Update on The Little Girl in the Legaspi Hospital

Update on The Little Filipino Girl in the Hospital

By Dr. Dave Johnson

Assemblies of God Missionary to the Philippines

www.daveanddebbiejohnson.com

www.drdavejohnson.blogspot.com

Dear Friends,

The little girl’s mother told Debbie that she prayed that God would either heal her completely or take her home to heaven. God answered her prayers—both of them. Yesterday morning, about 11:30am local time, Jesus came and took the child to heaven. She is now in perfect health and, her parents, quite understandably, are devastated. Words were useless at this point. Just being there was what mattered. Please pray for the family at this time, especially as they try to explain this to their seven year son who was not able to come to the hospital.

When she got the call, Debbie and a friend rushed to the hospital. Alan, one of my team members and I met them there a bit later. They lived more than an hour away and wanted to make funeral arrangements with a funeral home in their town. When you don’t have life insurance to pay the bills, calling the mortuary to pick up the body is out of the question. The hospital kindly wrapped her in a blanket from head to toe and, with their permission and gracious help, we loaded little her little body, with rigor mortis already setting in, into the truck so lovingly provided by the Assemblies of God young people in Michigan through the Speed-the-Light program, and carried her to the funeral home ourselves. Her parents held her the whole time. While Americans are squeamish about these kinds of things and may even think it macabre, Filipinos have no such qualms and took it all in stride—they were just grateful for our help. I think this is the first time I ever handled a dead body, and I won’t mind if it’s my last. Debbie voluntarily remained in Legaspi due to lack of space in the truck.

For those not familiar with Filipino burial rites, the body will lay in state in the family’s home for several days, with nightly wake services. Many will call on the family to pay their respects. Filipinos are a social people so they will also just visit and swap stories. However, there are some challenges. Since the family traditionally provides dinner for all guests every night, the costs can be horrific, although many friends and family will bring food or cash gifts. In Christian circles, having a short nightly service is also common and provides an excellent opportunity for evangelism.

Because of the distance we will not likely participate much in the wake services, but the girl’s parents and brother will be surrounded by family, friends, and church members—many of whom could not help when they were in Legaspi, so they will be well taken care of. We do not know the date for the funeral, but at least Debbie will be present for that.

While this entire situation obviously did not turn out as we had hoped and prayed, there are some things for which Debbie and I are grateful. One, we have the hope of heaven. Thank God, for the Christian, death does not have the last word. While this precious child’s death is surely the cause of great sorrow, death has no sting or victory because we have the assurance that we shall see her again (1 Corinthians 15:57-58). Second, we are thankful that she lingered long enough for her family and friends to say goodbye. Third, we thank God that the time in the hospital was not protracted for weeks or months. As terrible as this has been, it could certainly have been worse. Fourth, Debbie and I are deeply honored that we could be there when they needed us, and we are so grateful for our friends and supporters in the States who made that possible. And last but certainly not least, we are so thankful for all of your prayers, emails, and Facebook posts letting us know that you are there for us and the family.

We love you all,

Dave and Debbie

PS. In a previous email I implied that the hospital did not provide food. Then I found out that they do feed the patients, just not the caregivers. My apologies for the misinformation. For the most part, the hospital staff provided excellent services considering the limitations under which they have to work and for which they are not responsible.

PLEASE NOTE: Permission is hereby given to forward, print, and post this blog as long as it is done as a complete blog, and its authorship is acknowledged. Thank you for your cooperation.  For automatic notification of future blogs please visit www.drdavejohnson.blogspot.com and click on “join this site.”

