Health Expo: Ngarchelong State

 The SDA churches in Palau are trying to do a health expo in each state of Palau, and a few weeks ago we had the first one in Ngarchelong (which is at the northernmost point on the main island).  The health expo was based on the NEWSTART program, so it had 8 stations teaching people about proper Nutrition, Exercise, Water use, Sunlight, Temperance, fresh Air, Rest, and Trust in God.  It was very well done.

We had the expo at the Ngarchelong Elementary school (the name Ngarchelong, by the way, seems to be pronounced "Ner-ah-long", since the "g" and "ch" are silent).

A lady even gave a cooking demonstration and made some gluten

Anyway, there weren't tons of people stopping by in Ngarchelong, but I think that the expo was appreciated.  There was a doctor on the site to look at people and advise them.  Another person was giving free massages.  We gave out recommendations for making healthy choices at the Temperance station (which was where I was).  Just like in the U.S., people struggle with alcohol and drug addictions (although there's more of a betel nut problem here than at home), as well as eating right and getting enough exercise, so we encouraged them to take care of their health.  Sadly, Palau is #1 on the world obesity list, followed by some other islands like Tonga and the Marshall Islands.  But that's what the health expo is trying to change!

It was a hot day, but there was plenty of water at the Water station, and people played baseball in the field afterward.  (I sat and sweated in the shade).  Interestingly, it had rained really heavily the day before, and some considered cancelling the expo, but one of the church ladies told me that they prayed and decided to go ahead, and it was a really lovely, sunny day when morning came.  All in all, it was a pretty good event, and I think there are plans to have more expos in different locations in the future.

And then there's another interesting development--a wellness center will be opening in Koror, Palau at the end of April.  There was a fundraising event held last week, and the goal is to have a reasonably-priced place where people can get good healthcare.  Doctors and students will come for mission trips to help patients, and while the focus of the center will be on dentistry and optometry, there will be a variety of services including help for depression, diabetes reversal, pediatrics, and a lot of other aspects of health.  It sounded really cool, actually.  Pray that these projects will help the people of Palau cultivate the best physical, mental, and spiritual health possible.