Another Chapter

It's my first time to blog as an official CPM (Certified Professional Midwife), and boy does is sure feel good! :)
I've wondered whether or not I should continue to blog. After all, it's called "The Philippines: A New Chapter" and that chapter has closed. Yet in many ways I feel as though the past several months are still very much connected to that phase of my life. So I'll continue to write, dedicating this next part to not only those who can relate with the experiences that reverse culture shock/adjustments may bring, but also to anyone who cares to share in this part of my journey...If for anything, I write this for my own record, seeing as I fail at keeping a journal! :)
If hadn't believed in reverse culture shock before, I certainly do now. And for those who claim it is "stranger" than culture shock, I now understand what they are talking about; simply because it is strange!

When I first came home, I was thrilled to be reunited with family and friends; experiencing their love and affection made me wonder how I had ever left! :) And than things started settling down, and I realized I needed to "get back into the swing of life here." And that's when the feeling of loneliness arrived. I was HOME- a place where I should easily fit back into, but I didn't really feel like I did so well. It wasn't just that so much had changed here in the span of two years, but I had changed as well. I know change, if it's for the better, is a healthy part of life, but for me it is also one of the most difficult parts.

I remember the first time I was alone at the Windmill, I had a good cry. It was probably the first time I had been left alone in past two years! I couldn't explain why I was crying, but if sure felt good! :)

I didn't wait long before I threw myself back into work and Church activities. My fellow midwife friends had all advised me to take a long enough break before starting work, but I figured it would help me find my place here again. To a certain degree it did, however, I really should have listened to them! ;) I reckon you live and learn...

To be honest with you, the transition was smoother than I had expected. It didn't take too long before this place felt like home again- except in a new way. It's hard when people you love move on, but God has given so much grace, and has been so patient with me as I once again learn to accept another chapter. I often tend to hang onto the past, yet He calls us to go forward- pressing towards the mark of the high calling. So I'll continue to go on with joy, fully trusting the One who is holding my hand...

The closing of a Chapter

July 24:
The bags are packed, the closet is empty, and the desk is cleared off. Was that two years? Yes, even though time flies, its been two full years of experiences and lessons I could never completely express in words. How I will miss this place...
As I walk around the city, I realize how familiarized I've become with this place which was once so strange and overwhelming. The crazy traffic no longer fazes me, nor do I wonder what is around the next corner. In many ways the Filipino culture has become a normal way of life.
Yesterday I worked my last shift- it was a sad day. It's amazing how much a place can change with experience and time. I remember in the beginning feeling very overwhelmed and quite incapable of ever becoming a confident midwife. Being someone who didn't even know how to take a blood pressure, I had a long way to go. But God was so faithful and has brought me so far. I'm excited to continue this process of learning... I love being a midwife!

But this place has taught me so much more than just becoming a midwife. It has changed my outlook on life, and has touched my heart in ways I could have never imagined. I know I'll never be the same again, and I only hope and pray that God will never let me forget what He has taught me in this chapter of life.
I think one of the hardest parts of life is saying goodbye. I felt this reality once again as I hugged so many people goodbye, unsure of whether I will ever see them again on this side of heaven. Then there were my midwife sisters; girls who have been there with me through many laughter and tears. I will miss them 'somethin fierce!' :) I was so privileged and blessed to be apart of this class. I have a feeling I'll see them all again at some point or another, but I know leaving means we will lose something special we had- something I can only give to God seeing His plans are perfect.
I know leaving also means I will be back home to my family and friends who I love beyond words. So with very mixed emotions I come to the close of this chapter. It has been an amazing journey, an experience I will always cherish. And now, who knows what the next chapter will hold... but that's the exiting part of life! Especially when we can trust the Author and Finisher of our faith!

To God be the glory

Primary Health Care Outreaches with Cathy

I'm not sure if I wrote earlier in this blog about the primary health classes and outreaches we've been doing for the past month or so. Cathy, who is a missionary PA and has her masters in Primary Health, has been our amazing teacher and instructor! We've been having two classes a week, and then on Saturdays we go out and do medical outreaches to put into practice what we've learned. We would contact churches in the extremely poor areas of town, and would then set up a clinic there for anyone needing medical attention or for anyone with complaints or concerns. As students, we would get the patients history, do a physical examination and attempt to diagnosis the problem. Cathy would then evaluate our assessment. For certain complications we had a pharmacy set up that we could dispense medication for treatment. Otherwise we would either talk to them about lifestyle changes or inform them that their problem was beyond our scope of care. It was definitely a good challenging and often quite overwhelming- but we learned so much! At one clinic we saw around 200 patients!
Here are a few of the pictures from some of the outreaches....