Copyright 2012 Dr. Dave Johnson 

Urgent Prayer Request From a Philippine Hospital

Urgent Prayer Request From a Philippine Hospital

By Dr. Dave Johnson

Assemblies of God Missionary to the Philippines

www.daveanddebbiejohnson.com

www.drdavejohnson.blogspot.com

Friends,

We have an urgent prayer request for a six year old Filipino girl and her parents, who are all Christians, and whose names are withheld to protect their privacy.  Here’s the latest. Both the girl’s lungs and at least one kidney are damaged. I’m not sure if this is related to her having lupus or not since I don’t know much about the disease. She has contracted a cold as well. She has been comatose for the last day or so. Doctors give her a 50-50 chance of survival, which appears to be an improvement over what we all thought last night. She remains in Pediatric ICU at a government hospital in the Bicol Region of the Philippines.

One of the major challenges that she air pump she is on is hand operated—no electric one being available. The pump has to be manned 24/7 by a family member or friend. The hospital does not provide this service. The poor parents alternated every two hours through the night so they didn’t get much sleep. Debbie, who has been at the hospital several times, is pumping right now, and I will lend a hand later.

The husband works on another island and had to make an emergency trip home when he heard the news, but traveling takes time here, meaning that the wife and girl were at the hospital without him for at least 24 hours. We were there last night when the husband arrived. Somehow I managed not to say something dumb like “hey, friend, how are you?” Or worse, “I understand what you’re going through.” I don’t have a clue. I just put my arm around him and walked him to the door of the PICU. He took over the air pump immediately so I didn’t have a chance to talk to him.

Debbie and the wife are good friends, and she works for us from time to time. So far we are processing this ok internally. All the questions about why God is allowing this have run through my mind. Biblical authors and the theologians that follow them haven’t resolved this issue in thousands of years of reflection, so I’m sure I won’t either.  Habakkuk dealt with a similar issue in the Old Testament book that bears his name. In the end, he came to this conclusion: Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation (3:18-19 NKVJ).

I thought that those of you not familiar with government run hospitals in a developing nation might like a description, so keep reading. For the most part, private hospitals are better if you can afford it.

The Pediatrics ICU (PICU) is just inside the Pediatrics ward. It’s a small room and only parents or those handling the air pump are allowed inside along with the medical staff.

Shoes must be removed to keep the dust level down.

The Pediatrics ward itself is a large room, crammed full of beds and people and no privacy. The place is clean but hardly sterile. In the Philippines, both in public and private hospitals, each patient needs to have their own caretaker to supplement the nursing staff. The guardian can stay 24/7 but needs to provide their own bed in the public wards. If you want a chair, you bring it with you—unless you are an American brave enough to ask the nurses for one.

Ventilator is poor.

There is one large, unisex bathroom with multiple enclosed stalls—complete with buckets and hand dippers for bathing…but bring your own soap and toilet paper. Dishwashing facilities are provided in the rest room area because you bring your own food (and dishwashing detergent), but there is no cooking onsite. Considering the circumstances, bringing your own food is probably a good idea. 

Medicine has to be purchased by the family before being administered. Cash upfront. No money. No meds. No exceptions. And all medical bills must be settled before leaving the hospital.

Now for the lighter side. Does this hospital treats animals? Last night we saw two mother cats, one of which has a kitten residing in the Pediatrics ward. The kitten was scrawny with unruly hair. It truly looked like it needed to be there! We all had a much needed good chuckle at the sight. Now I have seen everything!

Keep praying. We will keep you posted.

Blessings,

Dave and Debbie

PLEASE NOTE: Permission is hereby given to forward, print, and post this blog as long as it is done as a complete blog, and its authorship is acknowledged. Thank you for your cooperation.  For automatic notification of future blogs please visit www.drdavejohnson.blogspot.com and click on “join this site.”

Copyright 2012 Dr. Dave Johnson 

Things That Matter (Or Lessons From a Graveyard)

Things That Matter (Or Lessons From a Graveyard)

By Dr. Dave Johnson

Assemblies of God Missionary to the Philippines

www.daveanddebbiejohnson.com

www.drdavejohnson.blogspot.com

The other days some friends and I attended the funeral of a good friend, Pastor Andy, who died of cancer at the age of 49. This is the second funeral I’ve attended in the last few months of someone who, in my opinion, died far too young.

