Written by Judith Kintanar
Praise the Lord for blessing this year’s “Jecpp’s 8th Tribal Medical Mission” with His favor as more than 700 tribal residents coming from Barangays Ladayon, Arakan Valley, North Cotabato and West Marahan, Marilog District of Davao City received medical attention. The two-day Medical Mission was held from April 26 to 28, 2011 with 12 energetic volunteers from our church and the ever faithful Major Ivan Tan, this time accompanied by Sis. Zhu Jia Ni, Major Raymond Chan and Sis. Jessica Chang. Sis. Kristy Kwong (daughter of Pastor Andrew K.) flew in from Cagayan de Oro City to join us too. Adding to the list, we had doctors – Dr. Felix Luchavez, Dr. Rizaldo Gonzales, Dr. Dante Comedido and Dr. Isagani Paul Braganza (City Health Office). Registered nurses and midwife, volunteers and many more who helped made this 8thTribal medical mission a success again.
The advance team arrived at SRD Retreat House, our base camp late in the morning and straightaway headed for the dinning hall to assemble the give-aways and arrange all equipment and medicines in order. Pastor Wee, Bro. Ivan, Raymond Chan, with 4 other guys went ahead to the 1st day’s site at Ladayon Elementary School, Arakan Valley setting up the necessary signages, banners and to prepare the classrooms which will be utilized for the next day’s mission. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate with us, it started to rain and the set up team were totally drenched by the time they returned from the site albeit you could see the excitement, satisfaction and the joy of serving the Lord even though they were all soaking wet.
In the late evening of April 26, the advance team had a short and interesting devotional time with Major Ivan Tan who encouraged us to serve our fellow less fortunate citizens that are not able to get medical help easily and to be a great blessing for God’s glory here in the mountainous areas. He also said that we should be a blessing and a testimony wherever God has placed us since God always has a great and perfect plan for each one of us.
Our awesome God granted us a beautiful weather for the first day’s mission – April 27. We travelled approximately 30 minutes downhill for about 5 kilometers to Ladayon Elementary School, Brgy. Ladayon, Arakan Valley, North Cotabato. There were at least 185 patients where 170 patients benefitted from the free medical check-up including the 15 boys who were circumcised. The mission started with a word of prayer dedicating the whole day’s event to the Lord. We also prayed for God’s protection because this area is regularly being patrolled by the New People’s Army (Communist wing). The volunteers were quickly assigned to their respective areas of responsibilities. The procedures with which every patient would follow were:
Step 1: Registration - where pre-interview is being done to determine what is needed for their check-up. Step 2: Doctor - consultation with the doctors. Step 3: Tuli or Dental/Surgical - the patient proceeds for TULI (circumcision) or Dental/surgical. Step 4: Lugaw (chicken porridge) Step 5: Pharmacy- where medications prescribed is being released to the patients with the give-aways.
This is where I was assigned and I was able to witness a sense of fulfillment from the tribal folks, with broad smiles on their faces as they leave, going home being blessed with medical assistance. I am very proud and honored to be apart of JECPP and Evangel Family Church because of their willingness to go the extra mile in providing not just for their spiritual needs but also their physical needs. Nothing beats ending the day with a time of prayer and devotional with Pastor Wee sharing on: “A Blood Donor Saved My Life” also held at the dining hall for all the volunteers.
The following day, the Evangel team moved to Brgy. Marahan, Marilog District with Dr. Isagani Braganza, Dr. Dante Comedido and Major Ivan Tan assisting in the consultation. The tribal folks were there as early as 6:30 a.m. waiting for us to start our mission. Adding to our manpower, were ten other nurses from the City Health Office of Davao City joining the group, providing the local residents with vitamin A, anti-polio, anti-measles immunization and anti-hepatitis jabs. Unfortunately the dental services did not push through this time because the head dentist got very ill and all the prepared equipments of the team were with him.
Since every summer is the time where young boys from 6 to 12 years old would undergo TULI. This is quite a costly minor surgery and that is the reason why local residents took advantage of the free service provided through JECPP . There was one patient named Kobe Bryan Nalipona who availed of the Tuli surgery. Almost all of us burst out in laughter when we heard his name being called. What a coincidence that the famous basketball player came to visit our medical mission!
An estimated 486 residents of West Marahan, Marilog District took part and received assistance from this mission. The two-day medical mission drew a total of 704 patients served for medical, circumcision, immunization jabs and fed with sumptuous lugaw.
This is such a fulfilling and encouraging moment where I was used by God in small ways to show HIS love for the indigenous folks through this 8th Medical Mission. The JECPP Tribal Mission is held annually to render medical assistance to our underprivileged indigenous brothers and sisters. It is also a way of sharing the blessings we received so generously throughout the year.
We pray that God will bless Evangel Family Church – Davao, under the leadership of Rev. Peter Wee and JECPP, with all the spiritual leaders and founding chairman, Rev. Dr. Robert Lim for their unfailing support in finances and prayers from the 1st till the 8th Medical Mission. We also want to appreciate all those who helped and gave of themselves in big or small ways, that God will bless you all and your family richly. Seeing the smiles of our fellow tribal people truly placed in our hearts a sense of achievement, something we will not easily forget. To God be the glory for what has been accomplished in this 8th Medical Mission. ‘Till we meet again, next year!
