Archives: Global Health Engagement

            Close your eyes, imagine sitting in a tin can for 33 hours not knowing whether our final destination would bring us great joy and fellowship or the hardest trials of our life.

            Now open your eyes and smile, because China has welcomed us with open arms. This place is a crazy combination of the ancient world and the future of technology. We have only been here for three days and we have already seen more and done more than we ever imagined we would.

            We have seen a dancing festival at 6am (those of us that know how to run). We had countless photos and videos taken of us. We use the “squatty potties” by gripping the wall with both hands and holding on for dear life. Professionally, we are already employing the skills that we learned in undergrad classes. We have done this by creating two programs for their cardiac rehabilitation center – we have split into two teams to create an exercise prescription and testing program, as well as health education material for discharged patients.

            Personally, we have gone from twelve strangers to one team unit. Some of us run together in the morning, others do squatting competitions, some sleep, but we all struggle to figure out the prices of things in the mall. The people here are warmer than a summer day in Riverside. They have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and safe because they know we are dealing with culture shock. We had an incomparable dinner with President Jin-Shu of the hospital. We had local dishes that made us question everything we knew about Chinese cuisine. Professor Boyer was (as always) correct-the food is amazing!

Traveling across the world can be an intimidating experience, but when our team returned to Hangzhou this year, it felt like a second home. From the moment our group stepped off the plane we were warmly welcomed by the familiar faces of the Hangzhou Medical College staff. This return journey felt as if we had never left. Meeting the new students, and getting reacquainted with those from the previous year, was wonderful as everyone is so welcoming. Many of them have invited us to share meals or join us when we take our lunch in the canteen (the cafeteria). Our day begins every morning at 7am when we walk to the bus stop where we catch the school shuttle, this time we did not require a guide. Our past experience in Hangzhou helped us develop techniques to encourage the students to interact and participate in class that we were able to incorporate on day one. The students here are eager to learn, and we are blessed to have the opportunity to teach them. The Dean and the college staff have been very attentive to our needs. One of our team members required medical attention and was aided without hesitation from several Hangzhou Medical College staff members who stood by our side every step of the way. We cannot express the gratitude we have for the compassion and care our Hangzhou colleagues showed us in our time of need. Shortly, our CBU Hangzhou team will be heading in two different directions. One professor will remain in Hangzhou for one more week while the rest of the team travels to Changchun, China where they will have the opportunity to teach courses at Changchun University of Science and Technology. Though we are sad to part ways, we look forward to fulfilling the remainder of our journey.

Margaret Appenzeller

Hello from Uganda,

I arrived on Saturday at 1:30am to the Hope Speaks compound.  It is a beautiful place and the housing is very nice.  There is a team of 13 Speech Language Pathologist, 1 Social Worker, 2 graduate students and 2 undergraduate students at the compound.  Hope Speaks now has the most experienced SLP in the country at least for two weeks.

Hope Speaks has 3 special needs school they provide services for approximately 100 students and growing.   They have two clinics in the slums of Kampala, which serves the very poor of Uganda.  A recent addition has been a pay for service clinic, which helps pay for the free clinics.

My first two days have been so tiring and wonderful!  I have seen many children with severe needs and parents wanting to get the best help for their children.  I have fallen in love with children of Uganda.  They are so friendly, wanting to come up and talk to the team and always ready to play.  I am looking forward to being at each site at least twice during my stay.  I have been able to use my feeding skills to help families and train graduate students.  God continues to stretch me and grow me in my faith and clinical skills.

The highlight so far has been worship at the Worship House.  Worshiping with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ was so powerful and humbling.  The Christians in Uganda worship God with their hearts and souls.  I have learned to dance and praise God at the same time.  It was a unique experience and so uplifting.

Hope Speaks had its first Neuro Support Group today with 4 clients.  The team that was able to work with the group said it was great.  One client road a Boda (motorcycle) transportation to get to the group.  The pray is that the group will continue to grow as there are very few services for adults with TBI and strokes.

