Stories and pictures from 2009 (Philippines with Mission Medics, Peru with Medical Ministry International, India with Calvary Missions).  | India - ECTA (Empowering Communities to Transcend Adversity) | Monday, November 29, 2009
Ryan and Amanda have partnered with several others to form ECTA - the framework for the healthcare work they are doing in mountain villages surrounding Koffer. Their plans include establishing a central dispensary (already set-up, running, and self-sufficient), training healthworkers in strategic villages throughout the region, improving maternity/childbirth care, and creating an emergency transport service. The ECTA website is ECTA International. |
| Northeast India - the mountains of West Bengal | Monday, November 30, 2009
Handwashing cloth diapers, walking steep mountain trails or traveling for hours on bumpy mountain roads crammed into overcrowded jeeps, boiling all drinking water, and handwashing dishes in ice cold water...
Life in the mountains of Northeast India is not easy for my friends Ryan and Amanda. But they can't imagine doing anything else. They've lived in Nepali-speaking Indian villages most of their married lives (>6 years). They speak Nepali fluently and plan to stay "until the work is done." With such overwhelming need, that won't be any time soon (although they intentionally and continually train villagers to take over their roles... they are currently training healthworkers to provide basic healthcare throughout a large region).
The weather is cold and the wind is harsh. But snow never falls, so everyone goes barefoot or wears flipflops. Most men spend the first hours of every day gathering grass and leaves to feed their cows (the steep mountain terrain is too dangerous for free grazing). Roads exist but they are rough, narrow, and usually less efficient than more direct walking paths. Most trade between villages occurs on foot. For example, we bought oranges from a man who hiked 13km over a couple of mountain ridges to bring them to us. He carries them in a basket strapped to his head.
Food consists primarily of rice, a thin soup broth, and some form of (spicy!) cooked vegetable. Occasional protein is available in the form of beans or chicken, but most people only get protein from the milk in their numerous cups of tea.
Diseases of poverty are rampant: diarrhea, malnutrition, worms, scabies, lice... But small interventions by carefully trained healthworkers are already making a big difference. I'm hoping to return next spring when Ryan conducts a formal healthworker training session.
pictures coming soon |
|  India - on my own for a daySaturday, November 20, 2009
My Calvary Chapel teammates left for home last night and it was hard to see them go.
This second week of clinics passed in a bit of a blur. We did check-ups on all the orphans and at the Calvary Trust children's homes in Bangalore, plus hundreds of other people who live in the surrounding area. Stomach disease got the better of me during one of our busiest clinic days and I spent most of the day lying on a mat in the corner of the pharmacy. But I recovered quickly and have been fine since then.
My flight to northern India leaves early tomorrow morning. Today I'm enjoying a quiet day in a hotel near the Bangalore airport. I walked into a restaurant by myself today to order lunch - and found myself in a bit of culture shock. The room was full of Indian business men nosily eating with their right hands (silverware is rarely used in India, and the left hand is reserved for other activities). I'm sure many of these men were very nice, but to my American eyes everyone seemed a bit boarish slurping and belching and scarfing down food. It was also a bit unnerving to be the only female in the room. I was relieved when two ladies arrived a few minutes later. I'll be glad to meet up with my friends in Bagdogra tomorrow. |
| India Medical Clinics - Nazareth |  November 17, 2009
Whew! One week in India is already gone. We spent the first week in a rural area called Nazareth (down in the southern tip of India). Our Indian partners are very organized. They handed out coupons and bused in sick patients from more than 40 surrounding villages. With more than 10 physicians (Indian and American) we saw ~600 patients each day. To say pharmacy was busy would be an understatement... but with lots of American and Indian volunteers we settled into an assembly line and managed to (almost) keep up. I've never run an overseas pharmacy for that many patients before. I watched in amazement as God worked out the details.
