Hello, this is
the Maranatha Minute.
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More than 40 volunteers
from the Arden Adventist Church
00:00:02.89\00:00:06.08
in North
Carolina hopped on a plane
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right after their Christmas
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to spend their
New Year's holiday
00:00:09.55\00:00:11.13
in the Dominican Republic.
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But it wasn't a vacation,
they were building a church.
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The Arden, North Carolina
team wasn't the only team
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in the Dominican Republic,
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16 volunteers from
past Ultimate Workouts
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also arrived in
this Caribbean country
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to renovate the
Escondido Church.
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The Ultimate
Workout reunion team
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resurfaced the
baptistery, built a water tank,
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installed new toilets and sinks
and held an evangelism meeting.
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The Escondido Church
was originally constructed
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by teens from an
Ultimate Workout in 2002.
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Check out our
Ultimate Workout Facebook page
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to see more photos of
this special mission trip
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at facebook.com
/ultimateworkout.
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Next, listen in on a candid
conversation with doctors,
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dentists and nurses who
rediscovered their calling.
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Hello, there.
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I'm Dick Duerksen, your host
on "Maranatha Mission Stories."
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Today's program
comes from Panama.
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My mission trip that included
group of medical professionals
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who came with their
families to build a school.
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Their tools, trowels, gloves,
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safety glasses and helmets.
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However they
couldn't come to Panama
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without also using
their medical skills.
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After they came
back from a clinic,
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I sat down with
them around a table
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and asked them how it went.
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Come along and listen.
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Okay, so you discovered
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that you're gonna be able to
do a medical clinic on Sunday.
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What were your expectations
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when you heard you're
gonna go to an indigenous tribe
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who still dress in their way
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and that you're gonna be
able to do a medical clinic
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and that the government probably
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isn't really gonna care?
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What were your expectations
of what you would do?
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Who wants to answer me?
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Yes, sir.
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Our flexibility was
the name of the game.
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We have planned to
do this medical clinic
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and it was on,
off, on, off, again.
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In fact the day
we flew down here
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it was probably not
going to happen because,
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A. The medicines were
gonna be too expensive
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if we were
gonna get them at all.
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So we actually had decided
we probably shouldn't do it.
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We came here
and the locals said,
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you know, it really would be
nice if you did it afterwards.
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So we said okay.
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Then a local physician came
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and said, man, you
know, I'm not sure.
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You really should
have a permit for this
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that takes two months to get
but we of course did get that.
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She said, she will
be willing to come along
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with four of her colleagues
actually only she showed up.
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And it turned out to be
with you an awesome experience.
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We had originally
13 of us planned to go
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and ended up that only four were
supposed to see medical patients
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and two dentists but
that was way too little
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because we had such a big
group of patients show up.
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So we ended up having a chip in
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and we saw over 300 rather than
a 50 to 100 that she estimated.
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That was really,
really very nice.
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Overwhelming even
to the local doctor.
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Yes.
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See, they are not
accustomed to this.
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They're not
accustomed to groups coming in
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and doing what you did at all
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and so it's
just totally strange.
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Tell me your experience.
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Well, for dental team, you know,
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we were actually quite honored
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and actually privilege to have
actually a dental missionary
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from Bangladesh Gerardo Toledo
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who was out
there for four years.
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So we were
actually ready for anything.
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If you've been a
dentist in Bangladesh,
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we are ready for anything.
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We had about
probably good 100 instruments
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for any type of
surgeries and we were able to do
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some productive
lots of instruments.
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Lots of Novocaine,
we still have probably
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good for another
100 patients, or so--
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Piece of point, you
know, one of the problems
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that we've had
everywhere in the world
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is whether you make or
how you find a dental chair.
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What did you use
for dental chairs?
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Well, I've learned after
placing different positions
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that the best to see
the patient on the floor,
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and then they laid against our
legs and the head is on the leg,
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and so we have a full
access to all the teeth.
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And though we had
to bend a little bit,
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I've found that
that's the best position
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so that's what we're doing.
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Well, that's a whole lot
work creating a two table chairs
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leaning against each other
or a soccer ball against a tree.
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That really works comfortably?
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Yeah, it is.
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I think the
patient is also comfortable
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because if we
stand behind the patient,
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sometimes somebody had
to be holding their neck.
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In this way they're
resting fully against our legs
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and so there is a--we put
a pillow or something there
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and so they just rest there
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and actually the
last patient we had,
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he had four
molars, one on each corner.
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So he said let's do
the two bottom ones.
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And so he said,
well, do one more.
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And then
everybody was packing on
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and say well, the bus is ready
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and he said, well, do the
last one so we just did for him.
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Got the last teeth out.
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Yes, yes. Oh, that's fine.
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Is that what you expected
for a dental clinic, too?
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Well, you know
we really were ready
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and we had one patient
where a child had bottle caries,
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every single tooth
was basically rotten out.
