Rosa Mystica Health Mission

Thank You For Your Support to the CDO Relief Mission

2012-01-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to generous people, Rosa Mystica Health Mission now mans a permanent clinic in Balulang, one of the hard-hit areas in Cagayan de Oro City. The free clinic serves patients thrice weekly every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9:00AM until 12:00 noon. Below are a few shots of the mission:


Welcome to Balulang! This is the entrance to our mission village.

A mission volunteer from General Santos City poses atop a crushed car in the village.

A portion of the ditch where many smashed cars were found after the flood.

Survivors camped out on makeshift tents because their houses were smashed and washed out by tons of raging water.

The mission relief effort was directed by Rev. Fr. Timothy Pfeiffer, assisted by Rev. Fr. Alexander Hora. He directed the initial ocular survey of the devastated areas and the eventual choice of the beneficiary village for the mission. He organized the relief team from Davao SSPX mission area, and brought with him 3 volunteers and 2 cars filled with relief goods and tools for clean-up, disinfection and reconstruction.

Rev. Fr. Timothy Pfeiffer gives a blessing to a pregnant survivor.

Happy volunteers at work

The Apostles of Mary from General Santos City organized a drive for collection of relief goods and cash donations for the typhoon relief. Working with ACIM-Asia, they sang carols in their immediate neighborhoods in exchange for cash/relief goods. Upon the word of Rev. Fr. Tim Pfeiffer, the AoM members joined the relief team in Cagayan de Oro. Their first work was to clear mud from the basketball court in order to make way for the mission base: clinic, stockroom, relief goods distribution center, catechism center and chapel. Their second task was to repack the rice and other food items and to sort out clothes for distribution to individual beneficiaries. Their third task was to take charge of the actual distribution of the relief goods. They were assisted by the military personnel in all their tasks. The total number of persons given relief goods (rice, noodles, biscuits, bottled water, clothes, detergent powder, disinfectant soaps, kitchen wares and shoes) were: 866 persons (363 families). The number of sacramentals blessed and distributed were: rosaries – 800; scapulars – 750; Miraculous Medals – 50. The number of catechism literatures distributed were: catechism booklets - 105; catechism leaflets - 2,300. Before heading back to Gensan, the boys went to Iponan, in the chapel of St. Joseph, to clear the mud from the driveway, the chapel and the adjacent rooms, and to clean and disinfect it. When it was ready for use, they brought in all the relief goods and medicines from the temporary headquarters in the basketball court in Balulang.

Swiss volunteer Alexandra Vonlanthen distributes drinking water to survivors.


Bags of food were also distributed.

Survivors chose clothes that they could use.


Volunteers refuelling...

ACIM-Asia in General Santos City organized a free clinic upon the advice of Dr. Jean-Pierre Dickes, who approved the transfer of medicines from Manila to Cagayan de Oro. Dr. Dickes gave instruction to Mrs. Marie Rosalie Maravilla regarding the medicines and medical supplies for the free clinic. Dr. Emely Lagare, an ACIM-Asia active member, was to be the physician in charge of the medical mission, but she fell ill on the day of the departure and could not come. Dr. Fe Nocete, the Director of the German Doctors Foundation, with whom ACIM-Asia got acquainted in the mission preparations last year, was presently on Christmas vacation in Bukidnon, and responded to the call for service, and joined the mission team on December 28. Some 193 patients were attended that day in the various sections of the medical mission: medical consultation (125), wound dressing (5), tetanus toxoid vaccination (40), and skin care for various rashes (23).

Registration of patients for the free clinic

Dr. Francisco Woo, an ACIM-Asia member based in Bukidnon, came to assess the mission work, and met with Dr. Fe Nocete, who was his former student in the medical school. He also met with Fr. Tim Pfeiffer to whom he expressed his appreciation of the spiritual work being conducted in tandem with the medical mission and promised to pitch in. He started serving the clinic on Dec. 29, during which he served 37 patients in 3 hours. He served again on Dec. 30, and saw 14 patients in 2 hours. He promised to make himself available to the mission work thrice weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9 o’clock until 11 o’clock in the mornings. To this date, the free clinic has been in service for 13 days, with approximately 40 hours clocked in and has served some 480 patients in Barangay Balulang, Cagayan de Oro City. The clinic is now permanent, with Dr. Francisco Woo and his assistants Pio Jun Babia and Margaret Pandan on service three times a week.

Dr. Francisco Woo explains medical facts to a patient.

A restoration and reconstruction team was also organized by Rev. Fr. Timothy Pfeiffer. The work was placed under the leadership of Mr. Samson Pangan. Two teams were involved in the work: a clean-up crew and a reconstruction crew. The clean-up crew was made up of 3 male volunteers connected with the St. James Chapel in General Santos City. They were the advance party and cleared up mud and debris from the houses. The reconstruction crew was made up of hired locals: a foreman and 4 workers. They moved in when the way was clear and did the repairs. At the moment, two houses are already cleaned. The house in most need of repair is being reconstructed. The reconstruction crew is still at work. The clean up work shall be continued by a volunteer, Mr. Basilio Pandan, a faithful from Iponan.


A clean-up volunteer at work.

One flashflood invaded every home and swallowed everything in muck. Goodbye every thing...

25 days after the flood... on the 5th round of cleaning, the volunteers from Gensan pitched in...What filth were seen outside the houses were not yet half of what were inside....and the smell, oh the powerful stench......ahh,lung power!!!

The Inside Stories...

A radio broadcasting station in Cagayan de Oro estimates the number of dead people at about 30,000. But only the retrieved dead bodies could be officially counted. So the official count is only one thousand and a couple hundred dead. The survivors were happy enough to have escaped death, they did not gripe about their losses. They were smiling and friendly. As could be expected, some were in a state of shock, but many were simply happy to be alive.

If you want to know what it felt like to be there at the mission, just picture the following incidents:
One came up at the relief distribution area and whispered shyly, "are there free underwears? I've lost everything. What I'm wearing now is all that I have. For 10 days already, I've been trying to make do with what I have!"

An elderly woman took me aside and asked, "do you still have a free toothbrush to share? You gave me one, my teenage granddaughter doesn't have one, and she would like very much to ask one, please. Can you add a toothpaste too? We never had to beg before, but we have no means to buy anything at all now."

There was a smiling woman who came over to the clinic one day and in a low voice asked, "Do you have some drinking water please, I've been hours without water and I feel so thirsty. I'm not at all sick, but I'll be grateful for one glass to drink!"

One man hobbling weakly came over and asked, "are you really giving free medicines? Two days after wading in the flood for some hours, I could no longer move my legs. I went to the local hospital and I was given injections. Then they gave me a prescription for an expensive antibiotic, and it's now 9 days since I was given the prescription. I have it always in my pocket, but I cannot buy it, it's too expensive. I lost my little business in the flood so I have no money and no credit!"

And one funny thing: Where we stayed, clean water was very scarce. In the few hours that the faucet worked, only mud would come out. As you can very well guess, taking a shower was impossible. So? No shower for 10 days! Thanks to the makers of wet wipes, we survived, though. Some days we checked out the facilities of popular fastfood centers if we could at least wash our hair... This is what we discovered: most Jollibees downtown did not have any toilet. Duh!? Greenwich had, but it was closed because there was no running water. Only Macdonald's in front of a university had a regularly clean and really refreshing restroom upstairs. Thanks a lot!

Gensan volunteers: happy to serve! Children survivors: happy to be alive!!!

Survivors' Tales

A Miracle!

"On the night of December 16, I felt a strong desire to look for my big miraculous medal and wear it. When I found it, I was able to sleep. Sometime past eleven o'clock, I turned on my bed and was jolted awake when my fingers touched cold water. I jumped out of bed and called on my family to wake up. I started scooping the floodwater and flushing it down the drain but my family urged me to stop. Only then did I realize that floodwater was everywhere and rising fast. We mounted some sturdy chairs on top of a sturdy table, and we perched on the chairs, confident that we would be secure there. The electricity went off and there was complete darkness. Then the table began to sway...the water was lifting it! Then we found themselves on the water.. we had to swim to stay afloat!

My eight year old brother and his nurse could not swim. I and my aunt could. We each got a non-swimmer to cling to us as we struggled to swim in the strong and swirling current. There was nothing to hold on to, and the water was churning us like crazy and it was rising fast, bringing us nearer and nearer to the ceiling. In the darkness, we could hear the roaring of the water that sounded like the growling of the devil. Outside we could hear wails and cries of desperate children and adults. Children’s voices were screaming “Mama!!!” Adults were screaming, “Heeeeelp!!!” It seemed like the water was possessed by the devil, looking for specific people to torment. We could hear metals crashing against concrete. It was Armageddon. It felt like the end of the world!!!

Then a heavy furniture from outside rammed open the door and more water rushed in, but we were glad because then we finally had something to hold on - the door! Without anything to hold on to, we would be swept by the powerful current, and would definitely have gotten our abdomens jutted by the iron grills in our fence. We kept our hold on the door, but we kept swimming too, in order to keep our weight on the water, and not on the door, which would be ripped off anytime. The water forced its way through a concrete wall and it broke down with a crash. It was good that the wall broke down because then the water could just flow out and we would not be drowned inside the house. We kept swimming for more than 4 hours, praying the Rosary all the while. Over and over, we repeated the Sorrowful Mysteries in reparation for the sins that offended God.

At some point, I felt too exhausted to go on, and decided to let go and I whispered to God, "Thy Will be done!" But instead of going limp and letting go, I felt more strength coming to my hands so I could continue holding on and swimming. The battle was about 5 hours ... When it was over, we came down to a squishy mud. When we ventured outside, we realized that we were particularly favored by God. Across the street, our neighbor’s house and piggery was completely erased. No trace of it was left. The house to our right was reduced to a dilapidated skeleton. The concrete fence was gone. The house behind ours had big holes as big cars smashed open the concrete walls. There were cars dumped on the canal to the left of our house. The houses across the canal were all gone. Then I saw waving in our front fence, brown and green scapulars. They were part of the stock that I had prepared for my apostolate. I understood that the scapulars protected us.

Some neighbors who had escaped during the flood and who had ventured back to survey the devastation saw us and they were all amazed. They were sure that we were all already dead as we were trapped inside our house. They thought to find dead bodies in our house. They could not believe their eyes. We were there, totally covered in mud from head to foot but standing upright, breathing, talking, walking! Incredible! They all agreed that our survival was totally miraculous. "

So many people died, many of them inside their houses. Some were even found trapped in the ceilings. They could not get out of their houses. They probably thought that the water would not reach them if they climbed to the ceiling but the water reached them anyway and they drowned. There were families whose dead bodies were found embracing each other, all bloated, having drowned together inside their houses. The pressure in the water was so strong that the doors could not be opened. There were families who were able to get out of their houses and got into their cars to escape but they drowned as their cars were sucked by the infernal waters and smashed to bridges and houses. There is a teenage girl in the village who is still in a state of shock until now. Her whole family had clung together, holding onto each other tightly as they tried to keep afloat. Unfortunately, she was separated from her family by the sucking force of the water. She was hurled into the streets where everything was smashing against each other. In the darkness she managed to grab onto some structure and climbed her way onto higher roofs where she waited for the flood to subside. When the raging water was gone she ventured home and there found her whole family dead. She was the lone survivor. There is a man who committed suicide in an evacuation center, unable to bear the shock. There is a professor in a university who is still in a hospital, still unable to communicate properly to visitors and relatives after having lost everything: his wife and children, house and cars. May hope raise them back to their feet and give them courage to live. Miserere... Domine.

Protected by Our Lady!

A Carmelite tertiary was alone in her house when the water rushed in and immediately filled her house, leaving her just a few inches of breathing space from the ceiling. She was unable to grab any material possession to safety, not even her rosary beads. But she was lucky to grab on a screen door and there she clung and invoked Our Lady continuously through the Rosary. The water was so strong that most of the furnitures in her house were swept away. She believed that the screen door she was hanging on to would be pulled off its hinges very soon, and she felt fortunate that she had gone to Confession a week before the flood, so she felt peaceful as she resigned herself to the death that seemed imminent. But she survived. And she credits her survival to Our Lady's protection. On interview last December 28, she said her only problem was how to go to Mass without anything suitable to wear. She was happy when we showed her the clothes that we brought. When she had chosen one, she was already content and gladly prepared herself to go to the Carmelite Monastery where she wanted to sing her thanksgiving.

Safe by Our Lady's Intervention!
A taxi driver related the story of a certain pious woman who, when the river suddenly rose 10 times its normal size and furiously sucked houses and cars tossing them in leaping waves, took hold of the statues of Our Lady and other saints and dropped on her knees, faced the rushing river and, together with her family, recited the Rosary over and over. Their house was spared while the other houses around theirs were sucked. A volunteer tried to find this family to interview them but she could not. Survivors already left the area. Scavengers had taken apart the unguarded remains of houses, and piece by piece, sold as scraps...

Refuge in the Blessed Sacrament!

The woman who looks after the chapel and the room of the priest in Iponan had her own flood story to tell. She and her husband had not heard of the tragedy that had struck some hours before. At about 6 am, they heard noise and commotion in the neighborhood. Before they could inquire, people were already running and water was already everywhere. They panicked and she ran to the Blessed Sacrament and there knelt down and prayed. Her husband and his brother tried to transfer heavy furnitures and stocks to higher ground, but they had only a few moments to do it. Before long, the two men got convinced that they should abandon the chapel and run away to safety but the woman was convinced that they were safer with the Blessed Sacrament and advised that they stay. The men ventured outside but found the current very strong. So they came back. Then the concrete fence on one side of the property fell down with great noise and more water rushed in. Neighbors on the other side of the fence climb in to join them in their effort to find safety. They prayed that the other side of the perimeter fence facing the river would not fall or they would be totally devastated. Fortunately, the water began to level out and very slowly subsided. They learned later that people who had run to the streets were swept by the current as the street had become a mad river rushing to the sea.


Children survivors visited the mission daily, eager to learn how to pray the holy Rosary.

To the crowd of survivors, Rev. Fr. Timothy Pfeiffer preached about the devotion to Our Lady.

A survivor asked Fr. Pfeiffer to teach her about the Sacrament of Penance.


Deo gratias!

Let us pray for the survivors that they may henceforth love God more and avoid sin.

Let us also remember the poor souls who died during the flood. May they rest in peace.

And let us pray that we may be spared from a sudden and unprepared death.

Help for Cagayan de Oro and Iligan

2011-12-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

We are collecting donations for typhoon victims in Cagayan de Oro City!
Collection period: December 20-31, 2011.

