MAPLINE | October 2022 | Medical Ambassadors Philippines Inc.

Helping Hands & Feet Helping Hands & Feet

PEOPLE WITH A SPECIAL CONNECTION TO GOD PROVIDE TRANSFORMATION

by Dr Eliseo Garcia, Jr , MAP President

Hebrews 10:19-20 says, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body ” By confessing our sins and trusting Him to come into our lives by faith, we now become His hands and feet sent out to bring good news The Scripture proclaims a sight that will take your breath away! A grand procession of people telling all the good things of God (Romans 10:15, The Message version)!

One day, I was excited to go to the bank to find out how much had been deposited into my bank account Unfortunately, after I entered my pin number, there was an error in the connection I couldn’t go through, even after pressing the word enter on several attempts It was a failed transaction, in short, no connectivity Connection points, when properly linked, will provide the vehicle for transformation

Through modern telecommunications, the whole world is now closely connected with one another The COVID pandemic almost brought life to a halt Yet there has never been a time such as now that we have been more closely connected, whether near or far We can laugh, cry, pray, talk about issues in life with our loved ones and friends, talk about fitness and fun times, show our collection of plants and flowers, talk about our firms, do business together online and above all, practise our faith in the Lord Even then, the longing to see each other face-to-face is still there, to go back to the old normal But II Cor 5:17 tells us “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come ” Rev 1:7 also tells us, “Behold, He is coming with clouds and every eye will see Him ”

Matthew 24:30 says ” … all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory ” When this day comes, we don’t want to be just a spectator of this great event We want to truly experience it and be with Him forevermore The year 2020 taught us great lessons in life, especially its vulnerability, the certainty that death comes to all, and the value of taking opportunities to be more connected to one another Thank God that through Jesus Christ, the new and living way, we are made alive again

Eternal life is for all who come to Him, who surrender their lives to the One who created and shaped all to be the kind of persons He wants them to be Our connection with Him makes our mission clearer, stronger and more intentional Romans 10:14-15 “connects all the dots” by stating“How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard and how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?”

This is when the transformation of anyone who comes to Him will come true, be it our community, our nation or the whole world It’s not who we are as a people but who He is, He who called us and commanded us to go as a special group of people reaching out for the Lord We are sent by God to preach the Good News with eyes of compassion, becoming intentional ambassadors of God’s love As we read these testimonies from MAP staff and volunteers, may we be encouraged and challenged to also be helping hands and feet

APAYAO SURGICAL MISSION

FIRST MISSION TRIP YIELDS FIRST MISSION TRIP YIELDS SURPRISING EXPERIENCES SURPRISING EXPERIENCES

by Dr. Kat Grace Garcia

This was my very first mission experience and definitely one for the books! I was invited at the last minute by batchmates and fellow UERM Agape members, Dr Jusay and Dr Jimena While I had my own expectations of how the mission trip would go, God gave me a lot of surprises

I was to stay with people I had not met personally, Dr Melad and family I have to admit that it was not the most conventional thing to do I was a little shy but the entire family welcomed me as their own in Palawan I had never felt more loved, even though we spent a short time with them Coming to Aborlan to take part in the Primary Health Care Training of people from different tribes was an experience I will never forget I never saw people so eager to learn, very enthusiastic and curious about how we actually practice medicine as professionals It was a two-way learning process

From their stories, we learned how they responded to some of the diseases in the community and what they resorted to as alternative forms of medication depending on what was readily available

More than the training itself, I was gifted with the opportunity to observe the fellowship, family, and faith of everyone and was again amazed at how God moves in our lives More depth and meaning came to part of Revelation 7:9 “ from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne ” because I personally witnessed it myself

For a person who has been in the busiest city of the country for more than a decade, with a profession that also requires so much time to pursue, this was a perfect slowing-down moment for me, a form of rest and recharge I’m definitely looking forward to joining the next trip!

REFLECTIONS ON MY REFLECTIONS ON MY PALAWAN MISSION TRIP PALAWAN MISSION TRIP

by Agnes Pugales, Short -Term Volunteer

It's been two months since I flew to Palawan to join a mission trip and help babysit my beloved nephew, Northy What a blessed time it’s been!

