How many times do we think about the people who are lost from society and basic care? How many times do we think about those who are forgotten by society, and how many times do we really understand those who are unseen?
When we look at the example of Jesus, we see He spent most of his time with these very people.
As the month has unfolded here in the Philippines, I have had many chances to encounter these people.
Sometimes, it has been through our ministry with Mercy in Action. Other times, it is when I walk upon the streets to procure my food and necessities to live.
I have lived in low-resource countries I understand that this is what we can encounter. But now, coming back to this place, I can see how this is everywhere. Even in America.
I had the privilege of accompanying our midwives to the local jail, where we offer free prenatal and postpartum checks for the women there. If they were to go through the medical system, it would be a costly delay to get care. I was able to visit the jail and participate in giving prenatal care. I also learned that the Jail is really focused on rehabilitation and giving those without liberty training in trades so that when they are released, they have a way to make a living, an honest wage. The day we went, we were able to see the graduation ceremony for those who have completed their programs!
I also had the privilege of accompanying our midwives to a safe house for young women and children who have been abused. Many have become pregnant against their will. We go every month to give prenatal and postpartum check-ups and serve the young children with our First 1,000 Days program.
We also visit the garbage dump where many poor families live. We give prenatal check-ups and check on the families who have had babies in our First 1,000 Days program.
These are the lost, forgotten, and unseen people. Most of us would not want anything to do with the “outcasts” of society. But we, in Mercy in Action, run to these places.
Since we have been here, as we walk the streets to get to where we need to go, there has been a man in a wheelchair on a bridge that we cross every day. From the moment we arrived, we saw him, with no one around him, and he was just confined to a wheelchair in the hot sun.
No one was taking care of him, and no one seemed to notice him. We would give him water, pesos, and pray for him. But no one was taking care of him. He became the person we always looked for when we crossed the bridge. In whatever way we could help, we did.
Today, my husband went for a run in the morning and noticed he was not moving at all in his wheelchair. We did not know how to help. Then, a few hours later, we watched from where we were staying as he passed away.
The police came, and the community gathered around him
But it is not lost on me that this person could’ve been saved. An IV, medical care, food, and water.
We don’t know his name, but he will forever represent the lost, the forgotten and the unseen to me.
Life is not easy. We are not promised an easy life.
I can get really comfortable in my middle-class life in America. It is coming back to the places I am drawn to, which remind me that following Jesus’ example is what makes my heart soar. I feel the most alive when I can serve those who are forgotten and unseen.
It is not an easy road. I do not want you to think that serving the poor does not come with its struggles, its heartaches, and deep stress. Do not let yourself be fooled into thinking that the work of justice for all will not cost you anything.
If we can help our fellow people, the ones who have nothing and are not shown love, then that is enough for me.
For me, the cost is worth it.