Donations of medicines, food, water, beddings, clothes, household items, hygiene products, school supplies are welcome.

Please send donations to Catholic Association of Doctors, Nurses and Health Professionals in Asia (ACIM-ASIA) at 2400 De Dios Street, Lagao, 9500 General Santos City.
Or call 083 301 8824 for collection.
Thank you so much and may God bless your kind hearts!

Aerial view of CDO after the typhoon:

Video of typhoon aftermath in Iligan City:

Hope for Alyn

2011-12-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Jolo!

Alyn has Thalassemia Major. She's already 14 years old but she has the body of a 5 years old. She is in the public hospital here in Jolo suffering pains. She needs help. Her family cannot afford her treatment. I do hope that your association could give real help in many ways. Thank you so much and God bless.

Fr. Romeo P. Villanueva, OMI.

Please help me....

2011-12-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

Please help me.

I heard that you take pity on poor people who are sick. May I ask for whatever help you can please extend to my children, especially my fourth son? He has mitral valve dysplasia. He is complaining of difficult and painful breathing. I know that someday I will have to let him go, but while he is alive and under my care, I would like to be able to find help for him. I applied for free heart surgery for him through a surgical mission, but they require a 2-D echo for which I could not pay. Can you please help me?

My first son has degenerative disease of the eyes and two ophthalmologists already warned that he will lose his sight around 21 years old. He is 19 years old now. His vision is blurred and he is depressed because he cannot help me earn income for the family. My second son has hyperthyroidism and rheumatic heart disease. My third son has true hermaphroditism and also rheumatic heart disease. My fifth child, my only daughter, has a very rapid heartbeat, for which I have not yet sought medical diagnosis because I could not afford a diagnostic test for her.

I am a food vendor, a single parent. I can provide food and shelter for my children, but I can barely pay for their medical care. Please help me.

G.F.

_______________________________

A kind nurse informed me that your office helps sick children. My child is two years old and he has acute leukemia. He is currently on the first phase of treament. The doctor advised me that he will need P227,278.00 for three years of treatment. I have already spent P21,850 .00, but I am finding it difficult to raise the total amount needed because I am an ordinary technician in a fishing company. Can you help us, please?

R.V.

A Plea from Basilan

2011-12-07T03:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, December 7, 2011, we received a text message from a local retired doctor based in Basilan, as quoted below, asking for some support to start her charitable clinic which will pave the way to provide free health care access to the local community.

"Good afternoon I am "Dra. B", President of East side Barangay Senior Citizen Association and a past president of our Basilan Rotary Club. They gave me your number if I need some medical instruments and medical supplies. We have put up a health center clinic at our barangay hall. Just a small room for me and midwife to do a consultation and check up for pregnant women in our barangay.

I am a retired Provincial Health Officer and Chief of Our General Hospital. I just do these things for free. We are in need of two stethoscopes, two sphygmomanometer, syringes, scalpel, different forceps, suturing needles, gauzes, plaster, surgical scissors, betadine and other needs for emergencies of a small clinic in order for me and our senior citizen to be of help to our barangay and community.

I would be very grateful as well as our community if you could give us these things we needed.

Please kindly help us. Thank you and God bless."

If you are interested or know anyone who is willing to spare some of these materials for her clinic, please let us know. :)

Thank you very much for your generosity.

God bless!

November 24, 2011 - Medical Mission in the Marsh

2011-12-05T04:26:00.000-08:00

The organizer and the locals

Floating houses of the marsh built on stilts.

Five hours drive from General Santos City and 30 minutes boat ride (speed boat running at 70kilometers per hour) is what it takes to reach this mission area. It was once an MILF infested area, where hostages of the most hostile kidnappings were recovered and houses were built on stilts about 3 meters above the water.

Our mode of transportation going to the
mission area.

The mission venue. Barangay captain's house
that also functions as the barangay hall.

A small medical team from Department of Health ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) and ACIM Asia went for a medical civic action program initiated by the 11^th Special Force of the Philippine Army in Barangay Katamlangan, Sultan Kudarat last November 24, 2011. The barangay is discreetly located in a marsh Moslim community that is only reached through water transportation such as the boats/speed boats.

Civil Affairs Team of US Army also joined the activity of the 11^th Special Force that is a special unit of Philippine Army who maintained the peace and order development in the area. It was held in the house of the barangay captain, which is also the hall of the barangay.

Patients coming into the mission site to
avail of the free medical services.

Assessment and Registration area.

Department of Health ARMM and ACIM Asia provided medical volunteers, and medicines that were used in the mission. There was only one doctor who served, but she managed to cater 150 medical patients, who paddled their way to avail of the free consultation, health assessment and medications.

Most of the patients are Moslems that were economically marginalized because they are torn by the consistent conflicts between the rebels and the army. They are also situated in a warzone area that is obviously cannot be accessed easily. Generally, a family’s source of income is through fishing, which is also a struggle because it is only the means of survival for almost everyone.

The medical doctor from the DOH,
side by side with the assessment team.

Patients waiting for their names to be
called in the pharmacy.

This kind of situation places health care as their list priority, not only because it is difficult to be accessed topographically but also they don’t see its necessity. These also results to a high calibre kind of diseases and chief complaints they cannot express. Although there were less people who came, a day is not enough to address their needs.

The special force unit was planning to implement livelihood projects and various civic action programs for these communities, not only to neutralize the conflict but also to provide the people long term empowerment.

November 16, 2011 - A Hand in Hand Mission

2011-12-05T03:27:00.000-08:00

The waiting line for the minor surgical.

A medical, dental civic action program was conducted last November 16, 2011 in Provincial Gym of Datu Paglas, Maguindanao, approximately 2 and a half hour travel by land from General Santos City. This event was initiated by the Bravo Company of 33^rd IB, Philippine Army in cooperation with other agencies both governmental and nongovernmental alike to serve the marginalized, conflict afflicted people of the province.

Soldier explains to the patient how she should
take her medicines.

Tremendous support was given by the Local Government unit of Datu Paglas province who provided the meals of the volunteers and logistical support team, while the Integrated Provincial Health Office of Maguindanao and Rural Health Unit of Datu Paglas provided the medical doctors, dentists, nurses, medical technicians, pharmacist and a mobile hospital. The Quijano Hospital from Tacurong and Sultan Kudarat Doctors Hospital provided additional nurses who manned the registration area, while the ACIM Asia had dentists served in the dental area along with the IPHO and military dental team, nurses and auxiliary people who manned the pharmacy.

ACIM Asia team was composed of three dentists, namely Dr. And Dra. Madrid along with their two assistants, Dra. Nisperos and her assistant, Alexandra – Swiss volunteer, Maricar, Sheryl, Aldy, and three other nurses - Mel, Adon, Lourdes.

33^rd IB ensured the safety of the volunteers, the smooth flow of the activities and made sure that all patient needs were catered.

Medical patients were given some complimentary
health kits while waiting for their turn to be
examined by medical doctors

The ACIM Asia team with 33rd IB, PA

At the end of the busy day, the team served about 800 medical patients, 195 dental patients, 165 patients were also circumcised while 11 undergone minor surgery. An evaluation was also made to conclude the activity, which was also an avenue for the mayor to recognize each partner agency who gave some comment about the activity.

Alive and Joyful! Thanks Be to God!

2011-10-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

October 7

Rosary Crusade, Bioethics Conference and Procession
Patients from General Santos City and Sarangani and ACIM staff were among the sixty four delegates from General Santos who went to Davao City to attend the Rosary Crusade, Bioethics Conference and Procession from October 7 until October 9.

The trip was filled with adventure. The team gathered in St. James Chapel at 11:30AM but the three truckloads of participants could only start rolling towards Davao at 1:45PM, upon the arrival of 3 parties that were late. After gassing up, the trucks roared off, to the obvious pleasure of the excited delegates. Then one truck died a sudden, unexplainable death. Six ambitious mechanics from the delegation jumped to the rescue. But one truck, which had already covered some kilometers, had to retrace its steps to help solve the mystery. When the mystery was solved, the trucks again roared off. On the hot, rough and dust-powdered road to Davao, the rain decided to refresh the team. The blessing went through the roof to generously shower every body and every bag of clothes. And then, as the wet passengers looked forward to arriving on time, the traffic slowed. Mud-stuck tires and detours caused by the road construction made the team stay longer on the road. Up ahead, a prime mover truck skidded, fell side-ward and jammed the road furthermore. So more rosaries were finished before the team finally arrived in Davao. A grand welcome warmed up the team. Free new t-shirts were given out! The shirts were nicely printed with the SSPX logo and Rosary Crusade letters. Who could take away the smiles from the newly-arrived delegates?

Immediately after changing into dry shirts, the delegates attended the Holy Mass. After the Mass there was a nice dinner which energized the team for the all-night vigil. The Gensan-Sarangani team took three consecutive hours for the vigil. The Apostles of Mary and the youth from the mission villages took the 3:00 AM schedule, followed by the Legion of Mary who took the 4:00 AM slot. The last hour was taken by the children from Gensan and Sarangani mission areas. They were led in the prayers by Wallace Hibanada and Cyrah Angela Andres. The faithful in Davao said they were impressed to see 23 children kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament praying the Holy Rosary.

October 8

Eucharistic Crusade

At 11:00 AM, Frs. Timothy and Joseph Pfeiffer organized a Eucharistic Crusade in the German House attended by the Legion of Mary and the Apostles of Mary. Fr. T. Pfeiffer explained the necessity and the system for establishing the Crusade among the children. Afterwards, he asked them to organize the children for the Eucharistic Crusade.

Children’s Eucharistic Crusade:

At 2:00 PM, the Apostles of Mary gathered the children for the Eucharistic Crusade. There were two divisions, one for the little children, and another for the bigger children. The first group (for little children) was handled by Maricar Navales, Chrisma Jane Bravo, and Judith Dagatan. Fr. Joseph Pfeiffer joined them to give stories of the Eucharistic Crusade to the children, especially how children loved and defended the Blessed Sacrament. He asked the children to join the Crusade to express their love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The second group (for bigger children) was handled by Yolly Eileen Gamutan. Fr. Tim Pfeiffer joined the group. He called on participants to join in impromptu plays to demonstrate the goodness of the virtue of obedience. He explained about the perfect obedience of Christ on the Cross by which He redeemed the world and asked the children to join the Crusade to help save souls.

Bioethics Conference

At 4:00PM, the group gathered at Our Lady of the Rosary Shrine for the Bioethics Conference which was organized by Jerome Babate. ACIM staff printed the booklets used by Dr. Fidel Penamante in his talk on the “Deadly Deception: International Planned Parenthood’s Assault on Children, Family and Nation”. There were about 85 participants to the conference. The conference ended with a Sung Mass and community dinner. Before bedtime, there were parlor games and contests for the children and teenagers. Prizes were happily shared and enjoyed with new-found friends. Fr. T. Pfeiffer led the evening prayers before the lights were turned off.

October 9

Procession

The Rosary and Eucharistic Crusade culminated with a Procession at 6:00 AM from Our Lady of the Rosary Shrine in Buhangin to the People’s Park in the heart of the city, a two-hour’s walk covering 8 kilometers.

Two military trucks and 7 military men were placed at the disposal of the team through the kindness of a lieutenant who works with ACIM-Asia in delivering health services to the poor in war-ravaged communities in Southern Mindanao. The trucks and the military men were helpful in the transport of the chairs, tables, altar and Mass supplies. The military trucks took up the rear end of the procession and served to silence the hostile parish priest who had threatened to use all his power to stop the procession. A police car took the lead. So really, there was nothing that the parish priest could do. He was probably amazed at our boldness as he stood at the door of his church and silently watched the procession pass by.

The procession ended at the park where an Altar was set for Holy Mass. A couple of park maintenance personnel attended the Holy Mass. After the Holy Mass, the community gathered for a thanksgiving lunch and then parted ways.

The Gensan team, with the military, helped in transporting the materials used for the Holy Mass and then departed for Gensan. Upon arrival, the children were treated to an ice cream party, courtesy of Fr. Tim Pfeiffer.

October 17

His Excellency, Bishop Bernard Fellay in Conference in Davao

Patients and catechism pupils from the mission villages in Sarangani Province happily asked to be among the forty one delegates from General Santos who went to attend the conference of His Excellency, Bishop Bernard Fellay. ACIM Staff served as choir, assisted by Ms. Alexandra Vonlanthen, a Swiss volunteer. The patients were happy for the opportunity to be part of the delegation, and hoped fervently that they would receive special blessings.

October 18

Youth Conference at the German House

Before the departure of the Gensan team, Fr. T.Pfeiffer gave a special conference to the youth about the crisis in the Church and the need for vigilance and serious study for the defense of the Catholic Faith.

October 19

Confirmation in General Santos City

Fifty one candidates lined for Confirmation in St. James Chapel (Figure based on the number registered by Judith, who typed the confirmation cards). Six members of patients' families were among those who received the Sacraments. Te Deum laudamus!

October 21

Emergency Patient Assisted

ACIM staff responded to an emergency call to assist a beggar who collapsed from a thyroid crisis. Patient and family were assisted to prepare for death as medical assistance was being rendered. With help from a local sponsor, the patient was brought to the hospital for admission, prayers were said at the bedside and family members were exhorted to pray. Preparation for confession was done. Fr. T. Pfeiffer heard the confession the next day, on his arrival from Davao.

October 22

Youth Formation in General Santos City

Fr. T.Pfeiffer gathered the youth who were actively assisting the apostolate to give a conference on the Holy Mass—the history and the protestant-inspired changes manifested in the Novus Ordo Mass. Sixteen youth attended the conference. He discussed also the charter of the Apostles of Mary league and asked the AoM members to observe the discipline of the league, particularly in the wearing of the badge and the training of the relief team. The youth had been very helpful in the preparation of patients for Confession and Extreme Unction and Baptism. He urged them to bring in more youth to love and serve God.

Confirmation candidates from Sarangani enjoyed their dish-washing service at the mission office last October 16. Hopefully, they will respond generously to grace and continue to give good help to the mission in the future.

Jane happily standing up on her own. Her condition has helped bring her family to the sacraments. Her parents received the sacraments of Confirmation and Matrimony on October 19. Her older siblings received the sacrament of Confirmation together with their parents. Today, when her mother brought her along for the Assisi reparation vigil, she brought hope to the people when she sang the Gloria Patri on entering the chapel. Blessed be God! May she always find her delight in God.

October 27

Alive and joyful! Thanks be to God!