I feel so blessed to be with the team that has come together to serve the children with special needs in Uganda.  There are 4 million people in Uganda who need some kind of speech-language, OT or PT services.  The need is great and Hope Speaks continues to rely on God to provide the workers and the resources to meet the need.

Maggie

Wrapping up another full week at the hospital, we have been blessed to have numerous divine appointments with many more patients with positive outcomes, which created more opportunities for prayer. There were many memorable patients, but two particular cases reminded us of how important this ministry is for the physical and spiritual wellness of each person.

Rishoni was a stroke patient who had suffered from paralysis and was recovering. He was a patient that faithfully sought care the past two weeks to improve his quality of life. When we first met Rishoni, he had difficulty walking and shuffled his feet into the clinic. We, also, noticed that his facial expressions reflected hopelessness and discouragement when he first walked in. After persistent treatments and prayer, we noticed the patient made substantial progress each visit with us. His spirit and attitude became positive each time we treated him, which also improved his physical health. On our last day at the clinic, we had the opportunity to meet with Rishoni one more time and he came in with immense joy and gratitude and decided to model his progress with a huge smile on his face because of the improvements he made.

            We also had the opportunity to treat and talk with 3 Somali sisters who were morbidly obese and suffering from various musculoskeletal problems.  They were very interested in receiving treatment. Each sister had a specific problem that stemmed from their obesity, high blood pressure, and low back pain. Over the course of their treatment we improved one sister’s high blood pressure with proper nutrition and exercise. The sister with the low back pain saw improvements with manual therapy interventions and exercise treatment protocols. The 3^rd sister began a weight reduction exercise program and worked very hard.  Each time we met with these sisters we were able to have conversations with them about the Truth of the Gospel and pray for them. However, by the end of our time at the clinic and on our last day only one sister showed up and got offended when we prayed over her in the name of Jesus one last time. Although her heart was hardened, the seed was planted about the Gospel and we ask for prayers that the Word of God will flourish in their hearts and bear fruit one day.

            We would like to extend our gratitude because this past week we were able to go back to the village, meet with the people, and dive deeper into the Gospel. This was a huge blessing because, in the previous week, we were not able to go and share the Gospel. As we are finishing our last week in Kigoma and heading into the weekend we are looking forward to spending time and sharing the Gospel with children in a different village. We ask for prayer at this time over the people of Tanzania for more seeds to be planted and to see growth in their faith towards God.  This may be our last blog post—keep praying for us.  This trip has been an incredible blessing and adventure.

After a full week of serving in the hospital, we have experienced many blessings and many trials.  We have been able to see, serve, and pray for many patients this week at the hospital.  It’s especially been a blessing to have the opportunity physically care for Muslims and pray the gospel over them.  A patient who came in on Monday for treatment was experiencing lower back pain and hip pain.  She came back a few times throughout the week to progress her physical healing.  We’ve been able to treat her physically through a treatment called dry needling.  On Monday when she first came in she was in extreme, constant pain and was having difficulty walking.  After her third treatment, she reported that she was 75% better in terms of pain and was able to walk without a limp.  Not only were we able to minister to her physical needs through treatment, but we have really begun to develop a relationship with her and engage with her about her faith.  She was raised Roman-Catholic, but married a Muslim man. Therefore, she was required to convert to Islam.  We are grateful that she accepted prayer from us each time she came in and we are hopeful that the seeds we planted through sharing the truth with her will see her welcomed into the family of God.

We have also been able to really grow as a team and see the Lord move in our relationships with one another.  Seeing the way God has brought us together in unity to serve the people at the hospital and at the church has been so encouraging.  Every morning before work, we would have chapel on the hospital grounds where we would sing Swahili worship songs and someone from our team would share an encouragement from God’s Word.  On Thursday afternoon, we had a lull in patients and one of our translators suggested we have a worship session.  We had a guitar with us and got to sing praises in our clinic.

