mapline The Official Newsletter of
MEDICAL AMBASSADORS PHILIPPINES, INC. Volume XXVII No. 1
Journey with us in 2015
Happy New Year! 2014 was a year of overflowing provisions,
healing, and equipping of workers. With trust and faith in God’s power and grace, we were able to face the challenges in the ministry. To all our partners, friends, and prayer warriors, I appeal to you to journey with us again as we endeavor to accomplish our vision, mission, and goals in the next five years.
Our Vision To see God-honouring, transformed, indigenous, marginalized, and least reached communities in the Philippines and other developing countries. Our Mission Empower and equip faith-based communities in integrated health care and cross-cultural missions toward wholistic transformation. Our Goals 1. An established and operational MAP ECCLESHALOM (CB-HELP) Center for Primary Health Care and Discipleship Ministry (Cross Cultural Missions) 2. Faith-based communities equipped to do integrated health care and actively engaging in cross-cultural missions and mobilization. 3. Communities are able to prevent their own illnesses, maintain healthy lifestyle, are evangelized, and discipled. 4. Transformed communities manifested by improved health status, capability in organizing themselves, making decisions, evangelizing, and discipling their own people.
Alicia T. Bañas EVP
February 2015
How God used a Physician to Recount the Christmas Story
by Eleazar O. Sarmiento, MD MAP FOUNDER
Although Dr. Luke was not one of the
disciples, God saw it fit to use him to do a detailed and accurate research (as a scientist would) of the data given him by eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. He says in Luke 1:3-4, “Therefore since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Among the gospels, Luke is the only one that goes into the details of Jesus’ birth, while Matthew deals with the history. Take note that physicians are trained to do accurate research work. This is probably why God chose to use Dr. Luke for this particular work to insure the certainty of the events of Jesus’ birth and life. Again, as a physician, he was also trained in careful accounting. This, we observe in the two to page 4...
COMMUNITY-BASED PRIMARY HEALTH CARE MINISTRY ABRA DE ILOG, OCCIDENTAL MINDORO Areas: Brgy. Poblacion, Sitio Bagolayag, Brgy. Wawa People Groups: Iraya Mangyans, Visayans, Tagalogs HIGHLIGHT -50 children graduated from Child-to-Child Health Scouts Training Program
PUERTO GALERA, ORIENTAL MINDORO Areas: Sitio Sipit Saburan, and Sitio Ambang, Brgy. Villaflor People Group: Iraya Mangyans HIGHLIGHTS -Sustenance and strengthening phase -Family Health Workers’ Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) Training -Leadership training and evaluation last May -Christmas program last December
UMIRAY, AURORA Areas: Sitio Singawan, Sitio Pinamaypayan, Balete, Libis, Saplot, Maksa,Maypan, Malaya, and Dayapan People Groups: Dumagat, Ilokano,Bisaya, Bikolano, and Tagalog
HIGHLIGHTS -Ongoing Church-based Health Education for Lay People -Venue of Operaton Samaria last May with the theme, “PARANAWAN (All Nations)”
KINARAGAN, LIMAY, BATAAN People Groups: Magbukon Ayta, Zambal Aeta and Tagalog HIGHLIGHTS -Sustenance and strengthening phase -Partnering with God’s Living Grace Ministry for M outreach
SAN JOSE, TARLAC Areas: Sitio Tangan Tangan and Sitio Dirita, San Jose, Tarlac People Group: Ayta Abellen and Ilocano HIGHLIGHTS -Community Assembly held last October -Installation of water purifying system by Dr. Jun Garcia and Sola Gracia -Medical and dental services done last August -Special youth gathering last August; 26 students accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior
MEDICAL MISSIONS SUPPORTED IN 2014 1. Banate Baptist Church 2. Hilgendorf Clinic, Aguinaldo, Ifugao 3. Lawaan and Hernani Eastern Samar 4. Hernani, Eastern Samar 5. San Roque and Barangay 95A Tacloban City 6. UCCP Church in Tolosa, Leyte. 7. RHU Center of Dulag 8. Action International Ministries KIDS Home 9. UMC Southern District 10. Caloocan Bible Church
11. Jesus the Great Shepherd Fellowship International 12. Arenda, Taytay-Ms Medical service in partnership with Community Development workers Medical services- 3391 Surgical services- 24 Dental services- 309 Optical services- 35 Gospel was shared in every mission conducted.