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And we just
basically to carry couple that,
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you know the worst the molars
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and but you know the patients
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every single one of
them were so cooperative,
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so compliant,
very appreciative...
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Have you ever done this
sit down dental chair record.
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You know actually
this was very first time
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so I learned
new position myself.
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You can use this
in your office, right?
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Oh, yeah.
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What are the kinds of
dental-- medical care you give?
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What did you give?
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I was able to give some
medications to help kids.
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We saw some ear infections
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and some with pretty bad
cough, bronchitis hyper illness.
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So it's nice to do, do something
to help them feel better.
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Other kids were not as sick,
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maybe just
needed some reassurance,
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not sure how
frequently they were able to
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see a physician so sometimes
a little bit of health guidance
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or reassurance is all
that's needed, so I'm--
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Do you speak Spanish? I do.
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That makes it
easier, doesn't it?
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Yeah.
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But you used it a
lot? Yes, I tried.
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And parents, how did the parents
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respond to you
taking care of their kids?
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I think they were all
very grateful to have us there
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and receptive to
what we have to say.
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Cool.
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Well, you know we
actually had several high school
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and college kids helping
us and I think some of them...
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From our volunteers.
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From our volunteers,
right, and many of them
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I think had some
interest in either medicine
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or something in
the medical field
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or want to be a
missionary nurse.
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Yeah, okay.
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Nurse or a
physician or a dentist
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so I think this really
gave them a good opportunity
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to get a good
understanding of that.
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And then we actually
had also one young lady
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who was from the
village, came out,
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she spoke English and Spanish,
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she just said, I
want to come and help,
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help to take care
of my people and so...
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Then you could have taken
her, where did you put her?
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So she was actually right in
what we call our triage area.
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Yeah.
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And so after Lilia
I would do the intake,
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they would come here
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and then myself and my
brother were both the physicians
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and so we're sort
of used to these mobs
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of people coming here
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and we tried to send
them in the right direction
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and then when
they got overwhelmed,
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we tried to take
care of some of ourselves
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and then sort of decrease that,
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you know, the bottle neck.
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In the area they were at,
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you know there is essentially
an indigenous tribe there,
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indigenous
people that we realized
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despite my broken
English I speak Spanish as well.
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But despite our efforts,
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we realized that many of
the seniors in that area,
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they're not really
you know speak Spanish.
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So no English, no Spanish.
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They spoke a specific dialect,
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well, maybe Ngobe-Bugle
and so this young lady,
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obviously actually
she was sort of the bridge
00:08:09.67\00:08:12.32
and was able to
speak to the seniors
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and she, I thought in
mind she was a God sent.
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That's true.
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So she was there
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and just a little while
said tug on her shoulder
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and said thank you and
she just she thanked us
00:08:21.34\00:08:23.39
and she just disappeared.
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And disappeared? Yeah.
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So you don't really
know that was your angel.
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They will take a
picture there and you know
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and try to
express our gratitude.
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Have you looked at the
picture, is she still there?
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Yeah. Exactly.
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As you can tell we
were having a good time.
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Be right back.
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I spent an hour with
a group of caregivers
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after a clinic in Panama.
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The conversation was wonderful.
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Join us.
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In all army cells I
was so much surprised
00:09:21.61\00:09:23.87
that the actual
sort of commonalities
00:09:23.90\00:09:26.81
that we have, you know,
sort of in North America,
00:09:26.84\00:09:31.69
literally we did see
a lot of minor illnesses
00:09:31.72\00:09:33.98
and you know coughs and colds
just like you see back at home.
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But the same time then you
see a lot of sort of conditions
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that obviously we're
not accustomed to seen
00:09:42.36\00:09:44.84
like parasitic disease
or some tropical diseases,
00:09:44.87\00:09:48.27
lots of different
most of tropical rashes
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and we just are not
really familiar with,
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you know, so we did sort to
rely on the patients as well,
00:09:53.36\00:09:59.61
lot of them actually
knew what the problem is
00:09:59.64\00:10:01.32
and so we sort of just refer to
their previous knowledge of what
00:10:01.35\00:10:05.27
and they would come in and
ask for specific medication
00:10:05.30\00:10:07.25
'cause they know
exactly what they needed.
00:10:07.28\00:10:08.63
They said, oh, you know...
00:10:08.66\00:10:09.69
Yeah, we got some of those.
00:10:09.72\00:10:10.79
Sometimes the best, you
know the best sort of hint
00:10:10.82\00:10:13.96
or the best
advice to a physician is,
00:10:13.99\00:10:16.05
you know, get out of the
way and let the patients says
00:10:16.08\00:10:18.23
or let them talk and let them
tell you what the problem is,
00:10:18.26\00:10:21.05
as a person trying
to impose your will
00:10:21.08\00:10:22.65
or impose your
knowledge on them.
00:10:22.68\00:10:25.23
And then I think that
00:10:25.26\00:10:26.41
that was really true
as far as with these--
00:10:26.44\00:10:28.50
I need to find
your chart in sometimes.