As we talked about in our last blog, we have connections with a church in a village called Nyantole, which is not too far from the hospital and where we’re staying.  We were supposed to go back Thursday night for Bible study to preach the Word to the villagers, but due to some unforeseen circumstances we were not able to go and our next couple visits to the village have also been pushed back.  This is one of the few instances since being here that we have experienced spiritual warfare and ask for your prayers as we continue to walk forward for the Kingdom.

We will not be discouraged and know that God is with us and is not finished with the work that we have here still.  He will continue to protect us and guide us to complete His good works.  Please also pray for the seeds we are planting that they will produce good harvest and that we will see physical and spiritual healing for those we encounter!

5 May 2019

WE MADE IT!!! After around 30 hours of traveling we safely arrived in Kigoma, Tanzania! Thank you so much for all the prayers! We were blessed with smooth flights and no delays. We arrived in Kigoma on May 4 around noon and were welcomed by Dr. and Sally Pepper. We then had a great meal and set up all our equipment at Kigoma Baptist Hospital. Everyone was a little jet lagged, but we all persevered through the night. Sunday morning, the 5^th, most of our team seemed to have managed to great night of sleep which made us all very excited to go to church. The ride to church was like off-roading up in Big Bear. We took a different trail than usual and it was super fun. Church was amazing and we actually had the opportunity to see how powerful God is at work in Kigoma. Last year, Erik Salley and some of the Kigoma team were evangelizing around the village in Kigoma. They encountered many people, but there was one woman in particular who was touched a lot more than they even knew. Her name was Neema (which means “grace”). She actually decided to share her testimony with us at church. She talked about how Erik was preaching the word of God to her when he knocked on her door one day. At that time, she didn’t want to hear anything about Christianity, but little did we know that God was planting a seed in her heart that day. She has now completely turned away from her Islamic background and put her faith in Christ! God is so GOOD!! Neema has been faithfully attending church every Sunday and is very engaged in her faith and relationship with God. This is such a blessing to be able to see the work and impact that God is accomplishing through all of these trips. We are so excited to see what God has planned for our team and the people of Kigoma throughout these next few weeks! We greatly appreciate all your love and prayers, please continue to pray for us to be used by God to reach the hearts of the people of Tanzania and plant more seeds just like Neema!

