India Clinic Costal Orissa wrap up 2012

Something seems to be out of sorts. We finished up the last 2 days of clinics, and we are feeling lost. Not because of what we weren’t able to accomplish, but because we couldn’t do more. The last day of clinic was probably the reason for this. We had a usual day of clinics on Thursday, seeing several hundred children, no issues, straight forward. Then Friday came. About an hour drive from Puri, is a small fishing village,   population 25-30,000, all contained in within a 2 kilometer square parcel of land. About 30% of the population are children, or so we suspect. That’s around 900 children. Now consider this. All, and I mean all are malnourished, sickly and isolated. There is room for about 370 children in a school, and the rest of them have nothing. You ask why? This village is a village of “displaced” people, lower caste, unwanted by the general population, wanting for much, but given nothing. We came upon this place due to a change in plans. Divine intervention perhaps, but it was good that we did. By seeing what was, and knowing what was not, we all came away feeling that we had to make this fishing village a priority. And that is in the works.

The 17 ream members, Kelly, Michael, Sue, Jeremy, Tyler, Simon, Heather, Lauren, Marlene, Anne, Peggy, Sarah, Justin, Amanda, Lara,and Carleen worked hard and without fanfare. Pharmacy, data entry, nutritional assessment, medical examinations, crowd control, and pastoral care ran without a hitch. It was all because of the coordination and implementation of the India team: Judith, Sudip, Daniel, Kevin, Mark, John and Raju. We saw close to 1400 patients in 4 and a half days, and left with a sense of well being knowing that we did what we were asked to do. Serve. It wasn’t what we brought but what we left behind. A dose of grace, a pinch of love,and a teaspoon of compassion measured a thousands of times over. The ingredients of His love for us.

In all things give thanks,

David

India Clinic day 3

It’s not over. At least not for us. But the 3 days that we’ve spent in this small fishing community is. We have been holding clinics in this fishing village in the town of Puri, from which many of the children come from. The village has a population of 25,000 and is considered the poorest of the environs of Puri. The poorest of the poor. And that is what MoM does, finding and caring for the children who are far from the common place. We saw another 250 patients today, most of whom were children, sick, but still full of smiles. They perhaps know no better. For what they have is what they have and they wont for not. I sometimes wonder if I could be like that. What spoke today, was the story told about Pastor David, by Pastor David (it isn’t me). 39 years ago he was an alcoholic, a hit man for a mobster organization and a worshipper of the monkey god. That is the monkey god tattooed on his arm. He fell off his bike one day after drinking way too much, and woke to find a piece of paper next to him with a scripture verse on it that said “Jesus is God.” He wondered who could this one man be who claimed to be god, when there were so many other gods like his monkey god. Pastor David  went to a church the next morning and again the next day, and then the next, and for 365 days he went to church, studying the bible, listening to bible classes and found the way. He began pastoring in this fishing village and today he ha a congregation of over 900 people. He tends to the MoM children and served with us. What is it that made him change. He really could not put his finger on it, but he did say one thing. “A monkey god is simply that. A monkey god. But Jesus is a god that was man, who came to earth to carry our sins. How could I not believe in that?” He spoke in his broken English as the children ran and played around us. He looked at them and quietly said, “they too one day will hopefully see that the monkey is just a monkey.” I took his hand and we prayed together. And the children played.