The patient who had collapsed from thyroid crisis joyfully prepared to go home. Thanks be to God for His enduring mercy. May the patient and her family grow in faith and love God with their whole hearts forevermore. Fervent thanks to the local sponsor who is paying the hospital bill and to the volunteers who sat and prayed at her bedside and gave spiritual support to the patient and her family in the critical moments. Special thanks also to Fr. Pfeiffer for his zeal. May more joyful hearts sing the goodness of God!

Thanksgiving Ceremony in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat
The municipality of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat, wished to honor Dr. Jean-Pierre Dickes and ACIM for the generous health service extended to the poor. Alexandra Vonlanthen received the honors on behalf of Dr. Dickes and ACIM. She was assisted by Sheryl Ocampo, Maricar Navales and Patrick Intes.

Onward and Upward

2011-10-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

September 3:

Happy Feast of St. Pius X!

Prayers were joyfully offered for the intentions of the SSPX Priests, whose constant support to the mission has made the mission go a long way.

September 8:

Happy Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

On this special day, mission staff and volunteers offered fervent prayers for the mission benefactors and sponsors to the Patroness of the mission, the blessed Mother of God. Noble Virgin, may our tribute win thy love and gain us grace. Ora, ora pro nobis!

September 10:

Cemetery Visit and Catechism

Fr. Suelo, assisted by an ACIM staff, went to North Cemetery together with the family the patient with HIV infection, to bless his grave on the occasion of the 40th day of his death. His family attended Holy Mass. They had been coming to Our Lady of Victories Church to attend Holy Mass occasionally. After the blessing of the grave, the ACIM volunteer proceeded to the family residence to give catechism lessons to the family, relatives, and neighbors of the deceased who had gathered for the occasion. The catechism lesson was lively because the listeners actively participated, raised questions and presented their arguments. They asked for more lessons.

September 15, 2011:

RH and HR Conference

Three ACIM delegates attended the Reproductive Health Bill conference at the University of the Philippines and distributed pamphlets on the Catholic principle on Human Rights and Duties. The conference featured Sen. Pia Cayetano and Sen. Miriam Santiago who were lobbying for the Reproductive Health as Human Rights. The theme of the conference was: “RH as HR”. The conference venue was packed with about 280 pro-RH student leaders and representatives of government and non-government agencies. The ACIM delegates deemed it impractical to participate in the open forum as the audience-speaker interaction indicated solidarity in the cause of RH Bill legislation. ACIM delegates were able to distribute about 120 papers, nevertheless. No positive reaction was perceived on the paper. However, outside the conference venue, as ACIM delegates distributed papers upon their exit, one young man went after the team to inquire about the Catholic position on the RH Bill. He introduced himself as the president of the student organization UP for Life and gave his contact number for future working alliance.

September 18:

Holy Mass in Fatima 39 Village

After Sunday Mass in St. James Chapel, Fr.T.Pfeiffer, assisted by Apostles of Mary and Legion of Mary went to Fatima 39 village to give catechism lessons and to offer Holy Mass. Thirty children and eight adults attended the Holy Mass. Fr. Pfeiffer organized games for the children. Fr. Couture had already said Mass in this area during the mission in 2010. Dr. Emeline de la Robertie had conducted a medical mission in the area on September 8, 2010. The children of the village had been attending children’s camps conducted by the Apostles of Mary in the previous years.

September 25:

Fr. Laisney in Fatima 39 Village

After Sunday Mass in St. James Chapel, Fr. Francois Laisney, assisted by Apostles of Mary and Legion of Mary went to Fatima 39 Village to give catechism lesson. More than fifty adult and children attended the lessons. The AoM and the LoM served as interpreters.

_________________________________________________

A patient's mother came daily to the mission office for spiritual and psychological counseling. Catechism lessons were given to help her find the answers to her confusions. Twenty days of lessons led her to Confession after so many years of indifference and ignorance.

Sursum corda!

2011-10-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

August 1:

Demise of a special patient

The surviving family of the special patient with HIV sent a message to the mission staff to inform the team of the patient's death. Prayers were offered for his repose.

August 2, 2011

Prayers for the Dead

ACIM staff attended the wake and led the prayers for the repose of the patient's soul.

Brief catechism on the necessity of prayers for the dead was given to the family and the friends and neighbors who were in the chapel. Boxes of donated food items, left over from the mission, were given to the poor family.

August 5, 2011

Blessing of the Corpse

Upon the request of the family, Fr. Edgardo Suelo blessed the body of the deceased patient. The whole family was moved by the charity rendered to them and promised that they would continue to pray for his repose, and to prepare themselves for their own end. No matter where the mission goes, spiritual kinship binds the mission staff to the patients and their families. Birth, disease, death... Baptism, Extreme Unction and Requiem Masses lead patients and volunteers closer to God and to each other. Truly, the more the mission continues, the bigger the mission family grows.

August 6, 2011

Admission of Patient to Leprosarium

Fr. Suelo heard the Confession of a leprous patient and enrolled him to the Brown Scapular before he was accompanied by the mission staff to the leprosarium in Novaliches, Quezon City. ACIM staff gave him a basic catechism lesson and assisted him in the examination of conscience before he went to Confession. He had stayed away from the sacraments for more than ten years. He was given some food items, hygiene supplies and beddings before he was admitted to the hospital. He went to the hospital hopeful, strengthened in faith by the Sacraments and by the moral support of the mission staff.

August 12, 2011

Visit to Our Lady of the Mystical Rose:

In thanksgiving for the grace of the mission, and to plead for special graces for the mission benefactors, patients and volunteers, three ACIM staff visited the statue of Our Lady of the Rose in Makati, in the church of Sts. Peter and Paul. The statue was installed in the town of Makati and proclaimed as patron of the town in the year 1718. The mission staff accidentally discovered of the existence of the statue in Makati on the early part of July, while preparing for a medical mission in the Catholic Cemetery which was under the jurisdiction of the Parish of Sts. Peter and Paul. Ave Maria!

August 25, 2011

Free Clinic by Dr. Araneta at the Church Basement

To assist the sixty ophthalmic patients who were not accommodated at the mission venue on July, Dr. Araneta granted the request for an extension clinic in OLVC. The patients were happy for the extended blessing given to them. Fr. Suelo, Bro. Isidore, and two Bethanians gladly lined up for consultation too. Fr. Suelo gave spiritual counsel to a pregnant teenager who came at the mission.

August 27, 2011

Blessing of Patients' Homes

Fr. T Pfeiffer accompanied the ACIM staff to donate the near-expiry medicines to Quirino Memorial Medical Center. Fr. Pfeiffer met the hospital director who was grateful for the donation and gave permission to ACIM to conduct spiritual apostolate among the sick in the hospital. Due to lack of time, Fr. Pfeiffer decided to come back on another time for the spiritual work.

After the hospital visit, the team proceeded to Damayang Lagi Village to bless the houses of mission patients. There were 20 houses blessed, and there would have been so much more, if not for the time constraint. The community gave a warm welcome to Fr. Pfeiffer and invited him to come back. Fr. Pfeiffer gave a brief catechism to the people and invited them to Holy Mass.

In the evening the team went to Payatas, Quezon City to bless houses. Payatas is the dumpsite of Metro Manila and the place had been prepared for a visit of a representative of the mission team, as requested by Dr. Dickes. People in the community had been preparing for the visit of the priest during the medical mission. However, due to flooding, Fr. Castel had not been able to come to this place. Some contacts had been established in the village and a little wound treatment area was set up prior to the mission in July to establish rapport with the community. ACIM Staff conducted some catechism lessons as he blessed houses. Fr. Pfeiffer also gave a brief sermon on modesty to the family in the area who hanged framed pictures of the female members in beauty pageants and seemed ignorant about the Blessed Virgin Mary's call for the virtue of modesty, although they also displayed her picture in their house. The house blessings were done at night, after the evening Mass. Fr. Pfeiffer could not come earlier so, despite the numerous requests for house blessing, he was only able to bless 8 houses. More families are waiting for his return.

August 28, 2011

Patients Enrolled to the Brown Scapular

Nineteen mission patients (adults and children) attended the Holy Mass at Our Lady of Victories Church and received scapulars from Fr. Suelo. Catechism lesson was given by ACIM staff.

Two passersby inquired about the confession schedule in the Church. They were assisted by ACIM staff who brought them to Fr. Suelo for Confession and who also gave them scapulars.

Raffle Draw in Honor of St. Pius X:

ACIM staff and patients participated in the raffle draw of good works and prayers for the intentions of the SSPX priests in the Philippines and Asia, who contribute so much to the mission by their prayers and spiritual support. Spiritual bouquet cards for the priests were submitted to Fr. Onoda. With their constant care, mission volunteers and patients hope to succeed in lifting their hearts to God.

Thank you for your unwavering support!

2011-08-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

Thank you for supporting the Rosa Mystica Health Mission. On behalf of the 2,500 and more patients who benefited from the mission, we express our heartfelt gratitude for the generous persons and companies who made the mission possible. Special thanks to the sponsors and the volunteers! May God be your reward!

Our sincerest thanks to the following volunteers and sponsors:

From France:
Alexandre BASTIDE, Claire BIZIEN, Magali BURGUBURU, Brigitte COULANGE, Blandine de CHARETTE, Danielle DICHARD, Gilbert DICHARD, Bernadette DICKES, Jean-Pierre DICKES, Delphine GROUHEL, Jacynthe PROT, Bertrand-Marie REMY, Eugenie REMY, Anne Claire ROUSSEAU, Jeanne de VENCAY, Caroline VERGEZ.
From USA:
Elizabeth PHALEN, Kristoff SAURETTE
From South Korea:
Eun Mi KIM, Brigitt Jiwon CHOI, Esther LEE, Yang Hee LEE, Jin-Kyung KIM, Eujine SOHN.
From Switzerland:
Carmen PLATTNER
From Belgium:
Wivine LAMBRECHTS
From Ireland:
Sinead DENNEHY
From Malaysia:
Melinda KHOR
From Singapore:
Karyn Anne YZELMAN
From Canada:
Thomas STANNUS

From the Philippines:
Iloilo: Dr. Ma. June VIRAY, Pediatrician
General Santos City: Dr. Emely LAGARE (Pediatrician); Dr. Romeo TEVES (Pathologist); Dr. Nelda NISPEROS (Dentist); Ailea Kathleen ALEJADO (Nurse, Photographer); Marie Rosalie MARAVILLA (Pharmaceutical Distributor); Princess TEVES; Maricar AGUSTILO (Dentist's Assistant).
Davao City: Anthony Cedric GHELA (Photographer-Documentor); Teofila ALABA
Cavite: Jerwin AGUINALDO
Legazpi City, Bicol: Dr. Ma. Francia BINALINGBING
Naga City, Bicol: Andrew PRINCIPE (Nurse)
Tanay, Rizal Province: Miguela LUTO (Staff)
Our Lady of Victories Church, New Manila, Quezon City: Dr. Lee VERSOZA, Dr. Mia VERSOZA, Dr. Elaine Baens ARANETA, Dr. Dexter Anthony GRINO, Dr. Primitivo CHUA, Theodore Dizon, Marichu Hizon, Angie POSADAS, Jeff ONO, Lani ONO,
Society of Saint Pius X: Rev. Fr. Francois Castel (ACIM-France Chaplain); Rev. Fr. Daniel Couture (SSPX-Asia District Superior); Rev. Fr. Thomas Marie Onoda Keiji (Prior, Our Lady of Victories Church); Rev. Fr. Edgardo Suelo; Rev. Fr. Valan Rajakumar; Rev. Fr. Robert MacPherson.

TO BE CONTINUED....

thank you for the love and care

2011-06-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

June 24, 2011

Holy Mass of the Angels:

ACIM staff, assisted by Apostles of Mary members, assisted in the Mass of the Angels celebrated by Fr. T. Pfeiffer in Kawas, Sarangani Province. The Mass was for Baby Erlyn Claire who died on June 20 in General Santos City Hospital. She was baptized by Fr. T. Pfeiffer on June 17. This is the second Mass of the Angels that the villagers have the grace to assist. The first was for Baby Louie Jay.

There were seventy who attended the Mass together with the family of baby Claire. Both mother and father went to confession and received Communion. The Mass started late because the family struggled with the local superstitious customs which prohibited any movement of the body from the house before the final moment of the burial. It took long to convince the elder folks to bring the body before the altar for the Holy Mass.

Adults came forward with their questions. There were lively and hopeful discussions regarding the practice of the Catholic faith. Catechism lessons were given to the children and adults. Sick residents in the village were blessed. Houses were also blessed. As Fr. Pfeiffer went around, he gave brief sermons to the crowd following him. A group of interested residents were gathered for singing practice. Hymns for the Holy Mass were rapidly translated and taught to them. The team went home just before midnight, tired but joyful.

_______________________________________________

June 23:

Feast of the Corpus Christi

Patients from Sarangani Province were delighted to be part of the Corpus Christi celebration: Holy Mass, procession and party. The floral carpet painstakingly made by the faithful and mission patients and sponsors are shown below.

Baskets, sacks and buckets of flowers and leaves found their way to the office where petals and leaves where segretated according to color and size. Volunteers took turns putting the petals in place to complete the pictures.

____________________________________________

June 17:

Catechism and First Holy Mass in Kawas
ACIM staff went to the village of dear Louie Jay in Kawas for the catechism visit and for their first Holy Tridentine Mass in the area. Apostles of Mary and aspirants of the Knights of Our Lady went along to assist. An altar was set up. Fr.T. Pfeiffer gave a catechism lesson for the children about the beauty of the Traditional Mass and the importance of confession. Immediately afterwards, he heard confessions. There were nine humble hearts who made their confession including the parents of Louie Jay. After an hour of confession, 30 attended the Holy Mass.

Father sought out the menfolk in their meeting place. He explained basic catechism to them and exhorted them to live good Christian lives and to lead their families to a Christian lifestyle.

Teenagers gathered around Father to learn about Confession and the Holy Mass.

Father visited the families in their homes, blessed their houses and gave them brief sermons about family prayers and the observance of the Commandments of God.

Before going home, Fr. T.Pfeiffer listened to the earnest request of a father from the village who asked if it were possible for the priest to visit his dying daughter who was in the public hospital in General Santos. The team therefore went straight to hospital’s Emergency Room; thus, baby Erlyn Claire was baptized. After baptism, a man in the next bed asked for Confession, which Fr. Pfeiffer heard. After giving him blessing, Father proceeded to the pediatric ward to bless sick babies. Twenty one babies were blessed.