My cousin Kuya Juls (Northy’s father) was away for 16 days, hence the babysitting I've enjoyed being with Northy I'm happy I can help my cousin Ate Pre with the care of her toddler Our Logistic trip focused on looking for places where the MAP ministry can build a station We went to Balabac, Silom Silom and Sibaring

This trip has been an eye-opener for me It opened my eyes to the needs of other people, especially the unreached people I also saw how the grace of God moves through His people and how He provides for them

I thank the Melad family for hosting me for two months The people I met on this trip have been such a blessing to me I cannot fully express in words how blissful this trip has been Hopefully I can return, soonest

AN EXPECT-THE- AN EXPECT-THEUNEXPECTED JOURNEY: UNEXPECTED JOURNEY: THE JACMAL EXPERIENCE THE JACMAL EXPERIENCE

by Gian Franco A Daing, Student Nurse

It is our travel day! Everyone feels excited as it will be a new experience We began travelling at 6:30 am and as the vehicle hit the road, you could feel everyone conserving their energy As we went on, I listened to the interesting culture of Jacmal, Aguinaldo, Ifugao By God’s grace, we arrived safely at 9:00 pm

On our 1st day, we were mesmerized, seeing God’s wonderful creation of nature Hours later, we made a courtesy call to the office of the mayor We were glad to meet him and know more about Jacmal We felt honored to conduct our Community Immersion here There were a lot of realizations in this journey One is that the community is in need of a nurse and other health practitioners who will work together for the betterment of all Even though the trails going to different households were tiring, our reward as student nurses was to be catalysts of change in the community We had the opportunity to visit Ifugao State University to do our health teaching I had the privilege to teach the importance of personal hygiene

Another blessing was to be used by God to share His Word to the youth As the Word of God spoke to me, I learned as well that we should learn how to communicate with God, how to comply with His plans, and have confidence that He is with us During this time, we all learned to be flexible in our schedule to allow the young people to learn from us One of the highlights of this trip was being able to worship God with the local people of Jacmal During the service, my fellow student nurses and I had the chance to sing for the Lord The Word of God reminded us that as Christians we are not meant to spend our Christianity in the four corners of the church Instead, we should reach out to those who still haven’t heard of the Gospel We are used by God as we render service to people We have another week to serve!

Today, we will be spending our day at the Rural Health Unit and Aguinaldo People’s Center We realized during our time here that aside from Community Health Nursing, Transcultural Nursing also comes into play in order to build rapport and have a thorough assessment This was a truly memorable experience!

On the day that we visited our adopted families, we were fetched at the Barangay Outpost to meet some of the Barangay Health Workers Afterwards, we went to our adopted families My experience as a Sunday School teacher helped as I tried to connect and interact with the children I began the assessment by looking at the hair of the children, noticing that lice were present I also assessed the skin and observed papules I auscultated for lung sounds Lastly, using a tongue depressor, I assessed the mouths of the children This encounter made me eager to come back so that I can meet the parents and do some health teaching I will continue to pray for my adopted family even though we have parted ways I will always remember this experience

The day came when we had to say goodbye to Ifugao While travelling, we encountered more zigzag roads, but all of the dizziness during the ride was negated once we saw God’s wonderful creation I realized on this trip that the road is like our lives The straight roads are the opportunities that come and go While the zigzag roads are the temporary challenges that God gives us

Thank you, Jacmal! You have become a part of me and I will remember you for the rest of my life The people, the culture and the experience instilled in me a missionary heart to keep on in this nursing journey I would like to express our dearest gratitude to the people of Jacmal, to Medical Ambassadors Philippines, and most importantly to Dean Alicia Bañas for this once-in-alifetime experience

We should learn how to communicate with God, to have compliance to His plans, and have confidence that He is with us.

ur stay in Apayao, Ifugao was a humbling experience The first time Dean Alicia Bañas invited our class to join the medical mission, something inside me responded When I announced that I would like to join, most of my classmates doubted me, because they knew that I was too sheltered They didn’t think I could survive with everything being limited But my heart was so sure I uttered a prayer laying everything at God’s throne Still, I was anxious It was a good thing that I was with Mr Bayer and Mr Bernandino (Mary Johnston College Nursing students) Being an introvert, my anxiety was at its peak because I was going to meet a lot of new people I was so close to just giving up my slot for my other classmates, but God reassured me that He would be with me

