Mission Cebu 2012 (3 of 8)

MEDICAL MISSIONS


On Friday, June 22 (CarCar City, Cebu Island) and Thursday, June 27 (Cuaming Island) we held two medical missions.  Our funds we paid helped provide medical supplies .  Vital signs were taken on each person who attended and each person was also interviewed to determine health risks.  Participants were also  given basic medicines to take home: antibiotics, analgesics, nasal decongestants, vitamins, etc.  Pastor Juval wanted to be sure that each person was introduced to the Great Physician before meeting the earthly physician.  Praise the Lord that of 261 who attended the medical missions, 125 were professed Jesus as LORD!!!  Friday's medical mission was held at Eastside Baptist Church in CarCar (where we stayed).  Thursdays event was much more work.  It involved a 3 hour pumpboat ride.  Cuaming is a very poor island of 4,000 residents.  There are no toilets and there is no running water.  The land is so small that a person could walk the perimeter in less that an hour.  We saw very few elderly people here.  When a person gets ill, there is no hope and no help.  How critical it is that we introduce these beautiful people to Jesus.  Despite the deplorable conditions on Cuaming, the people were very friendly and seemingly happy.

The beautiful children of Cuaming Island

Mission members prepare the medicines for distribution at Eastside Baptist
Church, Cuaming.  Supplies for this church we transported piece by piece
by Rescue 911, the church's pumpboat.

People hear the gospel message before receiving medical attention

Pastor Johnny Galera share his faith with a visual aid

A Filipino pastor follows up with children who made a decision to follow Christ

John shares the gospel on Cuaming

Colin shares his faith with a large group on Cuaming

It was amazing how each mission member grew during the week
Here, Peter shares the plan of salvation.

I was preaching Jesus on Cuaming with the help of my interpreter, Leonardo.

Cuaming looks beautiful from a distance.

Upon closer examination, one can see the effects of 4,000 people living on
a tiny isle without sanitation.

All food and medical supplies had to be loaded and unloaded by wading
about 100 yards over the coral reef.

The children loved being photographed with the Peter and the other Americans

Steve Beevers made some new friends.

The children loved seeing their faces on the LCD screen of the digital camera
after each shot was taken.

Mission Cebu 2012 (2 of 8)

AGRICULTURE & CUISINE

During our eight days in The Philippines we enjoyed wonderful hospitality from Mrs. Zenny Galera and Eastside Baptist Church.  Cebu's climate is tropical, so you will find some of the best tropical fruit in the world here.  I just wanted to take the time to how you some pictures of the agriculture and the local cuisine.

Coconuts

Bananas

Sugar Cane

Rice Paddie

Prawn Farm

A carabao plowing a rice paddie

Fishing and Crabbing Industry

Delicious Ube Ice Cream
(the ube is a purple yam)

We had rice and noodles with nearly every meal.
Rice is even served with breakfast

BBQ Chicken with sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf

This pineapple was incredible!

Noodles with pork, cabbage, and other local veggies

I don't remember what the fruit in the above 2 photos is called.
The yellow one is jack fruit.

Egg batter dipped fried egg plant, corned beef, hard boiled eggs, and rice
for breakfast.

Pork on a stick and lumpia.  Lumpia is a local favorite.  It's a deep fried
spring roll with veggies inside.  

Lechon was served on 2 occasions.  This one was at a church plant.  3 were slaughtered
on Sunday morning.  Their squeals were what woke me up.  I called it my Filipino alarm clock.

Coconuts

Lumpia, lechon, sticky rice and fish

Tortas and banana meats (yes, that is a pan fried banana stuffed with meat)

Local fruit (Bananas, mangoes, and pinepple).  I see a foreign fruit too (the apple!).

Mission Cebu 2012 (1 of 8)

MISSION CEBU 2012

Our Plan from DFW to Seoul, South Korea

The is the first in series of eight blog entries detailing our experience on Our mission trip to The Philippines June 20-30, 2012.

TRAVEL, TRANSPORTATION, & TRAFFIC

“After much prayer, work, promotion, & planning, June 20^th had finally arrived.  There were six members of this mission team: 1 from Plano, 2 from Denton, 1 from Malakoff, and 2 from Center (Peter Davis and me).  I picked Peter up at 4:30 AM on Wednesday morning, June 20th for the 3 ½ hour drive to the Dallas Ft. Worth Airport.  We flew Korean Airlines.  This was the best airline I’ve ever used.  The first leg was a 14 hour and 45 minute flight from Dallas to Seoul, South Korea.   We had a 4 hour layover in Seoul, then a 4 hour flight to Cebu, Philippines.  We arrived at the airport in Cebu around midnight on Friday.
We were initiated in the ways of the roads as we drove an hour to CarCar City. It was terrifying! Be sure to look at all of the pictures of the modes of transportation available to Filipinos.  At the very bottom I have included two videos of the traffic that you just have to view!

John Rayburn, Steve Beevers, Colin Rayburn, & Peter Davis

THE TEAM

John Rayburn.  Member of FBC Malakoff. He was one of my sound techs at Malakoff.  This was his 3^rd trip to Cebu and he was the organizer of the mission trip.

Steve Thompson is from Plano.  Steve is the CEO of his own company and is also the chairman of the board of the Center for Global Ministry.  This organization supports 3 national pastors in 3 nations: one in Israel, one in India, and Pastor Juval Galera in The Philippines.

Eric Beechem, Minister of Music, Media, & Senior Adults at First Baptist Church of Center, TX

Peter Davis is married to Beka.  They joined our church 1 ½ years ago.  They have 5 children and are also foster parents.  He is working as an officer with the Shelby County Sheriff’s office.

Steve Beevers.  Steve is a small business man who was once a youth minister.  He is a member of a house church in Denton.

Colin Rayburn.  Colin is John Rayburn’s son.  Recently completed is time in the army.  He is a student at the University of North Texas and he’s majoring in Philosophy with an emphasis in Environmental Ethics and Religion.  He is a member of the Village Church in Denton.

Map of The Philippines

The Philippines

Mission Locations

Japanese made Autozam minivan.  You have to love the spoiler!

People can travel to all of the major islands by ferry.  It's a slow process as (14 hours of riding/driving from Cebu to Manila.  Vehicles sized from motorcycles to 18 wheelers ride the ferries.

Interesting looking little pickup truck

We spent a lot of time in this Hyundai van.  At one time I believe we packed 16 into it!

Non Motorized Tricycle

Pumpboat

Eastside Christian Academy student around covered pickup truck

Many ride there tour buses to travel from town to town.  There's a "How's My Driving" bumper sticker on the rear.  My answer, "It's absolutely horrible!"

Instead of taxis, you can hire a tricycle to get around.

Front view of a tricycle

Habal-Habal

The Jeepney evolved from U.S. Army jeeps that were left on the islands at the conclusion of WW II.  The locals simply repurposed them to use for taxis of sorts.

I actually saw people riding the carabao along the highway although they are more commonly used to plow rice paddies.

Traffic Video of Downtown CarCar


Driving in Cebu