July 11. 2015. Good Spoon

I have always passed them by. I cannot deny that I must have been scared or I simply thought that was not my problem. At the same time, I have had a bad conscience that I could not do anything for them. ‘Maybe next time… when I become stable, I may help them…’ Suppressing discomfort in the innermost recesses of the heart, I did not bat an eye and avoided that location in a hurry.

They are not different. Actually, I do not even want to differentiate between “homeless” people and “home yes” people by saying “they.” We are the human beings and creation made by the author of nature. I honestly do not know anyone’s story on the street. So you cannot slander people without knowing anything about them. Abysmal suffering from being forsaken by truelove, being cast out from society, or worn out by poverty… Many people at the shelter already closed their mind and did not seem to share their story. I mingled with them and asked him right next to me to sing a hymn together, but he said “No.”

It is well, (it is well),

With my soul, (with my soul)

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

2 hymns resonated throughout the hot but mentally frozen air about 10 minutes, and I was greatly embarrassed at that moment. I felt like they were blaming God lamenting their lives. I guess every single person might have had experience to feel bitter against God for his heartlessness, “Oh, God. Why did you do this to me! Why am I suffering from this?” People are disappointed with incompetent-looked God and they drift apart from Him. I do even feel like this way that God seems to do nothing and just stands by and looks on with folded arms what’s happening on the earth. If someone who never even sang along the chorus would ask me “Do you still believe in God? If so, why?” I would say “Yes!” because at least, Good Spoon team comes to Baltimore to share God’s love by giving free food, daily necessity, and clothes once a month. The life seems to be so bleak and fall into endless darkness, but at least, there is hope for all of us. Hope that God is always be with us to become a partner of our joys and sorrows.

<Click the Good Spoon Homepage>

Good Spoon does missionary work and social services for the urban poor in the U.S. It was established in 2004 to begin providing free meals on the street, and expanded its service to having their haircut, providing clinic, helping employment and recruitment, solving the cases of unreasonable remuneration, opening ESL, Korean class and tutoring class, and share the happiness during Thanksgiving or Christmas for free. The biggest objective for Christian on the ground is to spread the gospel. It must be not a good thing to see if Christians are selfish enough to be baldly pompous and self-serving. I know that there is no “next time.” That’s why I join this work. Even though I am not still sure how I can understand and help them fully, I believe paying attention to them and praying for them at any time would be an immediate contribution that I can happily to do.

That was what I have always had a load on my mind. I have only been concerned about people in Africa while I have not done anything for my community. To be honest, I wanted to ask and double-check myself if I am really willing to put all of my energies into people’s health in Africa by working for people of a community, my neighbors in Baltimore. No matter where neglected classes of people are, I want to embrace all of them to share the God’s love. Because it could also have happened to me. I could also have become the underprivileged and I could also fall into that situation anytime. There is no complete peace of mind and comfort in a changing world. People meet and part every single day, and you cannot rely on any people forever. What you can do is to find happiness and holiness in the Lord and appreciate the heart’s-blood, the LIFE at this moment.

Let's just look at the world in a different way. The world is so beautiful!

주님 안에서 화이팅!

June 29. 2015. Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) 29th Annual Conference

My school for Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) degree is finally over. When I entered the graduate school, I felt myself I was on top of the world and was ready for everything. However, as you also may know, graduation does not mean everything; another world is always waiting for me! So sad for me: my school colleagues have been scattered all over the place. We did not quite have time to say “good bye my friends,” even during the graduation ceremony, and all we can do right now is emailing to each other by saying meaninglessly that “Hey! Meet in Baltimore!... No, come to Texas!... No, come to Seattle! No, come to the Philippines!... Nono, come to Peru!...” Some are staying at school for research assistant, data analysis, or volunteering, some are doing PeaceCorps, some are entering PhD program, some are already working at the organization/ company… 

One to come, and one to go. I may meet the new people from now to form a new and more meaningful relationship. Of course, every time I meet someone, that must be the most meaningful moment. But I am just saying that I am hoping to improve myself to welcome people with a bright smile. Though I cannot avoid unintended farewell at any time, there is something that I will always be in my heart. Yes, I cannot say with confidence that “I have an unwavering faith and devotion for 24 hours!” I am also frustrated, discouraged, or too preoccupied with my own thoughts as a fragile human being, so I forget pretty often that how much I am blessed and how much love I have been given.

