Greetings from the Philipines! This month we are working with an organization called International Care Ministries (ICM) based in Tagbilaran City, Bohol Island.
Mission: ICM is a para-church community development organization called to release the extremely impoverished in the Philippines from spiritual, emotional, and physical bondage.
Vision: ICM wants to see churches equipped to care for the communities around them.
Programs:
1. Leader Care – supporting local pastors
2. Transform – 6 month program
a. Health
i. Open Air Clinic (OAC) – doctor, nurse, and pharmacists go and provide medicine and some general care.
ii. Personal Hygiene Lessons – teachings on brushing teeth, taking showers, washing hands and the importance behind these activities.
b. Feeding Program – taking rice and feeding some of the local children.
c. Livelihood – teaching them how to plant and harvest food for themselves to eat or as a job to make money for the family.
3. Preschool
4. Uplift – 2 month program – giving talks of encouragement and talking about values
5. Special Medical Case – special cases that are more severe and may involve surgery or major medical equipment
6. Children’s Christian Education
To learn more of the specifics of each ministry click on the following link: http://www.caremin.com/index.html
So far this month I have been working with the OAC going to some local churches. I have been weighing and taking blood pressure for the individuals that come to see the doctor. Most of the medications given are multivitamins, Tylenol, and a few antibiotics. They are only allowed to give a certain amount of medication to each community so the sooner you get there the better because if they run out then you might not get the medication that you need.