In all things give thanks,

David

India: Orissa Clinic Day 2

Expect the unexpected. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. It’s never what we think. And that is what the day was like. Not the flow of the clinic, nor the attitude of the team, or the dynamics of seeing another 300 patients today, but it was the patients. Smaller in stature than yesterday, a little sicker, and their stories that were far from the norm. There were a lot of wonderful ones, children being seen, hugged, sung to and with, prayed with, and played with. That was the majority. The evidence of compassion and love for the children we saw was everywhere. But like it or not, it is the occasional unexpected encounter, the worst case scenario, that puts the whole day into perspective. That things happened and whether we like it or not, we are faced with it to deal with. 3 children stood out. One child whose only complaint was that he was depressed. He lives in boarding house for children who are single or double orphans (one or both parents having died). He received news in the manner of a letter addressed to him that his father died recently. Another child had with him a picture of his parents taking a while back. He was 10 years old. He showed me the picture and asked me if I had seen them or knew anything about them. He hadn’t seen them in 5 year. He woke up one day and they were both gone. He lived in the street until he found a home in the village that we were in. He was taken in by a kind family. I looked at the picture and couldn’t find the words to speak. I simply shook my head no. He shook his head as well as he silently cried. I hugged him and prayed with him. He left, the picture still clutched in his hand. And the third child 6 years old. I asked her if I could take her picture and if I could show others to witness to her that she was as much a child to be valued and recognized by all. She was hesitant at first, but then said yes. Burned by falling into a pot of boiling water at the age of 3, she survived as you see her here. She told me that she won’t look in the mirror. She is the daughter of a fisherman and his wife, the lowest class of a caste system in this region. Poorer than poor. She was not a MoM sponsored child, but one of the children in the village who came to us for medical care. I realized that if she wasn’t embraced and surrounded  by a loving community she would be lost to the world. Never marrying, being ridiculed, and maybe even worse. Being taken advantaged of, or even taking her own life later on. MoM has a vision and mission to care for those children who are less than fortunate. That one child matters. This child is one of them. She is now a MoM child, and sponsored. I am humbled to be able to be part of her life from now on.

In all things give thanks,

David

India: Orissa clinic day 1

Sometimes we’re focused on the big picture….and lose sight of the details. 300 patients today, day one of clinic was the big picture. We set in motion a medical clinic with both old and new members getting into the swing of things very quickly due to the incredible pre-planning of the India support staff having everything up and ready for us. Dental hygiene, water filtration, first aid education on one tract. Nutritional assessment in another tract. Medical exams in a third tract, and pharmacy dispensing meds in their tract. a total of 50 people making this happen. US team, Indian support team, interpreters, teachers, and helpers all working together to see 300 children. That was the big picture. Now focus. Stunting affects over 60 million children India. Stunting is when the child’s height does not match the age. Short, small, little growth, and nutritionally depleted. Jeremy, a healthy US boy is 13, The Indian boy next to him is 13 also. Focus. He is one of 60 million children in India who are stunted. Can we help? Not in the sense of getting him to grow anymore, but we can simply assure him that despite his size, he is as valuable a member of the community as anybody else. We did that. He smiled, became animated and we focused. On him.

Polio is still prevalent in India despite the availability of vaccines. Poor compliance and a lack of awareness and education yields what we see here. A brace, old style, bulky, uncomfortable, worn for life. No physical therapy. She asks if there is a way to make her leg stronger. The hard answer is no. What we can do is make her life more comfortable by getting here a new brace, one that is light weight, comfortable and less obtrusive. We’re working on that. Focus.

We did alright for the first day. The big picture is clear. There are a lot of children here who need to be cared for. MoM is doing that. It is the details of the picture, the areas of the picture that are difficult to see unless you focus a little sharper, that Medical Mercy is looking at. The individual child, their needs and lives as it relates to their health care. We’ll stay focused the rest of the week and look closely at those who we come to serve. Our eyes will be strained as a result, but our hearts will be filled.

In all things give thanks,

David

India

We leave in 24 hours for India. A team of 18, medicines, equipment and excitement. We’ll be in the southern part of India along the coast off the Bay of Bengal based in a small town called Puri, population 150,000. Puri is well known as a pilgrimage site for Hindus with their many gods. That will tell you something. We’ll be going to 4 projects seeing the children and the villagers, expecting about 500 patients a day, diseases and illnesses common to the areas in an underdeveloped country. We’ll be running simultaneous “tracts of care” in each: nutritional assessments, first aid training, implementing a water filtration system, medical examinations and treatment, and vitamins and de-worming medicines for all. It’s amazing to see the “tracts” running in parallel, patients moving from one tract to the another, and finally exiting with an opportunity for spiritual counseling.

 

We all know the saying “what are we bringing to the table” when we talk about negotiations and relationships. What is it that we “bring” that will be valuable to the other person. In this case, it’s obvious. Medical care, pure water, vitamins, first aid kits, and prayer. But here’s where I like to go a little off the path. I am always aware of “what we bring”, but I am more acutely aware of “what we leave behind.” It is the memories, the interactions, the changed lives, the improvement of what sometimes is just an existence for those we meet. It is the power of prayer, the introduction to a God who is singular in His reign, and at times the new believer that we leave behind. And so it begins tomorrow. We’re bringing much….I’m excited to see what we leave behind. Be with us.

 

In all things give thanks,

 

David