Blessings,

Team Kigoma 2019

Hello to all,
This is our last and final blogpost as we have completed our time in the Philippines and will be flying out Saturday, July 28. We thought you would appreciate hearing from each person on the team, so below is a message from each person:
The final week was great, we got to meet some amazing people at the Philippines Heart Center and we learned a lot of interesting treatments they do in their cardiac unit, post cardiac surgery, and for many other conditions. Bittersweet week! Since we leave many great friends and teachers that have been nothing but gracious and inviting to their lives and their generous work! We appreciate the opportunities that this trip has provided, we have expanded our knowledge in the Philippines health care system, learned about their culture, and learned about the love for God that our brothers and sisters have here in the Philippines, we will truly miss them!
-Sandra Veronica
My experience this last week was very eye opening as I got to see more of a range of different patients with different diagnoses. I really appreciated the interns and staff as they came along side us and taught us about the things they do on a daily basis and also about their healthcare facility and how it operates. I took a lot away from this experience as a whole, here in the Philippines and I will never forget it. I am grateful to have had such an amazing team and leaders and can’t wait to get back home and share about all of the fun.
-Dominique
My last week, spent at the Philippine Heart Center, included some of my favorite experiences. I assisted in physical therapy treatment for stroke and spinal cord injury patients and learned about one of the country’s top cardiac rehabilitation units. This week was full of bittersweet goodbyes but was the perfect ending to a remarkable trip. Thank you for your prayers—we are excited to return and share our memories with all of you.
-Nicole
During week 3 of our Global Health Engagement, I learned a lot. We worked at the Philippine Heart Center and it was a lot of fun. I learned about the Cardiac Rehab Program as well as many other things. Overall, my 3 weeks here in the Philippines was AMAZING! I learned so much about the healthcare system and the culture. It has been a very humbling yet fun experience that I will always cherish.
-Nancy
I was paired with two interns at the USTH in our last week but we did not take care of many patients. When we were not helping with other’s patient loads, we had a great time talking and learning more about each other. As it turns out, building relationships with interns and students throughout these three weeks has turned out to be my favorite part of this whole trip.
-Christen
Our half of the team spent time in the rehab center at UST Hospital this week. We were paired with an intern and given the opportunity to observe their patients throughout the week. I really enjoyed hearing the patients’ stories and interacting with the healthcare professionals and interns in the hospital and at the various sites. Throughout our time here, I was constantly learning about rehabilitative care, healthcare in the Philippines, and how my interests and abilities relate to our experiences. I am so thankful for the exposure that this trip provided and the work that God is doing through healthcare in the Philippines.
-Megan
Hi there, this week at the Philippine Heart Center went by so fast. We have been able to consistently build relationships at each clinical site, and the Philippine Heart Center did not ruin the streak! It has been such an amazing experience here in the Philippines, and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work here. Salamat Po!
-Bree
This week I worked at the UST hospital. I was able to form some meaningful relationships with the staff while helping them with their patients. It is bittersweet leaving the Philippines and our new friends here, but I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with my friends and family back home.
-Erin
Friends and family, this final week was incredible as we were able to work hands-on doing exercises and activities with stroke, spinal cord injury, or open-heart surgery patients. We were also able to build new friendships and make new connections with other healthcare professionals, but also with brothers and sisters from the church that we attended last Sunday (and that we tried to attend this past Thursday too!). This whole trip has been very eye-opening: I have learned so much, experienced so many new things, and made so many new friends. Gaining experience in overseas healthcare has provided some valuable insight as to what a future in overseas healthcare could look like for me.
-Lizzy
Having the opportunity to intern at the UST Hospital during week three was a never-ending learning experience. The interns and PTs there were extremely hospitable and helpful in every possible way. I learned what type of patients they treated as well as the center’s policies. Overall, my GHE experience was humbling and worth more than I could ever have had imagined, I will always carry the beautiful memories made with everyone on this team and the new friendships created with the locals here. Grateful for being part of GHE Philippines 2018!
-Michelle
Over the past three weeks we really appreciated having the opportunity to live a different kind of teaching/learning experience. As professors, most of our interaction with students occurs in the classroom. We enjoyed building relationships with and guiding our students through this time of spiritual formation, cultural immersion, and professional experience. Our students showed us they were willing to learn, capable of jumping in hands-on, and willing to be both flexible and adventurous. Visiting the various health care facilities helped to expand our world view and our professional understanding of health care delivery and health education. We also appreciated having some time together as colleagues to extend our professional work and grow our friendship. We will laugh and shake our heads for years to come about the jeepney rides, getting soaked while waiting for our driver during a typhoon, and our epidemiological abilities that enabled us to anticipate and avoid germs while abroad (inside joke). Thanks to our family and friends for your support and prayers during our journey.
-Dr. Jessica Miller and Dr. Marshare Penny

Thank you for reading our blog. As we return home please pray for:
• Safe travels
• Continued and intentional relationships with our new Filipino friends
• Coping strategies for reverse culture shock
• Our jet-lag recuperation as many of us are going to hit the ground running when we return
• Continued health when we return home

-GHE Philippines 2018

Hello all!

We have just concluded our second week of global health engagement in the Philippines and so far we are having a blast! Our team of 12 is broken into two teams of 6, so the two teams have been rotating through the different clinics. Last week you heard from team 1 (Dominique, Megan, Michelle, Erin, Christen, and Dr. Miller) this week you will be hearing from team 2 (Veronica, Nicole, Bree, Nancy, Lizzy, and Dr. Penny).

