Dear Friends:
Laura LaBore, a nurse with AWA, was delighted that Raylene Espinosa, wife of Edgar, land manager for the project, wanted to go with her to do community outreach. Raylene and Laura walked the dusty road to a house, and Raylene shouted the customary “Tao Po” to see if anyone was there. Raylene knows so many people in the community it has been a blessing to have her on the team.
House
An old man, eyes smiling, came out to greet them. Raylene explained to him that Laura was here to take his blood pressure and blood sugar if he wanted. “Of course!” he replied in Tagalog. Raylene translated between him and Laura. His blood sugar was fine, but his pressure was too high, and his heart rate was erratic. Medical care in the Philippines is not free, and Mr. Manual would not be able to afford to pay for any care. The team was able to find a sponsor in the States who was willing to pay for some of his care.
At first, they drove him to Dr. Kilman Boutet, a volunteer doctor who charged nothing for a consult. Dr. Boutet deals only in natural medicines, but also recommended that he get an EKG. Mr. Manuel immediately took Dr. Boutet’s advise and cut out the MSG in his diet. He wanted to eat more fruits and vegetables as recommended, but he couldn’t afford to buy any. Raylene and Laura were able to go to the market and buy produce for him to eat.
Raylene also took charge of getting him in to see a doctor so that he could have an order for an EKG. There is no EKG machine nearby, so they had to drive more than an hour to Puerto Princesa. Mr. Manuel had to return several times for tests, as his heart is not healthy. Each time, Raylene was at his side, processing the paper work, and speaking to the doctors for him. When he was home, Laura went out to check up on him, with Raylene translating and always helping with a smile.
In March, a team went to start building the mission house at the base. In the beginning, it was the LaBore family, Michelle and Travis Maloney, and Edgar Espinosa who were out digging trenches and pouring cement for the foundation of the house. The race was on to get the foundation done before two different academy groups came to build the walls. At lunch time, the group would drag their hot and tired bodies back to the Espinosa house, where Raylene had whipped up a delicious meal EVERY TIME! Everyone was impressed with her excellent cooking, and she continued to surprise them with new dishes to try every day. Everyone felt sorry about how dirty they were as they sat in her
nice and clean house. She would always just smile and say “That’s OK”!
They say that “Behind every good man, there’s a good woman,” which is true not only for the Espinosas but also for the AWA team. Raylene’s skill in teaching the LaBores Tagalog, her passion for outreach, and love for people is a huge asset to the team, and everyone is grateful for all that she does!
Your continued prayers and financial support for the Palawan Project keeps our missionaries available to continue to serve the local people and make “kingdom friends.”
We thank you for your partnership!
Adventist World Aviation Foundation—Philippines
To learn more about Philippines Palawan Project click here.