00:10:28.53\00:10:32.16
What did you
experience up there?
00:10:32.19\00:10:34.59
Oh, I think the need
thing was just working
00:10:34.62\00:10:37.87
with the native people
that were even different
00:10:37.90\00:10:40.67
from the people we
are interacting with here.
00:10:40.70\00:10:42.76
They have their own culture,
00:10:42.79\00:10:44.24
they're still very
retained in their culture,
00:10:44.27\00:10:47.68
like he mentioned they
have their own language,
00:10:47.71\00:10:49.12
they're colorful...
00:10:49.15\00:10:50.18
Their language is,
tell me again. Ngobe-Bugle.
00:10:50.21\00:10:53.22
Ngobe-Bugle, I've
never heard of that.
00:10:53.25\00:10:56.04
Okay, were they
dressing completely differently?
00:10:56.07\00:10:57.85
Yes, their native clothes
that they all make at home,
00:10:57.88\00:11:00.78
Lilia brought one there.
00:11:00.81\00:11:01.86
That was like the
special dress they make them,
00:11:01.89\00:11:04.07
and it's all
handmade with quilting
00:11:04.10\00:11:06.96
but they look really cute,
different, very bright colors,
00:11:06.99\00:11:09.60
I bought one this
that is not bright color.
00:11:09.63\00:11:11.67
But all this is all handmade
with machine. That's nice.
00:11:11.70\00:11:15.19
And they, the
little girls make them.
00:11:15.22\00:11:17.42
They teach, they
were like 10 or 9 or 12
00:11:17.45\00:11:20.45
and they're the
ones doing these things.
00:11:20.48\00:11:22.18
So you were learning all about,
00:11:22.21\00:11:23.29
how you were helping patients.
00:11:23.32\00:11:25.88
Yeah, we asked them to bring
00:11:25.91\00:11:27.01
the stuff if they
had something to sell.
00:11:27.04\00:11:28.67
That's right, it
always works, doesn't it?
00:11:28.70\00:11:30.44
They always find
something different. Yeah.
00:11:30.47\00:11:32.20
She also explained
that the peaks on here
00:11:32.23\00:11:34.85
represented the mountains
00:11:34.88\00:11:35.94
because they live
up in the mountains
00:11:35.97\00:11:37.56
so that's why
they put all the peaks.
00:11:37.59\00:11:39.33
Was this really a way up
in the mountain experience?
00:11:39.36\00:11:41.42
Yes. Yes, it really was.
00:11:41.45\00:11:42.88
Wow, one of the
things I heard is
00:11:42.91\00:11:45.03
that you were able to
do things at this clinic
00:11:45.06\00:11:50.03
without doing a
lot of paperwork.
00:11:50.06\00:11:55.46
Well, talk about
that. Not too much, yeah.
00:11:55.49\00:11:58.10
Let me talk on that so... Okay.
00:11:58.13\00:12:00.27
So after I got back,
00:12:00.30\00:12:03.18
I sent a couple of
my colleagues an email
00:12:03.21\00:12:07.32
'cause they want to
know how the clinic went
00:12:07.35\00:12:09.84
and I told them we saw
almost 350 people in 6 hours
00:12:09.87\00:12:15.90
and in my ER which is
the very busy ER. Yeah.
00:12:15.93\00:12:19.01
We don't even see
300, the most we've seen is
00:12:19.04\00:12:21.08
maybe 280 and
that's in a 24 hour period.
00:12:21.11\00:12:24.52
And obviously some of
the activity plays a role,
00:12:24.55\00:12:27.49
but a lot of it is the paperwork
00:12:27.52\00:12:29.64
and so it was very refreshing
to be able to see someone,
00:12:29.67\00:12:33.66
diagnosed their
problem and check a box
00:12:33.69\00:12:37.47
and send them on their way.
00:12:37.50\00:12:39.27
And you know I
probably saw myself
00:12:39.30\00:12:42.36
30 or 40 patients
during that period.
00:12:42.39\00:12:45.96
You really felt productive.
00:12:45.99\00:12:47.34
I did, felt very productive
00:12:47.37\00:12:49.02
and it was great
being able to help people,
00:12:49.05\00:12:51.18
you know, you'd see
families come together
00:12:51.21\00:12:53.11
and you could see
everyone in their family
00:12:53.14\00:12:55.70
and you know that would probably
00:12:55.73\00:12:58.19
take an hour in the States.
That's true, that's true.
00:12:58.22\00:13:01.05
For you to able to see
everybody in the family,
00:13:01.08\00:13:02.66
I mean you come into an ER,
00:13:02.69\00:13:04.31
and there maybe
families standing around
00:13:04.34\00:13:06.21
but you
basically try to get them
00:13:06.24\00:13:07.71
out of the way a little bit.