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June 16:

Sick visitation
Three Apostles of Mary members, together with Fr. T. Pfeiffer, went to Fatima 39 village to visit a bedridden patient for her confession. Surprisingly, she was already up and about when the team arrived. Still, she made her confession. Days before this visit, the Apostles of Mary members had prayed at her bedside and assisted her in preparing for her confession. Her family had been fearing that she would die soon as she was no longer eating well and was too weak to move.

Blessing of Graves
Afterwards, the team proceeded to the public cemetery in Uhaw to bless the grave of a mission patient who died some months before. The priest also blessed other graves.

Jail Visitation

That same day, the team visited the jail, particularly the female ward, for their Confession. There were 12 inmates who made their confession. Due to lack of due preparation, the male ward was not considered secure enough for the Priest's visit.

________________________________________________

Thank you for the love and care!
June 8:
A woman in crisis came to the office with a desperate request: can she leave her children in the office? She had nowhere to go, and did not know what to do... Today she is repairing her house and is looking forward to bringing her children back home. Deo gratias.

The children stayed in the office for some days while the mother received crisis counseling.

thank you for the toys!

Thank you for the toy!

2011-06-15T01:35:00.000-07:00

Life is not perfect but a toy helps us forget the imperfections in our life...

Thank you so much for the toy!

Thank you for the lollipop!

2011-06-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

thank you for the lollipop!

And thank you for understanding me when I cried, Doctor.
You were gentle and good but I cried because I was afraid of the needle..

Thank you for the Med Mission

2011-06-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

June 8, 2011. Medical-dental mission in Midconding, Maguindanao, in cooperation with the Philippine Army.

on the way to the mission area.

The registration and adult medical consultation tents.

registration and waiting area

Mission set up. Judith and Maricar prepares for the mission with the help of the Army.

at the pharmacy area.

view from the pediatric consultation area.

The mayor of Salipada K. Pendatun town (center), discussing peace and order situation with the military during the medical mission.

Dental area in a bullet-ridden dilapidated building. There had been armed conflict at the area 3 weeks ago.

the pediatric consultation area seen from outside.

pediatric patients inside the pedia area

Critical mission security.

despite the tension due to the recent armed conflict, the birds in the sky celebrate the beauty of life.

thank you for visiting us!

Sweet Heart

2011-05-21T04:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the chocolates!

Candies and chocolates make a world of difference to the mission!

One Foot Forward, One Step At A Time

2011-05-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

A burst of passion uncontrolled… then a pregnancy regretted…. until finally, a determined appointment with the “hilot”…

The story would have ended there if the “hilot” did not have the boldness to believe that each human life is valuable and worth sacrificing for. Despite his own poverty, he firmly refused to abort the child but gently offered to make the child his own if only the woman would bear the pregnancy to full term and deliver the baby alive.

Hence, the baby boy saw the sunshine and by his innocent smiles brought sunshine to the poor household. When the “hilot” got very ill and could no longer support his family’s needs, village folks, in attempts to express sympathy, advised that he give up the baby, which should not have been his burden in the beginning. But with unwavering faith, he called on the mercy of God to lead him to the means to keep his family, especially the baby, alive.

One day, as he lay in a hospital bed, drifting in and out of the dizzying cloud of hunger, unable to go home due to his inability to pay his hospital bill and unable to eat because his food ration had been cut 3 days previously since he was given the “May go home” order, he whispered to his neighbor – a fellow poor patient in the next hospital bed: “How are you there? Are you ok?” The neighbor said, “yes, comrade, as ok as sunshine as I memorize away my hunger”. And he answered, “Good for you, friend, it is good to hear your voice. I see only a white cloud everywhere and my head is very light… I think I’m going to drift away slowly.” The listening ears of a watcher sitting on another hospital bed caught the exchange and she vowed that she will not let her own patient die without having done her best, no matter how poor they were. She decided right there and then to go around and beg for the first time in her life.

So she begged at the social welfare office, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes office, her neighbors, and at every office and market stall she passed until she met a stranger who gave her an address. Tagging a friend along, she came knocking at the Rosa Mystica Health Mission office at about 10 o’clock in the morning. The first question she was asked was, “Your lips have lost all color and you seem ready to collapse, have you eaten your breakfast?” To which she answered, “I am all right. I come to ask help for my patient.” The next question was, “How far did you travel to come here, and how did you come to know the mission?” She answered, “I don’t know exactly how far I have come. We’d been walking around since 6 o’clock in the morning, not knowing exactly where we should go, until a man who identified himself as a Chairman of an unfamiliar purok advised us to come here.” Then she was told, “we do not know if we can help your patient, but you must sit down and eat breakfast, otherwise you will break down and you will no longer be able to help your patient.” So she sat before a hastily prepared breakfast and as she breathed deeply, her tears rolled down. Between sobs, she said, “thank you for this meal. My last meal was lunch yesterday, and I had been drinking water to keep me going while I searched for help. I do not mind the hunger. We have a neighbor in the hospital ward who is more hungry but keeps cracking jokes about our hunger.” Then another question was asked, “what happened to your hospital neighbor?” To which she answered, “ahh, he had not eaten for a few days, and yesterday he said he couldn’t see anything anymore, but that he was ok. Personally, I pity him. I had shared some food with him in the past”. “Does he have a watcher?” “Yes.” “Can you send the watcher here?” When the interview was finished, she went back to the hospital with the hope that her godchild could finally have a CT scan and have a chance for treatment at a higher level hospital. Then, as instructed, she sent her neighbor’s watcher to the mission.

Very timid and shy, the watcher hesitated so many times before she would knock. She was the wife of the “hilot”. The “hilot” was a diabetic, and fasting was dangerous for him. He was the breadwinner and since his confinement in the hospital, she had felt overwhelmed and immobilized by extreme anxiety at the grim future looming ahead. Moved by mercy, the mission paid his hospital bill so he could go home and resume earning money to sustain his family. A pair of crutches was given to him to enable him to have maximum independence.

A few months afterwards, by a mysterious hand of Providence, having heard of the mission, a French lady decided to visit and help in the mission work. She was assigned to visit the already bedridden hilot to dress his wounds and to console him in his suffering. It was then that she saw the little baby who was the sunshine of the “hilot” in his dark days. As she watched this boy happily hug his adoptive father and run around him cheerfully, she was deeply struck by his wobbly gait. He had a clubfoot. She vowed to find the money to support his surgery.

Soon, the “hilot’s” health deteriorated and then he died. His wife was crushed with grief and she would have gone to the grave with him, but the little boy with the wobbly steps would keep running towards her, not giving her the chance to wallow in her grief. She realized that for this innocent baby she needed to be strong. One step at a time, she immersed herself in the role of breadwinner. She discovered the simple joys of breadwinning. And she discovered how nights could be brightened by the happy songs of her little boy.

Today she is celebrating the little boy’s homecoming from the hospital where he had been operated to repair his clubfoot. As she visited the mission office to show off the newly operated foot, her smile was easy and relaxed, her poise confident. No trace could be seen of the shy woman who did not have the courage to knock at the gate, who shirked at the prospect of breadwinning. Unconsciously, the little boy that she and her husband had adopted has given her courage to face the future with a smile, as she helped him place one foot forward, one step at a time.

The courage to love makes us see the beauty of life.
_____________________________
("Hilot" is a self-trained massage therapist. Some have learned the technique of 'maneuvering' the uterine muscles to contract, thus inducing abortion.)

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES 2011

2011-02-13T00:23:00.003-08:00

(under construction)

2011 Rosa Mystica Health Mission Schedule

2011-02-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT:

2011 Rosa Mystica Health Mission Program:

Duration: July 25-30.

Orientation and set-up: Jul 24.

Mission Proper: Jul 25 -Jul 30.

Mission ends @ 12 NN, Jul 30.

Place: Quezon City.

Arrival day for foreign volunteers: Jul. 23.

Registration of volunteers is going on, dear friends.

Whoever wishes to serve again may please text Nurse Sheryl @ 09214931960.

Foreign volunteers, kindly email your itinerary for lodging and transportation arrangements.

Thank you for your continued concern for the less fortunate. May the good God be your consolation and reward.

February 01, 2011: Hail to Notre Dame!

2011-02-02T01:25:00.003-08:00

ACIM Asia, for the second time around, joined the foundation anniversary of Notre Dame of Tacurong College last February 01, 2011 in the Medical-Dental outreach which was part of their week-long Diamond Jubilee celebration (January 31 – February 05, 2011).

The event was impressively organized as they had pre-identified the indigent patients who were served properly according to their needs such as medical consultation, dental extraction, cyst removal and eye diseases consultation. Through the support of partner organizations - Sultan Kudarat Provincial Mobile Hospital, Tacurong City Health Office, Alumni of the college, 33^rd Infantry Battalion and ACIM Asia, the NDTC Jubilee mission was able to serve 241 patients in medical consultation, 76 patients in dental extraction, 60 patients in ophthalmologic consultation, and 9 patients in cyst removal.

Working with the Philippine Army's 33rd Infantry Battalion has brought ACIM-Asia to this Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao missions. It is a pleasure to be able to reach out in simple acts charity through medical, dental and surgical services.

We hope our presence and our services were able to encourage the community to strive for unity and progress based on Christian principles of justice and charity. The theme of the jubilee was “NDTC: Excel Beyond Diamond Jubilee”. We hope that the quest for excellence brings the people to the highest good: GOD. Way to go, Notre Dame of Tacurong! May your education mission bring peace to Mindanao.

January 27, 2011: Smiley Express - A Mission Under Threat

2011-02-02T01:25:00.001-08:00

January 26 was plainly a veterinary civil action program, which literally meant vaccinating and treating cows, carabaos, goats and other farm animals of the locals. That left the medical team free to board the US Navy vessel and travel ahead to the next mission area which would be served the following day.

January 27 was the day of the Smiley Express Mission.

The team number was reduced after 3 days on the road, but, as usual, the number of patients grew. We were blessed to still have with us the strong 73^rd IB of Philippine Army, 11^th Mechanized Company, 1002^nd Brigade Military Ward and US Joint Special Operations Task Force Mindanao to cater to the growing number of patients. Newly-elected honorable mayor Maulana of Palimbang accommodated the volunteers for the night. His hospitality was touching. Apart from the tasty dinner and breakfast, he prepared a glorious display of fireworks to welcome the mission team!

Palimbang is a far-flung town in Sultan Kudarat, a 4-hour drive from General Santos City. It lies just beyond the western border of Sarangani Province. It sits along the western coast of southern Mindanao, and is strategically positioned directly across Abu Sayyaf territories Basilan and Sulu, separated only by the beautiful waves of the Mindanao sea, where vessels of Abu Sayyaf militants and pirates freely roam. The beautiful shores are mostly pristine and unexploited, as no tourist would bask in the largely unprotected coastline.

The municipality is the biggest in Sultan Kudarat, with 40 barangays. It is not readily accessible as constant armed conflict makes infrastructure development difficult to sustain. Because of inaccessiblity, health services are few and infrequent, so the locals are very keen and on the lookout for any free medical, dental, and minor surgical services.

About 1,400 patients were registered for the day.

The medical team was composed of 1 local doctor from Municipality - Dr. Cruz; and 3 medics from US Army Joint Operations Special Task Force Mindanao (Civil Affairs Team and LCE) namely SSG Joshua Carroll, SSG Micha Van Wagner and SSG Edwin Torrescortes.

The dental team was composed of Dr. Nelda Nisperos of ACIM Asia, Dr. Diono of Military Ward, and the Municipal Dentist.

The minor surgical team was composed of the 1002^nd brigade military ward personnel who were assisted by 2 Filipino volunteer nurses.

The pharmacy team were made up of 1 Filipino nurse, 2 French volunteers from ACIM-Asia and 2 Filipino Auxiliary.

A security threat, particularly of abduction, clouded the mission with foreboding. We could not ignore the security threat so we had to shorten the working time but we pressed on to serve as many patients as we could, working full speed to maximize time and resources. Despite the short working time, we were able to serve 712 medical patients, 149 dental patients, 36 circumcision patients and 10 surgical patients (cyst removal).

Bravo to the brave team! None but the brave can voluntarily serve with a smile on an ominous day! God have mercy on the locals. May they know God and peace in their days.

January 25, 2011: Building Bridges of Peace

2011-02-02T01:24:00.002-08:00

This day’s mission was in Pananag, Maasim, Sarangani Province, about 1 hour drive westward from General Santos City. The plan was to go farther up west along the shores of Mindanao sea in the next days. The team was composed of the 73^rd IB Philippine Army, the US Civil Affairs Team 734 and from the US Army Joint Special Operations Task Force Mindanao and Philippines, the Provincial Health Office of Maasim and ACIM Asia.

This day, Dr. Romeo Teves, the hospital administrator of Socsargen hospital, also a member of ACIM-Asia, replaced Dr. Emely Lagare at the consultation table. With him at the consultation area were Dr. Loot and the medics of the US Army Civil Affairs Team. Dr. Nelda Nisperos served in the dental services department, and was assisted by Thomas du Chalard. Nurse Marie du Chalard manned the assessment area, while nurse Sheryl Ocampo, RN, Thierry Bianco and Elaine Salazar took charge of the pharmacy section.

SSG Micha Van Wagner examines a baby
during the medical c

Some 360 patients were served in medical consultation area, 102 patients were attended at the dental extraction department,43 patients served at the circumcision table and 2 were catered at the cyst removal area.

We hope that our simple health services will have built bridges with the community and planted some encouraging thoughts in the minds of local warriors to lay down their arms, live and labor with order, peace and moderation, and engage in rational and peaceful resolutions in case of conflicts.

January 24, 2011: The Peace Mission

2011-02-02T01:24:00.000-08:00

Today we commenced the 4-day medical-dental-surgical mission in Sarangani Province, in cooperation with the 73^rd Infantry Battalion of Philippine Army, US Army Civil Affairs Team 734 and other teams from US Army Joint Special Operations Task Force Mindanao and the US Civil Affairs Team Philippines led by Lt. Col Edmund Oliveros.

The US Civil Affairs team came straight from Zamboanga and docked in Sarangani coast to lend their hands to the 4-day activity envisioned to promote sustainable peace and development in the area.

This day we were in Tinoto Elementary School along Sarangani Bay in Maasim town, about 40 minutes drive from General Santos City.

The spirit to serve was high. We were able to attend to 431 medical, 152 for dental patients, 40 circumcision patients and 2 cyst-removal patients.