Our travel time was 16 to 18 hours by land We arrived around 2 in the morning We slept on hospital beds There were so many insects and frogs we heard outside, singing together It was all new to me On the first day of our medical mission, I had the opportunity to talk to people who were waiting in line for their turn I was so close to crying I never thought people would travel 6 to 8 hours just to get free consultations or medical interventions Someone said “Ma’am salamat po at pumunta kayo sa lugar namin dahil hindi naman naming kaya ‘yung ganito dahil masyadong mahal, wala kami pangbayad ” Those words stuck inside my head and while I was writing them in my diary, I shed tears that only God saw It was my first time encountering patients like them, who can’t afford to go to a hospital to get medical advice or consultations Because if they did, they wouldn’t be able to put food on their table When I was giving out medicines, and they found out that they had to buy some which were unavailable, the look on their faces was heartbreaking In my mind, I questioned why Filipinos are burdened by the frail healthcare system but the government is swimming with the money that is supposed to be for the Filipinos

EXTENDING GOD'S LOVE IN EXTENDING GOD'S LOVE IN APAYAO APAYAO

by Marielle Moldez MAP Volunteer Nurse Mary Johnston College of Nursing

On our second and last day of the medical mission trip, I was assigned in the OR to be the circulating and assistant nurse Some doctors asked me to sit down from time to time but I have been so used to standing eight hours straight That is a usual thing we do in Mary Johnston Hospital I was actually grateful to Mary Johnston and my clinical instructors, because I was able to apply the values and behavior that I learned from them in this medical mission trip I talked with Mr Bayer about our not being used to doing nothing, because we were trained that in every opportunity we should help Of course we needed to respect the system that everyone was following I was amazed that I was slowly becoming the nurse that MJCN promised we would be The overall experience was fun and humbling The staff also prepared a dance for us that everyone enjoyed And the food was so good, delicious and tasty! I must have gained 5 kg! I made friends with other people, and I can say that this will not be my last mission trip I helped others through various organizations when I was younger But now that I experienced this, I am praying for more opportunities to join more medical missions not just here in the Philippines but also in other nations

The medical mission was not about me or about the volunteers It was about God extending love to the tribes, about His faithfulness, reminding them that He knows their sufferings, that He is our only Healer It was God who made a way for them I would like to thank the sponsors because they allowed God to use them to bless other people, and to bring us volunteers into the field to help those in Apayao, Ifugao I pray that God would also use me to help them, not just by volunteering, but also by changing a system that will actually help them continuously I pray that as I study more in the medical field, I will be able to help them find hope And I pray they won’t have to travel for hours just to have access to a healthcare facility

Ministry Update: Bongabong , Or. Mindoro

by Paul T Bañas, RN

The Bangons are known for their stubborn and hardened hearts to the gospel But we believe that there will be a breakthrough among the Bangon church We just have to pray and continue labouring for the Lord

It’s been 4 years since we started ministering and sharing the gospel to the Bangon tribe Seeing unity among different Mangyan churches gives us new hope and deeply encourages us that the gospel will continue no matter what barriers come up We keep on praying, we keep on moving for God’s glory

Tanglaw ni Kristo (the church we planted in Mindoro) is now the hub for other Bangon Buhid Mangyan churches for prayer meetings Through the leadership of Ptr Iting Samuel, 5 different churches from 5 different communities have been united They are encouraging one another in continuing the work of the Lord in their tribe inspite of many challenges and difficulties they are facing These men and women of God are serving the last least-reached people group of the Mangyan tribe

Ministry Update: Aguinaldo, Ifugao

by Dahlia E Astrera, RN

66 participants attended the 4-day Basic Ministerial Training for lay workers and pastors at the Awayan Center Hall 24 youth leaders attended the 2-day Leadership training in Maligaya Bible Church The group also conducted two Revival Nights at Monggayang Bible Church and Awayan Center Hall Personal evangelism and natural sharing of testimonies was a new crosscultural experience for the team The team enjoyed an immersion package, sharing their culture through dancing, wearing the Ayangan attire and attending a birthday and thanksgiving party!

