Our first day in Bacolod, Philippines we got the opportunity to visit a TB clinic. The patients there are going through intense treatment for this disease. The Philippines has had major outbreaks of TB, and many of the population is effected by it. In this clinic there are about 40 patients that range from ages 9 to 37 years old. The stories of these men and women are unbelievable. We had the honor of hearing few testimonies while we were there.
All of the stories that we heard had two things in common: One, they were cast out of their families because of their disease. Left with nothing. Two, they have the most amazing faith in the Lord. They have literally been through Hell, and they are now walking in their trust and dependence on the Lord. They know that He is the only true living hope and healer. Many of them have nothing to go back to after they have finished treatment at the clinic. The ones that were working have lost their jobs. And the money they were earning to support their family is all gone, because their families have taken advantage of them and their money. Also there were a few women that have children that are now staying with various family members until their mothers are healthy enough to leave. They have no guarantee that they will be able to support them in the future.
This clinic is supported by ICM (International Care Ministries). This is the ministry my team and I are working along side this month. They supply the clinic with food, and they send out their medical care staff to help with the treatment of the patients. One of the things we were told before arriving to the clinic is to be sure to be careful about having contact with them. They are being treated for TB and are not 100% cured so they may still be contagious. I don’t know a lot about this disease, but I do know that it’s very easily contracted. So we covered ourselves in prayer and protection and off we went to visit people that even their own family wouldn’t take in or care for. As we arrived we were greeted with huge smiles. The clinic is also a home for them as they are being treated. The place they live in is so amazing and beautiful. Each person I talked to was so grateful for the clinic and ICM. The staff are wonderful, and have huge hearts for the Lord, and believe in their patients and the physical and spiritual healing that is taking place in them. Most of the men, women and children being treated didn’t know the Lord before coming into the clinic, and now they are on fire for Him. This is yet another testimony of how the Lord takes difficult circumstances and turns them around to glorify Him.
Here are faces of hope and love from the TB clinic:
If you feel like ICM or the TB clinic are ministries that the Lord may be placing on your heart, please pray about it and email me for more information on how to get involved. Help raise awareness about what is happening in the Philippines, and the outbreak of TB. These people need your help. Part of the problem is that not enough people know what is happening in the world past thier front door.
