A Mountain Top Experience

Hello hello! I'm back in the city after one beautiful week in the mountains! I came home on Friday afternoon- with many great memories! There was so much to learn and experience! It's like stepping into a completely different world- so much to soak in! Because I had already done one trip in November, most of it was familiar to me, but we went to a few different villages, meeting new people and doing more prenatal and general check ups. I defiantly felt quite incompetent with my medical skills, but seeing as they really even need simple health care teaching, I felt like I was at least able to help in some small ways. It was encouraging too, comparing how I felt last time with doing prenatal in November to this time- a little less clueless! :)
I also really enjoyed getting to know Marygine (the midwife from the area that we traveled with), her husband, and our motor drivers better! Such great people- we had such a great time together! And Naomi, one of the married students, came too- so it was nice getting to know her better as well!
We had a great experience eating Filipino foods (rice rice rice ;)), taking bucket baths at the village well (in our clothes of course:D), singing karaoke with the village people, sleeping on mats in their little huts (well we cheated and brought small blow-up mats! :P), learning the language a bit more, whizzing through the mountain paths on our packed up motorbikes, and just simply getting to know the villagers! :)
Each village we would do prenatal and then any general check-ups over anyone who had a complaint. The first spot we stopped was a house of a 12 year old girl who had club foot. On another trip, one of the students here had met her and taken a picture. Someone in the States saw it and volunteered to sponsor her to get an operation. Apparently,the morning of the day that we went there, they had prayed all together (they are Christians)that the promise would come for their daughter to be healed- that afternoon we showed up to tell them the great news! It was quite an experience! In another village, I was doing general check ups, and they brought me a little 6 year old boy. When he turned his head I saw a big swollen and infected cut across his neck! Nobody had taken care of it- his mother had died, and his step-mother didn't seem be caring much... Plus they don't really know what to do with a problem like that! He was so cute- he held my hand and was willing to sit on my lap! When I had to start cleaning the wound, he starting screaming, and it took three of us to hold him down- poor boy!! :( After I though I was all done, and even told him so, I realized I hadn't given him a tetanus shot! More tears... :( I wanted to take him back home with me so bad...
Yes, it was quite the experience again in the beautiful "bukid" (mountains)! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to go!
Now the week ahead looks piled up with assignment that was put aside for a week and a few exams I missed last week. It's so comforting to be able to cling tightly to the promise that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!"
Our little motto here: "Somehow it all gets done..." =)
7 more weeks...(not that I"m counting or anything ;))
Till next time...
SMH