The First Few Weeks

I thought I would post one of the stories I wrote early in my time in the Philippines even though it has been a while since it happened.

We arrived in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Thursday, September 12. That afternoon we drove the 4-5 hour drive down to Brooke's Point where we spent the next few days at Minan's (Mrs. George's) house. The following Sunday the three of us new student missionaries moved to the farm for Boot Camp. The farm is where the project grows rice to support all the workers and to provide work for some Palawanos. There at the farm we stayed in a roomy thatch roofed hut and learned to live and talk like Palawanos. We had a native lady teach us how to cook the local way, wash clothes by hand, open and grate coconuts, etc. We also hand pumped our water from the pump nearby for showering and washing dishes and clothes.
The farm is a very peaceful place, and I enjoyed it there although at times the different lifestyle was tiring since I was not used to it. During those times though, I would look up at the beautiful mountains in the distance where Kematian lies nestled, and I would remember why I was there at the farm. Learning the Palawano way of life would help me better relate to the people in the mountains when I got up there.
This last weekend was my first big lesson in flexibility. It was my last weekend in the lowlands before going up to the mountains. Plans literally changed overnight. Friday evening we were planning to go to visit a church in Malis, a town nearby. The next morning I learned that Kaylin, another student missionary who has been on Palawan a year already, and I would accompany two patients to Puerto for testing.
It definitely was a different Sabbath as we rode up to Puerto in the ambulance and then worked on coordinating care for the patients. The tests ended up not happening until Monday so we stayed in Puerto longer than we had planned.
Thankfully both tests showed no major problems. Monday night both patients and I were able to leave Puerto while Kaylin stayed behind to take care of the hospital bills. When we got to the hospital in Brooke's it was nearly midnight. The patient needed a bag of fluids which I had to go get from another hospital just down the street. Thankfully there was a helpful man who took the patient's husband and I there and back in his trike. The patient was taken to her toom and her husback came with me to try to find a trike to Minan's house. It was getting more towards 1 am now and there were no trikes available. Again God provided and a willing person took me home on his motorbike.
I went to sleep that night very thankful for a God who takes care of all the little logistics in life and who I can trust to care for the bigger things too. Thank-you for all your prayers! I know prayers can do some powerful things when they are directed to the One who holds all power. He even has the power to drastically transform lives -- ours included.