Tag Archives: Medical

Soup With the Savior-Day 4


Thursday, 2026 Journal Entry — Vietnam, Central Highlands

Today the pace was slower but steady. We didn’t experience the crush of people we did yesterday nor the numbers we expected in this village. But it was important — important to each person in pain with medical needs looking for a little healing, kindness, and hope.

Each person was greeted with gentleness, smiles, and honor…

At the first station nurses, Madison and Myra, took blood pressure, vitals, and recorded those on a dual copy record with the patient’s printed name. They were then seated in a small waiting area by an indigenous helper who spoke the dialect. This local helper, then escorted each to a chair in front of Dr. Ron or one of the two Vietnamese M.D.s and their translator assistants as spaces became available.

After the doctor’s exam, prescriptions were recorded, and the patient escorted to the pharmacy station. They were seated while the pharmacist, Ân, and her team of Linh, Thái, and Dwayne, filled and double checked each prescription. Then each patient was given their prescription with the medicines and escorted to another room where someone explained to them what the medicines are for and how to take them in the proper dosage and sequence.

The process for people needing dental help was similar. Patients were directed to doctors, Stan and Isaac, for numbing, and extraction of problematic teeth. Then they were escorted to the pharmacy for pain meds and antibiotics.

These patients are people who would likely never have the opportunity to see a dentist or a doctor, nor the finances to do so if they could. So, the community of faith is being led to bring those services to them. God’s Spirit is working through people to bring others needed mercy, help, and grace.

Apparently, the only two metal folding tables owned by the church or the pastor were being used for our pharmacy to spread out and organize medicines. So when it came time for lunch, we moved our medicines in an orderly fashion to red, plastic chairs, so our hosts could serve the lunch they had prepared for us.

In keeping with the Vietnamese tradition of hospitality, they served the best they had. It was rice and a little green vegetable soup. It was the most humble, but maybe one of the best lunches we had, depending on how you look at it.

My main memory of this village and these people is their joy and gratefulness for our coming and anything we shared.

There were bent-over grandparents and elderly people from years of hard work in the rice patties, and mothers with young children on their breasts. There were strong, muscular young men and teenagers. You could tell by the way they interacted with each other that they were a tight-knit community of friends and relatives.

In the end, we served about 170 people today. It’s not about the number. It’s about being here, and touching people with kindness, love, and hopefully some healing. I had a sense that Jesus was here with us and among us at every moment enjoying what was going on with His children—those being served and those serving.

“And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
(Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭42‬)

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭6‬)

Say a prayer for the Vietnamese government and people of Vietnam.

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”
‭‭(Romans‬ ‭16‬:‭25‬-‭27‬)

More photos of the Day

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This was day 5 of the mission, since we attended chruch in Saigon, and began the long bus ride to the Central Highlands on Sunday. After we saw the last patient in the village mid afternoon, we headed south to Da Lat, a beautiful resort town at almost 5000′ elevation with an alpine feel. We arrived in time to check in our hotel, take a group photo, walk the town a bit, and have dinner. The next day was to be a recreational day for most of the team, while three of us who came early headed south to Saigon the next morning so we could fly home the following day. The rest of the team enjoyed a day of recreation and rest. We had become really close and it was sad saying good bye, but there was also a smile on our lips and in our hearts for all we’d been able to see and do with old and new kingdom friends–the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. His Name be praised. :):)

“He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;
He makes the clouds His chariot;
He walks upon the wings of the wind” (Psalm 104:3).

Central Highlands Day 1

Monday, 2026 Journal Entry
Central Highlands, Vietnam

Wow! Nice first day in the central Highlands.

We have excellent team chemistry with everyone working together with joy and goodwill. One miscue — the Vietnamese dentists, who were supposed to come, backed out, and they were to bring all the instruments and dental tools. Thankfully they weren’t needed today and will be shipped overnight on a nine hour bus ride from Saigon for tomorrow’s ministry. Our dentists did other things today with Dr. Le doing a good bit of translating for the doctors–our own Dr. Ron and two Vietnamese doctors.

We saw 167 patients today. I worked in the pharmacy with Thai Le and Linh Pham under direction of our pharmacist An Tran from Atlanta. She kept us organized and busy handing out meds that our doctors prescribed in bags with the patient’s name and instructions which were explained by a nurse in the next room.