HIV/AIDS
Our Indian hosts held an HIV/AIDS training seminar Friday and Saturday. Over 1000 people came - people infected with HIV and people who care for those infected with HIV. The training (EFICOR) covered the medical, spiritual, legal, and emotional aspects of caring for someone with HIV. I like the program a lot and kept the English materials for possible use in the future. Predicted monsoon rains didn't hit until Saturday afternoon after most people left. This was a huge blessing since most people had to sleep outside Friday night. |
| - Church under neem trees |  Sunday, November 16, 2009
This morning we worshiped outside with Home of Hope and Eden orphans and staff. We sat on mats under beautiful neem trees with more than 100 children and childcare workers, singing praises to God and hearing testimonies of God working in individual lives. At one point I looked up through the branches. I could see blue sky and sunlight streaming down with background sounds of hundreds of little voices loudly singing praises to their Creator. I could feel God smiling. The Bible is very clear about certain things that please God. One of them is this: "to care for orphans and widows in their distress." Calvary Missions India is doing an excellent job of this in India. If you have the resources to sponsor a child I highly recommend doing it through them. |
| First Adventures in India |  Wednesday November 11, 2009
Our flights to India were smooth and uneventful. We spent the first 36 hours adjusting to the time zone and buying a few essentials (chudidars for the women to wear, crutches and braces for physical therapy patients, etc, etc). Mostly smooth sailing so far... with a few noteworthy exceptions:
God holds an airplane
We flew from Bangalore to Madurai Monday night. But our bus was more than an hour late picking us up from the guesthouse. We arrived at the airport at 7:15 for a 7:10 flight! I'm not sure why KingFisher Airlines decided to hold the flight - but we were praying hard and we did make up more than 1/3 of the passengers on the flight. As we got off our bus, baggage handlers in red KingFisher Airlines uniforms literally unloaded our bags from the bus and whisked them away to be checked. Security is a bit redundant in Indian airports, so at many separate check points the poor airline employees had to stumble through each of our American names. But we made it through all levels of security in record time. We even got to keep some peanut butter my friend Bobbi forgot was in her purse. The plane landed a little before 9pm and we made it to Home of Hope in Nazareth about 2am (after a bumpy 4 hour bus ride).
Catching a rat
There aren't enough beds for all of us at Home of Hope, so many of us are sleeping on the cement floor (I love my portable Thermarest!). Last night a large RAT ran across the top of Jenni's mosquito net. Dr. Jenni can scream quite loudly when provoked! I usually roll over and go back to sleep in the midst of such things (the blessings of earplugs and my firm conviction that rodents are more afraid of me than I am of them), but I woke up just enough to need to use the restroom. Unfortunately our friendly rat trapped himself in our restroom. I wish I had video footage of Monisha and I stalking in with a bucket and broom to take back our restroom! I'm still not quite sure how, but we scared him (or her?) our of hiding and managed to trap him/her/it under a bucket... then looked at each other as if to say "Now what?" I'm giggling just thinking about it.
Meeting sponsored children
Several of my teammates sponsor orphan boys here at Home of Hope. It has been fun to watch the boys get to know their sponsors. This is a beautiful, rural spot and we're really enjoying being here (rats notwithstanding). |
|  Off to IndiaNovember 5, 2009
My bags are packed and I'm off to India - early tomorrow morning!
Calvary Chapel medical outreach in southern India
I'll spend the first two weeks in southern India with a medical tream from Boise. We are working with many Indian physicians and helpers and expect very busy clinic days. Please pray that I can keep up in the pharmacy, explain medications safely, and show love to each person I serve. We'll be working with Calvary Chapel partners in the general areas of Bangalore and Madurai (see India map). To read more about Calvary Chapel's ministry in India click here.
Visit with Ryan and Amanda Phillips (ECTA) in northeastern India
The end of my trip will be spent with friends who are full time missionaries in northern India. Ryan and Amanda Phillips are training and equipping health workers in small communities outside Kaffer in West Bengal. I love the structure of their ministry and am really looking forward to spending time with them. Their ministry website is ECTA International. |
| Mission Medics 2009-2010 |  November 5, 2009
One of my favorite roles in life is co-leading Mission Medics, a medical evangelism training program through the Boise Vineyard. But with all my recent travels I haven't mentioned it in a while.
This year's mission medic students are almost finished with their emergency certifications. God once again pulled together a great group and I'm enjoying getting to know each student. My co-leader, Karen King, has been the primary teacher this fall. I'll take the reigns in January when we start the developing world medicine course.
We are currently praying and seeking direction for mission medic outreaches next summer. This group is large, so we plan to divide the students into two separate outreaches.
I've posted a few pictures here. For more information about the program please check out the Vineyard College of Mission website.
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|  I'm famous!Not really. But my face keeps showing up in various publications. I'm honored to be featured in a University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy publication this month, and will be featured again in the annual alumni publication next year. You can read the article here.
I'm also part of an H1N1 informational video currently posted on the Boise Vineyard website. |
| Sharing my "little lunch" in India | October 9, 2009
As I prepare to go to India I'm struggling with familiar feelings of inadequacy. The needs of the world are HUGE - who am I to think I can make a difference?