July 8-14 UST AMRC:
The first clinic we had the opportunity to work in was a part of the UST Hospital’s private sector. Here we worked in the rehabilitation center where physical, occupational, and speech therapy is offered. We were first given a tour of the clinic’sfacility, but we remained mostly in the main room that hosted most of the physical therapy patients. After the tour, we were then paired with physical therapy interns who were all students at UST. All the interns are well equipped with knowledge because they are in their fifth, and final, year of their program. We were able to shadow and observe our interns in their dailywork routine. From this, we recognized that they provide not only physical but emotional care for their patients as well. These students made an effort to make their patients feel comfortable while going through the healing process; thus, making the rehabilitation facility a warm environment. Overall, the UST Rehabilitation Clinic allowed our team to look at the benefits of a private healthcare organization, and the impact it had on both the patients and the health care professionals.
Our first day at the UST hospital was, as the staff would say, toxic (busy, busy, busy). Over the next four days, we saw dozens of patients—some even multiple times. Most of our time observing, but we were also invited to assist in simple exercises, allowing us a more hand-on experience. The majority of patients we saw were geriatric, most commonly stroke patients, as well as athletes and some children with both musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.
In addition to gaining practical healthcare experience, we were able to connect with our patients and interns alike. The patients were eager to talk with us and ask all sorts of questions about our studies and our purpose for being in the Philippines. Some even taught us a bit of Tagalog! We got to know the interns most in our down time. It was inspiring to see these aspiring professionals so invested in their work, but even more rewarding to have real and genuine conversations with them between patient care. At the end of the week, a large group of us went out to dinner and feasted on a variety of Filipino foods that the interns arranged for us. The entire AMRC staff was so welcoming, and we are truly blessed to have worked with them.

July 15 Catholic Mass:
We had the opportunity to attend an on-campus Catholic mass on Sunday with several of the students from UST. The service was interesting to witness. The Priest was engaging, funny, and sweet. We were free to participate as much as we were comfortable. We were only able to understand most of the service, as some of it was in Tagolog!

This week (July 15-21) has been a little crazy due to weather! We had a monsoon blow in, which has caused torrential downpours. Our activities on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday were cancelled due these conditions. During “down days” we would stick close to campus. We played cards, went to the nearby mall to buy souvenirs if the weather was okay, did homework, watched movies in our rooms, or grabbed meals. By the end of the week, we were tired of being cooped up and ready to get back out into the clinics!

July 15-21 REACH Foundation:
Unfortunately, we were only here for Monday and Thursday, but working at REACH was a true blessing. Being able to witness their work was a very humbling experience, the therapists, teachers, and interns at REACH are so patient and kind to their patients. They welcome them with songs and say good bye with beautiful, kind words. We were able to partake in some of the care they provided. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces was heartwarming, especially after hearing each child’s story from the therapist and interns, it really made us think about why we are truly here. We took advantage of the little time we spent at REACH to build relationships with the interns, foreign exchange students (from Canada), and the hard-working therapists. All of the members that work for REACH were very inviting and treated us with so much respect and kindness. We will definitely miss spending time with them and being part of the wonderful work that they do.

Saturday July 21st Excursion:
After being cooped up for three days this week we were ready for an adventure! For our 2nd excursion, we spent the day visiting Taal Volcano located on the island of Luzon. Taal Volcano is the second most active volcano in the Philippines. This volcano offers one of the most attractive views in the Philippines. It is located about 31 miles south of Manila. Our day started around 7am. We travelled for about 4 hours on a Grab (local Uber), bus and tricycle until we reached our final destination. Once we arrived we had lunch which consisted of a variety of delicious foods: noodles, chicken adobo, soup, steamed rice, and shrimp. We ate, talked, and played games with our team and two of the UST sports science students. We then went on a 20-minute boat ride to the island where Taal Volcano is located. It was one of the funniest boat rides ever! We were not expecting to get soaking wet, which was what made the whole boat ride fun. Once we arrived at Luzon island we took some pictures and visited the local souvenir shop. The locals living on the island were very sweet and welcoming. We left the island around 4pm and didn’t get back to campus until around 8:30pm. It was definitely a very fun and adventurous day for us all!