All this ministry took place in the humble church atop a hill with the Pastor’s living quarters in the back.

Everyone, patients and providers, seemed thankful and pleased with the processes and ministry.

Many of our team simply posed with locals in the waiting shelter outside, who wanted their photos with Americans. There were lots of smiles, laughter, and hugs. “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Pro 17:22).

The movement and actions of churches and Christians are much more closely monitored in the rural, indigenous areas that in the cities. The authorities showed up to see what we were doing. Then they forbade us going to our planned location tomorrow. But they would permit those villagers to be bussed to where we were today.

“Father have mercy on these people we came to serve and help us find favor to do what You have for us to do. Amen. ‘Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands'” (Psalm 90:17).

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Psalm 90:12 was painted on the wall at the front of the church. “So teach us to number our days,
that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

More Photos of the Day

Corona Chapter Change

The following is from C. S. Lewis. It was written in 1948 after the dawn of the atomic age.
In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”
In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.
This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.

I have a precious Christian sister who lives in Virginia with her husband. They are some of our best friends. As she shared her concerns and fears about the present pandemic in the early days, I found it disturbing that a believer of deep faith could be so fearful about the developing circumstances, and she wasn’t alone as my wife told me about Instagram posts from other friends. So I reached out to her with the previous C.S. Lewis quote. That started a personal sharing by text that I share below — two friends pondering the events unfolding in our country and world. This will also serve as a chapter change of sorts of my comments on the pandemic of COVID-19 or the pandemic of fear. The mule is out of the barn so to speak, so I intend to focus future posts about how Christians might deal with the crisis in keeping with their faith in God and Christ Jesus the Lord, and not whether or not the threat is real.

My friend responded:
I totally agree with CS Lewis, however the reality is we can do everything possible to not panic and keep a level head. The ripple effect will be tremendous economically and we may have to reboot to a new normal.
Our son in law that is a Dr. is very sick at this moment and their family is home quarantined. He was actually tested for the virus yesterday but will not know for 5 days what the results are. The fast track results are only for individuals that are in respiratory distress. He wasn’t yesterday. Today is a different story. His mucus levels are rising and they are doing everything to try to keep them down. Courtney as you know is a nurse. She is trying to take care of him and work from home trying to keep dialysis clinics open with staff dropping like flies all the while she is trying to manage a rowdy energetic 4 year old that has no understanding of any of this. So she is in the trenches. Until now I didn’t quite understand the pandemonium. But having her in that position is making it more clear. If I leave the earth with this virus, all the while having taken precautions then that is how it was meant to be.

Love you guys and pray you and your family stay well.

I responded:

I’m sorry for Courtney and all the millions of mom’s working and now with kids at home… there is rather suddenly a lot of suffering and sacrifice our nation is enduring with the prospect of it getting worse before it gets better. My conviction is (did you read my blogs on this?) that the fear and panic it is causing and going to cause is doing more damage than the disease could or would. Only time will tell. Praying you can find more peace. Love you guys! Abiding…DB

My friend replied:

I really do have peace about it because it truly is in God’s hands. The helplessness feeling I have is further proof that it not ours to control and it will be what it will be. I think we will see many miracles come out of this but not without suffering. I was telling someone weeks ago that our younger generations have not experienced anything to mold them like generations past. (Especially the greatest generation that lived through World Wars and the Great Depression)  I was telling someone that something would happen to really identify what is important and what is not. Our spoiled Millennials that we created are about to find out what life is all about. So I definitely believe in silver linings and that all things will be to the glory of God.

Me:

Yes! You’re on to something there for sure. Only our God is able enough and good enough to oversee something like this. May He have mercy and abundantly supply Grace. Amen thanks:):)

Amen!! I’d love the games and being with you guys. And I know you would share! You’re Two of the most generous people I’ve ever known (can be spelled Gracious) :):) Love you and value your friendship very much… even from afar! :):) Shalom

Got this from one of my best friends (back to college days :)) who recently retired as CEO of a large hospital in NWA about how Drs. Are seeing the crisis, and I loved his last comment. We should all feel this way. ***
Talked to couple of physicians yesterday p.m..  here’s another perspective:   They have both full resolve and are somewhat disheartened!  On one hand, social separation strategy is aimed at getting us to warmer weather with people outside in the hopes the virus dissipates and goes away in 4-6 weeks.  Thus, saving lives potentially.   They think of little else beyond that it seems – economics, jobs, etc.   in my experience this is typical doctor thinking.   They are disheartened by level of cynicism about this feeling if it works people will say -“they over did for nothing”. And if it doesn’t work that “ they weren’t prepared”.   I can understand some of that.  They blame media by in large for distortion of reality – as I do – and the populous for falling for it.  Interesting and thought I’d share.  There are some warriors in healthcare, not all, and I love them for what they do.

