Mylene, a wife and mother of three young kids live in a slum community in Rosario, Cavite. She has had a long time rivalry with her husband’s female cousin. This cousin hated Mylene because her husband stopped giving her and the other cousins money that he used to help them with. The money went to the family of Mylene.
One day this woman threw boiling water on her face, down to her arms and chest. Mylene was physically injured and was brought to a hospital to receive first aid. Our missionary Chein Basco was her Bible study leader and accompanied her. When Mylene remembered that her son just had circumcision, she ran away from the hospital and did not get the prescription she needed. All Chein could say was, “What a mother’s heart.”
When Chein visited Mylene she saw how her house was in disarray, helplessness is all over. It is made up of anything scrap, coco lumber, bamboo, parts of old bancas (with outrigger), net, sacks, plastic, GI sheets, soiled flooring and curtained toilet bowl. The smell is really unexplainable and the clothes piled on corners are either clean or dirty. Her husband was fixing nets while the weather was bad to go out for fishing. The circumcised lad is playing elsewhere, only her six-year old daughter was looking after her, just looking because she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t even know when her groaning stomach would be filled. Amid all of these, Mylene said “Buti na lang nakabili ako ng sampung kilong bigas nung may laot pa asawa ko, ngayun abot pa yan…” (Good thing, I was able to buy 10 kilos of rice when my husband was still able to go out for fishing, we can still survive..”)
Arriving at her home, Chein’s burden to help made her post the situation in their group chat and mentioned it to two close friends. “Little did I know that God has already prepared them even before I shared Mylene’s injuries to them. My doctor friend gave the medicines and prescriptions for free, and another friend gave PhP 500(US $10). I was overwhelmed by their responses, all I could say and think was, thank you LORD!, ” Chein was very touched by how God’s grace and blessings were felt by Mylene.
After a month of medication, Mylene is now fully recovered; wounds have dried up but the scars remain. Her heart is full of thanksgiving. She would always tear up with joy saying; “Hindi ko po alam kung paano ko kayo pasasalamatan sa team, kung hindi dumating ang Companion With the Poor dito, baka kung ano na ang nangyari sa akin.” (I don’t know how to thank your team enough, if CWTP didn’t come here, I do not know what would have happened to me.)
All glory to God!
Note: Mylene did not make any decision to punish the woman, but just gave her life and future to the
Lord.