<Matthew 7:13-14, The Narrow and Wide Gates>

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

I live in the confusing world where I may even have to be careful in saying “I am a Christian.” Though I do want to embrace all kinds of ideals and religion to maintain wonderful relationship without making any issues and to keep happily ever after moments with anyone, the phrase of the Bible shook my humanistic thought completely that the door of truth is so narrow. I can never ignore it and should accept it as my mission statement because I believe my calling is to look all around the place where people normally have overlooked.

Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) 29^th Annual Conference was held during June 26-29, 2015, in Arlington, Virginia. About 190 attendees from many different countries, Benin, Cameroon, China, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, USA, and Zambia participated in the conference to discuss with each other with the theme of “Ending extreme poverty: the Challenge for Christians in Global Health.” These days, I was worn out and still never been recovered fully after leaving Africa. Driving every early in the morning for the conference was not easy, but I rendered thanks to God that I was able to see and interact with passionate and talented public health professionals around the globe in Virginia this year, just 1.5 hour far away from Baltimore, the place where I live. I realize again that I am a mere novice who have just started international health career and still needs to learn endless things from their experiences. 

Throughout this conference, I was able to become abundant with full of spiritual motivation. My forever questions, “What drives you to go to Africa?” “Why do you want to do international health?” “Why do you like NGO?” "How your belief can be connected with your career?" have been answered so naturally through many speakers’ presentations and communication with attendees. Especially, I was glad to meet a person from my country who has been working as medical missionary in Uganda for 15 years, which looked already a long-term commitment enough. So I asked him “How long will you be there more in Uganda?” He answered, “Until I was buried in that soil.” How will you explain this touched moment? It cannot be explained by human rationality. Only God is in control. I believe work, study, and faith should go forward all together, and this attitude of mind will make myself to live the life with full of patience, determination, and tireless spirit.   

Sometime, I am under a difficulty that many people are doubtful about what I have done or will have done.

“Why do you want to keep studying?”

“Do you think God whom you believe will be happy if you feel pressure to do it?”

“Don’t you think you are too greedy to do all of them?”

“Why do you go to church every single day for early morning prayer? Are you too free? Something serious happened?”

“Choose and concentrate! It must be still insufficient time for you to focus on your top priority.”

Whenever I hear these questions, I am suddenly shocked because those who ask me are the closest people to me. When I find myself that I have to put all of the energy to defend myself and impress on them, I feel so isolated because it seems that nobody, even my sincere people, do not understand me. I realize that there is no person who can listen to me and understand me 100%, but only God understands me. Even if I pour out all my troubles to somebody else, which moment seems to be cool, I know that abysmal emptiness will be followed again.

I ask God, “What is my calling that you want me to do?” I do not hear his voice directly, and I do not even know what the next destination is. But what I do know is that God has been always with me even at the painful moment and given his mind to me that “Approach people first to share God’s love.” That is why I exist. Ebola was despairing, I went to Sierra Leone with the only one reason: God loves me. Likewise, all of doubtful question towards me can be answered: God loves me so much. You hurt me with words that cut deeply before, and I am still suffering from it, but I will not give up on you because God loves you!