00:13:07.74\00:13:08.92
Well, you know in the ER,
00:13:08.95\00:13:11.22
you almost spend more time
00:13:11.25\00:13:12.33
on the computer
than with patients. Yeah.
00:13:12.36\00:13:14.36
And this was reverse
and it was really great,
00:13:14.39\00:13:16.32
that's the way
medicine used to be
00:13:16.35\00:13:18.31
and so it was great to
be able to do that again.
00:13:18.34\00:13:21.56
I was in the pharmacy
and so I'm not a pharmacist,
00:13:21.59\00:13:25.60
I'm a nurse and but it
was like he was saying these,
00:13:25.63\00:13:29.01
the patients would come
through with their paper
00:13:29.04\00:13:32.04
and I was dispensing
drugs left and right to them
00:13:32.07\00:13:35.81
and then I see a
friend next to them
00:13:35.84\00:13:37.88
got a certain medication,
00:13:37.91\00:13:39.74
especially the stomach
antacids and they were like,
00:13:39.77\00:13:42.85
may I have one of--they didn't
just say may I they just point.
00:13:42.88\00:13:45.42
Yeah, I've one
of the pink is to.
00:13:45.45\00:13:46.89
Gastrogel, gastrogel.
I'm like okay, here you go.
00:13:46.92\00:13:50.15
I mean here in the
States could I just be giving
00:13:50.18\00:13:52.82
out the meds to
everybody but they knew--
00:13:52.85\00:13:54.59
Was that good or was that bad?
00:13:54.62\00:13:56.03
It was great because they
didn't have go back and say,
00:13:56.06\00:13:58.83
this patient would
like to have Gastrogel,
00:13:58.86\00:14:00.65
can you write a
prescription for that?
00:14:00.68\00:14:02.34
And then they came back to
the pharmacy and get it filled.
00:14:02.37\00:14:04.29
I was like, okay,
yes, you can have that one.
00:14:04.32\00:14:06.54
You were able to make that
decision right on the spot.
00:14:06.57\00:14:08.79
So, Marcus Wealthy
00:14:08.82\00:14:13.66
the old fashioned Adventist
physicians now as you were.
00:14:13.69\00:14:17.95
I'd like you just go
around here for a minute
00:14:17.98\00:14:20.68
and talk about the
spiritual experience you had
00:14:20.71\00:14:25.39
and the spiritual
experience you gave for patients
00:14:25.42\00:14:28.14
and their families and include
what you did with prayer.
00:14:28.17\00:14:31.52
Can you do that?
00:14:31.55\00:14:32.62
Let's start here and just
go around the circle clockwise.
00:14:32.65\00:14:37.60
So I'm from Loma
Linda and they talk about
00:14:37.63\00:14:40.85
whole personal care there
00:14:40.88\00:14:41.96
but I will say
during this mission trip,
00:14:41.99\00:14:44.31
I had far more effective
00:14:44.34\00:14:47.82
and far more connected
prayers with the patients.
00:14:47.85\00:14:52.00
You know we can give
00:14:52.03\00:14:53.06
the different
symptomatic medications
00:14:53.09\00:14:54.32
and they may not
be that different
00:14:54.35\00:14:55.85
from what we're
used to have there
00:14:55.88\00:14:58.02
but very unlikely
we'll see that patient ever,
00:14:58.05\00:15:01.26
ever again and if the
last impression you give
00:15:01.29\00:15:04.75
is one you have of a
prayer, of a thought,
00:15:04.78\00:15:08.57
of a respect to a God
that they might hear about,
00:15:08.60\00:15:12.17
they might not hear
about is the only opportunity
00:15:12.20\00:15:15.41
that you would have had
00:15:15.44\00:15:16.69
and I think that is
a little differentiated
00:15:16.72\00:15:19.15
between what we do
in the building project
00:15:19.18\00:15:21.24
because we're typically
not praying with people
00:15:21.27\00:15:24.07
that we don't know and
that's one of the things we have
00:15:24.10\00:15:26.01
and you think about
we saw 350 plus patients,
00:15:26.04\00:15:29.53
that means each one of
them had an opportunity
00:15:29.56\00:15:31.95
to pray with all the physicians.
00:15:31.98\00:15:37.23
I unfortunately didn't
get to pray with anybody
00:15:37.26\00:15:39.85
as most of the physicians know
00:15:39.88\00:15:41.24
I had a long
line in the pharmacy
00:15:41.27\00:15:43.10
lining all the way around.
00:15:43.13\00:15:45.18
But it was
amazing how many patients
00:15:45.21\00:15:47.27
said to me God bless you.
00:15:47.30\00:15:49.60
So I'm going here
trying to bless them
00:15:49.63\00:15:51.52
and they are saying to
me as I'm running around
00:15:51.55\00:15:53.60
trying to get the medication
together, they were blessing me.
00:15:53.63\00:15:57.25
How exciting is that? That's
such a deep coming. Please.
