Caroleen’s Treasures

The service started earlier than usual today at 7:30am because the Medical Mission was continued after the worship. I had no choice but to take a bath in the neighbor’s well because we are using the chapel’s bathroom and I don’t want to pass by there and get seen by the early birds. I tried sewing the hem line of the communion table’s cloth but messed up with the serging because I accidentally cut it in the wrong measurement.

Dr. Samuel Cariaga delivered the sermon and right after the worship service, the medical services began. It went until 7pm and I was the last patient to get checked. My BP is 150/100 and was given medicine for hypertension and asthma. The team are very quick to set up and are quick to restore too. They had dinner then off they travelled back home 3 hours away from here. Dr. Sam was behind the wheels and surely he is dead tired.

This afternoon, Ella was on her own playing and finding something to eat. Donald caught her buying peddled ice cream which we call here “flavor of the road”. She has this Barbie sling wallet that comes with her backpack where she put the loose coins that she had saved for weeks now. Since she isn’t used to holding money, she hasn’t bought anything from it. Just today. When she saw this ice cream cart infront of the chapel while the check up was going on and I was busy giving out drugs and Donald has his own work too taking pictures.

She was counting her money…I don’t know how she counted it right :-) 

then waited…..

and waited for the ice cream man to scoop her some home-made ice cream

She finally held the cup and

got to taste the heavenly flavor. But her looks cannot justify it.

Tried once more and over the moon because she rarely gets the chance to have this kind of ice cream.

Early in the morning, just when I logged out from OHJ, the team of the Body and Soul Ministries who conducted the Medical Mission arrived. Donald and Ella went with them at Tatang and Inang’s place for breakfast while I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. While I did this, members and neighbors started to arrive and waited in the chapel.

After I had my shower and was dressed, they arrived and the setting up of the medicines and equipments began. I was busy going to and fro the house and the chapel while Ella was doing her own thing. She was at the Doctor’s side or the patient’s back.

The doctor asked her if she wanted her bad tooth to be pulled too and she answered, “I have cough and colds now, maybe next time….”

Dr. Samuel B. Cariaga and her two assistants are from Butuan City and was over the Asia and the Philippines doing this ministry. The Body and Soul Ministries in cooperation with the Churches of Christ of the Philippines has helped many people. There are over a hundred patients that were checked up and given medicines and vitamins. One has a cyst removed and more than a dozen who have their teeth pulled. Thanks to the sponsors aborad for the generosity.

 Tomorrow is Sunday once again, Ella’s favorite day of the week. Still I have a shift from 12 midnight to 8 in the morning tomorrow…I am used to it now. WE have not been checked up yet so tomorrow we will be falling in line after the worship service. Hope you all will have a blessed Sunday!!!!

I hope I won’t bore you all today because I myself was bored Oh not really bored due to not having anything to do, but I was feeling so bored with all the works at church today. Boring in a way that me and Ate Edith are the only member who cleaned the sorroundings. Tomorrow the Medical Mission Team will be arriving here and they will conduct free dental and medical services for two days. So Tatang and Inang are like busy bees while me and Ate Edith does our own works too. My back really aches from pulling weeds in the yard and scrubbing all the white chairs that turned to gray. But I did enjoyed it because I prefer working with only few people around me.

Ella has no class today so she was out in the yard playing with the kids. We had “biko” in the afternoon. (Glutinous rice cooked over brown sugar and coco milk). Then I peeled one big green mango, dipped it in shrimp paste and vinegar. Oh my mouth is watering again!

I noticed I loved eating rice a