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[medicalmissionary]

UV Light (Sunlight) Kills Viruses

Read this article on Medscape titled, COVID-19 Update: Antibodies Decrease, UV Light Fights Virus. 

"Research shows close to 90% of airborne particles from a previous coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) can be inactivated in about 16 seconds when exposed to a certain strength of UV."

Remember you can get UV light for free from sunlight. God thought of how to keep us healthy and all His remedies are easily accessible and cost effective. Be sure to open your windows and let the sunlight into your room to kill bacteria and viruses. Enjoy some time outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight as well.

Link to article: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/934501?src=mkm_covid_update_200723_mscpedit_&uac=211599CT&impID=2473444&faf=1

[medicalmissionary]

Geranium and Lemon E.O. May Prevent Invasion of COVID-19

I ran across this article the other day from PubMed titled, Geranium and Lemon Essential Oils and Their Active Compounds Downregulate Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), a SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain, in Epithelial Cells.

It said that “[t]he results suggest that geranium and lemon essential oils and their derivative compounds are valuable natural anti-viral agents that may contribute to the prevention of the invasion of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 into the human body.”

Time to start diffusing some lemon and geranium essential oils! Remember, essential oils are highly concentrated plant-based medicine. As such, it needs to be diluted. Certain essential oils, if not properly diluted, can cause more harm than good. Please be responsible and learn about how to use them. The safest way to use them is by diffusing them. 

Website to the Full Article for Free: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/6/770

[medicalmissionary]

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy (water therapy) is one of God's natural remedies in the treatment of disease. This type of therapy has been around for centuries. Hippocrates (460–370 BC), the Father of Medicine, prescribed hydrotherapy for sickness. As early as 2nd century B.C., Roman bathhouses had multiple rooms, where people went from the warm bath (tepidarium) to the steam room (caldarium) to the cold bath (frigidarium) and then ended their day with a massage. Vincent Preissnitz (1799–1851) is considered the Father of Hydrotherapy, who used hydrotherapy to heal himself of three broken ribs after his physician told him it would never heal. During the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, a sanitarium in the United States used hydrotherapy as its main mode of treatment, which helped to save many lives. Even today, we enjoy the benefits of hydrotherapy without even knowing it. As a child, my family and I would switch from the hot tub to the swimming pool multiple times during one visit. Today, hydrotherapy is widely used as a treatment for burns. 

Hydrotherapy works by switching between hot and cold water to stimulate blood circulation. The hot water vasodilates the blood vessels while the cold water vasoconstricts the blood vessels. This hot and cold exchange helps to bring new blood to that area of the body. Blood has nutrients and oxygen. When new blood circulates in an area that was once congested, it brings nourishment and healing. This is why hydrotherapy is so effective for many ailments. As always, check in with your health care provider to see if you can participate in any type of hydrotherapy. In the sanitarium where I work, each person that wants hydrotherapy has to be seen by a health care provider to ensure there are no restrictions or limitations. For example, people with diabetes and/or neuropathy may not be able to participate fully in hydrotherapy and adjustments to heat need to be made.

I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing hydrotherapy here at the sanitarium from the Hydrotherapy Department. Here are the different types of hydrotherapy treatments I’ve done so far. 

Contrast Showers

This is the simplest way to practice hydrotherapy at home when you don’t have anyone to help you. I’ve been doing these on my own for a few years now. It’s definitely helped to boost my immunity when I start to feel sick or when I’m feeling run down. 

Usually, most people can participate in contrast showers. But as a word of caution, it is best to check with your health care provider to see if you can do it.

These are the basic steps:

Turn the water faucet to hot (or as hot as you can stand it) for 3 minutes

Then turn the water faucet to cold (or as cold as you can stand it) for 30 seconds.

Steps A & B are considered 1 exchange.

Repeat Steps A & B for 2 more exchanges, completing a total of 3 exchanges. You will end with cold water. With each exchange, turn the temperature a little bit hotter and a little bit colder to boost your immunity.

Quickly dry yourself off. Put on long sleeves, long pants, and socks. Get into bed with the covers up to your chin. Rest in bed for 20 minutes. You will sweat. While you are resting, don’t do anything like watch TV or browse social media. Your body needs to rest after hydrotherapy for best results. You may even fall asleep if you are totally relaxed.

