Day 2

Today was the survey trip to Marikina and boy, do we have our work cut out for us. It's overwhelming and yet we can start by picking up a shovel or cleaning a cut.

Our first stop was in the worst hit areas, and it was BAD. At one point, there was trash piled up so high in the road that there was barely an inch of clearance on either side of our vehicle. It was filled with everything imaginable, from a destroyed karaoke machine to a child's rocking horse. It reaked like a pigsty. Free standing water was everywhere. Unfortunately, the pastor we were supposed to visit was gone to try and find relief for his church members. Next we went to another church that was buried in mud. The swings in the play yard had mud up to the seat of the swing. The house of the caretaker was toppled over and worthless. After nearly getting stuck in the mud myself, we then went to an area along the river banks. Here too, the mud was everywhere. My internet is slow, otherwise I'd try to upload a video I took. I'll try later. Anyways, I carried my pack with me everywhere that had basic first aid supplies. Pretty soon, one of the Filipinas called me over to a little girl and her mother. Roseann had been submerged in the flood waters before she was rescued. Her head had been sliced and she was bleeding. The family cut off all her hair to figure out what happened. It has now been two weeks and she has fungus COVERING her head and ears. It's everywhere. The Filipina aid worker and I did the best we could to clean and treat it, but I know that unless she gets further help, the fungus will spread unchecked. I gave the mom what little hydrogen peroxide and iodine I had with instructions for its use.

I could go on and on with stories, but the truth is we need a medical team here soon. We have access to medications, but we need people to visit the areas hardest hit and treat the problems. Please pray that we can organize a team from the US to come next week so that we can start dealing with this enormous problem. Yes, the problem is God-sized, but He is more than able to meet it. Praise God!

Thanks for continuing to pray with me. See my previous post for a link to pictures of yesterday and today.