ACIM Asia was represented by 7 volunteers; namely: Dr. Emely Lagare 2 Filipino Nurses, 2 French, 1 Swiss and 1 Filipino Auxiliary who were appropriately stattioned in the medical area, pharmacy, and vital signs assessment area.

The activity was supported by the Provincial Vice Governor's Office; the Provincial Health Office; and Pacquiao Foundation, which augmented the medicine supplies.

The Head of Division of the Philippine Army was there, together with the Head of the US Army Joint Special Task Force for Mindanao, Major Philippe Brown, who personally expressed his appreciation for the support that ACIM Asia had been giving to the MEDCAP, and he verbalized that he was glad to work side by side with the ACIM-Asia volunteers.

It is our honor to be able to contribute to peace-building in Mindanao. It would be our joy to eventually help the war-torn communities to reach out to the loving and peaceful God. Peace, brothers... May the peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all!

January 17-21, 2011: Grand Homecoming of the Noble Hearts

2011-02-02T01:22:00.003-08:00

Per request of the Provincial Vice Governor of Sarangani, ACIM-Asia assisted in the organization and the conduct of the grand medical-surgical mission of the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California (PMSCN).

We helped find sponsors for the food of the volunteers and fortunately found a firm support from the Director of the Student Affairs of the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, who agreed to sponsor a snack for 200 volunteers.

The medical – surgical mission was held in Sarangani Province Capitol last January 17-21, 2011, serving almost 3,000 patients who availed free surgery and medical treatment. Major surgeries were done at Socsargen County Hospital, while minor surgeries and medical consultation were conducted in the Capitol Grounds of Sarangani.

Majority of the medical volunteers came from northern California. Most of them were Filipinos who came especially to serve their fellow Filipinos for free.

Two members from ACIM-Asia came to lend a hand in the minor surgery and the dental extractions.

A grand dinner waited for us at the last night of the mission. The Swiss volunteer Thiery Bianco was so excited to have the autograph of the great Manny Pacquiao, who hosted the thanksgiving dinner. It was a grand night, capping a grand mission. Next year, the PMSCN will be in Mindoro, in central Philippines.

December 13-14, 2010 Midconding, Maguindanao Mission

2011-02-02T01:22:00.001-08:00

This will be the last Peace Mission for the year 2010, a hopeful note from the battle-weary soldiers before saluting the new year.

The Charlie Company (Kamagong) of 33^rd IB Philippine Army rallied for a year-end Makabayan Peace Caravan as the core banner of their Civil Military Operations in the municipalities of GSK Pendatun and Paglat, Maguindanao.

The weeklong activities started from December 7 – 14, 2010 focused on the distribution of school supplies; community dialogues; skill and capability building, medical-dental-circumcision and veterinary outreach.

These activities were intended to assist the barangays affected by conflict, natural calamity and those influenced by the MILF movement with the view of helping them restore their normal living and strengthen peace in the area.

SSG Russell Martin in action.

ACIM Asia was specifically invited to serve on December 13 in Panosolin, Maguindanao and on December 14 in Midconding, Maguindanao for Medical, Dental, and Circumcision services as a way of culminating the peace mission. About 800 medical patients were given free consultation and medications, about 250 patients availed of cost free dental extraction, and 130 patients undergo circumcision, for the said 2 days medical missions.

Some readers may react at seeing military uniforms and armory in our mission pictures, but this is the reality. We are serving in constant threat of unfriendly fire in places where the peace situation is volatile and ready to evaporate anytime. We are praying and hoping to encourage warriors to give up animosities and settle for peace. And one way to reach out to them is to reach out to the vulnerable non-combatant members of their families, who inadvertently suffer from the ravages of war. This outreach demonstrates the concern that we feel for the community, and speaks volumes for Christian charity.

Though the Good Samaritan did not have military operatives as he served the wounded victim of robbery, we cannot risk going into a war zone preaching love of God through charitable acts without protection. In places where Christ is not known, Christian peace is incomprehensible. We are not part of the military and we come simply to demonstrate Christian love in villages where hearts are inflamed with the Red Crescent. It is a risk we take with prudence, hence, we come with military protection.

Justice, law and order bring peace. But it is kindness and friendship that transcends the barriers. May God bless the Braves of Mindanao.

November 19, 2010 - Campaign Against RH Bill

2010-12-01T22:41:00.000-08:00

Brgy. Ticulab, Maitum, Sarangani Province:

Lt.Valenzuela, organizer of the mission,
signed up against RH Bill

one signature makes a difference

The Philippine Army 73^rd IB organized another medical civil action program for the residents of Barangay Ticulab, Maitum, Sarangani Province, in cooperation with other LGU’s and NGO’s.

Barangay Ticulab, a 2-hour drive from General Santos City, was one of the areas that were attacked by the MILF last 2008. During the war, a number of residents were lured to the hideouts of the rebels, thinking they could hide in safety among friends, but realized their error of judgment when they were used as hostages. Eventually those hostages were released, and serenity restored. Peace was still in place as we came to conduct the medical mission.

The team served 217 medical patients, 37 dental patients, and 26 circumcision cases. Also a feeding program was provided among the malnourished children of the said Barangay.

We assisted in the minor surgeries. The team served 217 medical patients, 37 dental patients, and 26 circumcision cases. Also a feeding program was provided among the malnourished children of the said Barangay.

With the ongoing international pressure on the Philippine government to pass the Reproductive Health Bill, we decided to spare precious time to conduct a signature campaign among the residents to stop the passage of RH Bill. We gave a lecture on the moral and scientific dangers related to the provisions of the RH Program in the bill. We hoped to prepare the grassroots to resist the execution of an immoral law, in the instance that the bill would be passed into law. Naturally, we met people who refused to sign the petition against the bill, but we encountered many who listened, argued, and decided to support our campaign.

Young minds and hearts hearing the word of God

We also conducted a Catechism class with a role play for the children. We distributed rosaries and bioethics pamphlets among the residents.

November 27, 2010 - Brgy. San Isidro, General Santos City

2010-11-29T03:11:00.001-08:00

In line with the anniversary celebration of Mindanao Bulletin and Sapol News Bulletin, a Medical-Dental mission was conducted to serve the residents of Purok Mapailubon, Barangay San Isidro, General Santos City.

ACIM Asia was one of the partners invited to serve in the mission, along with other partners such as the Joint Task Force, Pinili Clinic, RD Foundation, Philippine Eagles, and Catanios catering. At the end of the mission, the tally was: 250 medical patients and 110 dental patients served.

Needless to say, but we're saying it anyway, we distributed catechism pamphlets and conducted signature campaign against the RH Bill. Of course we also distributed rosaries. It was a lively mission all in all, with passionate debates on the RH Bill. There were pro-RH bill patients who would not let our campaign go without a challenge, so they made the campaign come to life. It was exhilarating to argue for Christian doctrines and win some points. May those arguments take root in good soil. God bless us all!

November 8, 2010 - Poblacion, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat

2010-11-29T03:02:00.000-08:00

Due to the recent outbreak of Filariasis among the residents of Palimbang, a medical civic action program was organized to address such problem. Filariasis screening was conducted and 13 out of 30 tested positive for the disease. Free medicines were given to those who tested positive. A second phase of treatment will follow to stop the outbreak.

ACIM Asia was one of the partners of this particular MedCAP which served 931 medical patients, 68 dental patients, 110 circumcision clients, and 40 cyst-removal patients. Seventy-five children were given supplementary high-nutrition feeding.

Health teaching on dengue fever was also conducted simultaneously.

November 4, 2010 - Tinumigues, Sadsalan, Madanding, Udtong, and Sigayann of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat

2010-11-29T02:50:00.000-08:00

Red Cross volunteers conducting health assessments

For almost a month now, a number of barangays in the Municipality of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat had been submerged in water from the overflowing Allah River. One of the dikes that divert the water away from the residential areas had broken down. Most of the communities suffered water up to the chest level, which made it almost impossible for land transportation to reach the communities. Community boats became the mode of transportation for the local residents.

US ARMY CAT 734 Medic, SSG Edwin Torrescortes
assessing a pediatric patient.

A medical mission was organized by the 33rd IB of Philippine army, in partnership with LGUs and NGOs, to assist the flooded communities in the Municipality of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat namely: Barangays Tinumigues, Udtong, Sigayan, Sadsalan and Madanding to address the proliferation of water-borne diseases.

Health Education on the prevention of Dengue Fever

The team was divided into four groups to serve the barangays simultaneously, ACIM Asia along with the Red Cross- Tacurong chapter was assigned at barangay Tinumigues serving about 296 patients.

The Sadsalan team served 232 patients, Madanding team served 281 patients and Udtong and Sigayan teams served 285 patients.

School supplies, used clothing and relief goods were also distributed among the affected families, alongside the medical missions.

October 16, 2010 - Datal Bukay, Glan, Sarangani Province

2010-11-29T01:36:00.000-08:00

Here we are again on a medical mission organized by the 73^rd IB of the Philippine Army.
____________________________________

We went off to serve the indigent tribal families in the hinterlands of Datal Bukay, Glan, Sarangani Province. It was a 2-hour drive from Glan town proper.

We embarked on a four-wheel-drive truck then went forward, bouncing along the very rocky roads, crossing rocky rivers, bumpy and muddy creeks, and traversing steep and rugged mountain sides.

ACIM Asia team was composed of 9 volunteers: 2 French, 1 Swiss, 5 Filipino Nurses, 1 Filipino Aide, and a local doctor from Glan who confirmed his participation at the very last minute.

The lone doctor labored with complete devotion and managed to serve 330 medical patients at the end of the day. The dental team served 120 patients and the circumcision team attended 55 patients.

While the health mission was going on, a

peace advocacy campaign was conducted by Kapatid Kapayapaan Council to promote peace awareness among the local residents.

As we traversed our way back to the city, we solemnly wondered at the experience we just had. Behind the mountains and beyond the river lies a village of humans longing for medical services which were beyond their reach. What a profound wonder we felt, like we had been some kind of Columbuses who navigated oceans to see a world beyond our consciousness, seeing people like us who had needs like ours, which we were able to humbly serve. Some time in your life have you ever felt like a little hero? Well, that's how we felt that day.

And do you know how it felt to see the joys of the villagers in receiving rosary beads? We felt like we were some kind of St. Francis Xavier.

But of course, we were just feeling dramatic. Some more heroic missionaries had served the village before. How else could the people have known how to pray the rosary before we came? In each of the few houses that we had visited we had seen a simple picture of the Sacred Heart. So really, it wasn't as if we planted the first Cross in that remote village. A humbling experience, indeed. Someone else was more heroic, who traversed the rivers and the slopes BEFORE four-wheel drive trucks were invented! Cheers to the first missionaries. God bless and keep their souls.

2010 September 29-October 1: Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat Mission

2010-10-06T01:49:00.000-07:00

Medical-Dental- Surgical (Minor) Mission in Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao

With the 33rd Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army and Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines Civil Affairs Team 734, and Military Information Support Team Bravo both of from US Army, ACIM-Asia team composed of 3 French ladies (1 doctor, 1 nurse, 1 history student); 1 Swiss lady (preparing to go to Midwifery School); 3 Filipino Nurses; and 1 Filipino Aide, went to a peace-building mission in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.

September 29: Venue: Datu Paglat, Idtig, Maguindanao
No. of Patients Served: 426 (Medical Adult and Pedia: 238; Dental: 120; Minor Surgery: 68)

September 30: Venue: Pendatun Elementary School, SKP, Badak, Maguindanao
No. of Patients Served: 530 (Medical Adult and Pedia: 316; Dental: 136; Minor Surgery: 78)

October 1: Venue: Lambayong Central School, Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat
No. of Patients Served: 599 (Medical Adult and Pedia: 319; Dental: 150; Minor Surgery: 130)

2010 September 8 Mission

2010-10-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

FVR Village: Surprise free clinic for the residents around the mission chapel in the area. The children of the families had been attending the catechism classes in the area for more than 5 years and their parents had attended the livelihood training on July 31. On September 8 the team surprised them with a medical mission. So great was their joy at the unexpected gift that came to them on the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady... 85 patients (adult, children and babies) were served.

2010 August 15: Last Minute Mission

2010-10-06T01:23:00.000-07:00

On the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, the team embarked on an early trip to Quezon City to attend Holy Mass at Our Lady of Victories' Church. Upon arrival at the Church gate, the group met a man shivering from fever. He showed the infected wound on his fingers and proceeded to explain that he was bitten by a rabid dog which had died some days after having bitten him. Having ran out of money, he was only able to get one anti-rabies shot, and had missed his subsequent shots. The poor man had gone begging around Quezon City, and had come knocking at the Church gate to try his luck. Dr. Dichard took some antibiotics from his bag to give to the man for his infected wound.

After the Holy Mass, the group split. One team went to St. Luke's Hospital to visit the two mission volunteers from Canada and France who were confined due to dengue fever. Another team took the dog-bitten man to San Lazaro Hospital where he had first received his anti-rabies shot.

The doctor there was not happy with the condition of the man whose time was running out, having been bitten one month ago already, and he ordered an emergency treatment for the man. After paying for his shots, the team left him in the hospital to start the long trip back to Tanay.

The very grateful man promised to pray for the benefactors who made the mission possible. He promised to offer prayers for the sick volunteers who were still in the hospital, particularly for the mission director, who was also sick in a hospital in Singapore.

2010 August 14: Sumilang Mission

2010-10-06T01:10:00.000-07:00

Before leaving for France, Dr. Gilbert Dichard wanted to come back to Rizal Province to extend his medical services so the team decided to serve the sick residents in Sumilang, Rizal Province, in the relocation area of families whose homes were totally destroyed by Typhoon Frank (local name:" Ondoy") that hit the country in 2009. These families came from all over Metro Manila and Rizal Province. They lost their homes and their means of livelihood to the flood. Having been brutally displaced, they needed help to start anew, to build new homes, to adjust to a new neighborhood, to start a new trade, to forget their old lifestyle and begin a new life. They still live in tents in a congested place and all share common portable toilets. Fortunately for them, they have not lost hope in the goodness of Divine Providence and in the kindness of their fellow human beings.

The most common ailments treated during the mission were skin diseases and respiratory diseases. There were 85 patients served that day: 53 babies and children and 32 adults.