Please Note: Do not get your head wet. Put on a shower cap to protect your hair from getting wet. 

I recently learned that you can do up to 7 exchanges, which is the max, during times of cold and flu. If you start to feel faint or dizzy, stop right away. Your body is telling you that you can’t handle any more. So please listen to your body.

General Revulsive to the Chest & Sinuses

“By fluxion is meant the extreme hastening of the circulation in a single part...If hot and cold are applied alternately to the same part, the result is fluxion. Any alternate hot and cold application produces fluxion by stimulating the blood-vessels to active dilatation and contraction. So-called revulsive treatments have the same effect. Fluxion effects are especially indicated in chronic congestion and in the chronic stage of inflammations” (Abbott, 1912, p. 104-105). Fluxion and revulsive treatments quickens circulation to that part of the body.

Indications: Flu and cold symptoms, congestion, pain due to congestion

A revulsive treatment can be applied to different parts of the body, like the chest or the abdomen. In this case, I had a general revulsive applied to the chest and to the sinuses.

Here are the steps that I can recall (sorry, I didn’t jot them down right after the treatment was over)

Prepare the room by placing a bag of ice where the patient’s head will rest and fomentations (moist heat packs) for the body. Have a bowl of ice with some water and towels soaking in the bowl. Have a bucket of hot water for the feet. Make sure the patient wears the hospital gown with the opening towards the front.

Have the patient lie down on their back with the fomentations on their back, bag of ice underneath their head, and their feet bent. Cover the body.

Fomentations to the back helps to keep the body warm and help the body to sweat. Formentations penetrate the body more than dry heat.

When adding fomentation to the sinuses, there will be increased blood flow to the head and brain due to vasodilation of the blood vessels. When too much blood flows to the head, congestion and headache can result because the blood has nowhere to go. To prevent this from happening, a bag of ice is placed underneath the patient's head.  

Hot Foot Bath (HFB): Put the patient's feet in a bucket of hot water (or as hot as they can stand it). If they are diabetic and/or have neuropathy, make sure the temperature is no more than 100-102F, since diabetics have poor circulation and may not be able to feel if the temperature is too hot and might end up burning themselves. Throughout the treatment, check in with the patient to see if more hot water needs to be added to maintain the hot temperature. Test the temperature with your elbow to see how hot it is. Temperature should be hot, not warm. HFB helps to ensure blood flows to the lower extremities.

Complete a total of 3 exchanges of hot and cold for both the chest and sinuses at the same time. For the sinuses, use 3 minutes hot and 30 seconds cold. For the chest, use 5 minutes hot and 30 seconds cold. Start with hot and end with cold. The reason to end with cold is to prevent congestion to the area being treated. (I personally screamed each time the cold was applied...lol. But the colder the application, the better the treatment.)

CHEST: Apply the hot fomentation to the chest and underneath the armpits. The fomentation should feel very warm so the body can sweat. When it’s time, wring out the towel from the ice cold bowl. In one swift movement, remove the hot fomentation and apply the cold towel. Rub the chest to create friction, ensuring not to rub the breasts; rub above and below the breast area. It will be very COLD! Continue to do 2 more exchanges.

SINUSES: Apply the hot fomentation to the face, around the outer part of the face, and wrap it up to the forehead, leaving the mouth and nose exposed. When it’s time, wring out the towel from the ice cold bowl, and apply it to the face in the same manner, making sure to get underneath the chin.

You may also apply eucalyptus essential oil (can’t recall where it was applied), which helps to open up the sinuses and airways, helping the patient to breathe easier. You may recall from your childhood using Vicks Vapor Rub, which had eucalyptus in it to help you breathe easier.

When the 3 exchanges of hot and cold are finished for both the chest and the sinuses, ask the patient to lift their feet and pour the ice water onto their feet. This helps the blood to not pool in the lower extremities.

Cool Down Shower (CDS): People usually sweat with this treatment so a CDS helps to cool the body. Start with warm water for 60 seconds. Then 30 seconds of cold water. CDS helps the body to reach an overall equilibrium temperature for the body. Do not get your head wet.

Rest for 20 minutes.

Sauna

Sauna uses dry heat, with typical ambient temperatures ranging from 158°F to 212°F (70°C to 100°C), and a low humidity level from 5% to 30%.  

