There are many things you learn while on the mission field. I learned an important one today.
When you find a beautiful shell on the beach, don't assume its inhabitants have left the building. If you put them in your camera bag, they will die, but before they do, exact their revenge with a near toxic odor that penetrates EVERYTHING it comes in contact with. I wonder if the Tamrac lifetime warranty covers stench?
Today was a fantastic day. I don't have exact numbers, but if we haven't seen or met nearly everyone on the island, I'll be surprised. Our day began with our little baby boy from Monday. The situation is different and complicated, because we just learned he is peeing from the umbilical cord stub. I took plenty of photos so Don can consult with some pediatricians once we get back to see how to follow up.
We have one young girl that broke all of our hearts. She has an eye condition that is very difficult to explain. I'll post photos in the morning. We hope to be able to tell people her story in hopes we might be able to provide the corrective surgery she will need to fix her eyes and hopefully prevent blindness.
We also saw a young boy with ringworm. It was right on his forehead and more advanced than I've ever seen. Just to note, ringworm is a fungal infection, not an actual parasite living in him. It is very treatable once it is discovered.
Once again, God provided everything we needed right until the end. We even have leftover meds to give to a local doctor. When a doctor has access to meds, they are likely to bring them to the island and use them on the patients. One of the biggest problems doctors have is a patients inability to pay for care. Most hospitals won't even see a patient without a $150 deposit.
Tomorrow we will once again return to Limasawa to say goodbye to our new friends, do some snorkeling and munch on my new favorite fish, marlin. We've also heard there are whale sharks that like to meander around Limasawa so we would love to see one. No, I won't have my camera in the water, so I'll just have to describe it if it happens.
I hope to write a more thorough followup tomorrow and post photos. Right now I need to get some rest.
Thanks again for following the World Mercy Teams portion of this mission and hope you'll continue to follow my adventures as I switch gears to work with New Life Baptist Missions based in Tacloban.
God bless and I really look forward to reading your comments.
Sheldon
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