July 26 - August 4: ROSA MYSTICA HEALTH MISSION 2010

2010-10-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

SUMMARY of MEDICAL MISSION

No. of Mission Areas: 7
(Rizal Province: 3; Zambales: 1; Leyte: 3)
Date: July 26-31, August 2-4, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 9
No. of Patients Served in Medical and Dental: 4,426
No. of Patients Served in Wound Dressing and Minor Surgical Treatment Area: 94
No. of Patients Served in Laboratory and Diagnostics Area: 1,258
___________________________________________________
Particulars:

TANAY:

1. Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal Province:
Venue: St. Philomena Chapel, Townsite Subdivision, Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal Province
Date: July 26-31, August 2-4, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 9
No. of Patients Served: 3074
(Adult: 1051 ;Pedia: 1308 ;Dental: 527 ;Opthal: 182 ; Orthoptist: 6)
No. of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests performed: 1,258
No. of Patients Served at Wound Dressing Area: 94

2. Teresa, Rizal Province
Venue: St. Ann Chapel, Dalig, Pantay, Teresa, Rizal Province
Date: Juy 26, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 1
No. of Patients Served: 179

3. Poblacion, Tanay, Rizal Province:
Venue: Day Care Center, Sitio Upper Gabihan, Tanay, Rizal Province
Date: July 31, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 1
No. of Patients Served: 255

LEYTE:

1. Tacloban City, Leyte
Venue: Barangay 64 Gymnasium, Tacloban, Leyte
Date: July 26, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 1
No. of Patients Served: 119

2. Sogod, Southern Leyte
Venue: Sogod District Hospital, Sogod, Southern Leyte
Date: July 27-28, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 2
No. of Patients Served: 480

3. Maasin, Southern Leyte
Venue: Barangay Agbao Gymnasium, Maasin City, Southern Leyte
Date: July 29-30, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 2
No. of Patients Served: 170

ZAMBALES:

Venue: Multipurpose Hall, Aeta Resettlement Area, Alingway sa Kapihan, Sitio Gala, Subic, Zambales
Date: August 2-3, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 2
No. of Patients Served: 149
__________________________________________________________

SUMMARY OF LIVELIHOOD TRAINING :

No. of Mission Areas: 8
Specific Venues:
Alabel, Sarangani Province: 3: Ladol, Kawas, and Poblacion
General Santos City: 5: Lower Banualan, Purok Malakas, FVR Village,
City Jail Male Ward, City Jail Female Ward
Date: July 26-31, August 2-3, 2010
No. of Mission Days: 8
No. of Livelihood Training Participants: 288

Type of Training:
1. Production of Detergent Powder
2. Production of Antifungal Ointment
3. Production of Twine Rosaries

2010 ROSA MYSTICA HEALTH MISSION SCHEDULE

2010-06-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

July 26 - August 4: MEDICAL - DENTAL MISSIONS

Orientation Day: July 24, 4:00PM - 6:00 PM
Move-out of Mission on Wheels: July 25, 9:00 AM
Post Mission Evaluation Meeting: August 5, 9:00 AM

ACTUAL MEDICAL MISSION AREAS:
Tanay, Rizal Province, to be led by Dr. Ma. June Viray /Dr. JP Dickes
Zambales-Leyte, to be led by Jerwin Aguinaldo
Sarangani Province, to be led by Judith Dagatan

2010 MED MISSIONS SUPPORTED

2010-06-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

Jan. 23 / Kiamba, Sarangani Province
together with Dr. Cagape
Jan. 30 / Barangay Katangawan, General Santos City
together with the Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo Foundation
Jan. 31 / Kiamba, Sarangani Province
together with Dr. Cagape
Feb. 4 / Notre Dame of Tacurong College, Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat: 400 patients
together with Phil Army 33rd Infantry Battalion and US Army
Feb. 5 / Barangay Upo, Maitum, Sarangani Province 600 patients
together with Provincial Vice Governor's Office
Feb. 16 / Barangay Maligang, Kiamba, Sarangani Province
together with the Provincial Vice Governor's Office
Mar. 13 / Kiami, Malapatan, Sarangani Province 200 patients
together with Provincial Vice Governor's Office
Mar. 19 / Barangay Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat 400 patients
together with Phil Army 33rd Infantry Battalion
Apr. 5 / Sinawal Elementary School, General Santos City 307 patients
together with US Army Civil Affairs Team 712
Joint Task Force Gensan
Apr. 17-18 / Holy Cross Parish, Calumpang, General Santos City
together with Parish Social Action Committee
May 1 / San Jose, General Santos City
together with Holy Cross Parish Social Action Committee
May 8 / Poblacion, Malapatan, Sarangani Province 280 patients
together with Dr. Cagape
May 30 / Baragay Sitio Katico, Pres. Quirino, Sultan Kudarat 174 patients
together with Phil Army 33rd Infantry Battalion
Jun 3 / Military Camp, Pres. Quirino, Sultan Kudarat 285 patients
together with Phil Army 33rd Infantry Battalion

SPECIAL CASE: Assisted October 2009 until February 2010

Little patient from Sarangani Province.

Non-communicating hydrocephalus.

Dear St. Louie Jay

2009 OTHER MED MISSIONS SUPPORTED

2010-06-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

2009

DR CAGAPE'S MISSION (FUNDED BY ACIM-ASIA)
July 17 / Sufatubo, Glan, Sarangani Province: 328 patients
July 18 / Sitio Benigno Aquino, Miasong, Tupi, South Cotabato:
July 19 / T'murok, Datalbatong, Malungon, Sarangani Province: 74 patients
July 25 / Gasi, Kiamba, Sarangani Province: 121 patients
July 30 / Sarangani Provincial Jail, Alabel, Sarangani Province:
July 31 - Aug 1 / San Jose, Glan, Sarangani Province: 420 patients
Aug. 8 / San Jose, General Santos City:
Aug. 12 / Kapanal, Gasi, Kiamba, Sarangani Province:
Aug. 15-16 / Kablon-Kalkam, Tupi, South Cotabato: 608 patients
Aug. 20 / Mudan, Glan, Sarangani Province:
Aug. 28 / Maguling, Maitum, SArangani Province: 214 patients
Sept. 5 / Barrio B'laan, Malapatan, Sarangani Province: 351 patients

PARTNERSHIP WITH US ARMY MEDCAP:
Sept. 15 / Bawing, General Santos City: 310 patients

PARTNERSHIP WITH DR. MADRID and ROSARY MOVEMENT:
Oct. 11 / Malungon, Sarangani Province: 100 patients

PARTNERSHIP WITH HOLY CROSS PARISH, CALUMPANG, GSC
April 19 / Calumpang, General Santos City 450 patients

2009 TYPHOON RELIEF MISSION SUMMARY

2010-06-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Nov. 29 / Malinta, Los Banos, Laguna: 225 patients
Nov. 28 / Bambang, Los Banos, Laguna: 230 patients
Nov. 27 / Kanluran, Sta. Rosa, Laguna: 204 patients
Nov. 25 / Evacuation Centers, Sta. Cruz, Laguna: 284 patients
Nov. 24 / Poblacion, Alabang, Muntinlupa: 286 patients
Nov. 21 / Mayondon, Los Banos, Laguna: 288 patients
Nov. 19-20 / Cardona, Talim Island, Rizal: 280 patients
Oct. 22 / Cainta, Rizal (riverbank community): 114 patients
Oct. 22 / Cainta, Rizal (near golfcourse): 120 patients
Oct. 19-20 / Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal: 400 patients
Oct. 15 / Brgy. Silangan, San Mateo, Rizal: 565 patients
Oct. 13 / Holy Family Parish, Gulod, Novalichez, Q.C. 679 patients
Oct. 12 / Bagong Silangan, Novaliches, Quezon City: 262 patients
Oct. 11 / Brgy. Nangka, Marikina, Metro Manila: 142 patients
Oct. 8-9 / Brgy. Tumana, Marikina, Metro Manila: 750 patients
Oct. 7 / Malanday, Marikina, Metro Manila: 288 patients
Oct. 6 / Malanday National High School, Marikina: 92 patients
Oct. 5 / Tagupo, Tatalon, Quezon City: 346 patients
Oct. 3 / Brgy. Tanyong, Marikina, Metro Manila: 280 patients
TOTAL PATIENTS SERVED: 5,835
TOTAL BARANGAYS SERVED: 17
TOTAL DAYS OF SERVICE: 21

SURGICAL PATIENTS: an update

2009-10-19T02:34:00.000-07:00

Dear little Jane was brought again to the hospital last Friday, October 16. She had some convulsion again and had to undergo laboratory tests and xray. She was given antibiotics again for her urinary tract infection. She wasn't confined to the hospital, but she had to go back on Saturday for the stool exam, but no stool would come out, so the doctor advised some measures to stimulate bowel movement. On Saturday she was given laxatives, and still no stool came out. Yesterday, at Holy Mass, she caused her mother embarrassment and joy when she moved her bowel. Today, finally, her stool sample was brought to the lab, and it was good to find no problem in the fecalysis.

Ian and his mother happily prepared to meet with the surgeon today to determine if he can be admitted for surgery already.

Rico has not gained weight yet, because he despised the taste of the high-nutrition formula given for his rehabilitation. The challenge is how to make the formula more palatable for one whose palate is defective. We will have to schedule special visits to improve the feeding program and to give it a close watch. Two surgeons are impatiently awaiting his weight gain in order to operate.

FLOOD, DESTRUCTION and DISEASES

2009-10-19T02:05:00.000-07:00

The typhoons, floods and landslides in Luzon have caused billions of dollars in damage. Business people and farmers lost their livelihood. Hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and vital infrastructures were damaged across Luzon. Conservative assessment placed the damage at some 22.83 billion pesos. Some 50 billion pesos will be needed to pay the damage bill, in the cleanup of debris, and in repairing or rebuilding the structures. And yet another major typhoon is poised to strike the country by Wednesday.

The President has called on the people to unite in prayers to God to spare the country from another disaster, while thousands are still trying to rise from the mud and tons of debris.

ACIM-Asia, through the Rosa Mystica Health Mission, is now on its 11th day of medical missions. The team is now in Tanay, Rizal. The people there are happy to be visited again and a number of the patients from July's mission again lined up for treatment. What joy to see them alive and thanking God again for the medical relief.

FLOOD and water-borne diseases

2009-10-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

As of today, ABS-CBN has reported 96 deaths from leptospirosis, out of the 1,336 cases reported. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection, easily acquired by wading through floodwater contaminated by rat urine which carries the bacteria.

The Rosa Mystica Typhoon Relief Medical Missions in the flooded areas is still going on. Since October 3, eight barangays had already been served in Quezon City, Marikina, and Rizal Province.

Total Cost of Mission (as of Oct. 15, 2009): 167, 586.16

BARANGAYS SERVED:
Oct. 3 Tanyong, Marikina. 280 patients
Oct. 5 Tagupo, Tatalon. 346 patients
Oct. 6 Malanday National High School, Marikina. 92 patients
Oct. 7 Malanday, Marikina. 288 patients
Oct. 8 Tumana, Marikina. 358 patients
Oct. 9 Tumana, Marikina, 392 patients
Oct. 11 Nangka, Marikina. 142 patients
Oct. 12 Silangan, Novaliches, Quezon City. 262 patients
Oct. 13 Holy Family Parish, Gulod, Novaliches, Quezon City. 679 patients
Oct. 15 Silangan, San Mateo, Rizal Province. 565 patients
TOTAL PATIENTS SERVED IN 8 BARANGAYS IN 10 DAYS: 3,404 patients.

Relief Goods Distribution:
October 3 : 400 families served.
October 15: 116 families served.

Distribution of Rosaries:
Oct. 3: 500 rosaries
Oct. 6: 250 rosaries

Baptism: No. of children baptized: 22
_____________________________
The team is moving to Tanay, Rizal Province next week. God-willing, maybe they will proceed to Benguet the following weeks, to try to relieve the suffering of the victims of the landslides there.

The country is bracing for another typhoon, which is predicted to be a supertyphoon. God have mercy on us all!

TYPHOON RELIEF OPERATIONS in Marikina and Quezon City

2009-10-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

As typhoon Ketsana ("Ondoy") brought disastrous floods to the nation's capital, ACIM-ASIA was called to conduct relief operations for the victims of the disaster.

A medical team from Gensan was hurriedly prepared and 62 boxes of medicines and medical supplies flown from Gensan to Manila free of charge by the PAL Foundation on October 2. The series of medical missions started on October 3, and is still going on. Additional medicines were purchased by the Society of Saint Pius X in support of the mission.

A charity drive continues to collect relief goods for distribution during the medical mission. On Monday, hopefully, another batch of goods which includes sleeping mats, dinnerwares, clothings and food items will be shipped to the mission area.

The charity of God presses us on.

PATIENTS FOR SURGERY

2009-10-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks be to God for generous agencies, our patients needing surgery are given hope.

Michelle, the 1 year old girl from Tanay with fronto-ethmoidal encephalocele is now having her evaluation at the Philippine General Hospital in preparation for her surgery, with the help of the Noordhoff Foundation.

John, the 1 year and 8 months old boy from Alabel, Sarangani Province with an enormous meningoencephaloecele is now at the PCSO Child Home in Quezon City, waiting to be admitted to the Philippine General Hospital tomorrow, for his first surgery: ventriculoperitoneal shunting. He is being assisted by Help-wirhelfen Foundation and the Noordhoff Foundation.

Caroline, the 1 year old and 4 months old girl from Barangay Fatima, General Santos City, with a ruptured meningocele has been accepted by the Noordhoff Foundation for surgical assistance and is now waiting for her time to fly to Manila.

Jane, the 1 year and 2 months old girl with meningoencephalocele from Ladol, Sarangani Province, had miraculously survived a critical period of severe seizures and coma after contracting pneumonia and enduring a dislodged VP Shunt. She was rushed to Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital on an ambulance on September 20, 2009. Her VP Shunt was repositioned on October 28. And was discharged on October 5, 2009. Thanks be to God and to Dr. Eun Mi Kim who sponsored her surgical bills.

Ian , the boy from Alonan, General Santos City, with Hirschsprung's Disease, has been chosen for assistance by a merciful US Army Sgt. Aaron Walla. He is being managed by Dr. Jerry Rafael. He will have his surgery after he is treated for pneumonia.

Rico, the boy from Maribulan, Alabel, Sarangani Province, who has a cleft lip and bilateral cleft palate, bilateral scrotal hernia, otitis media and pneumonia, and malnutrition, has found kind sponsors who would help him get over his many problems. When his malnutrition is corrected and he gains 1.5 kilograms and he overcomes his upper respiratory tract infections, his surgeries will follow. The US Army and Dr. Rafael will work on his hernia repair. Dr. Gonzales and the Craniofacial Center Foundation of St. Elizabeth Hospital will work on his cleft lip and palate. Please God, may he respond to the nutrition rehabilitation effort.