On our first outreach, one of the first patients happened to be a little boy that I had delivered last year! What a a surprise!!! :)
Lots and lots of people! :)
The amazing Cathy!! :)
Caring for a baby with Impetigo
Our little pharmacy we took turns running :) We gave away free meds after the person was prayed for by Filipino Christians from the church there
Subjective-Objective-Assessment-Plan :) :)
The most important/essential part of the outreaches

Celebration!!!!!!!

YEEHAW!!!! We wrote the final exam here, and all passed!!! Thank you Jesus!!!!! We have to write the board exam in the States yet, and then we'll be completely finished with our CPM's!!!! :) :) :)
So now we have one week left here to finish up our shifts, pack up our life here, and say the dreaded goodbyes!! I delivered a baby boy this morning, and wondered if he may be my last delivery for awhile... Sad thought actually!
But I'm MORE than excited about coming home!!!
Just thought I'd quickly give you the latest and greatest update! :)
You haven't heard the last from me yet on this blog. There are still a few more pages left to write.

THANK YOU all for your prayers!!!!

Till next time
SH

Crunch time!!

I remember last year watching the senior students preparing for their final exam and thinking "I'm SO glad it's not me!" And now, ready or not it's my turn! This past week I feel like pretty much every spare moment has gone into studying, and the more I study the more I figure out I don't know! :) Yesterday I had rare full day off, so Kinshasa and I took off to the beach with some text books and study material. I'm sure we were an unusual sight, sitting on the sand with our text books and notes, but since our time is limited we figured we'd kill two birds with one stone. It was actually an ideal location to study, with the soft breeze and relaxing atmosphere. Today I have yet to study as I had clinic, two classes and cooking duty. I had a rather painful and embarrassing accident at the market today. Being on a mission and in a hurry, I didn't pay close enough attention to where I was walking, and my one leg slipped- or more like scraped- into a drainage hole right up to my knee. At first I was completely discussed as I felt "stuff" enclose around my foot. I looked up, and noticed the people around me trying to look away- the Filipino way of "hiding my shame." But at the particular moment, I didn't care too much about shame, so I hobbled over to a vegetable stand to ask for some water. Then I started realizing how painful and swollen my leg was getting... Now I have a huge, swollen bruise, reminding me to at least spend enough time to look where I'm going! And I'm sure I gave a few people at the market a good laugh, seeing a white girl fall into a drain! :)
Well, this was my study break, so back to the books! Please pray that God would give me wisdom to know what to study, how to study, and the ability to retain it all. And that I won't hyperventilate! :) :) :) Okay, okay, I'm procrastinating! Off I go...

Taiwan

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Taipei. Thank you for flying with Philippine Airline, I hope you enjoy your stay." After a hop, skip, and jump I had arrived. As I headed out the plane and through the airport, an older woman noticed me (being one of the only other white people off our flight) and came over to ask where I was going. I soon discovered she was from Holland, and so we switched over our conversation into dutch- something which I didn't expect to use in Taiwan! I didn't talk to her for too long before Adelle came, and we exchanged our first hug in two years! :)
She gave instructions to the taxi driver which I didn't understand- it was all Chinese to me- and off we went. I kept commenting on how clean and nice everything was, and Adelle had to laugh at me. It wouldn't be what people from back home would note, however, coming from the Philippines...
We had a great weekend together, zipping around the city on her scooter. I was there from Saturday till Tuesday, and we got a lot packed into that time. Adelle took me out of the city to a high point were we could see the mountains and water- it was beautiful. I especially enjoyed the weather. I was good to step out of this humidity box and enjoy the fresh, cool air.
We ate out pretty much the whole time, as it is very inexpensive and the options are endless. I almost made the mistake of tipping the cook. Adelle saved me and quickly explained that tipping anyone was inappropriate seeing it was money they had not worked for... Oh the joys of learning different cultures! :) I immediately wanted to learn the Chinese word for thank you, "Shay shay." I figured if I at least knew that one I would be safe. :) Adelle also took me to see a Buddhist temple (AMAZING work of art!); a tourist place where they sell jewelery and pottery; and downtown Taipei. On the Sunday morning I had the privilege of meeting with her church family, many of which were ironically Filipino. On Monday I was able to watch her teach both of her classes, and meet her adorable students. In order to practice their English, Adelle got each of her kindergarten kids to say something nice to me. "SaRAH--you--are--eCELlent!" :)It doesn't surprise me how attached Adelle is with them- they are so precious! I asked one little girl how she was doing, and without cracking a smile she said, "I--am--happy!" :) :) I was so glad to see that key part of Adelle's life in Taiwan.
Well, like everything in life, my trip to Taiwan came to an end. Before I knew it, we were hugging goodbye at the airport. Thank you Jesus, that one day His children will never have to say goodbye again. As our plane touched down in Davao, my mind raced with everything I need to finish up here, the biggest being the final exam. I pray to God that I will finish well. He's been with me all along and has brought me this far, I know He will remain faithful till the end.