Evidence finds several health benefits of regular sauna use, including decreasing high blood pressure, improved cardiovascular disease, improved neurocognitive diseases, improved respiratory issues, and decreasing symptoms of arthritis, headache, and flu.

During my treatment, the hydrotherapist had given me a thin washcloth to put on my face. I found that it dried out too quickly and I had to keep rewetting it. So use a thicker washcloth or a hand towel instead. To me, the temperature in the sauna wasn't hot enough. The hydrotherapist did try to increase the temperature a bit more by pouring water onto the rocks but it didn't seem to make that much of a difference to me. After the fact, I probably should have laid on the top bench, nearer to the ceiling, where there was more heat. As you know, hot air rises. 

Here are the steps:

Prepare the Sauna Room

Lay down a towel on the bench, where the patient will lay down.

Put a bowl full of ice and a hand towel (not washcloth) in the bowl and place it in the sauna so the ice can start melting. A wash cloth may be too thin and will dry out quicker than a thick hand towel. Place the bowl near the patient's head.

Place a bag of ice where the patient will rest their head.

Tell the patient to change into a hospital gown.    

Tell the patient to lie down on the towel with the bag of ice underneath their head to keep it cool during the treatment

The patient will wring out the towel from the ice water and put it on their face to keep the head cool and to make it easier to breathe.

Tell the patient to drink water during the treatment. Use a glass jar or glass water bottle only. Plastic will leech into the water.  

Check up on the patient every few minutes to ensure they are doing okay

Treatment in the sauna will last about 20-25 minutes, depending on how long the patient can tolerate the heat

Afterwards, the patient will take a 30 second cold shower to return the body temperature to homeostasis. Use a shower cap and don't get your head wet.

Finally, the patient will dress and rest for 20 minutes

Russian Steam Bath

Do a quick search on the internet and you will find quite a few articles on Russian steam baths or Russian banyas. Russian steam baths are steam rooms heated to 160-170°F with 95% to 100% humidity, making it feel much hotter. At the end, a bucket of cold water is poured on you, or if you're in Siberia, you dash outside and jump into a pile of snow. During their time in the banya, they will drink hot herbal teas to help them to relax and increase sweating. Keep in mind, a typical (non-Russian) steam room is usually 100-120°F. This Russian tradition has been around since the early 1800s. It's known for its health benefits of cleaning the skin, fighting sickness, and upper respiratory issues.

During my experience, the steam that filled the room was so thick that I could barely see. It reminded me of dense fog. As expected, I did cough a bit, which I was warned ahead of time that it might happen, even if I wasn't sick. I actually enjoyed the Russian Steam Bath more than the sauna, as the hydrotherapist had more control in increasing the heat. The hydrotherapist told me that typically patients can tolerate somewhere between 80 to 86°F. I was able to tolerate 94°F. Because of the humidity, I felt it was much hotter than the sauna, and I definitely sweated more. For best results, I was told to breathe deeply and slowly. The Russian Steam room was like a Bengali bathroom without the toilet. There was a shower in there which was used for the CDS after the steam treatment. I thought the CDS was gonna be frigid but it didn't feel cold at all. It felt more on the cool side.  

Here are the steps:

Prepare the Russian Steam Room

Lay out bath towels, like the ones used in the hospital, on the table with a pillow for underneath their knees

Place a bag of ice at the head of the table where the pt will lay their head on it

Place a bowl of ice with a hand towel. The patient will wring out the towel and put it on their face to help them breathe easier during the treatment and also to keep their head cool. If breathing is fine, then they can place it on their forehead. 

Place a cup of raspberry herbal tea for the patient to drink during the treatment. Include a straw for easier consumption. The patient can drink it all at once or sip it throughout the treatment.

Patient gets underneath the bath towels, including their arms, laying on their back with their knee elevated on pillows.

Hydrotherapist closes the door and starts the steam. Optional: Add eucalyptus essential oil to the steam room to help clear up any upper respiratory issues and to help breathe easier.

Hydrotherapist checks on the patient throughout the treatment to see how they are doing and if they want more heat

Treatment lasts 20-25 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, hydrotherapist will asks if they can do it for 5 more minutes

After treatment is over, ask the patient to sit up and sit with their feet dangling over the table. Pour the bowl of ice water onto the patient's feet.

Then tell the patient to have a 30 second cool down shower and to not wet their head.  