My Friend:

I totally agree with his comment on doing too little or not enough. There is no way to win on this one. 

Me:

From the medical side! Yes … probably but from the American leadership side and the populace?? They could have and should have shown more wisdom and faith vs fear, and guts to act on that…. We are more responsible than the medical community for what this has become… they are just doing what they’re charged and trained to do. Maybe the sad fact I don’t want to believe is that our nation has become so secular humanist and non God-fearing or God-trusting … that they’re just acting like you’d expect them to act? Again… God is mercifully showing us ourselves, and what we are without Him. Gratefully He is full of Mercy, Compassion, and Gracious beyond our understanding, and He hears our prayer. Amen

We should thank him for letting this happen and showing us these things… As in the old saying “If you find yourself in a deep pit, first stop digging.” And maybe pray like Eli when he got some bad news, “Let the LORD do what seems best to Him.” Amen אמן

My Friend:

Amen

:):) love ya 

A Medical Perspective

My wife read to me last evening that the governor of our state had ordered the closure of all restaurants and bars. The stock market posted a tiny upswing, and I also read the first article I’ve seen pointing out that the virus may not be as vial or deadly as the media has shouted from the roofs in most of their coverage since the outset.

So where did we get reliable information about this danger anyway? Where does it start? Medical professionals, correct? Why and how does it swell to fear and panic so quickly? I realize that history and time may show that it was merited. But from the beginning it seems the amount of fear and the corresponding over reaction could have been avoided by more truthful and objective reporting of the facts, and more courage and less fear among our leaders and our people.

This particular version of the coronavirus is new and therefore its characteristics are somewhat unknown. I get that. So it’s been under a microscope, pun intended, for a few months now (since December 2019) like other coronavirus cousins of the recent past, SARS and MERS, until their characteristics where better known for tracking, prevention, containment, and future vaccinations.

So we’ve learned that [1] You can be contagious for 14 days before you have any flu like symptoms making it likely you will infect others during that time before you begin staying home to recover. [2] It’s not as contagious as its cousin influenza, the common version of the flu. [3] It’s up to 3x more fatal than the flu in the USA (2%vs.6%), especially in those with other health problems, compromised immune systems, and the elderly.

Just Doing What They Do

While I was pondering all the seemingly irrational reaction to this phenomena, and voicing it to one of my best friends who recently retired as a successful CEO of a large hospital and medical center, he helped me see a little better the medical origins of the scare and how some of those in the medical profession look at it. In a text he related the following:

Talked to couple of physicians yesterday p.m..  here’s another perspective:   They have both full resolve and are somewhat disheartened! On one hand, social separation strategy is aimed at getting us to warmer weather with people outside in the hopes the virus dissipates and goes away in 4-6 weeks.  Thus, saving lives potentially. They think of little else beyond that it seems – economics, jobs, etc.  In my experience this is typical doctor thinking. They are disheartened by the level of cynicism about this, feeling if it works people will say -“they over did it for nothing”. And if it doesn’t work that “ they weren’t prepared”. I can understand some of that. They blame the media by in large for distortion of reality – as I do – and the populous for falling for it. Interesting [their perspective] and thought I’d share. There are some warriors in healthcare, not all, and I love them for what they do.–

Thanks Bill! Well said! Insightful! True!

Medical people are just doing what they are trained to do. Treat patients. Educate people. They even practice drills on how to deal with epidemics or pandemics, to insure they can treat people with the disease while continuing to treat those routinely in their care. They are in many cases “warriors” who sacrifice of themselves to care for others, and we should love them for it, thank them for it, and honor them for it.

The real responsibility is with, I believe, our leaders, our media, and us, the people who’ve “fallen for it.”

The issue at this point is not to cast blame, but to do what we can to come out of it, while noting lessons that can be learned. Especially spiritual lessons.