Today I read two different accounts of Jesus feeding crowds of people. In both cases huge crowds followed Jesus around for days. He saw that they were hungry and asked his disciples to feed them. But these were huge crowds! At least 4000... maybe more like 15,000 if women and children were included. They were in the middle of the nowhere (no Costco or Wholesale Foods in sight) and Jesus and his disciples had no money. How did his disciples respond? "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?" (Mark 8:4) "Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!" (John 6:7)
I can sympathize with the disciples. God frequently knocks on the door of my heart and says:
"These people are sick."
"These people are hungry."
"Care for them."
My response? "But God, they live in such far off places! And there are so many of them! Where am I supposed to find enough medicine and food to care for them?
You probably know the end of these stories. A young boy offered his lunch - five barley loaves and a couple of fish. Another time the disciples come up with seven loaves of bread. In each case Jesus prayed over the pitiful amount of food, the disciples handed it out, everyone ate until they were full, and the disciples collected huge baskets full of leftovers! Yet the next time the disciples got hungry (they forgot to bring bread on a long boat ride), they got worried and start arguing with each other. Jesus rebuked them. "Don't you remember anything at all? ...How many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up? ...Don't you understand yet?" (from Mark 8:18-21)
Instead of a small lunch, my "offering" is usually two suitcases of medications, a short-term tourist visa, and limited medical skills. Such a small offering when faced with the extreme needs of the world! But over and over again I've watched Jesus multiply what I bring and work miracles in peoples' lives. "Don't you remember anything at all?" Jesus asks me. "Don't you understand yet?"
Yes, I remember now. This has nothing to do with my abilities or the provisions I bring. This is about what God will do through me because I am willing.
Please pray for this team. Please pray that God multiplies what we have to offer so we can serve people in miraculous ways!
(We leave November 6th...)
P.S.
Is there something God is calling you to do? Are you feeling inadequate? I have a challenge for you. Offer Him your "little lunch" and see what He does with it! |  |
|  Peru - Hygiene and JesusSeptember 14, 2009
I spent my last two weeks in Peru with wonderful new friends who are Free Methodist Church missionaries. Garry runs a seminary training program for church leaders all over Peru and Pat is starting community health evangelism programs in the same churches. I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with them to visit churches in Lima and in the mountains near Tacna.
Pat let me help teach (quite generous since she's an RN with years of public health experience and fluent Spanish skills). I have a favorite diarrhea teaching (I know, I know, who gets excited about teaching diarrhea? Me!) This teaching uses pictures so participants actually teach each other. Causes of diarrhea are "blocked" with pictures of healthy habits like covering food, washing hands and using latrines. At the end, we talk about the "dirty" sin in our lives and how Christ's death and resurrection "blocks" this and restores our relationship with God. This picture shows a group of kids learning how little water it takes to wash a lot of hands! |
| Peru - One simple errand in Lima | September 15, 2009
I'm a pharmacist, so friends sometimes jokingly call me their friend the "drug dealer." An international drug dealer at that. (All legal, of course). So I suppose it is appropriate that I was with Pat and Garry for today's mini-adventure.
Pat is planning to host medical teams in the future and needs a place to buy medications inexpensively . A Peruvian friend gave us information about a discount medication distributor in Lima. Tuesday's objective was to locate this distributor and check medication prices. Simple, right?
A few problems:
- Lima is huge
- The particular area we were directed to is notorious for pick-pocketers and theft
- Street signs are few and far between
- When asked for directions, Latin Americans almost always give friendly and confident directions... whether they actually know where you need to go or not
- Distances are not well defined - "4 blocks" can quickly turn into a 30 minute walk
- Pedestrians have no rights - and gringos seem to be particularly favorable targets for buses and taxis
- Did I mention Lima is huge?
Thankfully, Garry has become quite adept at looking up addresses and navigating Lima. He eventually led us to the correct building. Imagine a run-down, multi-story storage building. Can you see the rebar sticking out of the walls? Can you hear the buses and taxis honking as they crawl by in gridlock traffic? Now add the combined scent of diesel fumes, fried chicken, and urine. Got it? Ok. Now come upstairs with us.
We walked up a metal staircase looking for "suite" 204. We found a cement hallway of vertical rolling metal doors, very much like a storage facility. Some had numbers above them, some did not. None said 204. A few of the doors were open, and in the tiny space behind each one was a small business in full operation. After further questioning we located suite 204 - an unmarked door at the end of the hall. "They're there, just knock" we were told.