Aldy has been going back and forth from Gensan to Davao for his diagnostic tests and treaments. Doctors had been baffled over his case and for 2 years his biopsies and xrays had confused them. Osteomyelitis? Adenoma? Fibroma? TB adenitis?

Joshua had his first surgery for cleft lip by Dr. Gonzales. He has a whole face now, and is looking happily forward to his next surgery.

Ms. Nelda had her total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy, after the discovery of a uterine cancer. She is still recuperating.

July 26-31: Rosa Mystica Health Mission 2009 in Tanay, Rizal

2009-10-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

Swine flu control measures, kidnapping of Italian Red Cross volunteer Eugenio Vagni, and the bombings in Southern Philippines filled the preparations for the 2009 Rosa Mystica Health Mission with suspense, with foreign volunteers kept guessing where they would be landing to do the mission.

Alternative venues were considered including Butuan, Leyte, Bohol, and Benguet, until finally the decision was made to conduct the mission in Barangay Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal.

It was a fortunate choice. As the mission progressed the difficulties of availing medical services in the locality were felt by the volunteers who were faced with the reality that in Barangay Sampaloc, one had to drive one hour to buy ventolin anti-asthma spray or to have one's x-ray or ultrasound taken, and had to wait for 2-3 days to get the result! A boy who had a bad fall from a tree who was rushed to the mission had to be driven some 4 hours to the Philippine Orthopedic Hospital in order to be properly assessed and treated. The inaccessibility of basic health services was keenly felt. Emergency purchases of medicines took between 5 to 24 hours to be delivered.

Rain was continually pouring heavily over the mission area, but the line of patients asking to be served never let up, even to the last day of the mission. The mission had to be extended another day, though a number of volunteers had already gone home. It was sad to leave still many sick poor who were not served, but we had to go because our resources (time, medicines, food, energy) were not infinite.

During the 6 days, the patients served at the different departments of the mission totaled 3,130. A week after the mission some 30 more patients were served at the mission headquarters, and another 60 served by a partner doctor in the locality. Follow up care was done, sutures removed, referrals facilitated. At the moment there are still patients on medication for asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, and myopathy. A girl with fronto-ethmoidal meningocele has been enrolled in the free surgery program offered by Noordhoff Foundation. Thirty persons with goiter are still waiting for their relief. Follow up visit will be conducted within this month to check on the status of the patients.

Volunteers of the mission came from 7 different countries: Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Ireland, USA, France, Japan). A volunteer came from Switzerland to help prepare for the mission but he had to go home two weeks before the actual mission.

THE SPONSORS OF THE MISSION who made the mission possible were:
PAL Foundation
Roche Pharma
AstraZeneca
3M Rodge Pharmamed Sales
Tanay Commnunity Clinic (discounted price for xrays)
Society of Saint Pius X District of Asia
James Negroso (transportation of medicines, volunteers, patients)
Col. Honorato Etis and Madam Virgie (overall assistance: lodging, coordination of mission activities, tour of foreign volunteers, transportation of patients)
Armed Forces of the Philippines, Camp Capinpin (security, tents, dentists and dental assistants)
Ma. Isabel Ponayo and Sierra Madre Hotel (lodging, medicine procurement, follow up care of patients)
Villa Pilar (free lodging)
Cathy Kowzun and Barandilla Restaurant (discounted price for food catering)
Legion of Mary (community relations and catechism)
Bagwis Guardians (security)
Major Alfonso Besario (President of Townsite Home and Lot Occupants Association, Inc.)
Nery Ripalda and Department of Agriculture employees cooperative (tables and chairs)

Photos of the mission are available at:http://acim-asia.com/Medical_Mission_2009.htm

VOLUNTEER'S PRAYER

2009-06-30T23:45:00.000-07:00

O My God, teach me to receive the sick in Thy Name.

Give to my efforts success for the glory of Thy holy Name. It is Thy work, without Thee I cannot succeed.

Grant that the sick Thou hast placed in my care may be abundantly blessed, and not one of them be lost because of any neglect on my part. Help me to overcome every temporal weakness, and strengthen in me whatever may enable me to bring joy to the lives of those I serve.

Give me grace for the sake of Thy sick ones and of those lives that will be influenced by them. Amen.

Straight from the hearts

2009-05-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful to the mission for helping me. Here is P50.00, sorry it is a little amount, but I would like to be of help to others too. (This surprise donation will be used to buy 3 tablets of Thorazine for wait-listed patient). May I have your number, Mam?
- Josephine, May 11, 2009 (2007 mission patient)

I just drop by to say hello and thank you for your kindness to us. I am on the way to a picnic. I and my son are all right... I offer 1 Rosary for the benefactors of the mission.
- Jerome, 23 yrs old, May 10, 2009
husband of mission patient (died November 2008 after
Extreme Unction administered by Rev. Fr. Dolotina)
/ learned basic prayers at the mission

Good morning mam, I'm here again to thank you and to ask if you can help us again? My daughter already improved since my last visit here (a year ago) and I asked my friend to visit you here to relay my sincere thanks. Unfortunately, my daughter has been acting up again and I don't know where else to turn for help...... it is okay if you cannot help us now, may we just wait for the time when help is available? Meantime, I will pray hard for all the donors and benefactors, and will bear all that God sends us. My husband died already last December, Mam, but he died in peace, thanking God for letting him suffer lung cancer.... Mam, thank you so much for this pineapple (picked from the office garden).
- Fanny, mother of schizophrenic patient
May 9, 2009

Good day! I am heartily thankful to all the sponsors and benefactors, especially ACIM-ASIA, who helped my son (boy with imperforate anus and Hirchsprung's disease). I hope you would not change especially in your concern towards the sick people who can't afford their medication. I pray that ACIM-Asia will be able to help more sick and needy people. I thank God for touching your hearts and I pray that God will supply all your needs. I pray that God will bless all the benefactors spiritually, physically and financially.
- Ginalyn, April 29, 2009.
Spiritual bouquet offered for mission benefactors
after the funeral of her husband, praying that the mission will
not forget her son who still needs two more surgeries (at death of husband, sent a message saying, "Mam, my husband died yesterday, I am in my mother's house if you can visit us. He is dead before Ian can complete his surgeries. I hope you will not forget us Mam." She and her husband spent about P70,000.00 for the 2nd surgery of Ian, the mission augmented only P7,000.00. Ian still needs 2 surgeries to resect the bowels and, when successful, to close the colostomy.)

Mam, I'm here again to beg for help. My husband already died last Friday, I called for a priest as you instructed me, but there was no priest available, mam. My son prayed the rosary at my husband's deathbed. He was sorry for his sins. He will be buried tomorrow, because we cannot afford to have a long wake. Mam, can you help me buy a marker for his grave? If there is no marker, others will steal the grave to bury their own dead there.... And Mam, if you can also please help me buy this medicine for my other son? Maybe he is affected by his father's death, he is violent again, and we are finding it hard to control him (case: schizophrenia).... I understand that you cannot help us mam, thank you for being kind, I will just keep praying. Please visit us when you can.
- Flora, mission patient (wife and mother of mission patients)
May 5, 2009

Hello, thank you for your help! My father is now out of the hospital, and is recuperating at home. I am here to return the 2 excess injectable medicines you gave for his illness so that other patients can use them. May the donors be blessed. I pray 1 Hail Mary for them.
- Jorrelyn, daughter of mission patient , May 6, 2009
(still learning the basic prayers)

G'pm... a patient is in the hospital and needs help to pay the bills so that they can go home soon and avoid piling up more bills everyday that they are in the hospital. Do you know someone who is willing to buy Augmentin 1.2 gm vial and Rocephin 1 g vial? I have some stocks here that I can sell so that the patient can pay the bill... Thank you and God bless the mission.
- Dr. RC, mission partner, May 7, 2009

May the kind benefactors never tire of giving help to the poor and sick like me and others who are in worse conditions than mine. And may they be given strength, good health, and graces because without them, who would help us who are suffering in illness? May they never stop caring. I offer 3 Rosaries for them.
- Aldy, 19 yrs old, osteomyelitis patient
(learned to pray the Rosary at the mission,
now teaches his younger brothers and their little friends the
Ten Commandments and the 7 Sacraments)

I am thankful to the ones who are giving these medicines for my father. I pray 3 Hail Mary's for them. - Florita, daughter of patient with heart and kidney ailments
(learned the basic prayers at the mission).

Our family wishes to thank the good sponsors whose generous support has helped us in our needs. We offer the following spiritual bouquet: Daily morning and evening prayers of the whole family, plus:
50 Rosaries, 30 ejaculatory prayers, 2 Confessions, 5 Holy Masses
- Fe (mother)
70 Our Father's, 70 Hail Mary's, 70 Glory Be's, 80 ejaculatory prayers,
8 Holy Masses - Gabriel (father)
50 Rosaries, 5 Confessions, Daily study of catechism, 5 Holy Masses
- Liziel, 14 yrs old, surgical patient
(family learned the basic prayers at the mission, now they are the organizers of catechism classes in their neighborhood, handled by mission volunteers - Apostles of Mary)

I offer 50 Rosaries, daily morning and evening prayers for the benefactors of the mission. Thank you very much for your support to the mission. May God always protect you.
- Alex, 19 yrs old, son and grandson of mission patients
(learned basic prayers at the Apostles of Mary trainings)

I offer 10 Rosaries, 10 Holy Hour vigils before the Blessed Sacrament, 50 Hail Mary's and 50 Our Fathers for the benefactors of the mission.
- Gabriel, 10 yrs old, grand nephew of mission patient
(learned basic prayers at the Apostles of Mary trainings)

I pray for the intentions of the benefactors of the mission: 10 Holy Hour vigils before the Blessed Sacrament, 10 Stations of the Cross, 50 Holy Rosaries... Bonjour dear benefactors! Thank you for supporting the mission. I hope you will have more blessings to come. God bless you!
- Patrick, 20 yrs old, mission volunteer (driver)
(learned basic catechism / prayers at Apostles of Mary trainings,
baptized Easter Eve 2007 at SSPX Mission chapel)

I thank the benefactors for the mission. I will pray daily for them for 1 month: 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Mary's and 1 Glory Be.
- Wilmar, 26 yrs old, mission volunteer (night guard)
(learned basic catechism/ prayers at Apostles of Mary trainings)

For the generous people who give rosaries and medicines for the mission, I offer 10 spiritual communions , 5 sacramental communions, 10 Holy Rosaries, 5 Stations of the Cross, 10 visits to the Blessed Sacrament, 5 Holy Hour vigils. May God bless them. - Ma. Caridad, 24 yrs old, mission volunteer (driver - messenger)

We thank God for people who care. I offer 50 Holy Rosaries, 5 Holy hour vigils, 20 visits to the Blessed Sacrament, 20 ejaculatory prayers, 5 Holy Communions for them.
- Judith, 25 years old, mission volunteer (assistant secretary)

Letters for Lenten Reflections

2009-03-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

FROM A HOPEFUL BENEFICIARY

"Thank you for giving us hope [and] I'm praying that when there's a good samaritan knock[ing] at your door, [may you] please remember my husband. Thank you so much. Good night...
(from the wife of a patient with renal failure, March 24, 2009, General Santos City).

_______________________________________________________

PLEA from an anxious grandmother:

.... I am a grandmother of these following children: JGS, 9 y.o. [... with] acute glomerulo nephritis. I am worried because the parents and we, grandparents, do not have enough income [for] her many medicines. I hope you can help her in one way or another. She is in [Benguet]. My other grandchild is JMG, 4 y.o. She has weak lungs [read as: pulmonary tuberculosis]. This child is in [...] La Union. I hope and pray that you can help these children. I am very much in anxieties. Thank you for your concern. Pray much for us. [...] I am 63 y.o. and I have [difficulties with my bowel movement]... Could you help me too? Thank you.

(Letter from Luzon, received March 2009)

May our Lenten fasts bring joy to the sick poor.

MEDICAL MISSIONS SCHEDULE 2009

2009-03-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

SCHEDULE

MEDICAL MISSIONS 2009

April 29 - May 1: Sogod, Leyte

July 26 - 31: Alabel, Sarangani Province

_________________________________________________________

APPEAL FOR DONATIONS

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

Happy Feast of the Annunciation!

As news of our existence as a mission group spread, pleas come in from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, from people begging for assistance for various illnesses ranging from pulmonary tuberculosis, tumor, cancer, renal failure, pneumonia, and so many others. We also receive requests for medical missions. In the name of mercy, we try to serve as best as we can.

This year we are granting the medical-dental mission request from Sogod - a fourth class municipality in Leyte, where 37.7% live below the poverty line - and; for the second time, from Alabel - the capital town of Sarangani, which has no hospital and has only one public health physician to care for its 76,000 residents, where poverty cannot sustain a private clinic. The medical-dental missions will be on April 29-May 1 in Sogod, Leyte (2,000 patients) and on July 26-31 in Alabel, Sarangani Province (2,000 patients).

Our Association is legally under the Society of Saint Pius X, a religious, non-profit organization. We conduct medical missions in cooperation with the provincial and municipal governments: they provide the venue and transport needy patients from the most inaccessible barangays, while we provide the medical-dental-nursing manpower and find resources for mediciens, diagnostic work-ups and hospitalization of patients, as needed.

Some patients are expected to come to the mission with prescriptions from medical specialists but having used up all their funds in the diagnostics, cannot buy medicines. In such cases, we will fill out the prescriptions for free and refer back the patient to the prescribing physician for follow up. We are committed to provide complete dose of antibiotics to ensure the safety of the patients and to make full use of the referral system so that the patients will have proper care. We collaborate with existing agencies for patients needing surgery.

Based on the needs of the patients, we are looking for supplies of antibiotics, antituberculosis, anti-asthma, antihistamines, mucolytics, decongestants, antidiabetics, anti-gout, antihypertensives, analgesics, antipyretics, anti-inflammatories, anti-ulcer, antifibrinolytics, anti-convulsants, anti-psychotics, and mineral and vitamin supplements. Oral, 0pthalmic, otic, and topical preparations are needed for infants, children and adults. Parenteral preparations will be needed for mission patients who will be confined in the hospitals, or for indigent patients in the hospitals referred to us by social health workers. Wound dressing and dental supplies are also needed: syringes, dental needles, masks, cotton, and anesthesia.

