Silverlinings (for other editions, see Silverlinings)

What Will You Do With The Grass If The Horse Is Dead?
(September 12, 2006)

"I am dizzy," Anong complained as he clumsily fell on the banig (a hand-woven mat made of palm leaves). Then he mumbled something about being sick to his stomach. Everyone was concerned. We wondered if he were having a heart attack. He shook his head warily back and forth to our pestering questions: "No, my arm is not hurting. No, my chest doesn't feel heavy." However, he did take several shaky breaths before declaring, "No, I am not having trouble breathing."

What should we do for him? There is no telephone to call for help, there is no ambulance to take him to the hospital; in fact, there are no vehicles on the entire island. And besides, there is no doctor to call, no emergency room or hospital to take him to, no clinic of any type, no drugstore or pharmacy to get medicine-nothing-there is nothing on the island for this emergency. However, the answer to the emergency can be found in town-but "town" is an outrigger boat ride, 30 minutes away when the weather is just right, on the bigger island of Marinduque.

Knowing that the scheduled transport boat had already departed, I asked, "Should we try to hire a private boat to take him to Marinduque?" "No," they replied, "there is no money, and besides we can't afford the fee of the doctor or the cost of the medicine if we were able to go."

But the situation was not as hopeless as I thought. If you need medical help on the island of Polo, there is one person you know you can run to get; one person you can depend on to come no matter what time of the day or night-Ofelia Palmero, a registered komadrong (midwife). Thirty-five-year old Ofelia not only delivers babies, she tends to first aid incidents, gives medicine from her meager home supply, offers trained medical advice, and takes blood pressures. Taking blood pressures is her greatest service, for this simple procedure reassures the patient that something medical is being accomplished. Because she is on call constantly for this valuable service, Ofelia has trained five assistants with the skill of taking and reading blood pressures.

After finding that Anong's blood pressure is somewhat elevated, she tells him when he finds money to begin taking a baby aspirin a day, but that he should also eat bananas, watermelon, papaya, or garlic daily, bathe in the ocean when he is able, and drink a mixture of kalamansi lime and water.

Being a single adult gives Ofelia more time to her ministry of healing. What makes her stay on the island when she can go elsewhere and make more money and have a better life? "Aanhin mo ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo (What will you do with the grass if the horse is already dead)?" she softly responds when I ask her why she is stays. It is the love of her family and neighbors; it is the warm memories of growing up on the island and the relationships formed in times of sorrow and joy. Ofelia wants to do something good for those in her community while they are still living.

There are many spiritual needs as well as physical needs on the island of Polo. There is only a Catholic church and a small independent Protestant church on the island. The pastor comes only on Saturdays and Sundays, and must leave immediately after Sunday morning service to get to his next church on another island. If stormy weather causes dangerous boating conditions, he cannot come to hold services. And there is no minister for family support in times of crisis.

Pray for the physical and spiritual needs of the families living on the island of Polo. Pray that the Church of the Nazarene may one day help to meet the spiritual needs of these gracious people.

Pray that you and I will not forget our responsibilities to go into all the world. Oh, if we could only grasp the true meaning of "Aanhin mo ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo" -what will you do with the gospel if they are already dead.

While you read this short article, approximately 400 people died without knowing Christ (http://www.biblehelp.org/signal.htm).

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Dr. Geneva Silvernail

Asia-Pacific Regional Literature Coordinator
Regional Education Consultant

Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary
Ortigas Ave. Ext. Kaytikling, Taytay
1920 Rizal Philippines

Email: gsilvernail@apnaz.org
ministry@genevasilvernail.org