Manila

We have been in Manila for 2 weeks now and it feels like the time is just flying by. The pace is a bit more relaxed here than in Africa but there is still plenty to do!
We are staying with Dr Scott and Cindy Nelsen in an apartment below their house. There are 2 buildings on their land and more missionaries live next door as well as some visiting missionaries. It is a great community to come home to and Chris and I are really enjoying the fellowship we are having here.

The clinic

The clinic runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It is much like a general practice in New Zealand- the patients in general don't need urgent medical attention or hospital care. In the mornings we have patients who we are following up their progress and treatment. As in africa there is a lot of TB here. The other common follow up cases are diabetes and hypertension. As I don't speak the language I have one of the nurses to translate for me. I can pick up occasional word and sometimes can get the jist of what they are saying but in general I'm lost so im very grateful for such willing and patient staff. All the staff are really great and knowledgable here and are a big help for all the things that are foreign here to me- whether it's new drug names, dermatological conditions they see here or how they can treat conditions with limited resources. After taking a history, doing an examination and coming up with a treatment plan for each patient we pray with the patients. This is an aspect of the ministry I really enjoy seeing is the spiritual input into the patients lives. It really is emphasised here that it is more than just treating medical conditions but also a chance to share Christ with them, both through actions and words. Afternoon sessions are patients who aren't in for follow up so it has a bit more variety, although there is still lots of viral illnesses and ear infections in children. Before each afternoon session one of the staff will share the gospel with the new patients who are waiting to be seen. The staff here are all so committed to both helping the physical needs and spiritual needs of the community around and it is a great team to be part of.

What Chris is up to

Chris has got straight to work here on the language, spending much of the time I am at the clinic learning through the Rosetta Stone program. The staff here have been very helpful listening to phrases he is saying and helping him out with things he is unsure of. He has just got another building project as well, helping to pull down and rebuild an old shed that has had it's wood destroyed by termites. He is enjoying this and also has the chance to practice some Tagalog with Juan a Filipino worker who has very little English.
In the last 2 days Chris has become unwell developing fever, headache, body aches and abdominal pain. Being in the tropics it could be any weird tropical fever and we are unsure what it is yet. Prayer for him to be able to make a quick recovery and stay out of hospital here would be appreciated.
Prayer and praise points:
- Praise for such a great welcome and wonderful staff here and the wonderful fellowship we have been having so far
- That I may be a help to the clinic while I am here and that the patients may see Christ through the interactions with staff at the clinic
- For chris' quick recovery

On the other 2 days of the week I have the option to help out/ learn at the birthing centre down the road or at another small clinic further out of town. I have been to the birthing home only briefly so far but it was great to see what they are doing there using medical care as an opportunity to share Christ with the women and their husbands. I'm looking forward to spending some time there as my exposure to birthing has been quite limited so far and I'm sure I have heaps I can learn while I'm here! Last Thursday I spent the morning at a clinic right on the outskirts of Manila. It is an area where poverty is a lot more evident and squatters homes lined the streets in the area. The people, even though they don't have much are beautiful- always able to smile, even when they aren't 100% healthwise.