Just another little tidbit of my life. :)
"Till next Time"
SH

A day in the life of Sarah Heikoop :)

It's almost midnight and I probably should go to bed. But instead I sign onto my blog. I usually find it the easiest to write down my thoughts at this time of the day, but I'm not sure about tonight- my brain is almost shutting down. It's been another long day... Here's a little of what a day in my life here can look like:

This morning I had prenatals, where I saw around thirteen patients. We typically see between 40-100 women on a prenatal morning with 5-6 midwives on the shift. I enjoy prenatals, but they can be mentally draining due to the high volume of patients that come through. You want to be quick but thorough. If you make a mistake or miss something on the evaluation or chart, it could be serious... you are dealing with a life- two for that matter! Also being sensitive to the needs and cares of each woman is so important, and really the main reason we are here. Prenatals is also a time where you see again and again how financially deprived most of the women. This morning I had a woman who didn't get her 60 cent lab because she couldn't afford it. I could see she was telling me the truth...her reality.
After prenatals I had just enough time to come home to have lunch and check my e-mails before running back to the clinic to write a review test. We then usually go over it to discuss each answer, which usually leads to interesting debates! :)
After the test I had ten minutes to run home to grab my water bottle and notebook before heading to class.
We then have a 2 1/2 hour Primary Health Teaching class, taught by Cathy- a missionary PA from the States who has an amazing gift for teaching. She has spent many years on the mission field, the last few being in Sudan. She volunteered to put a class together to teach us about general primary health that can be used out on the mission field. We have two classes a week, and then starting this Saturday, we will be going out into different areas of the city to put into practise what we've learned. So far the classes have been incredible!!
After supper I managed to write another book report: Twenty-four down, one more to go! YEA! :)
And then there is of course the fast approaching exams to look forward to! :) It's definitely a challenge to focus on studying with so many exciting things going on, as well as attempting to wrap things up here... MY OH MY!!

Well, I think I'll call it a day! :)

God be with you all...
"Till next time!"
SH

Pictures of My last Trip in the Bukid

-Please Click on Picture to Open Album-

The little pick-up truck sped down the road through banana fields and palm tree jungles, carrying us further and further away from the city. Julie (my class-mate) and I sat in the back of the truck, lavishly inhaling the fresh country air and admiring the beauty around us. We were heading on our way to a little village in the mountains for nine days to lead a Daily Vacation Bible School. My heart beat with excitement and anticipation for the adventure ahead of us. Somehow I knew it was going to be a challenging yet amazing week, as these trips in the bukid (mountains) usually were. At one point during the ride, we were stopped at an intersection and an old semi-truck came barreling up behind us to a VERY screeching stop just a few inches from our truck. My heart did a skydive into my stomach from the close call of becoming part of his bumper...Praise God no such thing happened!
Once we arrived in a town near the base of the mountains, we met up with the rest of our team- there were nine of us in total. Besides Julie and myself, there were seven others who had all grown up in nearby bukid villages. Once introductions had been made, and correct pronunciation of names discovered, we packed up our belonging onto three motorbikes and headed up through the mountains. About an hour later we reached our destination, a little village on the peak of the mountain. The little hut we stayed in belonged to Orie, the former mayor's wife. Her husband had been stabbed and shot to death during a tribal war a few years ago, after which she completed his term. She is an incredible Christian women, whose face bares the lines of suffering yet shines with the joy of the Lord. We couldn't talk much together as she didn't know any English, yet she taught me so much through her example.
Sunday morning was a grand start to a beautiful week. We walked over to the thatched roof church which was overflowing with villagers who were dancing and praising God. It was one of the most beautiful, pure, simplistic form of worship to God I had ever witnessed. They had nothing, yet they joyfully gave Him everything. At the front was a table decked with small bags of rice and vegetables they were offering to the Lord. I watched in aw as they joyfully threw their pesos into a little basket. It reminded me of the story of the widow giving her only mite. I couldn't understand what was going on, as everything was in Manobo, yet the presence of the Lord was inevitable.