Mission HIMpossible – Christmas in the Mountain by Natan Rotap
Every Christmas season, people get busy preparing for parties, exchanging gifts and sharing food. That is how we usually celebrate here in the lowland. Meanwhile, there is a group of people in the mountains whose holiday is spent in silence. They celebrate Christmas like an ordinary day, while we city people hold extravagant gatherings. In December 2011, a group of young mountain climbers, including myself, conducted an event called Mission HIMpossible to celebrate Christmas with the mountain communities. Later on, we decided to continue holding the event every Christmas season. The purpose of this seasonal event is to share the love of Christ and to celebrate the real essence of Christmas with our tribal family in Christ.
CHURCH-BASED HEALTH EDUCATION FOR LAY PEOPLE (CB-HELP) Ministry 1. Guiding Light Christian Church Health Education Training, Baguio City. 2. PHC training in Abra de Ilog with Ministry of Christ the True Vine (MCTV) churches 3. Started Benchmarking the CB-HELP Training Program to evaluate the impact of HELP training to 300 churches/faith-based organizations in Mindanao, Bohol, Ilocos Sur, and Metro Manila among others.
Recently, by the grace and blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ, we accomplished Mission HIMpossible 2014 in Sitio Sipit Saburan and Sitio Ambang, Puerto Galera with Mangyan families. Although we were just four in the team, we did our best in the activities and committed them to the Lord. God gave me a lot of new experiences in this trip, the first time that I led a mission team. What a blessed time it was! Here are some excerpts of insights from my teammates. “...It allowed me to reflect on my own spiritual walk and how I trust God with everything. It reminded me of the fair-weather believers, those who follow God when everything is “smooth-sailing” or for what they can get. This kind of superficial faith can easily be destroyed by a taste of adversity. However, adversity strengthens genuine faith (2 Corinthians 11:23-30). It causes believers to dig their roots deeper into God and to lay their foundation on Christ in order to withstand storms…” –Kheita “… The Lord taught me how to mingle with the Mangyans, by showing respect, acceptance, by sharing our blessings and giving encouragement to them as we love them. At the same to page 4...
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writings, Luke and Acts. Finally, note that the physician’s purpose was to bring about assurance and certainty of the things his reader has been taught. Note too that his reader was no ordinary person. Theophilus was believed to be a high ranking official of the Roman government. As medical missionaries and health workers, there is a challenge beyond our work of giving health care, to do continuing investigation and research of the information we receive from the Word and life itself. We also have a
responsibility of teaching and practicing the information we discover in an orderly manACKN OW LED G M ENT O F ner. With this we keep in mind that our purSU PPO RTERS pose is to instill certainty and assurance in the hearts of those that we minister to, whether BECAUSE YOU PRAY to lay people or to people in important and We are encouraged and inspired to minister and provide healing to the influential positions. sick, strength to the weak, and salvation to the lost. Dr. Luke, a partner of the missionary Paul, summarizes for us the work and responsibil- BECAUSE YOU SHARE ity of a missionary health worker and sets an We are enabled to go places and bring to many people your tangible expresexample. sions of love assuring them they are not forgotten. ...from page 3 BECAUSE YOU RESPOND TO THE CALL Many lives have been blessed by your time I learned from them because they presence, showing comfort, and letting people know they are not alone are faithful in serving . in their suffering.
Let us celebrate God’s faithfulness!
the Lord despite the difficulties. They are satisfied with what they have; they relied on the Lord…” –Jestoni
ed ito r ia l sta ff
“….God revealed to me that climbing up Mrs. Belle Puruganan-Villanueva Editor the mountains is like our Christian life. You will experience rains that will cause Mrs. Alice T. Bañas Editorial Adviser you to stumble and fall down, insects that will bite, tiredness and muscle MAP Workers Contributing Writers cramps. In the same way in our Christian life, we experience problems and Asheri Ira C. Bañas Layout wrong decisions that make us stumble and fall, people who hurt you, tiredness in waiting for answered prayers. But connect with us God reminded me of Luke 9:23...”-Renz medicalambassadorsphil@gmail.com /medambassadors.ph
For your donations, please be informed of MAP, Inc.’s Bank accounts: China Bank Corp Account (Peso): Account Name: Medical Ambassadors Phil. Inc. Peso Savings Account: 105-004024-2 PNB Account (Dollar): Account Name: Medical Ambassadors Phil. Inc. Dollar Savings Account: 399344200016
M E D I CA L A M B AS SA D O RS P H I LI P P I N ES I N C. 102 Scout Rallos St., Diliman, Quezon City Philippines 1101 Phone No. (02) 664-2292/ (02) 415-9068 E-mail: medicalambassadorsphil@gmail.com FB Page: Medical Ambassadors Philippines
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