We stood in that dark hallway...
Looked at each other...
Knocked on the metal door...
It went up...
And lo and behold we found a medication warehouse! A friendly man laughed through our bumbling medical Spanish and agreed to create a price list for us. We returned an hour later for the list. The prices are excellent and Pat now has a way to purchase medications in Peru!
Next project: locate a baby scale... |
|  Peru - Medical ClinicsSeptember 5, 2009
I just finished volunteering for two weeks with a Medical Ministry International (MMI) team traveling all over the Cuzco area. We held medical clinics in 6 rural villages, downtown Cuzco, and a rural orphanage. Our doctors, nurse practitioners, dentists, and eye doctor saw hundreds of patients and we dispensed ~2300 prescriptions from the pharmacy. |
| Peru - "Integrated Health" |  Aug/Sep 2009
My favorite part of Medical Ministry International (MMI) missions is the "Integrated Health" section of each clinic. After patients finish seeing a doctor, dentist or eye doctor, they go to an area called "Integrated Health" to wait for their prescriptions. The Integrated Health team offers a combination of Biblical teaching, health education, and preventative care (like fluoride treatment and de-worming treatments for children). In addition, patients receive appropriate individual health teachings and spiritual counseling. I am amazed at all God does through this ministry. Our two pastors did the majority of this work. They are pictured here with one of our patients. |
| Blessed by God in Peru |  September 2009
This medical outreach has been joy-filled and rejuvenating for several reasons.
1. Friends
I traveled with pharmacist friends - one from Boise (Jessie) and a college friend from Cheyenne (James). I enjoyed having other pharmacists to share the workload. But even more, I enjoyed deepening these friendships and sharing my love of medical missions!
2. Prayer and reflection time
I enjoyed long quiet times early each morning. Medical outreaches are always busy and this was no exception. But I was NOT in charge! I thoroughly enjoyed having enough free time to pray, journal, and dig into God's Word.
3. Splendor
Do you know the song "How Great is Our God"?
The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice
He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice, trembles at His voice.
How great is our God! (sing with me)
How great is our God !(all will sing)
How great, how great, is our God!"
Cuzco sits in the mountains and most of the villages we served sit at an elevation above 10,000 feet. I woke up each morning to sunrises, mountain peaks, singing birds and even one bubbling river. I found myself just bubbling with excitement in worship of our great God.
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| Exploring Peru |  | September 2009
On our weekend off we explored the Inca ruins surrounding Cuzco. The most famous is Machu Picchu. These are spectacular ruins surrounded by spectacular scenery! |
| Philippines - Basao Mountain Village |  Wednesday May 27, 2009
Challenges:
Very steep climb
Very hot days
Very big village
Very drunk village leaders
Very sick people
Blessings:
No tribal wars - peace was declared before we arrived
Everyone made the climb safely
Our own CR (bathroom) with running water
We were able to visit all 220-some houses
We treated wounds and infections, identified and tested tuberculosis patients, handed out glasses, toothbrushes, and dish rags, performed health teaching skits, and prayed and prayed and prayed!
We found several seriously ill patients. We're currently raising funds so they can receive continuing care. I'm excited to get back to the states to tell you about it!
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|  Philippines - Basao Resettlement VillageSunday May 17, 2009
We spent the last two days visiting EVERY home in a resettlement village near here. The medics weighed children, took blood pressures, treated infections and cleaned wounds. Serious or complicated illnesses were referred to Dr. Sheri. We also spent time praying with each family in their home. The medics used a piece of chalk to draw a heart beside the door of each hut they visited. It was fun to walk around the village last night and see hearts everywhere. What a great way to visualize the love we were trying to spread in this village!
Today is Sunday. We've finished doing check-ups and will use today for health teachings and evangelism.
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|  Philippines - Pakak HomestaysThursday May 14, 2009
We just returned from Pakak, a resettlement village near Tabuk. Families in Pakak are very gracious about taking in missions students from the U.S. and teaching them about day to day life in Kalinga.
It felt like going home for me. When I was in Pakak three years ago I stayed with Cindy and her parents because her husband was working in a different town. This time I got to meet her husband and new baby girl. We had a great time together.
The group tried out our new method of going "hut to hut" in small medic teams (as opposed to having everyone line up for check-ups). There are still details to work out, but I'm excited about this set-up. We had a wonderful time laughing, teaching, and assessing families in their homes. Definitely less efficient, but I think the opportunities to show love and teach about Christ make up for that.
