Philippines Medical and Dental Mission 2023

  Saturday in Manila A full rest day was enjoyed by all, starting with a brunch at a rooftop restaurant nearby our hotel that gave sweeping views of Manila. We then headed to SM Mall of Asia , the largest mall in Manila/Philippines. As the fifth largest mall in Asia consisting of 4 buildings connected by walkways and elevated pathways, it has amongst the numerous shops and eateries, an entertainment mall which includes an IMAX theatre. We spent the afternoon exploring just a fraction of its offerings before heading off to Manila Cathedral , where the original had been built in 1581 . It has been rebuilt 7 times as it had been destroyed in turn by a typhoon, fire , earthquakes and world war II. Dinner, in a restaurant in the Intramuros area,   home to many Spanish era landmarks , reflected both Spanish and Filipino food, such as paella and sinigang, whilst being serenaded to by a trio of string musicians. Of course we finished our delicious meal with a halo halo! Helen Ayton

29th September 2023 Today it was time to bid farewell to Trece. After a smooth 2 hour ride we arrived back in Manila for a couple of days of rest and top up on any needed supplies before starting the clinics at Marilao.   After enjoying a delicious ramen lunch and halo halo for dessert, we had time together as team reflecting on the last few days. We realised how encouraged we were by the BL team, their love for God, their joy and thankfulness  and serving together in unity. We also went through 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, being reminded to set our hope in Jesus, to be holy as God is holy and we are purified of our sins through the precious blood of Jesus.   We finished off the day with dinner at a heritage restaurant which was a great cultural experience as we tried indigenous Fil-Hispanic cuisine and saw traditional Filipino dances. Van and Cheryl even had chance to have go! Angie Li

  Today was our last clinic in Trece Martires. It was a day of mixed blessings, seeing so many people lined up for treatment, many who have   been queued there since the early hours of the morning and knowing that there are limited spots available and the disappointment that follows but we have been blessed to be able to treat as many as we have. We started the day with our team prayer giving thanks to God and asking for his wisdom in guiding us in our work. I gave a Dental Health talk on the importance of   brushing their teeth regularly and cutting out sugar which is a huge part of their diet and the reason for so much tooth decay. The dentists see so much decay in very young children and adults that it was such a surprise when Kim did a check up on a 28 year old lady   and she had no teeth missing and no fillings. Her teeth were perfect! That hasn’t been seen in any of the 4 mission trips. Our 3 doctors were kept busy again and a few surprised surgeries being done. Michael removed

  Today was our third clinic day at Trece Matires where we spent the whole day seeing 100 medical and 54 dental patients.   The day started with a team prayer dedicating the day to the Lord, followed by a health talk by Michael on the topic of “Healthy Diet”. Unfortunately the Filipinos have very poor awareness of healthy eating and tend to eat foods that are very high in carbohydrates (rice), sugar, and fat (fried foods). Rice and sugar snacks are relatively affordable even in the slums and is the likely contributing cause of obesity and diabetes. Michael emphasised the importance of a well balanced diet, as well as regular exercise to raise awareness of healthy living within this community. Betty also delivered a talk to educate the community about hypertension. Unfortunately Filipinos often struggle to understand the need to treat chronic conditions and are often very non compliant with their medications. 21% of Filipinos are estimated to suffer from hypertension in this country

  Today was our first full day at Trece. A real test of our stamina, due to the heat and humidity.   Highlights of our day Betty saw 5 MSF ( Medical Support Fellowship ) patients, a program we started at the end of our first mission in 2015. All 5 patients have come to accept Christ as their saviour. So encouraging to see that the seeds we sow in our first mission has now borne fruits. Praise God!   Not only did the BL staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to make our day run smoothly, they also joined us after dinner for Bible study on John 15 v 1-11, which teaches us to remain connected to Jesus through reading and obeying His word and command so that we can bear fruits for God’s glory.   On the other hand it is disheartening that the doctors saw an increasing number of patients with hypertension and diabetes. And dentally we saw a high number of young children with rampant dental caries and along with young adults with badly decayed front teeth.   Pray that ou

25 th September 2023 We embarked on our journey to Trece Martires, 46 km South of Manila. We arrived to find the basketball has been transformed to become a medical and dental clinic with our consultation desks ready to use. Our dentists have their special dental chairs set up with headsets that are made from metal wires. We committed our day to the Lord in prayer and proceeded to hold small group evangelism, personal testimony and health talk on Diabetes Mellitus. Suddenly the Heaven opened its gate and down poured the heaviest rainfall that we have ever seen. It was compounded by the metal roof, and it sounded like a deafening waterfall. However, God sent this rain which was provided to clear the smog that was enveloping Trece and cool the place down. We thank God for sending this rain after we have moved all our medical and dental equipment into the basketball court. Everything is in God’s timing! The dentists were quick in attending to their patients. One patient manage

It has been 5 years since our last mission trip to the Philippines, and today's activities brought back many happy memories for our group. We re-visited the International Baptist Church of Manila and heard a sermon on Joshua 9 where the Israelites were deceived by their enemies because they neglected to seek the counsel of God. This highlights the danger of being vulnerable to deception if we  relied solely on ourselves. In this trip we need to walk by faith and not by sight, ask God to guide us and to surrender to God's ways and mercies. Over lunch we met up with Pastor Fred and his wife Mimi,  the past and present health leaders and a nursing student, all whom we have grown to love. In the afternoon we bought items to be used in the clinical sessions for our first week in Trece Martires. By Leander Rathsam

The team gathered at Sydney airport with our equipment smoothly registered. The flight to Manila was pleasant but on arrival immediately hit with humidity and some traffic chaos which brings back memories. We are thankful that we have finally settled into the hotel with a little wander around the neighborhood.  Now it is time for a good rest for tomorrow is a big day of attending local church and meeting the local team.

Just had a final team zoom meeting with everyone and prayed!! Heading off in 36 hours We are excited as "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 We will keep you posted when we arrive in the Philippines!