They were also invited to speak during the Sunday services in Bugallo Bible Church, Butac Bible Church, Monggayang Bible Church, Chalug Bible Church, Taang Bible Church, Jacmal Bible Church, Ampangal Bible Church and Maligaya Bible Church

Praise God for allowing us to push through with our 2nd quarter visit to Ifugao last July 10-17, after many schedule changes, restrictions, prayer and preparations MAP has been partnering with El Bethel Ministerial Institute, Sapang Palay, Bulacan for many years now

The bible school, through the leadership of Pastor Edwin Andone (Missions Professor), has been exposing their students in MAP’s areas to experience local crosscultural missions and help the churches within the area

What an opportunity to be a blessing to the partner churches of Association of Ifugao Bible Churches (AIBC)! This visit focused on equipping the church in basic ministerial training on Homiletics, Hermeneutics, Biblical Counselling, and Fundamental Truths A separate session for the youth leaders was entitled “Puso para sa Next Generation”

We praise God for all His provisions, for sending partners and prayer warriors as the team entered and left Aguinaldo, Ifugao

The overall experience gave them the desire to go back more equipped and to tell others about the wonderful work God is doing in the churches of Aguinaldo Below are the reflections shared by some of the team members

Awarding of Certificates by EBMI Professors: Ptr Edwin Andone, Ptr Frank Mondejar Ptr Juhdan Basan and Pastora Gladies Cerbito

Courtesy Call to Mayor Gaspar Chilagan Jr (2nd from right) together with El Bethel Ministerial Institute Professors

PRAYER IS THE PRAYER IS THE GREATER WORK. GREATER WORK.

Dito sa Mission na 'to mas ipinakita ng Diyos sa akin yung puso Nya na abutin ang mga taga-Aguinaldo, Ifugao

Before and during the mission, maraming naging pagsubok at problemang kinaharap ang bawat isa sa team Natutunan ko na hindi bed of roses ang mission, aalisin ka talaga nito sa comfort zone mo, dapat flexible ka sa mga task na kailangan gawin at mahalaga na maging sensitive sa boses ng Diyos And personally, mas naging intimate yung relasyon ko sa Lord nung nasa field na 'ko kaya nagpapasalamat ako for this opportunity na makasama sa mission na ito at kung loloobin ng Diyos na makasama ulit ako sa susunod ay buong puso ko itong tatanggapin

Madayaw hi Apo Dios

-Precious Nofies Catague, BS Social Work

This year's mission was a great blessing All of the team members complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses There were a lot of blessings showered during the mission On our first day, only few people showed up We even started with less than 10 people As the seminar went on, we ended up with a total of 66 participants God was the center of this event It led us to a multiple shower of blessings We were provided with good weather, with some rain to experience the cold and the beauty of God's creation The people of Ifugao are very accommodating They are very friendly and receptive to correction The challenges we faced were all about language and really muddy ground when it rained But I can say I will do it again, for God's glory and to serve Him

-Shiela Marie Cano, Financial Advisor

Ministry Update: Singawan , Aurora

by Criselda G Terre, RN

Sitio Singawan But often, no matter how hard we try, our efforts are still insufficient We often end up so tired Recently, God made us realize the best thing we can do David wrote in Psalm 27:14 - “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” The Lord teaches us to wait and to trust Him

Afew months ago, I was a little worried by news that some Dumagats who had already heard the Gospel and claimed to be followers of Christ were being led astray by other preachers with different doctrines My husband, a pastor, thought the reason may be that the believers have to walk far, several kilometers to get to the nearest Christian church As God’s servants, we think that we have to hurry in evangelizing, and do all that can be done We intentionally go to their houses to share the Gospel We even thought of building a church in-

To wait on Him means that we do not need to come up with a solution on our own Sometimes, we have to wait on Him because His ways and timing are perfect Sometimes we have to slow down, to avoid making and repeating mistakes We need to try to understand people and situations, to know their intimate needs, spend time building relationships and serving them to win them for Christ God's timing is indeed perfect He has given us a partner in Mae, a former youth who met the Lord through MAP He is the secretary of the Dumagat Tribal Council who has the heart to lead each of his tribesmen to the Christian faith

