I post this in May, but the following is what God showed me in February:
Time has passed, and looking back, there have been moments that I had to ask God "What did you accomplish through me in the Philippines? I didn't finish my time there...I didn't accomplish what I went to do in the first place--serve the Bukid people.."
In the last few weeks, God has given me insights into what He did there....
In total, I spent 2.5 months at Mercy Maternity Center, where God allowed me enough practice in midwifery and complications in prenatals and delivery, that I felt completely comfortable delivering a baby without a supervisor, in the Bukid (hours away from hospital help), and also allowed me to share the Gospel to different women and encourage others in their walks with God.
While there, I delivered 15 babies (bringing my total to 25); assisted with over 30 births (bringing my total to over 80); and performed over 70 prenatals (bringing my total to around 200). At one point, I delivered 7 babies in a mere 2.5 weeks, and twice, I delivered 2 babies within 4 hours of each other, on one shift!! That was an interesting experience!!
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| One Crazy Shift!! |
With such short hours of sleep, God again reminded me that it was HE I could rely on for my energy, strength, patience, and wisdom.... Praise Him!!!!
Originally, I was supposed to spend 3 months in the mountains, but because God called me back early, I ended up only spending 2 weeks there, at the end of November. My time in the Bukid was definitely the most challenging of all, not only because I (the only white person there) lived with the tribal people, who spoke almost no English (and I only knew coherent Visayan), but I also had some major adventures relationally-wise with the pastor's wife I stayed with, which created a lot of learning, praying, and growing experiences. I was quickly forced to learn more fluent Visayan, God gave me the patience and oversight to just 'go with the flow'.
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| Some of the people I discipled/stayed with. |
While there, I did a prenatal on a patient, that had I stayed, I would have delivered her baby in late January; helped clean up after Bagio Pablo (Typhoon Bopha, which I lived through); did much discipleship with the girls there; and helped lead Bible Studies and church meetings.... God grew me so much, and we had precious, sweet fellowship.
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| Ruins of Bagio Pablo |
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| My Filipino Teammates |
The remainder of my time in the Philippines (6 weeks), was spent in South Cotabato in Koronadal City (Marbel), with the Serisola family, helping my dear Filipino "sister" prepare for her wedding, get married, and then get moved to her new home (North in Cagayan de Oro), followed by my time in the Bukid before coming back for Christmas Break at their family home.
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| Kuya Jim Harris ug Ateh Sylvette ug ako--sila bridesmaid. ;p |
Truly, it wasn't until I got home that I realized why God had me spend so much time there: Not only did I learn so much spiritually while there, but I also learned the Filipino culture intimately, and invested and experienced their Holiday customs/giving season. God also used me to help transition their family from having an oldest single daughter to having a married daughter, who had her own 'family' now that she was married.
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| Funny "Family" Picture :-) |
That is just the tip of the ice berg of ways God used me, and I am so grateful that He allowed to spend the 7 months He did serving Him in the Philippines.
Truly, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth Salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except the be sent? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
But I say, Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
~ Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:11-15a, 17-18 ~
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