2 October 2023

We started the first day of medical and dental clinic at Marilao with one man down but not beaten!  Dr Van, our dentist came down with a series of symptoms that made him bedridden.  But we shoulder on with anticipation and concern how we can get through the day with only two dentists and a full load of dental patients that have already registered for the morning. Our dental nurse Cheryl stepped up and extracted a few teeth. By the grace of God, we finished both medical and dental patients well before time for lunch! Hard to believe, but it is true, and we thank God for less challenging patients, so the working pace was faster.

Working in an indoor air-conditioning environment definitely improved our energy levels.  This is despite the fact that a few members of the team did not rest well through the night at the hotel.  The BL headquarter at Marilao has undergone some renovation and made it feasible for all medical and dental patients to work together, with our pharmacists working side by side with us.  Dr Michael excised a facial skin lesion from one of the BL workers and we managed to send it to the local pathology laboratory for histopathology. Gathering all the required equipment and formalin for tissue transport was challenging but not insurmountable.  Our BL team leader Jaja was simply a miracle worker.  She visited 7 pharmacists and a medical supply company to stock up our supply for Marilao. Sadly, we could not find any Parkinson medication for one of our patients who was diagnosed to have a Parkinsonian syndrome from Dr Jason in Australia via WhatsApp video conferencing. We thank God for modern technology and team dedication to make things happen.


Despite our apprehension, the clinics went smoothly with Dr Leo finishing the day by excising a 2 cm keloid from a patient’s ear.  Needlessly to say, there were thousands of photos and videos taken. In the Philippines, the people are quite happy to have photos and videos taken and it is a compliment if they asked to take a photo with you. We finished the day by having fellowship with the local Marilao team.  It was enjoyable to get to know the BL volunteers and workers through interviews and games. 


I finished the day with this bible verse in mind, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  (Isa 41:10)  No matter what is ahead of us, we know that God will be our helper. So fear not!


By Betty Huen







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