I took this picture during a medical mission in Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines sometime in Feb. 2006. I have the priveledge of serving the Lord, Jesus Christ, in two Christian medical-dental-evangelism outreach groups. One is church-based, composed of church members in medical professions and some pastors and lay professionals , dedicated to support church planting within the Alliance Churches. The other group which I do the documentation and crowd control assignment, is an inter-denomination,evangelical, dedicated medical practitioners that caters to medical-spiritual needs of a community in and outside Mindanao.The team has already done three years of medical missions which were scheduled at least once a month.
This particular photo which is also featured in our website,www.cdolifelineministries.org has a story... It was during the medical mission in Lapuyan that i got to know this boy.. He was brought by his mother to our surgeon for operation but after a thorough consultation with other doctors present,it seems a more hospital-equipped type of medical surgery was needed. The doctors made necessary referrals for the boy to be brought to Pagadian City or in Cagayan de Oro where modern medical facilities are available and the local pastor was advised to facilitate the transportation. I took pictures of the boy during this time, making myself as dispassionate observer as i can but my heart really went out for this child. I have learned from his mother that he has not eaten solid for a month already, only liquids using plastic straw and even that is very hard for the boy to swallow. The swollen cheek and tongue, according to his mother, started from a mosquito bite and got infected. They did not have money to go to a rural health unit in the area which is far from where they live, they resorted to go to a quack doctor....After giving the mother some medicines for boy to take away the pain temporarily, our group prayed over the boy for His highest Will..Many cried. Later on the day I saw the boy sitting by himself, thats when I took this picture..his look has eerie effect as if he knows that his time on earth is fast ending..He has smelled death, and I can say literally because he really smelled..Just recently we learned from the local pastor that the boy died one month after..we were all sad upon hearing but the pastor told us that the boy was definitely in a better state now because he has heard the goodnews, and the only salvation is from the LORD..Amen
And as a way of a dedication, I celebrate this blog from hereon to post our medical missions every week or as often as I can. May God be glorified..