Last night Josh and Janet's host family threw a huge traditional Kalinga celebration in honor of their marriage (Josh stayed with this family three years ago and they're very excited to get to meet Janet). We danced and sang and feasted late into the night. What fun! |
|  Philippines - Visiting FriendsMy first week in the Philippines was designed to give me time to spend with friends and prepare final details for the team. I'm having a marvelous time.
I spent my first few days with Sarah Ann, a midwife and friend who lives in a poor area of Manila. We braved the markets and mall the first day and picked up some supplies. She had prenatals on Friday so I took vital signs for lots of really sweet (and very poor) pregnant ladies. On Saturday we went with some of her Filipino friends on a mini-vacation to see an extinct island volcano (see next story).
I have several friends at the Vineyard church in Manila. It was fun to see them on Sunday. Then I left for a neighboring island (Mindoro) to visit my friends Jack and Tammy. I'm still with them.
The last time I saw Jack and Tammy they were pregnant with Layla. She is now 2 ½ years old, speaks a hysterical combination of Tagalog and English, and is taller than most Filipino five year olds. They've also taken in two street children from Manila. Their house is lively and fun with people coming and going all the time. Yet I'm getting a lot of rest! I took a few days off from e-mail and the internet to just enjoy being here. With no specific responsibilities I've enjoyed long morning quiet times, playing with kids, swimming in the ocean, and fishing (didn't catch any fish, just a sunburn).
Now Tammy and I are starting to pack up their house. They are going back to the U.S. for a few months this summer. We'll travel to Manila together on Friday. The medic team arrives Sunday night - I can hardly wait! |
| Philippines - Climbing a volcano |  Sarah Ann is close friends with a midwife named Gerlene and her family. On Saturday we planned a vacation day! Early Saturday morning everyone piled into a car they've borrowed from a missionary family. My impression was that we were headed for a beach.
Four hours later (after several stops for DELICIOUS fresh fruit) we arrived at the edge of... well at the edge of a cliff! A beautiful cliff that overlooks a huge lake with an island in the middle. The island has several extinct volcanos on it! There are men walking along the road at each overlook with signs offering a boat ride out to the island. The cost of these boat rides is extravagant - over US$100 for foreigners.
Seeing that I was pretty interested in exploring the island, Gerlene talked one of them down to about US$70 (I'm still pretty sure the price would be half that for non-foreigners). We slowly wound our way down a narrow road to the bottom of the cliff (this drive was complicated by roadwork... wherever crews are working on the road there is only one lane... no construction flaggers here... you basically honk before going around the corner and if someone is coming you play chicken until someone backs up to a wide spot in the road!)
The boat ride across the lake was beautiful. Some parts of the lake are overrun with fishermen, but other parts seem fairly well preserved. When we arrived at the island we were accosted by vendors trying to sell us snacks and supplies for the hike. We learned we'd have to pay another exorbitant amount of money to ride horses up the volcano. When we declined and decided to walk instead they told us we needed to pay an "environmental protection fee." We paid this and started walking up the mountain... and were told we needed to hire a guide!
For some reason this was the last straw for me. With horses and hikers streaming up and down the mountain it seemed ridiculous to pay for a guide just because I was white. We headed up on our own and three guides on horses followed us, offering a "discount" about halfway up when we started to look tired. Of course at that point I had a point to prove and wouldn't have accepted a ride for anything!
I climb mountains for fun - my Manila dwelling Filipino friends do not. But they were good sports and accompanied me all the way to the top. Despite one final attack by T-shirt and bottled water vendors, the view at the top was worth the climb. The mouth of the volcano is a beautiful "virgin" (undeveloped) lake. There are pictures in the photo album.
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|  "Wait - you're going back to the Philippines?" Monday, April 13, 2009, 6:39 PM
Yes, for just over a month. I coordinate a mission medic training course at the Boise Vineyard. The practicum for this year's course is a medical outreach in the mountains of the Philippines. I'm excited to return to the northern part of the Philippines with this group of newly trained medics!
I leave for the Philippines on April 28th to visit friends in Manila. The team will join me on May 9th and we'll travel north to Tabuk. We'll spend 3 weeks in rural villages offering evangelistic healthcare. Most of the team will return to the U.S. on May 28th. Three of us are making a detour to Thailand for a week - where we are already making plans for next year's mission medic outreach!
Click here for pictures from the Mission Medic training program
...and here are updates and pictures from 2006 (the last time I served in this area of the Philippines).
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