lock them in their cell. Those that are not a problem to themselves, or to others, are housed in a very crude dorm style housing with metal bed frames, with small wood slats as their mattress. Most have no blankets, no sheets, and very little care is offered to them (because there is no budget for them). The people who run the facility are trying very hard to raise funding from local organizations. The ministry we are here with offers support, and our team is going to give them a financial gift before we leave. All that is guaranteed to them is food, becuase that is what the government pays for.

We were asked not to take pictures at Talay, or at least not of the people (for privacy's sake). But while we were there, I asked if I could take two pictures (and told I could): one was Ginger and one older lady named Letty. Letty held Gingers hand from the moment we got there, until the moment we left. The other picture I took was of several of our team standing in front of the cells, playing guitar, singing worship songs, and making some patients very pleased. Since we were not going to take pictures, I did not bring a camera, but I found one there, and I will try to send those later.

Right now, all I can say is that if you are reading these, keep us in prayer. Our hearts are breaking for the beautiful people here in the Philippines. We are doing great as a team; we get along wonderfully. We are all healthy, and the ministry couldn't be going better. Our hearts hurt a bit, but that can be expected.

We miss you all, and hope that these updates are a blessing.

Please pray for those we saw in the hospital like Kenneth, Lydia, and many others. They may never get the care they need.

I love you all,

Jeff