00:15:57.28\00:16:02.99
It's amazing how many people
just need somebody to talk to
00:16:03.02\00:16:07.68
and that's how I felt
seeing a lot of these patients.
00:16:07.71\00:16:11.93
They seem to have a
lot of need than probably
00:16:11.96\00:16:15.19
a lot of them are not met.
00:16:15.22\00:16:17.86
And being able to spend sometime
with them, listen to them.
00:16:17.89\00:16:20.84
You almost felt
bad if you didn't write
00:16:20.87\00:16:22.51
something for them to take home.
00:16:22.54\00:16:24.03
Even if it was just writing
as they were looking for.
00:16:24.06\00:16:26.38
But it was a really
neat experience to be able
00:16:26.41\00:16:28.67
to spend sometime with them.
00:16:28.70\00:16:30.74
And few some of just
bond that we are to form
00:16:30.77\00:16:34.43
like Jesus did when He
was healing the people.
00:16:34.46\00:16:37.65
A lot of them may
not have been to medic
00:16:37.68\00:16:41.86
or physical illness
that He would be healing
00:16:41.89\00:16:45.37
but truly trying
to heal the soul.
00:16:45.40\00:16:48.49
So I think a lot of the
role of that we had in this,
00:16:48.52\00:16:53.44
you know, clinic
was really trying
00:16:53.47\00:16:55.67
to connect with the
person spiritually as well.
00:16:55.70\00:16:59.43
At this point, the
interview moves from the clinic
00:16:59.46\00:17:02.31
to how they prayed
with their patients.
00:17:02.34\00:17:05.40
Well, let's take just a minute
and look at some of the projects
00:17:05.43\00:17:07.76
that are upcoming
here at Maranatha,
00:17:07.79\00:17:09.22
and then we'll
come back to Panama.
00:17:09.25\00:17:10.97
Mission trips are a common
event in the Christian world.
00:17:12.12\00:17:15.30
Certainly,
Maranatha didn't invent
00:17:15.33\00:17:17.06
the concept of the mission trip
00:17:17.09\00:17:18.87
but we've had more
than 40 years of experience.
00:17:18.90\00:17:22.07
We work with hundreds of church
00:17:22.10\00:17:23.84
and school groups to
organize mission trips.
00:17:23.87\00:17:26.72
From selecting a
site to providing
00:17:26.75\00:17:28.53
in-country support staff,
00:17:28.56\00:17:30.41
Maranatha makes it easy
for anyone to coronate a trip.
00:17:30.44\00:17:34.38
If you're interested in
taking a team on a mission trip,
00:17:34.41\00:17:37.34
contact our projects department
to discuss the details.
00:17:37.37\00:17:40.85
We'll walk you through the steps
00:17:40.88\00:17:42.46
and even give you ideas
on fundraising and outreach.
00:17:42.49\00:17:45.92
If you don't want to lead a trip
00:17:45.95\00:17:47.77
but still want
to go on a project,
00:17:47.80\00:17:49.66
simply go on the
Maranatha website
00:17:49.69\00:17:51.71
to see what opportunities
00:17:51.74\00:17:52.99
are available on
our project calendar.
00:17:53.02\00:17:56.78
Each year we have
dozens of opportunities
00:17:56.81\00:17:59.01
for individuals
wanting to serve.
00:17:59.04\00:18:01.13
Anyone can join, just
fill out a registration form
00:18:01.16\00:18:04.20
and we'll contact you
to begin the conversation.
00:18:04.23\00:18:07.19
To serve with
Maranatha, go to maranatha.org.
00:18:07.22\00:18:10.84
Our program today
features a group of clinicians,
00:18:12.50\00:18:16.31
professional caregivers
who were with us in Panama
00:18:16.34\00:18:19.51
and at this
point of conversation,
00:18:19.54\00:18:20.94
everything shits
and you'll find prayer
00:18:20.97\00:18:23.89
in the center of it. Watch this.
00:18:23.92\00:18:26.22
You know for me I
prayed with my patients
00:18:26.25\00:18:29.13
from time to time in the States,
00:18:29.16\00:18:31.46
especially those
before procedures.
00:18:31.49\00:18:33.41
But here, it was neat because
00:18:33.44\00:18:35.47
you could pray
with every single one,
00:18:35.50\00:18:37.25
if I did that in the States,
00:18:37.28\00:18:38.78
they'd probably
think I'm pretty crazy.
00:18:38.81\00:18:40.87
But here, it was almost expected
00:18:40.90\00:18:42.74
so it was really,
really a nice experience.
00:18:42.77\00:18:45.14
Just refreshing, isn't
it? Yes, absolutely amazing.
00:18:45.17\00:18:48.68
Yes, you know I did get to pray
00:18:48.71\00:18:50.56
and I had opportunity
to pray with a few patients
00:18:50.59\00:18:54.04
but honestly you know
I thought that I gained
00:18:54.07\00:18:56.09
more than what I was
able to offering the patients.