Sunday July 22 Christian Church Service:
This morning we visited a Christian church called Victory Christian Fellowship. We all felt very at home with our Filipino brothers and sisters. The experience was refreshing for our team. The worship was encouraging, the message was Christ-centered, and the people were so welcoming. They even accommodated us by having the service mostly in English and providing translators for those parts that were in Tagalog. We are hoping to be able to invite nonbelieving students with whom we have been working at the university to this church as a means of plugging them in to a Christian church.

As we wrap up our trip please be praying for:
• GOOD WEATHER: If it continues to downpour, they will continue to cancel our clinic days!! 🙁
• Good relationships: We will be shifting into new clinics next week (Team 1 will be at the UST physical therapy clinic for the first time and Team 2 will be at the Philippine Heart Center for the first time). We want to build good relationships with the interns.
• Good conversations: Ultimately, we want to shine our Light and share His Truth!
• Good health: Many of us have stayed well, but please continue to pray for good health for our team!
• Lasting relationships: We have made pretty close friendships with many of the interns that we have met and we have connected with them on social media. Several of them will be coming to CBU in February!

Thanks for reading our long blog! We will be posting one final update before we head home!
-Team 2 (Veronica, Nicole, Bree, Nancy, Lizzy, and Dr. Penny)

Greetings from the Chia Tai GHE team!
For the last update we all wanted to share something special to us about China: how our hearts were changed, how we feel leaving, and what the Lord taught us.

Sitting at home I am overwhelmingly thankful for the time spent watching the students grow and learn amongst some of the best physicians in China. It was an honor to be the faculty leader for such a wonderful and diverse group of students. I will cherish this trip forever. A part of me is quite sad however. This is due, in part, to us leaving our new friends we made in Jilin. But the greatest reason is my heart hurts for one of the team members who was not able to be with us. My heart hurts for Adrian and we all miss him so dearly. A few nights ago we were all thinking and talking about what this trip would have been like if Adrian would have been able to go. While my heart mourns for him, the team and I are filled with hope and joy knowing he is with Christ. What a joy to know we will see him again someday!
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
-Dr. B

Hello!
I am overwhelmed with gratitude to have been a part of this trip. I do not know where to begin with all of the small acts of kindness from the people of Chia Tai Hospital and getting to know this team of girls. This experience has left an impact on me.
Chia Tai Hospital: The hospital’s presence was that of selflessness. No matter what department we visited, patients came first. Our first taste was on our first night in Jilin City. The president, Jin Shu arrived later to dinner because she wanted to care for a young boy that came in for an emergency heart valve surgery. She periodically would check on his recovery status during dinner. It was clear her priority is caring for her patients.
Visiting each department over the past 3 weeks, every doctor was anxious to present to us what they do and answer questions. Any advice given to a patient, was given with prior experience. Any question asked was contemplated before giving an answer. They welcomed us into their world of what they do with open arms. These doctors have an evident passion for what they do and their patients.
Our translators: Woody, Mina , Jon and Judy were gifts.
These people made it hard to leave. They cared for us well. One of them texted us every morning, with “good morning!” – a small way of making sure we were awake. Time with them felt like being with old friends. They made sure we always had water in our rooms. Woody would grab us coffees if one of us yawned. They always chose unique places for us to eat and experience a new Chinese dish – Dr. B always said, “no bugs!”. They organized our itinerary for the past 3 weeks with intricate details that made each day so special. They became dear friends. Mina was anxious to learn new English words and laughed as we practiced our Chinese. Judy, oh sweet Judy – our protector and food sommelier. She would stop traffic for us to cross the street. Food is typically served family style and she always chose the perfect menu every time. Jon was a new to Chia Tai and came from England to work in Jilin. We were visiting China and England with him around! I could not imagine this trip without each of them. They are gems I will never forget.
This team of girls: Lydia, Lauren, Megan and Paulina will change the world with their future goals. I am proud to have been alongside them.
The beautiful babies were my favorite – my team could attest!
The people of Chia Tai Hospital were the most generous I have ever met.
I began as blue, visited yellow, and now leaving China as green.
– Hannah Boyer

