Medical Assistance & Counseling

When God Calls Us, He Will Surely Provide

By Jonalie Sison and Dorothy Agnabo

A medical mission could not be classified as one if you neither have a doctor nor the medicines. Just a few days before the trip, the team started off with only one volunteer doctor, one volunteer nurse and an incomplete list of medical stock.

During the orientation meeting with ENCS and VCF- GenSan volunteers, we were all relieved when we learned that there was one more volunteer doctor (Dr Cyril Banas) coming, a number of volunteer nurses from VCF-GenSan would also participate, and the medicines needed had already been delivered. We knew that something big was really coming.

It was amazing how God orchestrated everything. The two pharmacists assigned in counseling and in dispensing medicines had specialized in handling children and elderly patients; and fortunately, most of the patients in the villages we would be visiting belonged to those two categories. Moreover, all of the volunteer nurses could understand and speak the language of the province fluently.

The enemy has been defeated.  That was our battle cry on our first day.  We knew that when we’re doing something for the glory of God, the enemy would also be at work to hinder God’s plan. One of our volunteer doctors had to fly back to Manila because of her father’s medical condition. In our limited minds, we asked, “Could we still do with one doctor around?” But we were wrapped with peace because we believed that God would provide. As what was written in the Bible in Isaiah 8:10 “Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us”.  The enemy did all its best, but none of its plans succeeded because this medical mission was God’s. The next day, two doctors joined us -  Dr. Esther Alon and Dr. Antonieta Montemayor. We only asked for one but God gave a double portion! 

The team had a very limited budget for the whole mission trip. In the orientation, we found out that the number of patients were more than the available medicines. We were worried that the budget might not be enough since we wanted to cater to and serve all the four communities. We asked God to shake the heavens and the earth to provide for His children and He immediately responded. The medicines overflowed, like a jar that never ran out of oil. At the end of the second day, the medicines turned out to be more than enough and we even had extra to give to the rest of the people in the communities. On top of that, the owner of the pharmacy whom we bought the medicines from, asked us to just pay her with the remaining amount that was left from our budget. Indeed, meeting that Good Samaritan was a divine appointment. 

It might be true that this medical mission would not be possible without medicines and doctors. But it was not about the number of doctors and the availability of medicines. It was about God’s Divine Hand that touched the hearts of every single person who contributed which made this mission trip possible and successful. 

Everything is possible with God’s provision and grace.