Towel off, put on clothes, and rest for 20-30 minutes.

Steam Inhalation or Steam Therapy

Another kind of hydrotherapy is steam inhalation or steam therapy, which is inhaling water vapor to open the airways. This type of hydrotherapy is great for dry coughs, congestion, colds, or dry mucous membranes.

The warm, moist air from the steam travels through the respiratory tract to moisten dry mucous membranes and increase blood flow to the area. This helps improve breathing. To kill bacteria, add in a couple of drops of antibacterial or antiviral essential oils, such as eucalyptus or clove.

CAUTION: Steam can burn so please be careful and test the heat of the steam before putting your face into it. 

Here are the steps:

Boil some water in a pot or kettle

Pour some of the water into a stainless steel bowl or glass bowl

Add 1-2 drops of essential oils like eucalyptus, if desired

Place your head over the steam and put a towel over your head, creating a tent and making sure no steam escapes during the treatment. Stay in this position anywhere from 10-30 minutes.

Breathe slowly and deeply during the treatment. Coughing may occur, even if you don't have a cough. You may have to add more hot water if the steam decreases.

Afterwards, rest in bed for at least 20 minutes.

References

Abbott, G.K. (1912). Elements of Hydrotherapy for Nurses (5th ed.). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

Campbell, E. (2020, April 3). Hydro for COVID - Adventist Health Professionals. Retrieved on 4/9/20 at  https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1YT1fdDbiA7AwI12ceFQoi90S-J2O2s0mGK3glNkwgCU/mobilebasic

Hydrotherapy. (n.d.). Retrieved on 7/9/20 at https://www.healthbythebook.org/Wellness/Water/Hydrotherapy

Kellogg, J.H. (1901). Rational Hydrotherapy: A Manual of the Physiological and Therapeutic Effects of Hydriatic Procedures, and the Technique of their Application in the Treatment of Disease. The F.A. Davis Company Publishers. Retrieved on 7/9/20 at https://openlibrary.org/works/OL2451016W/Rational_Hydrotherapy

Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018). Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(8), 1111–1121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008

Meissner, L. (2012). The Lost Art of Natural Remedies. Hydrotherapy Manual (2nd ed.). Lisa Meissner (self-published).

Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, July 16). Hydrotherapy. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. Retrieved on 7/12/20 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrotherapy

‌(updated 07-25-20)

[medicalmissionary]

Ask Culture and Guess Culture

“One of my wife’s distant friends has attempted to invite herself to stay with us, again,” writes the exasperated owner of a prime 2 bedroom apartment in New York City in this Ask MetaFilter question. “She did this last March, and we used the excuse of me starting a new job and needing to do x, y, and z as well as the “out of town” excuse for any remaining dates. This got us off scot-free, but we both knew the time would come again… and it’s here. We need a final solution.”

He goes on to list two different possibilities he can think of for getting this woman to stop asking for free room and board. The first is a little white lie, something about their keys being hard to duplicate. The other is to be vague, to say something like “Sorry, that isn’t going to work for us” and hope she doesn’t ask why.

The first few answers give this poster very direct advice: Just say no. No need to give an explanation, it’s her who’s being rude by asking. Others give him advice that was probably more like what he was expecting: other ways to be vague like claiming that it’s “One of those random `Life in NYC things.’”

Another thread of discussion popped up around whether or not the woman asking for a place to stay was being rude. Some posters couldn’t understand how simply asking to stay in someone’s apartment was rude, while another went as far to say that putting someone in the position “having to be rude and say no” was rude in and of itself.

It is into this context that user tangerine contributes this answer:

This is a classic case of Ask Culture meets Guess Culture.

In some families, you grow up with the expectation that it’s OK to ask for anything at all, but you gotta realize you might get no for an answer. This is Ask Culture.

In Guess Culture, you avoid putting a request into words unless you’re pretty sure the answer will be yes. Guess Culture depends on a tight net of shared expectations. A key skill is putting out delicate feelers. If you do this with enough subtlety, you won’t even have to make the request directly; you’ll get an offer. Even then, the offer may be genuine or pro forma; it takes yet more skill and delicacy to discern whether you should accept.

All kinds of problems spring up around the edges. If you’re a Guess Culture person �� and you obviously are — then unwelcome requests from Ask Culture people seem presumptuous and out of line, and you’re likely to feel angry, uncomfortable, and manipulated.

