逆境不再，強者永在

--記隨「路竹醫療和平團」菲律賓義診擔任義工之行

                                         雙語部12A 應子涵

    「逆境不再，強者永在」這句精簡的話，是美國加州水晶教會的Dr. Robert Schuller牧師所寫的一本書的書名。在我以前的認知中，這句話只是字典上的幾個簡單的字的組合，對我而言沒有什麼太深的含意；但是，就在此次隨著「路竹會醫療和平團」到菲律賓義診擔任義工之行，我真正體會到這句話的深意。

    台灣「路竹會醫療和平團」(簡稱「路竹會」)是一個富有美譽的非營利機構，致力於偏遠鄉鎮的醫療照護和健康教育。「路竹會」是在1995年由劉啟群醫生所創立，結合許多有心於建立美好世界的醫護人員及志工，透過義診來緩解偏遠鄉鎮民眾對醫療不足的擔憂，並為偏鄉醫療系統立下根基；創立至今，義行足跡已遍及台灣各角落及國際間醫療落後的地方。

    我本著「想幫助需要幫助的人」的熱忱，而加入「路竹會」菲律賓義診。來自治安良好的台灣，一踏入菲律賓便著實讓我嚇一大跳，在菲律賓即使像7-11的便利商店都要圍上鐵欄杆，並有荷槍實彈的保全人員在門口守衛；每一個義診醫療站都有手持M-49來福槍的保全人員隨行。菲律賓人每天都處在隨時有小偷或搶劫的環境中，讓我瞭解菲國人民所面臨的不安、壓力及生活的艱難。

   因著我雙語的教育背景，在此次義診中，我主要的工作是充當翻譯，並將候診的病患帶到各科醫生面前。此行我接觸了至少2,000位求診的病患，令我印象最深的是一位由媽媽抱著的四個月大的嬰孩，他有一個眼睛殘缺，而且前額長了一個很大的瘤。當我看到他無助地依偎在母親懷中，此時我瞭解到為什麼求診的菲律賓人臉上總是掛滿愁容，但我不知要如何舒緩他們的情緒，只能儘量保持微笑，意料之外地，那嬰孩愁容稍解之後，竟然可以對我回報以微笑。他的微笑令我難忘，也使我忘卻連日來的疲累，更帶給我力量繼續為他們工作到深夜。在這一星期義診的五個醫療服務站，我儘可能地對每一位我所服務的病患，投以最温暖的微笑，許多病患在他們要離開時，還特別對我揮手道別，及過來對我說”Thank you”。

     有一位同行的醫生告訴我，當我們面對病患時，不可有高傲的心態，事實上，每一位病患的身上都有我們可以學習的地方。此行，有許多的病患是低收入且缺乏醫療照謢，這就是為什麼他們的臉上滿是愁容。但當他們對我的微笑，報以善意的回應，及在離去時對我揮手微笑時，都讓我感受到「微笑」的影響力：它可以幫助人往前看、停止負面的思想；這也提醒我，即使在艱難之中，仍有喜樂之時。這些病患讓我看到，逆境不會永遠存在，唯有可以微笑以對、正向思考及不斷地努力的人才是強者。在未來，相信我也會面對一些難處，但我將微笑以對，帶著盼望地不斷地努力。此行，我深深領悟「逆境不再，強者永在」這句話的含意。

Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do!

                                                       By Daniel Ying, 12A

 “Tough times never last, but tough people do!” This was a very short quote I had learned from Dr. Robert H. Schuller of Crystal Cathedral. I thought these were just eight simple words taken from the dictionary and combined into one short sentence with no real meaning. I didn’t realize its true meaning until participating as a volunteer in the Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps in the Philippines.

        Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps (or known as TRMPC) is a well-known, non-profit organization devoted to improving the quality of health care and education for communities in remote districts. TRMPC was founded by Dr. Chi-Chun Liu in 1995, and has grown to include many enthusiastic doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists and volunteers who want to make the world a better place. The organization offers free health care consultations and believes that medical service should not be restricted by politics, religion, and race. TRMPC aims to build a united international community that brings equal education and health care opportunities to everyone around the world.

        My enthusiasm to help the needy encouraged me to participate as a volunteer for TRMPC’s mission of setting up temporary medical service centers in the Philippines. Coming to the rural country side of the Philippines from the urban, more-modern Taiwan, I was initially shocked to see how the schools and convenience stores, like 7-11, were enclosed with iron bars. To me, they looked more like jail cells than city buildings. Even more shocking was the constant presence of bodyguards, holding M-49 rifles, who traveled with us throughout the entire medical mission. I realized that Filipinos live in constant fear of burglars and other threats. I finally understood how tough life can be in the Philippines.

My responsibility as a volunteer for TRMPC was to act as a translator for the patients and their doctors. I am fluent in both Chinese and English, so this responsibility suited me perfectly. In my role as a translator, I interacted with at least 2000 patients during this medical mission. There was one patient, in particular, I would never forget. The patient was a 4-year-old baby boy with a deformed eye and a blood vessel tumor that had grown so big that I could see a huge bump on his forehead. When I saw this boy, I finally understood why many of the patients had worried looks on their faces. Not knowing what to do to make them feel better, I mustered the best smile I could. Unexpectedly, the boy’s worry disappeared and he smiled back at me. I was really amazed by how much of a difference one simple smile had made. That boy’s smile made me forget the stress and fatigue I felt and gave me the energy to work for hours. From then on, throughout the entire mission, I smiled at every patient I encountered at TRMPC’s five temporary clinics. The patients said thank you to me and smiled as they left to return to their homes.

        During the mission, I had a chance to reflect with a doctor of the TRMPC’s mission in the Philippines who told me that we should not treat the patients with an arrogant heart, believing that we are superior. In reality, each patient has many attributes that we can learn from. Many of the patients in the mission lack medical care, and have extremely low incomes, which explained their worried faces when they came to the temporary clinics. But when they saw me smiling at them, they smiled back and left with smiles. This experience taught me the power of a smile: it helps people to look forward and stop thinking negatively. It reminds others that a tough life there can also have enjoyable times. The patients showed me that tough times do not last forever, but tough people who smile, think positively and continue to move on can endure any hardship. In the future, I am sure to be facing some tough times, but by smiling and looking ahead, I, too, continue to move on. I had finally learned the meaning of “Tough times never last, but tough people do!”

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