This is the story of Eunice Sison a Medical Student.
A doctor. A teacher. A sister and friend. Sunsets and sunrises over the horizon. The waves crashing on the beach. Fresh air. Fish and mangoes. For twelve days, Operation Samaria gave me a feel of life in Lubang, Occ. Mindoro as a missionary doctor.
For six days, my afternoons were spent attending to patients of all ages –infants, children, teens, adults, and grandparents visited our clinic. “Bakit po naparito?” “Ubo’t sipon,” was the usual reply. Occasionally there was “mamaso”, medically known as impetigo contagiosa, a bacterial skin infection. Some cases were more exciting –COPD, UTI, a possible case of Raynaud’s Phenomenon…
An almost-mistake made me aware of God’s active presence and guidance. I almost gave Diphenhydramine HCl (anti-allergy) to an 8-month old. A heaviness in my heart was God saying, “Don’t.” I consulted one of our nurses and we decided that we were not confident enough to give the medicine. I took it back and we instructed the mother to continue with a previously taken antibiotic.
Back in Manila, I researched on diphenhydramine HCl and I found out that it was not to be given to children below four years of age. The Lord spared me from endangering a patient! I also researched on mamaso and found out that our management was correct although we were unfamiliar with the condition. God had given us wisdom! Praise Him indeed! God used those days to shine through the fog of my academic insecurities to affirm me that my excellence as a doctor was from Him, and did not rest on what my grades told me.
I was also given the opportunity to teach kids ages 9-11 years old for Vacation Values Education (VVE), and barangay health workers (BHWs) for refresher courses on Maternal Health Care. It was tiring but very fulfilling. My heart went out to the kids and hoped that they would grow up living God-fearing and God-glorifying lives.
One of our students, Rickson, accidentally knocked our mineral water bottle off the stairs and spilled all the water. We were willing to let it slide, but seeing it as an opportunity to teach VVE on a real life situation, I looked for the culprit. I found him held by his collar by one of the moms. Rickson confessed everything in between sobs. “I didn’t mean to break it. It was an accident,” he told me. He apologized and I told him I forgive him. In our impromptu Bible study in the youth group that night we discussed Colossians 3:13. I love how it’s translated in Tagalog: “Magpasensiya kayo sa isa’t isa at magpatawad kayo kung may hinanakit kayo kaninuman. Magpatawad kayo gaya ng pagpapatawad sa inyo ng Panginoon.” (Bagong Magandang Balita Biblia) Then Rickson said beaming, “Kagaya ng kanina?” God used the situation as an opportunity to demonstrate a Biblical truth to this child that I hope he would carry with him for the rest of his life.
One morning, at around 2am we set sail aboard a fishing vessel. At 5:30 we watched how they let down the nets. As they waited, we swam in the deep blue. We had a share of their catch and tried our hand in making dried galunggong. Our experience brought Luke 5:1-11 to life!
In Psalm 8 King David wrote, “When I look at the…work of Your fingers…what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” I love feeling small in the greatness of God’s creation. I lived the beach life for 12 days! God showed me how He honors even the littlest of our desires when we put Him first.
I had an adventurous 12 days in Lubang. And you know what? I loved it!
A doctor. A teacher. A sister and friend. Sunsets and sunrises over the horizon. The waves crashing on the beach. Fresh air. Fish and mangoes. For twelve days, Operation Samaria gave me a feel of life in Lubang, Occ. Mindoro as a missionary doctor.
For six days, my afternoons were spent attending to patients of all ages –infants, children, teens, adults, and grandparents visited our clinic. “Bakit po naparito?” “Ubo’t sipon,” was the usual reply. Occasionally there was “mamaso”, medically known as impetigo contagiosa, a bacterial skin infection. Some cases were more exciting –COPD, UTI, a possible case of Raynaud’s Phenomenon…
An almost-mistake made me aware of God’s active presence and guidance. I almost gave Diphenhydramine HCl (anti-allergy) to an 8-month old. A heaviness in my heart was God saying, “Don’t.” I consulted one of our nurses and we decided that we were not confident enough to give the medicine. I took it back and we instructed the mother to continue with a previously taken antibiotic.
Back in Manila, I researched on diphenhydramine HCl and I found out that it was not to be given to children below four years of age. The Lord spared me from endangering a patient! I also researched on mamaso and found out that our management was correct although we were unfamiliar with the condition. God had given us wisdom! Praise Him indeed! God used those days to shine through the fog of my academic insecurities to affirm me that my excellence as a doctor was from Him, and did not rest on what my grades told me.
I was also given the opportunity to teach kids ages 9-11 years old for Vacation Values Education (VVE), and barangay health workers (BHWs) for refresher courses on Maternal Health Care. It was tiring but very fulfilling. My heart went out to the kids and hoped that they would grow up living God-fearing and God-glorifying lives.
One of our students, Rickson, accidentally knocked our mineral water bottle off the stairs and spilled all the water. We were willing to let it slide, but seeing it as an opportunity to teach VVE on a real life situation, I looked for the culprit. I found him held by his collar by one of the moms. Rickson confessed everything in between sobs. “I didn’t mean to break it. It was an accident,” he told me. He apologized and I told him I forgive him. In our impromptu Bible study in the youth group that night we discussed Colossians 3:13. I love how it’s translated in Tagalog: “Magpasensiya kayo sa isa’t isa at magpatawad kayo kung may hinanakit kayo kaninuman. Magpatawad kayo gaya ng pagpapatawad sa inyo ng Panginoon.” (Bagong Magandang Balita Biblia) Then Rickson said beaming, “Kagaya ng kanina?” God used the situation as an opportunity to demonstrate a Biblical truth to this child that I hope he would carry with him for the rest of his life.
One morning, at around 2am we set sail aboard a fishing vessel. At 5:30 we watched how they let down the nets. As they waited, we swam in the deep blue. We had a share of their catch and tried our hand in making dried galunggong. Our experience brought Luke 5:1-11 to life!
In Psalm 8 King David wrote, “When I look at the…work of Your fingers…what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” I love feeling small in the greatness of God’s creation. I lived the beach life for 12 days! God showed me how He honors even the littlest of our desires when we put Him first.
I had an adventurous 12 days in Lubang. And you know what? I loved it!
