18th Rosa Mystica Medical Mission in the Philippines (3)

Opening Ceremony of the Mission

On Sunday, February 2, the entire team of volunteers met in General Santos, the southernmost city in the Philippines on the island of Mindanao. The inaugural session is held at Pinobre Park, where the volunteers are housed and from where all our expeditions to the surrounding mountains will start. Each person presents himself under his national color. There were ten different origins this year among the volunteers, including a new doctor from Brazil.

Yolly, the permanent nurse of ACIM-Asia, explains the work that is accomplished during the year and that the patients received during the missions. This is an opportunity to discover the fruits of the last two missions. Thus, a young mother from the Blaan tribe, in full traditional dress, wanted to express her gratitude to the mission. Indeed, her dying baby recovered his health thanks to the surgical interventions financed by ACIM-Asia.

The young mother particularly highlighted the persevering and attentive support she has received. This selfless charity that she observed with amazement, was for her a revelation that led her to baptism, with the grace of God. Now a pillar of the small community that is slowly developing in her village, she joined the catechumens to find land to donate for the construction of a small chapel.

Fr. Timothy Pfeiffer (Fr. Tim) blessed the statue of Our Lady of the Poor, which has traveled from the Ardennes to the tropics. Perched on her small flowered litter, she will lead the procession that will allow her to take possession of the territories where the volunteers and missionaries go.

With Our Lady of the Poor on their side, the volunteers would go, during these six days of medical and spiritual mission, to relieve the suffering of Our Lady's children. She will bring them the source of peace, the Light that enlightens all nations, faithful to the promise she made to little Mariette Béco.

A Difficult Climb to Datal Anggas

The storm on Sunday evening, February 2, compromised our climb to Datal Anggas. The road does not yet go to the village and the last few kilometers are under construction. Given the slopes and the state of the ground after the torrential rains of the day before, it was not certain that the dump trucks transporting volunteers and equipment would be able to arrive safely.

By Divine Providence, the bulldozer that was in place for the work in progress was able to catch the vehicles that were losing their traction in the mud slide and push them to the village. The experienced driver of one of the trucks, who was not so presumptuous as to rely only on himself, replied to a frightened passenger: “Here is the grace of God," while kissing his scapular. His prayer was echoed by the singing of the Salve Regina by the volunteers who, in the back of the truck, were not feeling very well.

It took three hours of travel to reach the first mission location lost in the mountains of Alabel. Contrary to what had been planned, the team of volunteers stayed overnight under the good guard of the Philippine army, in order not to multiply the danger of the journey. Sadly, this close guard did not prevent thieves from breaking into the municipal school to steal photographic equipment. 

In this village, there was no electricity, which they lose with each weather disturbance. However, the municipal services were able to provide a generator that would allow the surgeon to practice his art, and the nomadic analysis laboratory to provide its results.

On Monday, 337 patients from the village of Datal Anggas and more remote communities were able to receive care. A patient with poor eyesight walked four hours to Datal Anggas to get a pair of glasses. A young mother and her baby, who came from very far away, unfortunately arrived after the patient registration closed.

We are indeed obliged to stop receiving patients in the middle of the afternoon. Each step requires a long waiting time. And despite this quota of patients, the pharmacists "closed shop" around 9 p.m. that evening. Yolly offered the young woman accommodation on site.

The day concluded with a night Mass under the municipal courtyard, which was attended by volunteers and a few patients. A man suffering from a significant recurrence of a parotid tumor that has already been operated on and irradiated followed piously with his young wife and children. They benefitted from a long interview with Fr. Tim, who prepared them to face the upcoming trials with faith and confidence.

The next day, Tuesday, February 4, the volunteers got to work at 7 a.m. In the early afternoon, the mayor of Alabel and his municipal council, who climbed up to Datal Anggas, honored the mission with an official visit with speeches of thanks, group photos, etc. 

280 were received despite the early closing time. It was indeed necessary to pack up and make the return trip before nightfall, because of the state of the slopes and the risk of storms.