Goodness begets goodness. We believe that when we touch the lives of those suffering, we raise up their spirits to higher aspirations. Whatever support you can give can bring hope and vigor to the underprivileged as they struggle to reach for more meaningful and more productive lives.

Thank you so much for visiting our blog. Hoping fervently for continued support.

Yours truly in Mary Immaculate,

Rosa Mystica Health Mission Facilitators

MISSION OF HOPE AND CHARITY

2009-03-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

I was sick and you visited me...

Rico, 5 years old, from Alabel, Sarangani Province, waiting for his surgery. First seen on August 15, 2008 by Dr. Elzbieta Kowalska. Diagnosis: Bronchitis, bilateral otitis media, cleft lip and palate, hernia scrotalis bilateral, malnutrition. The surgeon is simply waiting for Rico to be clear of any upper respiratory tract infection for a whole month and to gain more weight so that his surgery can be scheduled.

Jane, 7 months old, from Alabel, Sarangani Province, doing well after VP Shunting, waiting for her next corrective surgery.

She was born with bulging mass at upper bridge of nose, bulging periorbital area at the left temporal area. Her parents were told that if she would not be operated, at 4 months old her brain would already be so compressed that she would die.

First seen by the mission on August 14, 2008 by Dr. Ma. June Viray, referred to Dr. Narciso Mirabueno, referred to Davao, seen by Dr. Alfredo Abundo. Diagnosis: Hydrocephalus ex vacuo, porencephalic cyst left tempo-parietal. Surgery done: Tempo-parietal craniectomy, marsupialization of cyst, placement of ventricular peritoneal shunt, peritoneal opening and repair. Thanks be to God and to the concerted effort of concerned doctors and generous individuals from South Korea and France, she was assisted in time before neurological deficits could occur.

A happy smile from Jane. Thanks to her sponsors. Looking up with hope. Thanks to generous people, she can now lift her head and crawl about. The cysts will be removed when the bones in her head close (at age 2) and the maxillo-facial defects will be repaired at age 12.

Ian, from General Santos City, with imperforate anus / Hirchsprung's Disease. Waiting for his 3rd surgery (resection of bowels).

Romulo, 47 years old, from Palembang, Sultan Kudarat. When referred to the mission, he was bleeding internally and his hemoglobin count was only 3 g/dl (normal count: 14-17 for males).

Severo, 73 yrs old, from Zamboanga.

He came knocking at the office gates begging for food, saying he was just waiting for his death to come, that he just forced himself to get up and beg for food while he was still breathing, that he was living alone after his wife died while they were visiting Gensan. He was breathing with difficulty, was pale, weak, coughing out bloody sputum.

We brought him to the doctor who examined him, had his xrays and sputum tests taken and gave him prescriptions.

Volunteer nursing students took turns assisting his home care, ensuring that he could take his medicines regularly, bringing him food to help him recover, cleaning up his home and helping him with his hygiene.

Volunteer catechists assisted him in his catechism, encouraged him to make his First Communion, taught him the basic prayers and the Ten Commandments. When he got well, he would regularly visit the office to just say "Thank You" to the people who cared for him. He is now back in Zamboanga with his relatives.

J.R. was weak and pale when he was brought by his mother to the office. He was coughing out blood. He was brought to the doctor who took his xrays and sputum, and referred him to another doctor who had him undergo skin tests... He was given medicines and given adequate nutrition (food supply and vitamin-mineral supplements). This photo was taken when he returned to the office to say thank you. It was good to see him smiling, strong, and no longer coughing... and thanks be to God, was having a healthier color (no more bleeding).

I was hungry and you gave me to eat...

Thankful for the little bag of food, she promised to pray for the generous people who make the mission possible.

Enthusiastically, this barefoot boy hitched on a jeepney from Malapatan to Gensan where he decided to earn money as a car-wash boy to buy food. He was thankful for the food that were shared with him by people he met. He was happy to hear of the Heavenly Father to Whom he could pray for daily bread.

CHARITY NEVER FAILS.

WE SEE, WE FEEL, WE CARE, WE REACH OUT.

May our Lenten fasts and abstinence enable us to give joy to those in need.

__________________________

ROSA MYSTICA HEALTH MISSION 2008

Venue: Capitol Gym, Alabel, Sarangani Province

No. of days of service: 6 days including 1 day extension clinic

Dates of mission: August 11-15, 2008 and August 15, 2008

No. of patients served: 3,000

No. of patients taken to the hospitals / clinics for diagnostic work-ups: 182

No. of patients confined to hospitals for treatment: 6

No. of physicians who volunteered: 13

No. of physicians who received referrals for free in their clinics: 8

No. of dentists who served: 16

No. of nurse volunteers: 60 (+)

No. of dental aides / medics: 4

Total cost (payments made): P1,068,143.80

SPONSORS:

Society of Saint Pius X, ACIMPS-France, Lamoiyan Corporation (Hapee Toothpaste), General Tuna Corporation, Philippine Spring Water Resources Inc., Chill 'n Cool, Fresco Water Station, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Junior Chamber International (Davao and GSC Chapters), Philippine Dental Association, Philippine Nursing Students Association, Beta Nu Delta Nursing Society, Penamante Clinic, Socsargen County Hospital, 3M Rodge Pharmamed Sales, D'Farm Venue Rentals, Imi Rachel Martin, Legion of Mary, Apostles of Mary Catholic Youth League of the Philippines, and many more, whose names are boldly written in God's heart.

______________________________________

OTHER MEDICAL-DENTAL MISSIONS SUPPORTED

DATE NO. PATIENTS/ VENUE PARTNER

Dec. 2, 2007 200 Upper Labay, GSC Notre Dame of Dad. University Nursing Students

Dec. 9, 2007 200 Upper Labay, GSC Notre Dame of Dad. University Nursing Students

Dec. 2007 200 Libi, Molo, Malapatan, Sarangani Notre Dame of Dad. University Nursing Students

Feb. 23, 2008 196 Baluan, GSC Mindanao Polytechnic College HRM Students

Feb. 26, 2008 150 Glamang, GSC Phil. Institute of Technology, Nurse-Aide Students

March 23, 2008 495 San Jose, GSC Holy Cross Parish / Hearts and Brains, Inc.

April 1, 2008 321 Alegria, Alabel, Sarangani Prov. Vice Gov. Office / Jun. Chamber Int'l GSC

Aug 30, 2008 150 Bula, GSC Sta. Maria College, Nurse-Aide Students

Oct. 18, 2008 110 RD Plaza, GSC Dr. Bernardita Hofer

Oct. 28, 2008 80 Nomo, Maasim, Sarangani Divine Mercy Foundation / DXCP

Nov. 11, 2008 416 Datu Dani, Kiamba, Sarangani Provincial Vice Governor's Office

Dec. 1, 2008 40 Olimpog, GSC Notre Dame of Dad. University Nursing Students

Dec. 9, 2008 47 Banahaw, Malungon, Sarangani Notre Dame of Dad. University Nursing Students

Dec. 10, 2008 350 Upper Labay, GSC Notre Dame of Dad. University Nursing Students

Rosa Mystica Health Mission 2008

2008-06-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

WHERE WILL THIS YEAR'S MISSION BE?
This year the medical-dental mission will be in the capital town of Sarangani Province, Alabel, where there is no hospital, where poor residents do not have access to proper medical care.

WHEN WILL THE MISSION BE?
The mission will be on August 11-15, 2008. The orientation for volunteers will be on August 10, and the conference will be on August 16.

HOW MANY PATIENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SERVED THIS YEAR?
The plan is to serve a minimum of 2,000 indigent patients from all ages in Alabel, Sarangani Province.

HOW CAN I HELP THE MISSION?
One can help the mission by volunteering to render free services as a doctor, a dentist, or whatever relevant health service. One can also help by donating medicines, clothes, food for the hungry poor or for the support of the volunteers. Donations can be in cash or in kind.

WHAT DO I GET BY HELPING?
By serving the poor, one can grow in the love of God and can hope for God's mercy and blessings. By serving in the mission, one can get acquainted with fellow Christian doctors, nurses and health professionals, and develop a spiritual friendship that can encourage one in spiritual growth. The conference on moral concerns can strengthen one in the midst of dilemmas in the practiceof the health profession.

HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR THE MISSION?
One can join or support the mission by communicating with the Secretariat at ACIM-Asia Office, 2400 De Dios Street, 9500 General Santos City, Philippines. Or one may call [63] (083) 301 8824. or through mobile phone: +639212990327, or send email to: rosamysticamission@ymail.com.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTSTO VOLUNTEER FOR THE MISSION?
The Rosa Mystica Health Mission requires that each volunteer shall be:
1. God-fearing - to observe the Christian principles of healthcare practice.
2. Mature - to expect to serve the poor without any return.
3. Emotionally stable - to endure the inconveniences of the mission without tantrums.
4. Healthy - to withstand the environmental challenges
4. Generous - to give without regretting the loss.
5. Pschologically fit - to serve the suffering without giving way to depression.
6. Spiritually strong - to trust in God's Wisdom and Providence in the face of all suffering witnessed.
7. Charitable - to preach God's love by kind words and actions.
8. Professional - to provide safe, efficient care to the sick. Health professionals must present their credentials (diploma, resume/curriculum vitae, and professional license) for proper evaluation.

WHY SHOULD I HELP THE MISSION?
Charity is a divine friendship between man and God. Like every true and perfect friendship, it extends beyond the person of the friend to all who are his, to all who are related to him. "And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also" (1 John 4:21). We are commanded to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. (cf.: Matt. 19:19).

COME, LET US BE GOOD SAMARITANS.

Rosa Mystica Health Mission 2007

2008-06-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

August 12-17 / General Santos City. Medical, Dental, and Nursing Mission in Dadiangas South Elementary School, Lagao Central Elementary School, Jose Catolico Central Elementary School, and Andrade Subdivision, serving some 2,000 patients in actual consultations and some 150 patients through referral to local medical specialists, and 3 for surgical management following the mission.
The volunteers who served during the mission were:
From the USA: Dr. Elizabeth Phalen, Bridget McGinley RN, Susana Andrada RN, Anastasia Alexander, Mckenzie Lee Armstrong, and Mary McGinley
From France: Dr. Jean-Pierre Dickes, Claudie Debavelaere-pharmacist, Xavier Losco-medical student
From South Korea: Dr. Eun-Mi Kim and Bridget Choi
From the Manila, Philippines: Dr. Elaine Baens Araneta, Dr. Dexter Anthony Grino, Dr. Leonila Songco, Dr. Angeles Francisco, Babes Simon, Flormay Simon RN, Remy Quijano, Sally Sandiko, Andrew Principe, Alexis Sanchez and Jerwin Aguinaldo
From Iloilo, Philippines: Dr. Ma. June Viray, Thalia Viray
From Cebu: Ryan Rodriguez
From Cagayan de Oro, Philippines: Dr. Francisco Woo
From Koronadal City, Philippines: Dr. Ma. Angela Suelo
From General Santos City, Philippines: Dr. Orlando Cerezo, Dr. Durico, Dr. Emely Lagare, Dr. Crisanto Torrijos, Dr. Nisperos, Dr. Asesclo Madrid, Dr. Leonora Madrid
They were assisted by Army medics (2 Filipinos and 2 Americans) led by Dr. Brandon Fraser.
Local private medical specialists who agreed to attend for free the mission patients referred to their clinics were: Dr. Ceasar Anthony Yabut, Dr. Alice Adarna, Dr. David Cosip, Dr. Juanito Solamo, Dr. Fidel Penamante, and Dr. Rowena Coll Penamante.
Local organizations, associations, families and individuals that provided generous assistance were: Philip Teng, Victoria Go, Mt. Matutum Lions Club, Jollibee Foods Corp., Rommel dela Rosa, Armi Nabablit, Solrac Sevilla, Michael Binas, Junior Chamber International (Twinstar, Davao, and Manilena Chapters) , Engr. Manuel Fortunato Du Yaphockun and Family, Yap Mabuhay Enterprises, Dr. Antoniette Alzona, Bal Fauni, Rodrigo Salangsang, Richard Paparon, Abelardo Sosobrado and Family, ABS-CBN, Ini Vina Otani, Imi Rachel Solizar, Alyssa Ang and Family, Michael's Inn, Engr. Benito Raval and Family, Josie Reyes and Family, Brgy Captain Rolito Blando and Family, Brgy Captain Eduardo Yumang and Family, Brgy Captain Jorge Catapang, Twilight Flora Benzonan-Betonio and Family, Esther Rodulfa, Ma. Leah Sajelan-Berango, Philippine Nurses' Association, Helen Sestina and the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University Philippine Nursing Students Association led by Ser Rosenkranz Espartero and Jay Esgana, Katherine Rose Villa, Maela Babate, Shiela Lyn Recidoro, Ma. Lourdes Brotarlo, Nursing student volunteers from GS Doctors School of Nursing, Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Office of the City Mayor, Office of the Vice Mayor, Grizelda Veneracion and H2Zero Purified Water System, Mr. Esbern So and KCC Grocery Store, Geraldine Anne Puray, and Family, Ailea Alejado Family, Kristeen Joy Demos and her team of student nurse volunteers, Joseph Hibanada and the Apostles of Mary Catholic Youth League of the Philippines, and Cecilia Jubelag and the Legion of Mary.
Medicines were transported free of charge by Philippine Airlines in generous support to the mission. Donors of the medicines and other supplies were: Lamoiyan Corporation (Hapee Toothpaste), Natrapharm, Glaxo-Smithkline, InteMed Ethicals, Green Cross, Pediatrica Inc.,Pascual Laboratories, GX International, JB Orchid Pharmaceuticals, Hizon Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim, Medichem Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lloyd Laboratories, Roche Pharma, Euro Asia, Pharma Dynamics, Inc., JM Tolmann Laboratories, Inc., AD-Drugstel Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Inc.
Two thousand pcs of Rosaries and scapulars were given free by Family Rosary Crusade, and thousand others given by Rosary Makers, and other generous individuals.
The Society of Saint Pius X District of Asia Mission provided the impetus by shouldering the major expenses of the mission, and coordinating the various aspects of the program.

Rosa Mystica Health Mission

2008-06-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Rosa Mystica Health Mission: A mission of Charity and Faith

Rosa Mystica Health Mission is a Catholic mission organized by the Catholic Association of Doctors, Nurses and Health Professionals in Asia. It seeks to provide professional health service among the poor to attend to their physical and spiritual health needs, linking the sick and the health professional in the bond of Christian Charity. It seeks also to unite and to strengthen Christian health professionals in the practice of Catholic moral principles.

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." (Isaiah 6:8)