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1st Health Coach Boot Camp Equips Medical Missionaries for the “Health in the Cities”

[Photo courtesy to SSD Health Department]

With the joint initiative of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division and the Tri-Union, the historic Health Coach Boot Camp was conducted on August 26 - September 1, 2019, at SSD headquarters.

These are the chosen few among the medical missionaries from all over the country who responded to the invitation and completed the training:

Lovely Rose Dupais, Mountain Province Mission

Jesus Merciales, Northeast Luzon Mission

Rosemarie Leaño, Palawan Adventist Mission

Maritess Robles-Branson, South-Central Luzon Conference

Allen Branson, South-Central Luzon Conference

Armando Ogalinola, Jr., Southern Luzon Mission

Noe Abucar, Jr., Southern Luzon Mission

Johnny Rae Librando, Central Mindanao Mission

Dolly Panal, Northeastern Mindanao Mission

Marecil Benignos, Northeastern Mindanao Mission

Lailanie Fronda, Cavite Adventist Mission

*Keziah Reyes and Gladdens Zamora-Azupardo, Coordinators

 

This intentional effort of the Health Ministries Department hopes to fulfill the mandate to do systematic health evangelism as the ‘Right Arm of the Gospel’.

It aims to empower the Medical Missionaries Volunteer Service (MMVS) to equip health coaches to train more medical missionaries to create centers of influence.

It envisions that Christ-like medical missionary work will lead people to be ready for Christ's return.

"Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, 'Follow Me'." EGW, Ministry of Healing p. 143.3

 

Holistic Health Empowerment

According to the Health Ministries Director, Dr. Lalaine Alfanoso, this intensive training includes a curriculum from the Adventist University of the Philippines - Master of Public Health Program.

This endeavor envisions to prepare the conferences and missions for the "Health in the Cities" in lieu of the global mission in the church, "Mission to the Cities", Alfanoso uttered.

Moreover, she emphasized: “Graduates of this week-long training will be prepared to function in three key settings: local churches, local communities, and clinical settings.

This is the pilot boot camp. Next batch, there will be 38 trainees from 13 countries/11 unions. The union health coaches will train conference/mission health coaches, they will train those from the districts, and district health coaches will train those from local churches.”

She said, they deployed medical missionaries under MMVS then but they didn’t have this kind of training program. Missionaries had the training from supporting ministries.

 

These were the topics and their respective lecturers:

 ‘Health Assessment’, ‘Lifestyle-Related Diseases and Non Communicable Diseases’, Community-Based Planning’, ‘How to Conduct Health Expo’, and ‘Strategic Planning’ by Dr. Lalaine Alfanoso

 ‘Substance Abuse Prevention Program’ and ‘Disaster Management and Emergency Response’ by Sir Dan Alfanoso III, Executive Director of Pasay City LGU - City Anti-Drug Abuse Council & Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (former Administrator)

 ‘Anatomy and Physiology’ by Dr. Edgar Espina Tubilag, AUP Lifestyle Medicine Consultant and Professor of Biology Department

 ‘Adventist Philosophy of Health’ by Pastor Ron Genebago, Professor at AUP College of Theology

 ‘Spirit of Prophecy on Medical Missionary Work’ and ‘Call to Medical Missionary Work’ by Pastor Jade Hintay, Health/Music/Women's Ministries Director, Cavite Adventist Mission

 ‘Basic Nutrition’ and ‘Menu Planning’ by Ma’am Ruchel Oasan, AUP Nutrition and Dietetics Department Internship Adviser

 'Charcoal', 'Herbal Medicine' and 'Hydrotherapy' by Ma’am Cheryl Bulaqui, SSD Mental Health Core Team Member

 ‘Massage’ by Sir Allan Faina, Coordinator of Light Philippines, Pioneering Team Member of Light Ministry International

 ‘First Aid’, ‘Basic Life Support’, ‘Communicable Diseases’, and ‘Family Health’ by Ma’am Keziah Reyes, SSD MMVS Coordinator

 ‘The Art of Juicing’ by Gladdens Zamora-Azupardo, SSD Point Person for Tobacco Control