The last service was held at the cemetery. In the Philippines, the water table is too high to bury most people below the soil, so they are encased in cement in tombs above the ground with a gravestone on one end of the encasement. After the service, I found myself glancing around, reading names and pertinent dates on the other tombstones. I found myself asking “who were these people, what did they do with their lives, and what did they leave behind?” While I couldn’t answer these questions regarding these people, I could reflect on Pastor Andy’s life.

Although he wasn’t poor, Pastor Andy didn’t have much regarding the things of this world. I never heard him complain, and I will long remember his warm smile and kind demeanor. He had invested his life in pastoral ministry—caring for people in the name of Jesus. He loved both the Lord of the work and the work of the Lord.  What did he leave behind? A wife and three children who loved him, many friends, like me, who were deeply touched by his life, and no doubt countless others, whose lives were transformed by the gospel he preached. In the things that mattered, Pastor Andy was a rich man.

Like everyone else, I yearn for my life to count for something, to leave this world a better place, and to do something of benefit to others that will last long after I have gone on to glory. I know that, if done for God’s glory and His name, those dreams can be fulfilled. But I also hear the echo of the siren song of this world, luring me into the lie of self-fulfillment, self-aggrandizement, and building a name for myself, only to leave me shipwrecked on the shores of ruined dreams and broken lives. My prayer is that, like Pastor Andy, I would invest my life in things that matter. What about you?   

PLEASE NOTE: Permission is hereby given to forward, print, and post this blog as long as it is done as a complete blog, and its authorship is acknowledged. Thank you for your cooperation.  For automatic notification of future blogs please visit www.drdavejohnson.blogspot.com and click on “join this site.”

Copyright 2012 Dr. Dave Johnson 

Many Baptized in the Holy Spirit in the Bicol Region of the Philippines

God continues to move in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. In the last three weeks, about 500 or so people have been filled or refilled with the Holy Spirit. People speaking in tongues have filled the sanctuaries of the places we have visited, and we are grateful because Jesus is been glorified.

We believe that we are on the cusp of the greatest move of God this region has ever seen. Is this the beginning? We do not know. A more important question we are asking is, "What do we do next to fan the flame of what God is doing?" This is uncharted territory for Debbie and me, so we would appreciate your prayers and feedback.

For the moment, we have one more Sunday service with our friends, Bill and Beth Juoni, and they will leave on Tuesday. Debbie and I will take a breather for a couple of days and rest at a nearby resort. The schedule has been unrelenting for the last three weeks, and we need a break.

By the way, if you feel led of the Lord to help us out, we would appreciate some financial help. You can donate online at www.daveanddebbiejohnson.com. 

Drop us a line when you can. We're always glad to hear from you.

Many blessings,

Dave and Debbie Johnson

Tips For Foreign Speakers and Their Interpreters or Translators

Tips for Foreign Speakers and Their Interpreters

By Dave Johnson

[If you are hosting someone who will speak through an interpreter, you may wish to provide these to the speakers and their interpreters in advance. An ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure.—Ben Franklin]

Over the years I have had the opportunity to observe many foreign speakers and those who interpret for them. I have also served as the interpreter on numerous occasions. Most speakers work well with interpreters and most interpreters are good. But I have noticed a number of things that, if done, will help make the process better for all concerned. My communication goal has always been that everyone understands everything that is said.

For the Foreign Speakers

1. Remember that interpretation is a difficult art. Please purpose to make the process as easy for your interpreter as possible.

2. Meet with the interpreter before the service if possible to discuss your message and how you wish to conduct the altar call or question and answer period. If you can, offer them a copy of your notes. If you have a question and answer period and a question offered in English, it should still be translated in respect to those present who do not speak English.

3. Remember that interpretation is not an exact science. Tagalog, like many other languages, is somewhat longer than English and can take a bit more time to express.

4. Remember to maintain eye contact with the listeners, not your interpreter. It is sufficient to see them just out of the corner of your eye.