If you’re an Ask Culture person, Guess Culture behavior can seem incomprehensible, inconsistent, and rife with passive aggression.

Obviously she’s an Ask and you’re a Guess. (I’m a Guess too. Let me tell you, it’s great for, say, reading nuanced and subtle novels; not so great for, say, dating and getting raises.)

Thing is, Guess behaviors only work among a subset of other Guess people — ones who share a fairly specific set of expectations and signalling techniques. The farther you get from your own family and friends and subculture, the more you’ll have to embrace Ask behavior. Otherwise you’ll spend your life in a cloud of mild outrage at (pace Moomin fans) the Cluelessness of Everyone.

As you read through the responses to this question, you can easily see who the Guess and the Ask commenters are. It’s an interesting exercise. (#)

After this comment many users, including the original poster himself, began to use these terms in discussing the issue. And why wouldn’t they? Ask Culture and Guess Culture describe two valid yet opposing ways of interacting with the world with very little value judgment given to them. Framing the argument as such was a stroke of utter genius by tangerine, broadening the perspective of many who participated in the discussion and adding to the general lifebuzz.

[medicalmissionary]

Prejudice

I was shocked to learn about a man's airway being blocked off by a police officer when that police officer put his knee on his neck. What if I told you that man was a black man? And what if I told you that police officer was a white man? Would it change your perception of what was right and what was wrong? If your perception changed, then why?

In high school, I had gotten into trouble multiple times for being friends with black people and dating black guys. At the time, I didn't understand why, and I was too scared to ask my parents why. I just knew it was wrong but it didn't make sense to me. I continued being friends with people of any skin color, despite my parent's threats. In my mind, people were just people. As children, we sang in church that "Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow. Black and white. They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." So, why then couldn't I be friends with them? One time I was brave and I asked why. The response that I got was…"you know why." No, I didn't. It's why I asked. But I was fearful of saying that I didn't know because I was afraid of getting hit upside the head. Yes, I unfortunately grew up in an abused home. So I was careful in what I said and did but for some reason, I still continued to be friends with black people. And I got punished for it by my family. In fact, this one time I went to a banquet with a black boy. He had come to pick me up from my home. I told him not to drive down my driveway but he did anyway. Thankfully, he stayed in the car and waited for me to get in. (My whole school knew how my parents were.) Unfortunately, my mom saw him through the window. She tried to stop me from leaving the house but I didn't listen. She said she was going to tell my dad and I was going to be in trouble. Sure enough, when I got home, my dad yelled at me and took away all my privileges, including my job at school. I wasn't allowed to be at school any longer than I had to be, especially since that boy went to my school.  

As I got older, I realized it was my culture. My South Asian culture had learned, at some point, that it was unacceptable to be a dark skin tone. It was looked down upon, almost like a curse. Many people in my culture would try to lighten their skin tone with various beauty products. (In India, there were a ton of beauty products claiming it could lighten one's skin tone.) It was better to be white than to be black. When getting married, the families would look for an Indian boy or girl of lighter skin tone. My parents said multiple times that the girl looked pretty if she had a whitish skin tone. It was not acceptable for the girl to be darker than the boy. So sad.  

Here's the truth. There's only one heaven. If we can't get along here on earth, then heaven is going to be miserable because it will contain people of all races, tribes, tongues, and color. Nowhere in the Bible does it say there is a heaven for black people, a heaven for brown people, and a heaven for white people. It does NOT exist. I truly believe God created us different (colors, races, languages, beliefs, etc) to see if we would truly love one another. There are multiple Bible verses where God tells us to love each other. It doesn't say to only love people of a certain color, kindred, tribe, culture, etc. It simply says to love each other.

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." 1 John 4:7 KJV

Here's the interesting twist. When we hate someone, we actually are breaking the 10 commandments. Say what?! Keep reading.

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" 1 John 4:20 KJV

"Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." 1 John 3:15 KJV

Here's another truth. This hatred all started by one being, Satan. He's the one using people to accomplish his agenda, which is to destroy ourselves and miss out on Heaven. Don't let him use you like that.