 ‘Mental Health’ by the SSD Mental Health Core Team: Dr. Mylene Gumarao, Chair of AUP Graduate School (Psychology); Dr. Flor Villa Marticio, Adjunct Professor of Graduate School (Psychology); Dr. Noemi Fajardo, Guidance Services Center Director; Sir Ralph Jason Guanco and Ma’am Cutie Cañesares, Faculty, Psychology Department

Responding the Call: “Health in the Cities”

"Medical Missionary work should be a part of the work of the church. Every city should be entered by workers trained to do medical missionary work." ~ EGW, Testimonies, vol. 6, p.289

 

MMVS Health Coach Boot Camp's general objectives are the following:

• Trained Medical Missionaries will serve as agents of the comprehensive health evangelism of the Health Ministries Department in accomplishing the mission to the cities initiative of the world church.

• Trained Medical Missionaries will serve as promoters and organizers of evangelism thrust of the church, the comprehensive health evangelism programs.

• Trained Medical Missionaries will be instrumental in forming new congregations and build churches in the SSD territory.

However, ‘medical missionary’ was altered into ‘health coach’ to avoid prejudice with the term ‘missionary’. In serving God, this is called for: “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves”. Matthew 10:16

Trainees are expected to develop 'heal thyself' lifestyle - a healthy lifestyle.

In one of the group activities, Health Olympics, food intake (veggies and fruits), water intake, hours of sleep, and a number of steps are recorded/monitored to see progress in a personal journey to optimum health for a week.

 

Equipped to Equip: Trained to Train

After the Health Coach Boot Camp, trainees will be sent out in pairs to the cities or rural areas that have no Adventist presence for 6 months or 1 year (for those who have no deployment yet).

One of the delegates, the oldest, is a 72-year old missionary in Batanes. Jesus Merciales has been serving there since 2005. For 14 years, he’s faced a lot of challenges but never left even though his own family had persuaded him to leave the mission field.

He shared his secret: “I was once a devout Roman Catholic. I was not converted because of the doctrine. I was converted because of Christ. I am not easily stumbled, I only look up to Christ…He made me stay.”

That keeps him serving selflessly. He hopes that more Ivatans will see Jesus Christ in him -- live and serve how the Savior did.

Meanwhile, the youngest delegate is a 21-year old engineer. Armando Ogalinola, Jr. had been through unimaginable family crucibles: had lost six loved ones in the span of six months. He hopes to share the Blessed Hope to spare more lives through the health and gospel messages.

Keziah Reyes, the SSD Coordinator for Medical Missionary Volunteer Service, had a deep burden for the missions. When asked about her feedback, she shared:

"The training was a dream come true! It was a comprehensive and exciting one. The speakers were very willing to spend their time and impart their God-given knowledge and skill. The delegates/co-missionaries, who have the same heart of serving God's people, were very receptive to learning and passionate in sharing their knowledge too.

I'm proud to say that the Holy Spirit has given all the delegates the fire to serve as health coaches to their own respective fields and the future places they will soon encounter. I'm also glad to have met people, not just as co-missionaries, but as a new family of God. I urge everyone to be workers of Christ and finish the work that Jesus Christ had started when He was here on Earth. May the glory and praises be upon the Great Physician!”

Further, Gladdens Azupardo testified that the "Training had been a wonderful learning experience with wonderful people. I wish we had it the first time I became a Health Educator to Unreached Territories (HEUT is another term for health coach)."

She survived a tragic ordeal with aneurysm five years ago, and she's been using her second life in selfless service.

 

Awakened to Attest

The prophecies in lieu of the 'Last Day Events' are fast fulfilling. God is awakening us out of slumber, and the challenge of 'the harvest is great but the reapers are few' is ever before us.

"And do this knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken out of sleep; for our salvation is nearer now than when first we believed." Romans 13:11

"We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages.” EGW, Last Day Events p.12.5

God has been providential with the world church initiative to equip medical missionaries in response to the great demand for work in the cities and unentered territories.

Are you willing to be involved and to be used by the Lord?

Keep posted for updates for the upcoming Health Coach Boot Camp.

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