00:18:56.12\00:18:58.98
And I really I do feel
00:18:59.01\00:19:00.90
you certainly
blessed for that opportunity.
00:19:00.93\00:19:03.82
It's amazing to me how
many times I hear that comment
00:19:03.85\00:19:06.81
from a physician
on a mission trip.
00:19:06.84\00:19:09.36
Maybe it's the direct contact
that you've been talking about
00:19:09.39\00:19:12.87
or the ability to listen more,
00:19:12.90\00:19:14.99
but it really is
effective. Please.
00:19:15.02\00:19:18.11
I had a little bit of
change of my see of mind
00:19:18.14\00:19:22.07
partway through the clinic.
00:19:22.10\00:19:23.33
At first I think I felt the
trappings of word back home,
00:19:23.36\00:19:28.67
you see a long line
of patients out the door
00:19:28.70\00:19:31.65
and in triage and my
natural response is you know,
00:19:31.68\00:19:36.28
I need to speed up
and get and try to help
00:19:36.31\00:19:39.42
as many of these
people as quickly as possible.
00:19:39.45\00:19:43.22
And after few patients,
00:19:43.25\00:19:45.30
I realized this is
not my regular clinic,
00:19:45.33\00:19:48.43
I'm here not just to try
to make them physically better
00:19:48.46\00:19:53.17
but spiritually as well
00:19:53.20\00:19:56.43
and so I kind of
slowdown a little bit,
00:19:56.46\00:19:58.86
took more time, tried to
pray in my rudimentary Spanish
00:19:58.89\00:20:03.36
and as a result I
felt much more peace
00:20:03.39\00:20:07.53
than I think that
made a huge difference.
00:20:07.56\00:20:10.10
You felt that peace so did they?
00:20:10.13\00:20:12.40
Yeah.
00:20:12.43\00:20:14.30
I saw pediatrics patients and...
00:20:14.33\00:20:16.82
So you just saw all the kids.
00:20:16.85\00:20:18.96
Saw the kids,
between the two of us.
00:20:18.99\00:20:20.62
Yeah, that's
fun. Saw all the kids.
00:20:20.65\00:20:22.09
And like they've
mentioned before many of them
00:20:22.12\00:20:25.84
came for very basic
things, cough, fever, diahorrea,
00:20:25.87\00:20:28.95
stomach pain, headache,
you know, typical things.
00:20:28.98\00:20:31.77
All the stuff
that on the television
00:20:31.80\00:20:33.24
when it says you
got to take this,
00:20:33.27\00:20:34.60
or by the way
the side effects are?
00:20:34.63\00:20:36.21
Right.
00:20:36.24\00:20:37.58
All of those you saw, okay.
00:20:37.61\00:20:38.67
All of that.
00:20:38.70\00:20:39.88
So you know maybe not terribly,
terribly be sick or esoteric
00:20:39.91\00:20:44.31
but I found like,
you know they came to us,
00:20:44.34\00:20:47.07
they wanted to see
the American physicians,
00:20:47.10\00:20:48.84
they wanted to have their
kids examined to be reassured,
00:20:48.87\00:20:52.70
and then I keep
praying with them
00:20:52.73\00:20:53.99
just really gave
them that sense of care.
00:20:54.02\00:20:58.23
Were these people Christians?
00:20:58.26\00:20:59.48
I don't know honestly.
00:20:59.51\00:21:01.45
I don't think that they are
00:21:01.48\00:21:02.65
because I heard
that and I'm not sure
00:21:02.68\00:21:05.30
if I'm not good but I heard
00:21:05.33\00:21:06.37
that there's
some things up there
00:21:06.40\00:21:07.84
with sun worshipers and some...
00:21:07.87\00:21:09.22
Lots of on a
mission. Lots of on a mission.
00:21:09.25\00:21:11.13
Very different things
from what we are accustomed to.
00:21:11.16\00:21:14.02
But definitely
nobody was offended.
00:21:14.05\00:21:16.77
You know I always
ask may I pray with you
00:21:16.80\00:21:18.79
and nobody did can't.
00:21:18.82\00:21:20.78
Nobody said no please?
00:21:20.81\00:21:21.90
Nobody said no and they
did seem very appreciative
00:21:21.93\00:21:24.11
and I think
again seeing patients
00:21:24.14\00:21:26.47
as something that you're doing
00:21:26.50\00:21:28.44
because you want
to use your skills
00:21:28.47\00:21:30.19
not only to help them physically
but to nurture them spiritually.
00:21:30.22\00:21:34.47
There's so much more
for you than seeing patients
00:21:34.50\00:21:36.91
when you're earning a paycheck.
00:21:36.94\00:21:39.31
So when you're doing a
emergency room work at home,
00:21:39.34\00:21:41.72
you don't often pray
with patients, do you?