"For we wrestle NOT against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12 KJV

Our fight is not with ourselves but with Satan. It's a spiritual warfare. What happened to George Floyd is absolutely tragic. Do you know why Satan wanted him put down? Because Brother Floyd was preaching the Gospel to a group of gangsters in the Third Ward in Houston, TX, which is the 15th most dangerous area in the country. He was following the Great Commission:

"Go ye therefore, and teach ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:19‭-‬20 KJV

So Satan (the thief) had to put Floyd down. He couldn't let any more people turn to God.

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…" John 10:10a KJV

As the country mourns for this Christian man, let us practice true love and forgiveness. Let us pray for our enemies, as the Bible asks us to do, and show them what it means to truly love our enemies.

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"  Matthew 5:43-44 KJV

[medicalmissionary]

Be Still

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalms 46:10 KJV

I've been finding it difficult to be still. For some reason, I've been feeling uncomfortable with silence. So I usually fill the silence with noise...whether that noise is music or a video.

It is in the stillness that we hear God's voice clearly without any distractions. His voice is quiet and many times it cannot be heard over the noise that we choose to pollute our ears with, even if they are good things, like a sermon. We all need our quiet time with the Lord to gain renewed strength to endure difficult times, to hear His wisdom, to be comforted, to fellowship with Him, etc. When we choose to fill the quietness with noise, we miss out in hearing God's quiet voice. And Satan delights in this...not being still to hear God's voice.

I realized I'm missing precious moments with God when I choose to turn on noise instead of being still. This past week, I chose not to turn on music while on my digestive walk. Instead I spent time conversing with God. I felt better and the time passed by very quickly.

[medicalmissionary]

Wealth

Last night's vespers included this quote.

Many who profess to be waiting for the coming of the Lord are absorbed in the things of this life. Many who are already wealthy think only of how they can obtain more wealth. They take little or no interest in the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. Dollars and cents are more to them than the souls of men. These may have earthly treasure, but in the sight of God they are poorer than the poorest. They may have houses and land and money at their disposal, but every year their soul-poverty increases. The record in the courts-above shows them to be bankrupt. They may be adding to their earthly gain, but each day they are adding to their eternal loss. {The Youth's Instructor, April 17, 1902, par. 3}

When I heard the quote, I immediately thought of certain individuals who were more concerned with money and status than in having a relationship with God. In fact, some of those same individuals were counseling me not to be a medical missionary because I would have no money if I became ill or needed surgery.

Then the speaker said this...

When the coronavirus hit, did you think of your stipend (or getting a paycheck) or how you could save souls for Christ?

WOW! That hit hard for me. Although I wasn’t too concerned about money, I also wasn’t thinking how to save souls for Christ. During this crisis, it has been eye opening as to where my heart truly is and how much more my character needs refinement.  

[medicalmissionary]

[medicalmissionary]

One of my staff and I singing during our departmental worship. Usually I would be so scared of singing where my voice could be recognized. Before I would have remained silent even though I love to sing. God has been working on me over the years. In elementary school, I remember my music teacher wanted me to do a solo but I was too scared and afraid of singing with everyone staring at me. Somehow I have overcome some of my fear to at least sing during worship when it’s just me and another person. I think it helps when its hymns. Hope you like it. 

[medicalmissionary]

Trials

I just received these quotes from a friend.  

“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.” Job 5:17

“Trials and obstacles are the Lord’s chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success....The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop. If He saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His name, He would not spend time in refining us. He does not cast worthless stones into His furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines. The blacksmith puts the iron and steel into the fire that he may know what manner of metal they are. The Lord allows His chosen ones to be placed in the furnace of affliction to prove what temper they are of and whether they can be fashioned for His work.” AG 240.1-2

The last few weeks I have endured many trials and obstacles. I have wondered why God has sent me here when I keep running into various issues. I’m still wondering and don’t quite have the answers yet. Some are grateful that I have come. They see my value and worth. Whereas others...well...let’s just say their attitude and their actions would make anyone think they are not wanted or valued as a human being. 

I like the EGW quote that I emphasized above... “The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop.” Wow. God sees something worthy and valuable in me, which He wants to further develop and refine in me so that it’s “gold tried in the fire” ( Revelation 3:18). He doesn’t waste time on people He doesn’t think is worthy to be tried and tested and refined into pure gold. 

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”  1 Peter 1:7 NLT

I like how clearly this version of 1 Peter 1:7 tells it. Trials show we are serious in following the Lord and His path for us. 

