Philippines 2019: Someday Dream (Rachel Par)

It had been a while since I last prepared for surgery until M2H came to Marinduque for a mission last June. 

It was a shame that this was M2H’s third mission here in my hometown, and it was only now that I got to be a part of it. The fact that this group of volunteers traveled thousands of miles to fulfill a mission is just so inspiring. I have been in the medical field for 7 years, yet working with this kind of team is a brand new experience. 

I was so thrilled when I found out that I will have the opportunity to be part of this mission. On my first day of working with the team, we were able to perform various surgical operations across a wide scope. Most of the patients had been bearing the pain of their conditions for years so it was a long day for all of us. But I never heard a single complaint from them. It was such a humbling experience! Seeing the relief on our patient’s faces gave us the boost that we need to carry on. 

I felt that a week of working with them was too short so I decided to join another mission in a neighboring province, Mindoro. It’s next to Marinduque but it still takes 13 hours (2 boat rides and several hours of land travel) to get there. Yet all I felt was excitement and gratitude. I never saw it as exhausting. 

I have nothing but admiration for the professionalism all of the volunteers.   Your passion is contagious. All of the things I have learned from the team will be incorporated into my profession as a nurse, and I will pay it forward. Seeing the MSU, passing the surgical instruments to the doctors I felt honored to work with, and the smiles we got from our patients after surgeries brought me back to my college days where I was only a dreamer. I dreamed of this day, a day where I will I be part of trusted team bringing new hope to people. One of my “someday dreams” just happened. Thank you, M2H and MAP!