5. Pause every one or two sentences for the interpretation. Going longer than this without stopping increases the possibility that the interpreter will forget part of what you say.

6. Reduce or eliminate figures of speech or idiomatic expressions as these often get lost in interpretation.

7. Use smaller words. For example, “Try” is better than “Endeavor.”

8. Avoid the use of the double negative as Filipinos are not accustomed to this form of speaking and may not hear the second negative, making the interpretation exactly the opposite of what you intend. For example, if you say “I did not say that I would not go to church, it might be translated as “I said I’m not going to church!!” It’s far better to say, “I will go to church.”

9. Filipinos consider the word “stupid” as borderline profane, so please try to avoid it. On the other hand, the word “dumb” is fine!!

10. Beware of being overly dependent on alliteration, acrostics, or any type of word play, as they normally don’t translate well into other languages. Having an alliterative outline might work, but if your message is overly dependent on these things, the force of your message will most likely be lost in translation.

11. Remember that humor doesn’t cross cultural boundaries well and, generally speaking, is best avoided unless you know the cultural situation well or you don’t mind your jokes falling flat in front of you.

12. If only one microphone is available, please swallow your pride and give it to your interpreter. Remember, your message is being interpreted for a reason, and that reason means it’s more important for people to hear the translator. As long as the interpreter can hear you, your message will be communicated.

13. Ministering cross culturally is a wonderful journey, so ENJOY THE TRIP!!

For Interpreters

1. Try to meet with the speaker before the service to discuss their message. Don’t be afraid to request a copy of their notes if you need them.

2. Remember that some speakers are not used to using interpreters, so please be patient.

3. Stand next to the speaker, not off to the side.

4. Maintain eye with the audience, not the speaker. You need to hear him or her, not look at them. If it’s a man, he probably isn’t that handsome anyway!!

5. Remember that you are the speaker’s mouthpiece, and you should speak as that person. For example, if they say “I’m glad to be here,” don’t say “he says he is glad to be here.” Instead say, “I am glad to be here.”

6. If the speaker gets excited, you get excited!

7. As much as possible, moderate your voice to match that of the speaker. If they shout, you shout!! If they whisper, you whisper, etc.

8. Do not feel that you have to translate for word. Speak naturally using idioms and figures of speech that are a part of your language.

9. Preach the same message as the speaker. To do otherwise is unethical and bears a false witness (Exodus 20:16). If you don’t understand something the speaker says, please stop them and ask them to repeat themselves. If you still cannot understand them, you might consider humbling yourself and asking to be replaced.

10. Have fun!!

God is Touching Bicolanos

Yesterday, we continued our seminars with Bill and Beth Juoni on the person and work on the Holy Spirit, and God continues to move. Last night there were about 50 people in the service and probably most of them were baptized or refilled with the Spirit in the altar call as one could hear many of them speaking in other tongues. It's a wonder to behold.

In the seminars, we always do a question and answer time in between each segment. The questions suggest that much confusion exists in the minds of our pastors regarding the Holy Spirit. Bill and I have been discussing co-authoring a book on the subject that will be designed to address these issues.

Meanwhile, we have another revival meeting tonight, another tomorrow, and throughout the coming week. Please pray for us!!

God is Moving in Bicol!!

We have now completed five meetings in four different locations with Bill and Beth Juoni. About 8 more to go, depending on how you count them. To date, about 250-260 people have attended and dozens appear to have been baptized in the Holy Spirit or refilled in these meetings so far. We long to see our region ablaze for God and rejoice in what God has been doing.

We've also been selling my book "Led by the Spirit: the History of the American Assemblies of God Missionaries in the Philippines" at a much lower rate and are carrying it with us on this tour. Sales are encouraging, and I have contacted the publisher to send more copies down! We are also selling the Ganap na Buhay Biblia, the Tagalog version of the Fire Bible, at 50% off the original price, and these are going out the door as well.

Please pray with us that the fire of the Holy Spirit will ignite the Bicol Region.

More later,

Dave