Apr 23. 2015. Mobile Health

“Galaxy S6?” Once I read the news article, I looked at my cell phone. I bought this Galaxy S3 in the summer of 2013, and it is still fine. I finished paying the rest of the price of this phone throughout two-year contract and revived the same U.S. number when I came back in last January. I think Samsung release the new product every single year, and now it is the S6 this year. The difference between S3 and S6? Well, I do not know. My S3 accepted every SIM card in each African country, and I was amazed by its durability. I may be an old-fashioned man whose willingness to learn the new technology has been stopped in 20^th century, so I am not that interested in the new and cool functions that only a new model of a machine has. I have to admit that I laughed at my high school teacher inwardly when he told “I don’t know how to text. I can only answer and call the phone.” during the class. For me? “I can text, answer and call the phone. But… what is the mobile application?” I realize that I am old enough who has no interest in cell phone subsidy in South Korea and satisfied with only text, answer and call.

From PewResearchCenter

While the cell phone price & charge, subsidy, new function, and comparison between Galaxy and iPhone are actively argued by people in the rich country, the cell phone is the tool of lifesaver for people in rural Africa. You cannot imagine that at least one family member in each household in rural Africa may have cell phone (of course, literally cell phone but not smartphone in most cases). The number of mobile phone has already exceeded world population.

CellPhones in Africa: Communication Lifeline

If you are under emergency – cut your finger or labor pains begin – you may call 911 and get assistance almost right away. Hospital is located nearby and doctors and nurses in the ER will help you (I heard the ER situation that patients may have to wait for the whole night to get medical treatment if the level of emergency is not fatal, but anyway, I believe patients will save their lives thanks to 911, transportation, and hospital). What about Africa? Is there 911? Is there hospital? Is the medical service 24/7? Is there a car to refer patients to hospital? Is fuel available for the car? You can see that everything that is considered as too obvious is not available in rural Africa. Many pregnant women do not receive proper antenatal care and die of birth complications only because they have no money to buy fuel, the road condition is muddy track, no one can help them in the health facility at night, and many other reasons that city people have never raised the point about.

How can the situation be solved? Medical infrastructure – hospitals, medical doctors and nurses -, transportation – vehicle and road condition -, and education – people’s awareness of healthcare – cannot be improved like magic.

GlobalHealth Facts: Physicians (Per 10,000 Population)

Ebola outbreak: Which West African countries could be next in the line of fire?

In Sierra Leone, doctor-patient-ratio (population per 1 doctor) is 1 to 45,588, which means there is only one doctor available for 45,588 populations. The total population in Sierra Leone is 6.2 million, and if you divide 45,588 by 6.2 million, you will see there are only 136 medical doctors in Sierra Leone for entire population. It is obvious that even medical device and protective gloves are not available to treat Ebola patients, so Ebola outbreak in West Africa has not still contained.

Mali mHealth Application: SNISI

I have been working on NIH R21 project, <Virtual Community Health Services- for Equity and Quality in Health Care in Mali> since the beginning of this year. The team has been thinking how mHealth intervention package will save people’s lives in the Sélingué health district, 120km south-west from the capital city of Mali. I believe mobile health (mHealth) can be the second best plan to improve maternal, neonatal and child health in Africa. Most people has the cell phone to text, take pictures or video, and some people can make or receive payments, get political news, access social network, get health info, look/apply for a job, and get consumer info. 

Community health workers in Africa have a strong sense of duty that they are responsible for visiting household to assist inhabitants to maintain their healthy lives. If people in the village can receive the text message reminders that let them know the timing of antenatal care visits or Sulfadoxmine/Pyrimethamine medication, and receive health education from community health workers regularly, they will realize the importance of healthcare during pregnancy. If the mHealth system among district hospital, vehicle driver for emergency, community health worker, village leader, and village member is systematically connected, most diseases can be prevented, and child and maternal health will be dramatically improved. Yes, mHealth is the solution for healthcare in rural Africa for the present, and I hope the health system with mobile technology will be established soon so that no one in rural area deliver their baby at home and give birth to their child without any complications.

POSTSCRIPT:

Carpe Diem, lads! Seize the day!