Prayer Points

Bangon: Please continue to pray for the disicpleship of the Bangon-Buhid brethren by Ptr Iting and Ptr Giov Afuang Please pray for more volunteers to be led by Paul Bañas for equipping the needs of this church in Mindoro

Dumagat: Continue to remember this tribe in prayer as many other belief systems challenge their faith in Christ May genuine disicpleship ensue and leaders rise from this tribe in Singawan, Aurora Pray for the Terre family, led by Ptr Mark, as they face these challenges

Molbog: Pray for MAP's partnership with the pioneering mission work among the Molbogs in Palawan. Pray also that the first-generation believers would grow deeper in the faith, and that the mission work here will be united and Spirit-filled Pray for more opportunities and creative approaches in sharing the Gospel message Pray for the men and women of peace to be more equipped in discipleship and missions.

Ayangan: Continue to pray for stronger faith of these brethren in Ifugao Also pray that leaders and missionaries will rise among them

www.medambassadorsph.org

For your donations, these are the account For your donations, these are the account numbers of MAP Inc numbers of MAP Inc.

Account Name: Medical Ambassadors Phil. Inc. Account Name: Medical Ambassadors Phil Inc

THE MISSION HAD AN ALL-IN-ONE GOAL -- THE HAD AN ALL-IN-ONE GOAL -TO DISCOVER MYSELF, ENJOY TO DISCOVER MYSELF, ENJOY NATURE, NATURE, MEET NEW PEOPLE, KNOW MORE ABOUT MEET NEW PEOPLE, KNOW MORE ABOUT GOD AND SERVE HIM. GOD AND SERVE HIM.

Shiela Marie Cano

PNB Dollar Savings Account: 399344200016

PNB Dollar Savings Account: 399344200016

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China Bank Peso Savings China Bank Peso Savings Account: 105-004024-2 Account: 105-004024-2

SWIFT CODE: CHBKPHMM

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BDO SAVINGS ACCOUNT: BDO SAVINGS ACCOUNT: 008970161118 008970161118

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(02) 7-759-7981

(02) 7-759-7981

102 Scout Rallos St., Diliman,

102 Scout Rallos St., Diliman, Quezon City Philippines 1101 Quezon City Philippines 1101

P.O. Box 3656 P O Box 3656

Modesto, CA, USA 95352

Modesto, CA, USA 95352

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Dr.AliciaT.Bañas

Thank you for giving 40 years of committed service and leadership in MAP from 1981 to 2022, for working alongside different tribal groups and partners of MAP

Thank you for dedicating your whole life in service to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ through Medical Ambassadors Philippines and its partner churches and organizations

We see the fruit of the Spirit in your passionate leadership and mentorship to everyone in the organization You have blessed MAP generously for many years with your motherly guidance and wisdom gained from experience, study and precious time spent with the LORD

And even now, in your retirement, we thank you for your constant prayers and support to this missional family in Christ Jesus

Truly, together with you, Ma’am Alice, our labor in the Lord is not in vain and indeed is joyous! God bless you richly in your future endeavours as you continue serving Him with the talents He has entrusted to you!

As God leads you to another ministry, our prayer for you is in Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven

TeresitaC.Calupig,RN

Thank you Tess for 12 years of serving and leading partners and tribal groups with MAP

We appreciate your dedication, humility, and compassion in serving communities and guiding the younger workers in MAP Your contagious, joyful enthusiasm and untiring efforts have made the difficulties of mission work easier to bear

May your tribe increase! Thank you for your continuous help to MAP as a volunteer Let us press on to glorify God together in our service!

May you be encouraged by 1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Keep firm and immovable, always abounding in energy for the Lord's work, being sure that in the Lord none of your labours is wasted "

Donations will go to repair and Donations will go to repair and restoration of MAP station, MAP restoration of MAP station, MAP partners' homes, partners' homes, relief food & relief food & materials, and health consultations in materials, and health consultations in Singawan, Pinamaypayan Singawan, Pinamaypayan & Umiray, Dingalan, Aurora & Umiray, Dingalan, Aurora.

You may send your designated donations to the bank account details found in page 7