Her Eyes Watered As She Spoke

Remember Rosalyn? Well, her story is like an onion – full of layers, and brings you to tears. The day after we met Rosalyn, Rebecca and I intended on taking a break. We had been so exhausted from the previous day that we wanted to take it easy. But hey, God likes to stir things up. That morning, I got a text from Rosalyn asking me if we could meet her at a different hospital on the other side of Metro Manila. I couldn’t quite understand what was going on – something about a pediatrician, breathing problems, and no money. We agreed to meet her there. As we got to the Emergency wing, I saw her from a distance. She was wearing a baggy shirt soaked in sweat, her eyes were full of bags and her expression was nothing short of exhaustion. It was obvious she had not slept. We hugged and she frantically began telling me what was going on.

Her grandson, Vince, is 5 months old and began having breathing problems the previous night, accompanied by seizures and a high fever. In a state of panic, Rosalyn and her daughter rushed him to one of the “public” hospitals. At the hospital, they waited before they could see a doctor as other patients were in line before them. A few hours later, the doctor had diagnosed him with some kind of bronchio-pneumonia. Unfortunately, Rosalyn and her daughter could not afford the medication or medical fees, so they felt they had no other choice but to call us.

Even just two steps in to the hospital, I realized how different it was compared to the hospitals I had seen at home. This one was dingy and dark. People were constantly being wheeled past me with blood gushing from their faces. Numerous nurses were unfriendly. Left and right, people mourned over the loss of a loved one, many because of the inability to afford medical costs. We entered the room where Vince was. I shook hands with his mother Jhen, 18, and her friend Angie, 20. I looked into the crib and saw the cutest little boy. Despite the pain he was in, he would smile and laugh between his bouts of tears and discomfort. His big brown eyes stared at me as I touched his hand. I wanted so desperately to stop the pain he was going through.

Rosalyn, Rebecca and I left to go find prescription drugs for the little guy. None of the nearby drug stands carried the proper medication, so we searched for about an hour trying to find the right stuff. We eventually had to take a jeepney (one of the modes of transportations in the Philippines) to Mercury Drug to find it. Along this journey, she told me more of her story and her life of hardship. Her eyes watered as she spoke. On top of her daughter and grandson in the hospital, she also has another child who has been missing since early May. She handed me a “missing” poster with a picture of her son. As she expressed her many worries to me – of her son being shot, being abducted into gang life, or perhaps dead – I couldn’t help but be reminded of my own mom. My heart sank, as I pictured my mom crying over losing her son, not knowing if he will ever come back. At that moment, it hit me harder than ever, that Rosalyn’s story is probably not much different from many in the Philippines. How many other mothers were struggling to make ends meet, with children sick in the hospital, with a missing child…

We returned to the hospital. As Rebecca and Rosalyn entered the hospital to pay off medical fees, I stayed outside to talk with Angie and Jhen. We became quick friends and exchanged emails so we could keep in touch. When Rebecca and Rosalyn came back, we prayed for them. It was an incredibly neat moment praying outside this hospital, with dozens of onlookers watching and listening. We thanked God for this family, and prayed for his protection and healing hand over them. As amazing as it has been to be able to provide the support to Rosalyn and her family (which, btw, THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS because we couldn’t have done this without you guys!!), I wish there was a long-lasting way we could support this family. I just keep praying that God will provide an opportunity for us to invest more into them.

Since then, I’ve actually gotten in contact with Vince’s uncle via facebook. He sent me a message thanking us. It really stuck out to me God’s perfect timing and placement. Through meeting Rosalyn, we were able to really show God’s love to more than just her. We were able to affect an entire family. So if you believe in prayer, please pray for this family that God will protect and heal them, that they will see this as an act of God because He is the ultimate sustainer, and that Rosalyn’s son would come back home.

This is just one story, and we are so pumped to what else God places in front of us. Again, thanks for you – for reading this, for affirming us, for caring, and for letting God’s love leak.