Actually I was better able to handle the changes that Manila had undergone in my absence, since I had been here just the year before on the CMM 2001 Mission to Coron, Palawan and Baao, Camarines Sur. Even then, I realized that the only thing that outpaced the tremendous amount of new buildings, shopping malls, developments, pollution and the horrendous traffic was the poverty of the people. While it was so good to see relatives and friends that I had not laid eyes on in 25 to 30 years, I couldn't wait to get out of Manila and into the province.

Because of the timing of this year's mission, it allowed us a couple of days to visit Kalibo, Aklan, home of an over 800 year old celebration called Ati-atihan, in honor of the annual migration of the dark-skinned tribes from the surrounding hills into the city. However, after the Spanish colonization of these islands in the 15th and 16th centuries AD, the festival also took on a religious side, the celebration of Sto. Niño (Jesus as a Child), where Jesus is also dark-skinned. Today, many villages, towns and cities celebrate their versions of the original Ati-atihan, such as the Dinagyang in Iloilo City which many of the CMM volunteers were able to view as special guests. I have always marveled at the Filipino peoples' ability to celebrate and have a great time, when by American standards, they have little to celebrate. Perhaps that is a cultural lesson that Americans should learn from their Filipino brothers and sisters- be thankful for what you have, instead of complaining about what you don't have.

After what seemed like an eternity of counting, bagging and labeling pills in a room in which the air conditioner couldn't overcome all of the hot air we generated, the day we all anticipated finally arrived - Show Time! The next week would require that we wake up early, take care of our daily hygiene, eat breakfast and be ready to board our transport for the 45 minute ride from Iloilo City to Miagao. The medical team which I was part of would arrive in Miagao at about 7:30 AM and spend the next nine to ten hours seeing over 1000 indigent patients per day. The teams worked like a well-oiled machine - patients being registered, sometimes waiting for hours to be seen, getting their prescriptions filled and on their way home. About 20 minutes away, the surgical team was performing their slight of hand magic, making defects, cataracts, tumors and other maladies disappear before your eyes. The amazing thing is that all of this happens without anyone really "being in charge." Sure, there are tremendous amounts of effort and coordination that go on months before the mission and behind the scenes during the mission, but everyone involved in the mission does their part and everything appears to happen without anyone claiming leadership. Each member of the team is valued for his/her unique contribution. And being a surgeon, physician or dentist is not deemed more important than being an interpreter, a helper in the pharmacy or nurse - we're all equal and we're all part of the team.

Our medical venue in Miagao was a poorly ventilated recreational hall which got pretty steamy by mid-morning. Being a bit overweight, well okay - a lot overweight, I knew what a lechon might feel like if it were being roasted alive. The sweat poured out of me in rivers.
And depending on what I ate and how much and what fluid I drank, I was also pouring out the other end while bent over with cramps or indigestion. I never did learn to be moderate in my intake of those wonderful local dishes and the bounty of fresh tropical fruits.

So the restroom attendant and I became fast friends over the next few days. I even gave her a generous tip on the last day for keeping those rooms clean and stocked. You'd never know it to look at me two months after returning to the States, but between the sweating, diarrhea and occasional indigestion, I could have made a Weight Watcher poster boy! I lost about 35 pounds in about two weeks - if only I stayed there for 6 months and lost weight at that same rate, I would be back to my ideal weight.

Although some people think I'm crazy to go through this, and I question my own common sense at times after hours cramped in a bus or jeepney along dusty, bumpy roads, I will continue to go back. Why? Because of the looks on the faces of those children, teens, mothers and fathers, and elderly patients after they have been examined and given medication. That look reminds me of how fortunate I am, of how much I have to be thankful for and of how good it feels to help another fellow human being in need. Even when all we can offer in some cases is compassion, a kind word and some vitamins, people's faces light up, and they leave knowing that somebody out there does care about them. Someone is willing to share his/her time, knowledge, resources, but most of all, LOVE to make a difference in THEIR lives. The overwhelming feelings of gratification, of knowing that YOU made a difference in someone's life, and the warmth and love that passes between yourself and the people you're helping are hundredfold payback for whatever you've invested of yourself. So if you haven't joined us on a CMM mission yet, make a commitment to join us in 2003 - our tenth anniversary of CMM, or anytime in the next 10-20 years - we'll be there to greet you and welcome you aboard. You don't need to speak any dialect, you don't need to have 10 years experience, or be 30 something or older (we've had volunteers as young as 19 join us). Anyone with a loving heart, the ability to be flexible and be tolerant of difficulties and differences, and a willing spirit is welcome. Know that one person can make a difference! And that one person is YOU!!!!