Ni-Hao!
I cannot believe how quickly these past three weeks flew by. It seemed like it was just yesterday meeting Woody, Mina, and Judy as they welcomed us holding CBU signs when we first arrived at the airport. I have no words to describe my appreciation for the incredible opportunity to serve the people of Chai Tai International Hospital. My experience in China has left an impact on me that I will forever cherish.
I was very touched by every staff member that I had the opportunity to interact with in the hospital. Every time I walked in a room for the first time, a person’s face would always welcome me with a warm smile. Almost every morning, our housekeeper from the dormitory would stop to look at me just so she could take another picture with me, or to introduce me to another person from the hospital staff.
I enjoyed observing all the various departments of the hospital and learning about traditional Chinese medicine. It was very apparent to that the doctors and nurses cared for their patients as a whole and had passion in their work. I am also grateful for the opportunity to watch an orthopedic surgery, endoscopy, and a heart angioplasty procedure. Dr. Soon from the rehabilitation department was also a blessing to me in helping my neck pain with an acupuncture treatment!
There are several emotions that I have about leaving Jilin City. By far the most challenging is saying goodbye to the people we built the strongest connections with. I will miss the daily text messages from WeChat, learning Chinese with Mina and Judy, practicing my awful British accent with Jon, and having Judy help my nerves while crossing the busy roads. I am also thankful for how considerate Woody was of my food sensitivities. I will miss him saying, “How about another chicken wing, Lauren?”
Over these past three weeks, the Lord has tested my faith in multiple ways. Growing in patience and flexibility was one of them. It was difficult for me at times to not become frustrated when things got off schedule, or when we did not know the full details of the day. As I reflect on these challenges, I am grateful that the Lord stretched me in these areas. It allowed me in my free time to meditate on His word and have my heart prepared for meaningful conversations.
One verse that stuck with me was Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (NIV).
– Lauren Jilbert

I am very grateful to have had this chance to intern at Chia Tai International Hospital. Because we did not have many details about our trip beforehand, I was extremely anxious when we first arrived. However, everything, from our living situation to the friendliness of the hospital staff, exceeded my expectations. I was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness presented to us from Jin Shu, Woody, Mina, and Judy. Because of their hospitality, I was able to feel at home in a foreign place.
Being able to visit every department in the hospital has made me even more eager to start my career in medicine. The doctors that we met showed great enthusiasm for their respective field in medicine. I could tell that they loved what they did and were passionate about caring for their patients. I hope to one day display that same love and enthusiasm in caring for others.
I came on this trip to learn more about the medical field. Instead, I learned more about the meaningful relationships that can spark from having conversations and the influence that selfless love can have on people, no matter where they are in the world. I will most definitely miss the city of Jilin and all the friends we have made along the way. At the same time, I am excited for the opportunities that are now open between CBU and Chia Tai International Hospital. It is truly a special place.
– Lydia Leung

My time at Chia Tai International Hospital has been absolutely beyond any expectations I could have made. The hospitality I received was warm and loving, especially from Woody, Judy, Mina, and Jin Shu. They were one of the reasons I was able to cope with my homesickness the first few days. They honestly were so loving and caring that I “adopted” them as my Chinese family. I will never forget all that they did for us and I really miss them so much!
Every day was a new adventure for me and getting to learn more about the hospital was exciting. Each department demonstrated a commitment to serve patients. It was inspiring to see doctors, nurses, and staff work with a passion and joy. It reaffirmed my desire to pursue a career in healthcare. Jilin City is truly blessed to have such a remarkable hospital and I hope to return one day to see it with even more success.
On the other hand, our fun activities after hours like visiting new restaurants, temples, our almost daily walks to RT Mart, and just overall walking around the city are moments etched into my memory forever. Just being able to have meaningful conversations with our new friends was one of the highlights of this trip. In spite of some anxiousness or uncertainty I felt, I am joyful with the relationships we established in China.
It was hard saying goodbye to everyone and I know with a certainty that I left a piece of my heart behind in Jilin. I am forever grateful to Chia Tia International Hospital! My first visit to China is one I will never forget!
– Paulina Soria