[medicalmissionary]

Natural Vegetable Cleaner

The other day, I learned how to clean veggies by using lemon juice. My housemate said in her country of Guadeloupe, they use lemon juice instead of vinegar or vegetable spray. She was cleaning lettuce (lettuce butter or lettuce leaf is what it looked like) and had squeezed half a lemon into a big bowl of water. She cleaned each leaf within the bowl of lemon water and then let it sit in the bowl of lemon water for 5 minutes or so. Then rinsed it.

[medicalmissionary]

We see the need of earnest, devoted men to take up the work that must be carried forward in the future .... We are not to regard any human being as one to be believed and trusted, unless it is evident that he is established in the truth of the word of God. ChL 20.1

It is working upon wrong principles that has brought the cause of God into its present embarrassment. The people have lost confidence in those who have the management of the work. Yet we hear that the voice of the Conference is the voice of God. Every time I have heard this, I have thought it was almost blasphemy. The voice of the Conference ought to be the voice of God, but it is not, because some in connection with it are not men of faith and prayer, they are not men of elevated principle. There is not a seeking of God with the whole heart; there is not a realization of the terrible responsibility that rests upon those in this institution to mold and fashion minds after the divine similitude.—Manuscript 37, 1901, p. 8 (April, 1901, Talk by Mrs. E. G. White in the Review Chapel regarding the Southern work). ChL 20.4

[medicalmissionary]

"Because of the wrong actions of those in positions of trust, do not let envious feelings fill your heart. They are to be judged according to the deeds done in the body. You only need to pity and pray for them. The Lord knows every dishonest transaction, and will award them according as their work shall be." Christian Leadership, pg. 19.1

[medicalmissionary]

"The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death." Counsels on Health, pg. 344.1

[medicalmissionary]

[medicalmissionary]

Charcoal Poultice

This is my first time using a charcoal poultice. Charcoal helps to draw out impurities. I had something that popped up underneath my lower eyelid. A few different people, including a physician, told me to use a charcoal poultice. The physician also told me to use a mixture of olive oil and flaxseed oil throughout the day. These oils, said the physician, has anti-fungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. I also researched it and found olive oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, too. "Flaxseed oil is rich source of essential fatty acids (EFAs): linoleic acid (ω-6) and α-linolenic acid (ω-3), which regulate prostaglandins synthesis and hence induce wound healing process." Flaxseed oil is great for dry skin and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Here's the recipe:

3 tablespoons of charcoal

3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed or 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk

0.5 cup water

Put it all in a small ziplock bag and mix thoroughly until it's jellied. Lay flat in the freezer. Cut a portion of the ziplock bag to fit over the area. Remove the top part of the ziplock bag so the charcoal is exposed on the top side (this is the side you'll put onto the affected area). Place it onto a cut out piece of paper towel (so when it thaws out, it doesn't leak onto clothing. Charcoal does stain clothing.) Place the charcoal patch onto the affected area and tape it up really well so it won't leak.

UPDATE: I used the charcoal poultice for a couple of nights and then I had to stop using it as the skin became broken. I went to the natural foods store on-campus to get the flaxseed oil but they didn’t have a smaller bottle size so I didn’t purchase it. So I used my usual concoction of tea tree essential oil diluted with fractionated coconut oil. It was helping some. A couple of days later, I saw a smaller (read: more affordable) size of flaxseed oil and added it to my concoction. Wow! That flaxseed oil made a big difference. The broken skin healed up pretty quickly. Definitely will be using flaxseed oil in the future for skin issues! 

[medicalmissionary]

Giving God Our Best

An excerpt from today's devotion from Amazing Facts.

"There must be no idleness, Life is an important matter, a sacred trust; and every moment should be wisely improved, for its results will be seen in eternity. God requires each one to do all the good possible. The talents which he has entrusted to our keeping are to be made the most of. He has placed them in our hands to be used to his name's glory, and in the interests of our fellow men."

How many of us give God our best? Or do most of us give the world our best and to God our leftovers?

As I've come learn and to observe with my own eyes, we usually don't give God our best. Unless there are serious consequences, we choose to do as little as possible for God. When there are consequences, we straighten up and do what is expected of us. This is quite disheartening because then we are doing things to avoid the consequences. We should gladly do our best at all times, whether there are consequences or not. When we do this, then we have true heart conversion.