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July 9, 2010
MUST I HAVE MEDICAL SKILLS?
People with medical skills (doctors, nurses, medical technicians, etc.) are special. People willing to share their knowledge with the penniless per gratis are extra special. Poverty back home is so extreme it rivals Dante’s vision of hell. For impoverished Filipinos medical services are non-existent. Unlike Chicago where we have the luxury of getting sick first and paying the bill later, if you get sick back home and can’t pay up-front costs you’re dead. Hospitals over there will let you die without an afterthought. Last week we spoke about the financial practicality of Filipino-Americans taking medical vacations to the Philippines. This week we’ll discuss how Fil-Ams could help their less fortunate brethren by sponsoring or volunteering on medical missions.
WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF MEDICAL MISSIONS?
The purpose of medical missions is to deliver quality medical care to people in need whether from poverty, war, natural disasters, or epidemics. If you were born in the Philippines or have traveled there, you have firsthand knowledge of how impoverished the place is along with the absence of free medical services. The poor need medicine, doctors, laboratory tests, hospital beds but they can’t afford them. Reader, this is where YOU come in; you can help the less fortunate by donating to medical missionary organizations
or by becoming a medical missionary yourself. Four years ago I had the privilege of serving alongside a dentist from Northern Michigan and a priest friend of mine since high school. I was getting soft. I correctly figured “The pain of the little finger is felt by the whole body.” -Filipino quote that a missionary vacation was what I needed to toughen up. In the course of my ‘vacation’ I worked over 40 villages, towns, and hamlets
deep in the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains some 80 plus miles outside Acapulco. The people there are so poor they have to wait a year to see a dentist. Reader imagine having a toothache so agonizing that the pain alone could drive you to suicide; an abscess, infection, a tooth that need to be pulled and YOU
had to wait 12 full months to see the dentist. I don’t know about you my friend but I couldn’t take that kind of pain even for a few hours let alone a year. Similar situations exist in the Philippines.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
To serve as a medical missionary you don’t have to hold a medical degree though it helps. Medical missionaries are a staunchly independent bunch. They’re self-starters who take immediate action and responsibility when situations warrant it. You’re asking yourself, “What’s in it for me? What do I get out of
spending my money, my energy, and my time playing Dr. Albert Schweitzer medical missionary extraordinaire?” Here’s what I got out of it:
* Doing my missionary ‘bit’ for ‘GOD and country’ as a de facto ambassador for Jesus Christ and the U.S. gave me the feeling that I was living the Gospel instead of just ‘flapping my gums’ (talking about it).
* My one month trip cleared out a lot of my spiritual/physical ‘cobwebs.’ I also lost 30 pounds!
* I got to represent our country in a positive way. Here’s the WHOLE TRUTH; a few people resented me being there though I estimate 95% of the people I served welcomed me with open arms, minds, and hearts. Let’s face it Reader, no matter where you go and you could be another Saint Francis and some
people will dislike you. Judging from my past ‘in the field’ (Mexico, Canada, Philippines) experiences the overwhelming majority of people welcomed me. I did have trouble with some ‘church types’ but we all know how the ‘holier-than-thous’ (hypocrites) are. WARNING! When in the field be prepared to make many sacrifices. I wouldn’t let my guard down if I were you and never get too comfortable during slack periods.
* As a medical missionary you’ll be living one of the core requirements for Salvation mentioned in St. Matthew’s Gospel: “When I was sick you visited ME.”
* Medical missionaries get a much needed break from the ordinary routine of sedentary American life. They meet new people, encounter different cultures, and develop a wide assortment of new skills.
* With each mission trip I lost a lot of weight! The pounds just rolled off! LOL! Filipinos don’t resent visitors if they can’t speak Tagalog. They usually accept people as they are. Mexico can be linguistically challenging.
When I was serving there I was strongly encouraged by the locals to learn rudimentary Spanish. With all that said and done here’s how you can help the struggling poor back home.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Reader, here’s where you ‘sign up’ for action:
* Google Images-Philippine Medical Missionaries has numerous philanthropic organizations listed. Click on any picture under the above category and you’ll see the sponsoring medical organization then take things
from there.
* www.medicalmissions.org.
* Search: Medical Mission Trips.
* Search: St. Charles Borromeo Philippine Medical Mission
* www.carolinamedicalmission.com
* Search: Medical missions to the Philippines
* www.operationgivingback.fac.org
There are many Philippine medical mission sites on the internet. Due to word limitations I’ve only listed a few. If you’re privy to a computer with internet access no problem logging in to Philippine medical mission sites.
If you don’t have internet access go to any branch of the public library. The librarians would be glad to assist you. If you need personal attention email me. My email address is listed at the bottom of the article.
WHERE CAN I SIGN ON?
My Italian-American Franciscan missionary priest friend will arrive in the Chicago area in a few days. He’ll be vacationing here for a month before returning to Mexico. Reader, if you want to spend a month living like a real apostle I’ll be glad to sign you up. Just drop me an e-mail and I’ll contact Fr. John immediately. If you want to volunteer to the Philippines still email me. My Philippine contacts would love having you aboard serving in Palawan or perhaps Cebu. That’s all for this week’s Mega Scene’s Philippines Adventures.
Till we meet again all my best and GOD bless.
**Last week I forgot to include ‘bless’ after GOD. Oops! Sorry about that Reader. LOL! (vamaxwell@yahoo.com)