The DVBS was an incredible experience for me; so unlike any I had experienced back home. Each morning the kids (a daily average of 120) would gather themselves together and eagerly wait for us to arrive. The age range was suppose to be from 7-15y.o, however, many brought their younger siblings. My favorite part of the program was watching the children sing. You never had to coax them, as they would always sang their little hearts out! After the singing they split into two age groups for a Bible lesson, after which they would color a picture. Although most times there were more children than crayons, they never pulled a fuss. I remember one little boy happily coloring away his whole picture with a white crayon… In many ways, these children touched my heart and opened my eyes.

Each afternoon I would tell them a missionary story with the help of a translator. The story was geared towards American Children, describing the life of a poor boy in a small village who was trapped in constant fear of the evil spirits. For the children I was teaching, this was reality.

After the story we would go to the basket ball court (always the center of the village) to play games, with the rest of the village watching close by. It was very entertaining to teach them new games with the language barrier. The one game, British bulldog, took over ½ hour to explain. At one try, instead of simply running across the basketball court, the children kept running and running… I thought they were going to run clear off the mountain!

In the evenings, our group would get together for devotions, prayer, and daily evaluation. These were special times of the week- times when I felt God’s presence in a new way.

This trip also taught me much on the simplicity of life, and the work many people go through just to meet their daily survival needs. With no electricity or running water, we would hike down a steep little path to get to the stream for water. We would bathe and wash our clothes there, and then water would be hauled up to the village for all other purposes. After 6pm, kerosene lamps would be lit to break the darkness of the night. I love this type of simplistic lifestyle- yet I’m sure it too can lose its novelty. We take for granted the fact that we can simply turn on the faucet and liberally utilize the flow of water at your own dispense. However, I found that one of the biggest advantages to this rustic lifestyle is the quantity and quality of time available amongst families and villagers. Its something that technology and our demanding lifestyles have sadly deprived us of…

You know your getting use to a certain way of life when you walk into the hut to discover a turkey walking around, and it takes a few minutes to register that he shouldn't be inside. :) When I was there, I also took part in slaughtering and preparing a chicken!!! Much to my delight, I got over any apprehensions I had, and actually enjoyed it. Less than 2 hours later, I was enjoying it with the rest of my supper- which of course included rice! =)

There is so much more I could write about of my adventure in the mountains. My purpose for this trip was to assist in teaching the children, yet in many ways I felt like I was the one being taught. Because of the language barrier, these lessons never came in words. Instead the Lord again used children as an example, and it was as if He whispered to me, "Look, observe, and learn...unless you become like one of these little children..."

heading out bright and early on a 9-day outreach into the beautiful moutains. Going to enjoy the fresh country air and their simplistic "wireless" lifestyle! :) Staying in a little village to help out with a VBS, offer some medical care, and share with them life's greatest Gift! Please pray that God`s Spirit would move in the hearts of the villagers we will meet and spend these next nine days with...nothing is more powerful than prayer!!

Grad Pictures

Excited? You bet! :) All the pictures above were taken by Tim Stewart
Brie and I with some of our lovely Filipino Supervisors
Ate Elsa and I... :) Man, I love that lady!

Our Class with the directors

Some of the Filipino midwives doing a beautiful dance for us! :)

Class of 2011 did a skit and sang a song for us... so special

Group hug with the directors! :)

Our class with the Filipino midwives and supervisors

Ate Elai...love her to bits! :) amazing midwife!

Class of 2010 and 2011

At last! :) :) (certificates postdated until we pass our exam here in July) :)

THANK YOU LORD!

Glad to Grad

Last weekend was our graduation ceremony, and it took place almost as if it were a dream. It's been almost two years ago since I packed up my things, said a tearful goodbye to my family, friends and homeland and headed towards and unknown place with unfamiliar faces. I remember being nervous, homesick and just plain scared. What in the world did I think I was doing moving to Asia and diving into an intense midwifery course with absolutely no medical background?? But there was one thing I was confident in, and that was that I knew God had called me to this place; and that's all I really needed.
And now here I am. This place has become like another home to me, and my fellow classmates like another family. Together the Lord has taken us through things that have bonded us in ways we could have never imagine. And as for getting through the midwife course- all I can say is that it was by God`s Grace.
As we were handed our graduation certificate (postdated until we write our final exam at the end :P), my heart was full of joy and gratitude to our God for His great faithfulness. I looked around at all my midwife sisters... we had made it TOGETHER! I was so proud of them, and honored to be apart of such an amazing group. A real team!
Now just two more major exams to write (July and August) and our clinical to finish up, and we`re home free! :) :) :) I get excited thinking about coming home- it`s coming up so close. But when I think about how close it is, I think about my board exam; and often I`ve had to pick up my heart out of my stomach! :S :) :D If you know me well, you`d know I dislike exams. I know, I know- who does!!! But mine is a very big dislike! :P Anyways, I would greatly appreciate your prayers!
Tomorrow Ive been invited to one of my old patients birthday party! :) It will be good to see her again and her baby that is now getting close to a year old.
Well thats all for today...
Keep on keeping on!
SMH

p.s pics to follow sometime soon! :)