00:21:41.75\00:21:44.01
No, it's quite
difficult. It's trash piece,
00:21:44.04\00:21:47.51
but actually I
invite yes the question
00:21:47.54\00:21:49.42
because what inspired me
the most about this clinic
00:21:49.45\00:21:52.05
was actually seeing I
guess my new colleagues here.
00:21:52.08\00:21:56.90
You know they took the time
00:21:56.93\00:21:57.96
they prayed with
the different patients
00:21:57.99\00:22:00.18
and I sort of
thought about that,
00:22:00.21\00:22:01.94
you know, as an
Adventist, as a Christian,
00:22:01.97\00:22:06.76
you know you can give
hope to your patients.
00:22:06.79\00:22:10.05
Lot of them, you know I've
met actually several Adventists
00:22:10.08\00:22:12.45
that have come to my ER and
one of them came on a Saturday
00:22:12.48\00:22:15.35
and said, you
know I was at church
00:22:15.38\00:22:17.49
and I sort of felt passed out
00:22:17.52\00:22:19.91
and so, you
know, Saturday church,
00:22:19.94\00:22:21.47
I said well, are
you an Adventist?
00:22:21.50\00:22:22.74
And then right away,
there's a connection,
00:22:22.77\00:22:24.36
a familiarity and comfort.
00:22:24.39\00:22:26.62
And so, you know, what I gained
most out of this experience
00:22:26.65\00:22:29.66
was seeing that if there is,
00:22:29.69\00:22:34.36
you know, if you can create some
comfort through your religion,
00:22:34.39\00:22:38.31
through the love of
God, through love of Christ,
00:22:38.34\00:22:41.48
then you can put
patients at ease.
00:22:41.51\00:22:43.36
And so I'm actually trying
to in my mind think of ways
00:22:43.39\00:22:46.30
how I can
incorporate that in my practice
00:22:46.33\00:22:48.14
when I get back home.
00:22:48.17\00:22:50.55
Give me the last word.
00:22:50.58\00:22:53.24
Well, as the Loma Linda
model says "To Make Man Whole",
00:22:53.27\00:22:56.34
it was truly one
of those experience
00:22:56.37\00:22:58.25
where we could
touch the patient,
00:22:58.28\00:23:01.66
hug them, give
them emotional healing,
00:23:01.69\00:23:05.26
detract the tooth
whatever the toothache,
00:23:05.29\00:23:07.22
the physical healing and
to be able to pray with them,
00:23:07.25\00:23:10.03
do physical healing
and have spiritual healing.
00:23:10.06\00:23:12.99
Doctor Allen's daughter
was my translator, Rebecca.
00:23:13.02\00:23:16.34
And you know to see a youngster,
00:23:16.37\00:23:18.42
a teenager to
hold patient's hand
00:23:18.45\00:23:21.81
and just truly just
with the caring mind to pray
00:23:21.84\00:23:26.85
and to see witness that was
really a touching moment for me.
00:23:26.88\00:23:31.54
Martha Lucia lives in
the Dominican Republic.
00:23:31.57\00:23:34.30
Three years ago, she decided
00:23:34.33\00:23:35.81
to start a
church within in home.
00:23:35.84\00:23:37.68
The church she'd been
going to was too far away.
00:23:37.71\00:23:40.61
You have to understand
that in the Dominican Republic,
00:23:40.64\00:23:43.33
many people don't own cars.
00:23:43.36\00:23:45.49
They take public
transportation or walk,
00:23:45.52\00:23:47.95
sometimes
running a simple errand
00:23:47.98\00:23:49.90
or even going to
church can take a lot of time.
00:23:49.93\00:23:52.88
This was the case
with Martha Lucia,
00:23:52.91\00:23:55.11
so she and her husband opened up
00:23:55.14\00:23:56.68
their living room
for worship services.
00:23:56.71\00:23:58.81
They invited
everyone in their community
00:23:58.84\00:24:01.18
and on the first
meeting, they had 25 people.
00:24:01.21\00:24:04.27
The problem was they
didn't have enough chairs.
00:24:04.30\00:24:07.18
She told her husband, go
out and buy some more chairs.
00:24:07.21\00:24:10.13
But neither of
them had any money.
00:24:10.16\00:24:12.44
So Martha Lucia and her
husband prayed for chairs
00:24:12.47\00:24:15.12
so that the people
gathered in their home
00:24:15.15\00:24:16.95
could have a place
to sit during worship.
00:24:16.98\00:24:19.58
In the meantime the
group kept meeting and growing.
00:24:19.61\00:24:23.08
Soon, the group needed more room
00:24:23.11\00:24:25.26
and Martha Lucia was able
to find another space to meet,
00:24:25.29\00:24:28.75
but it needed to be cleaned.
00:24:28.78\00:24:30.86
It was there while cleaning
that she came upon a surprise
00:24:30.89\00:24:34.10
that brought her to tears.
00:24:34.13\00:24:35.86
In a dusty old folder,
Martha Lucia found $250,
00:24:35.89\00:24:40.94
it was a miracle.
