There I was in McDonald’s eating an early breakfast with Trevor, one of the NTM missionaries we serve here in the Philippines. I met up with Trevor in a Northern town and we spent the night in a hotel. We wanted to get an early start on the drive to his tribe because the road can be a bit unpredictable. We wanted to be sure to make the drive in daylight for obvious reasons. We were getting an early breakfast and then planned to head into the mountains.
While eating, we received a text that Tukid was in the hospital and wouldn’t get the care he needed unless someone came to pay for it in advance. No problem. Trevor was well aware of the situation as Tukid was one of his best friends in the tribe, and Trevor had advised him to go to the hospital to help him deal with a kidney stone. We felt a sense of urgency knowing that delaying care for a kidney stone would mean certain agony for Tukid.
Upon reaching the hospital, Trevor went inside to clear the bill while I kept the truck running in order to keep the fresh produce in the cool of the air conditioner. When Trevor didn’t come back right away I began to think of possible scenarios he must be facing inside the walls of that little provincial hospital.
When Trevor finally came out, he asked if I had any tweezers or needle nose pliers. I put two and two together. A few hours ago when we were eating a leisurely breakfast, I would have never guessed Trevor and I would be discussing this “surgical” procedure.
The kidney stone was “almost passed,” but for some reason the doctor wanted to operate and make an incision which Tukid was naturally not happy about. When Trevor walked into the room Tukid grabbed him and wouldn’t let go until Trevor was able to help him. Trevor was quick to offer his help and after some discussion they decided to sneak into the bathroom and attempt to remove the stone themselves.
So as we dug through the truck for something the best I could come up with was my Leatherman. It would have to do, so Trevor took it and started toward the hospital. Then I remembered I had a first aid kit buried in the truck and thankfully it had a good set of tweezers and a healthy dose of antiseptic in it. Trevor took those instead.
An hour passed and Trevor came out of the hospital after a stressful procedure. He was able to get the stone out, and Tukid, his wife and friend would be hitching a ride back to the tribe with me that afternoon. Tukid was in no condition to ride on the back of a hired motorcycle into the mountains so they were relieved to get a ride with me even though it meant negotiating the worst part of the 4×4 trail at night.
While in the hospital Tukid and his wife were ridiculed by other patients and staff because their situation was so hopeless and Tukid was so scared. Tukid said, “we are trusting God to deliver us, and he will.” They were ridiculed for their faith, and because of their low social status as tribal folks.
As God would have it, we had damaged our airplane the day Tukid went to the hospital and were now resorting to driving via 4×4 into the tribe. Tukid and his family saw this as sad for us, but clearly God’s way of delivering the hopeless.