The past three weeks have been some of the most fruitful of my life. I went into this practicum so saturated in prayer, by God’s grace, and eager to dive into life in China. From the moment we met our hosts at the airport to our last night roaming the city, we were showered with generosity. Our hosts were not only generous with their resources; they were generous with their time. Our practicum experiences within the hospital were more impactful than I ever could have anticipated. I went into this trip with no interest in exercise science, but I left with a newly kindled desire to learn! I also learned a great deal about traditional Chinese medicine and how it can be used in conjunction with traditional western methods. During our time at Chia Tai International Hospital, we were fortunate to observe medical procedures in several departments. The procedure I found most interesting was the coronary angioplasty. As a public health student, and an advocate for preventative care, I enjoy learning about chronic diseases that result from lifestyle choices so that I can better understand how to prevent them.
As educational as our time in the hospital was, I found myself far more affected by the culture and the relationships we established. Food was a cultural experience every day! We loved almost everything we tried, but a few days in we were missing our light breakfasts and fresh produce. I loved how communal every meal was. They always order family-style and were so eager to introduce us to their favorite dishes. We were also able to tour a Taoist and a Buddhist temple and learn the history and effect on Chinese culture today. I was so blessed by the conversations we were able to share and by the way they welcomed us into their lives. They spent weekdays, weeknights, and weekends with us. We met their families and we shared so many laughs.
Goodbyes were emotional for me because I felt so connected to these people and to my team. I am beyond thankful for this opportunity and I hope to visit the hospital again in the future.
-Megan Drew

Week #1
R.E.A.C.H Foundation

Mabuhay! We have had quite the adventure so far this week. Our travel day began very early in the morning Saturday, July 7th. Family and friends gathered at the campus to pray over and send off our team. Because of the time difference, when we landed it was Sunday evening. Monday’s activities were cancelled because of the expected typhoon, however, we did not experience any rain. Instead, a few UST students took us to the local mall to purchase a few things and exchange money.

We had the opportunity to serve in a rehab center for disabled children in Mandaluyong the first week. The R.E.A.C.H Foundation (Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Adults and Children with Handicaps) is a community based non-profit that offers services for families that couldn’t otherwise afford care for their children. They offer physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and vocational classes. We had the opportunity to see patients that were diagnosed with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, autism and down syndrome.

We learned from the physical therapist that there is a huge shortage of healthcare professionals in the Philippines. At this center, there are only 13 professionals (with the help of interns) that serve 1,000 patients. He also explained that this type of care for disabled individuals is not provided by the government like we see in the US. This began to give us an understanding of the healthcare system here. This week we also had the chance to accompany the staff on home visits for patients whose condition inhibited them from traveling to the facility. We saw adolescent patients diagnosed with quadriplegia cerebral palsy. The homes we visited were incredibly small and many times housed at least 9 family members. This gave us a better understanding of the need for the R.E.A.C.H center in this community.

On Friday, the interns ran a fitness class with high functioning teenage patients. We were able to work out with them and observe more of the variety of work that the interns and professionals do at R.E.A.C.H. Throughout the week we were amazed by the passion the interns had for their work and their patients.

For our first excursion, we spent the day at Villa Escudero, a historical plantation and resort. Our tour included a family museum of archaeological artifacts and private collections of antique relics from periods ranging from Pre-History, Spanish colonial times to World War II. Lunch was served at the foot of a waterfall, which was awesome! We ended the day with a cultural dance and performance of the history of the Philippine Islands.

Prayer requests:
• Continued health and safety for the team
• Intentional conversations with our interns and patients

Thank you for your continued prayers and support! We will be posting another blog entry at the conclusion of next week.