00:24:40.97\00:24:42.87
Martha Lucia
purchased more chairs
00:24:42.90\00:24:45.55
and today those
same chairs are now
00:24:45.58\00:24:47.41
in a beautiful
new one day church
00:24:47.44\00:24:49.26
that generous Maranatha donors
and volunteers help to build.
00:24:49.29\00:24:54.73
The ultimate
pretty going church,
00:24:54.76\00:24:56.61
Martha Lucia's church was
dedicated in December, 2013.
00:24:56.64\00:25:01.61
When Martha Lucia started
the church group in her home,
00:25:01.64\00:25:04.43
she was stepping out in faith,
00:25:04.46\00:25:06.42
she believed the
Lord would provide
00:25:06.45\00:25:08.58
and He did in a very big way.
00:25:08.61\00:25:11.52
There are so many
people like Martha Lucia
00:25:11.55\00:25:13.67
who are praying
for place to worship
00:25:13.70\00:25:15.93
and now Maranatha is
stepping out in faith
00:25:15.96\00:25:17.65
to build more churches
in the Dominican Republic.
00:25:17.68\00:25:20.92
Please help be
part of the miracles
00:25:20.95\00:25:22.30
by making a donation.
00:25:22.33\00:25:24.09
Visit our website or
call toll free number now.
00:25:24.12\00:25:27.10
Several years ago, my
good friend Tom Werner,
00:25:32.06\00:25:34.34
president of
Adventist Health Systems,
00:25:34.37\00:25:36.09
handed me an
article listing 10 reasons
00:25:36.12\00:25:39.59
to not do short
term mission trips.
00:25:39.62\00:25:42.32
Read this he said,
come up with a strategy
00:25:42.35\00:25:44.46
that answers the problems
00:25:44.49\00:25:45.68
and gives more of our hospital
employees involved in missions.
00:25:45.71\00:25:49.43
Well, the strategy we developed,
00:25:49.46\00:25:50.98
the footprint plan for missions
has hundreds of employees
00:25:51.01\00:25:55.26
involved in
footprint mission trips
00:25:55.29\00:25:56.97
all around the world every year.
00:25:57.00\00:25:59.27
One part of the footprint
00:25:59.30\00:26:00.85
is the active
involvement of physicians,
00:26:00.88\00:26:03.08
nurses and other
caregivers in mission trips
00:26:03.11\00:26:05.81
that have been planned
to bring a long-term impact.
00:26:05.84\00:26:10.21
Something very
similar happens at Maranatha.
00:26:10.24\00:26:12.65
When a Maranatha volunteer team
00:26:12.68\00:26:14.25
chooses to
conduct medical clinics,
00:26:14.28\00:26:16.61
my wife Brenda
helps organize the plans
00:26:16.64\00:26:19.46
and when the volunteers arrive,
00:26:19.49\00:26:21.19
they're prepared to
share medical skills
00:26:21.22\00:26:23.41
in ways of true
relief a meaningful
00:26:23.44\00:26:27.13
long term footprint
wherever they serve.
00:26:27.16\00:26:30.89
However, another key aspect
of footprint medical missions
00:26:30.92\00:26:35.92
is that the
caregivers themselves
00:26:35.95\00:26:37.56
will be changed in ways
00:26:37.59\00:26:38.73
that are transformative in
clinical practices at home.
00:26:38.76\00:26:43.56
As I've listened to caregivers,
00:26:43.59\00:26:44.78
returning from mission
trips around the world,
00:26:44.81\00:26:46.87
I've heard many phrases like,
I will never treat a patient
00:26:46.90\00:26:50.90
as just a broken arm again
or these clinics have shown me
00:26:50.93\00:26:56.24
that every person I
treat is a prince or princess,
00:26:56.27\00:26:59.84
a child of God deserving
the very best I can give.
00:26:59.87\00:27:03.77
The footprint of
long term transformation
00:27:03.80\00:27:07.82
in clinical
practice, emergency room,
00:27:07.85\00:27:10.38
dental care,
caregiver listening,
00:27:10.41\00:27:13.13
that leaves trail of kindness,
00:27:13.16\00:27:15.38
honor, value and love in
many lives all around the world.
00:27:15.41\00:27:20.79
There's an old
Christian song comes to mind,
00:27:20.82\00:27:23.92
they will know we are
Christians by our love.
00:27:23.95\00:27:28.82
Short term
mission trips well planned
00:27:28.85\00:27:32.21
are really long term
lessons in God's love.
00:27:32.24\00:27:37.50
Thanks for joining us today.
00:27:37.53\00:27:39.21
I'm Dick Duerksen, your host
of Maranatha Mission Stories
00:27:39.24\00:27:41.98
looking forward
to see you next week
00:27:42.01\00:27:43.75
as together we make
footprints with God's love.
00:27:43.78\00:27:48.60