Politics-Weather-Graduation! :)

Hello everyone!! Me again reporting 'alive' from Davao city! :)

Things have been a little crazy in this country with elections coming up on May 10th. The entire city seems to be plastered with signs and posters... I'm not sure how many parties are running, but it seems to me that each poster is promoting a different person!!! I find it amusing how they randomly block off main roads for a day to run a campaign. I've tried asking around about the elections and how they work here, but proper answers are hard to find. So I've remained somewhat it the dark, wondering where May 10th will take this country.

I do know that this is their first time they are electronically voting. So in an attempt to ensure that the power does not go out for the 24 hours on May 10th, they have been conserving energy by turning off the power for a few hours every few days or so. I'm looking forward to when that comes to an end.

Hot season is definitely back, and will be here for a good long while. It's always hot here, but now is when it gets extra hot. The type of climate the makes you sweat 24-7 even if you're just standing there! :S :) And when you get up at 3am to stroll around the house because you don't know what to do with yourself, and then realize it's not much cooler outside than it had been at 3pm. One day last week around noon, our director check his outdoor thermometer that was in the sun- it read 55C (131F)!! Hala!
Please pray that the climate won't hinder our attitudes and motivation! :)

But enough about politics and the weather... By far the top news this week is that my class is having our graduation ceremony on Saturday!! This will be my first official graduation! :P
I still can't believe believe we've come to this point!! We still have our final exams to write and a few more book reports to finish up... But the course work is "huma-na"(FINISHED)!!!! Praise God. So I will definitely have to post some pictures next week.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you again for your encouraging comments, e-mails and prayers!! They are what help me to 'keep on keeping on!"

"till next time"

The Hand of God

The wind felt like a heater blasting on me as I zipped along the streets of Davao in the open-air tricycab. I was on my way to the hospital again to visit one of my patients, Emilie. On Sunday she had walked into the clinic ready to have her baby; before I knew it she was pushing and I was ready to catch. A few minutes later her baby came out limp and with no breathing efforts. We began neonatal resuscitation which lasted for a brutal ten minutes before the baby finally gave out a feeble cry. I then transported the baby immediately, but because the hospital was busy, she didn't receive direct attention. I left with the baby still crying, but not in good condition. I prayed hard.

As I stepped inside the crowded hospital, I subconsciously switched my breathing from my nose to mouth. But now I could taste the air. I found Emilie in one of the crowded rooms, and with one glance at the baby's respiration's I knew she wasn't doing well. After talking with Emilie, I discovered that both oxygen and medication had be prescribed, but none were given since she had no money. Emilie looked distressed, and I felt so helpless, knowing I could do nothing. Our policy at Mercy does not allow us to provide financial support for our patients. This policy may seem unreasonable and harsh, but if you knew the system here, you would understand. Still, it is so hard. I asked her if I could pray for her and her baby, and as I did the tears flowed freely. I hugged her and encouraged her to trust God to provide.
The next day I went again, and found her still sitting on the little steel chair beside her baby's crib- that's all the space she had in the room. But she was smiling, and the baby appeared to be doing better. In her broken English she told me what had happened. "Ma'am Sarah, after you left last night my husband showed up with some money that was enough to pay for the medicine and oxygen- it was because you prayed!" I felt like bursting into tears of joy! Yes, our prayers had been answered! And once again I was reminded to never underestimate the power of prayer and the grace of our God.
On Thursday evening I felt compelled go visit her again. After a few minutes of visiting, Emilie sheepishly asked me if I had received a text message from her. I hadn't since my phone battery had died that afternoon while I was out. She than explained to me that her husband had been called out to a far place for his job and was not able to come that day with money. This meant she had nothing to eat all day. Her desperate situation made me want to weep. And then I realized why God had sent me there that evening. We may not be allowed to give money, but we can give food! :)
Emilie's life (along with so many others here) makes me continually realize how blessed we are- we have no idea! But this experience, as hard as it may be, also encourages me to see how God is still in control and continues to meet the greatest needs in His perfect time. And to thing that we have the amazing privileged to see His mighty hand and power of love in action.
"That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever" (Joshua 4:24).

Please continue to pray! Little is much when God is in it!

Sending "warm" greetings to you all!
SH

Cooking dinner over beach fire :)

The Old Man and the Sea :) The thing around his neck is home-made goggles
Where we hung our hammocks

Back in the city... on a tricy riding home