Because of threats against its workers, the Palawano health clinic in the Philippines has been shut down.
For many Palawanos, this health clinic is the only location to buy medicine for themselves and their children. The closest other place is hours of hiking away.
Missionaries Bill and Donna Davis and their partners have trained Palawanos to run the clinic. Six days a week Palawanos can buy medicine for their families at a greatly reduced price.
But recently, non-Palawano men have been creating a crisis at the clinic.
The men have been threatening that the clinic must be "open whenever we want." They resent the fact that the clinic workers diagnose their sickness and prescribe what medicine should be taken. The men also want to buy on credit, which is not allowed at the clinic.
They've made threats to "tear the clinic down and take the medicine." One man pulled out his machete and waved it threateningly at Nili, a Palawano believer, who is one of the health care workers. The man chopped the side of the clinic with his machete to make his point.
Dealing with these men has been very hard for Nili. She is afraid to go to work and doesn't feel safe.
So the missionaries have shut the clinic down for a few days to support her and to give time to deal with the issue.
First, they had Arturo, one of the church leaders, go and speak with the troublemakers. This way the problem could be solved without making a public scene, and without the troublemakers losing face (very important in the culture). But they only became more angry and abusive and made threats.
So the Palawanos have called for the "barangay captain" for a hearing. The position of barangay captain is similar to the head of the city council.
The Davises wrote, "Please pray for wisdom for the captain and for the other men who will hear the case. Pray that the truth would come out and that tempers would not flare up, especially those on the clinic's side, so that it will be clear that the anger and wrong behavior is all on the part of the troublemakers."
"Pray that some decision will be reached which will allow the clinic to reopen safely. Pray that these men will not do something rash, causing injury or damage to property here in the community."
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