THE WORK CONTINUES

by Michael Douglas Carlin

I recently visited the Philippines. Our very good friend, Sir Edward, had had a stroke, and I wasn’t getting the information I needed, so I boarded a plane. His eyes lit up when I walked into the room. He struggled to speak. It was clear that something had happened to silence this once fierce warrior of peace. The silence didn’t last long. He struggled to get out a few words; "I had a stroke." I got to meet Klea and see her love of Ed. She has been there by his side for a number of years. I have spoken to her on numerous occasions, but now I finally got to meet this amazing champion of peace. Klea had traveled to Myanmar, Basilan Island, Jolo, Zamboanga, and many other dangerous places with Ed to take relief to those less fortunate, who found themselves in a precarious situation through no fault of their own.

Just prior to Ed's stroke, I had mounted my own mission into the danger zone of Border Mexico. Ed followed my path with great interest. He sent me text messages of concern for my safety. I texted him prior to traveling in and let him know immediately when I returned to safety. Ed taught me how to mitigate the risk, and I heeded his advice.

We never grow tired of the streams of tears when our relief hits the mark. On my trip, a doctor and nurse accepted four duffle bags of medical supplies that had the power to save lives. When they realized that these supplies were a gift from America and that we wanted nothing in return, they welled up. As they helped carry the supplies into the clinic, they could not hold back the tears. When I reported back to Ed, he seemed very pleased that one of his protégés had grown up and begun to comprehend his message.

I am one of thousands of people whom Ed has taught to do good deeds. Over the years and in my many travels with Ed, I have met hundreds of them. It always surprises me how many more there are whom I have never met. Even Ed cannot comprehend the impact that his life has had upon the world. Many of the paths that Ed has traveled were one-time trips. Other people have picked up where Ed left off and continue helping people to recover from war, famine, tsunami, earthquake, fires, floods or typhoons. Ed’s influence lingers, and he teaches so many to open up their hearts and to give.

We sat at the dining room table for hours that day. Ed was able to begin speaking almost normally. Something happened that day as we began telling Klea stories that we had experienced together. I started many of the stories, and Ed began speaking to finish them. We had lunch at the Hard Rock Café in Makati. He greeted new friends and old with that classic "Ed smile." By the time lunch was over, I could tell that Ed was exhausted. We had been together for five hours, and my presence had made him work to remember—to speak. The brain is an amazing and intricate structure. I witnessed synapses reconnecting right before my eyes.

We agreed to break for a few hours to give Ed a chance to rest. I returned at 7 pm for our trip out to dinner. Ed and Klea climbed into the cab, and we visited "Howzat," a local hangout for foreigners. When waitresses spoke to him, Ed struggled with his speech. When we talked to him, he was able to speak with only minor problems. Some of the jumbled words were quite funny, and both Klea and I were swept away with the mixed emotions. "Do we laugh or would that be cruel? We couldn’t help ourselves, and Ed began to laugh too."

During that dinner, I saw moments of total clarity, during which it seemed to me that Ed was one hundred percent back only to disappear back into the fog. From this, I gained hope that Ed would make a total recovery if he worked hard. Those of us who know him understand that Ed can’t do it any other way. When we parted that night, I knew that Ed needed rest. I agreed to give him the weekend.

Early Saturday morning, I headed down to Cagayan de Oro to meet Elmer and Cora Sayre. Ed and Elmer founded the Buffalo Bank there many years ago. What began with an investment in the first twenty water buffalo has grown into a full-fledged microfinance operation that now serves over 3,000 farmers with water buffalo, goats, chickens, pigs, ducks and sanitation. Elmer showed me his operation, which includes meeting spaces, manufacturing of toilets, cottages, crop development, and livestock management. A team of loan officers deals with farmers to evaluate their needs and to structure a borrowing and repayment program for them.

What I came to understand from my visit is that, if Elmer and his team were simply to hand out water buffalo, the water buffalo would be eaten. Attaching importance to them as a tool for the farmer helps to educate the farmer in methods that increase productivity. Farmers are grateful for the opportunity to improve their quality of life. When Elmer talked about criteria for granting microloans, he sounded just like the many bankers I know in Century City. "We look at their character and their capacity to pay back the loan. We shy away from those who are known to have gambling problems." Gambling problems? That was the last thing I expected to hear in this remote region, but cock fighting is one of the pastimes in the Southern Philippines.

The next day, we went to the remote regions, a four-hour drive from headquarters. In the mountainous region, I saw breathtaking views. Farmers were growing their crops on the sides of mountains. I got to see the impact of the water buffalo first hand. A farmer even offered to let me ride his water buffalo, and I couldn’t resist. That was a thrill I will never forget. I also will never forget tasting food for the first time. Every meal on this trip was one hundred percent organic. I ate coconut that was picked fresh from the tree, and I drank delicious coconut milk. Pineapple, papaya, watermelon, fresh vegetables, fish and free-range chicken were also at every meal. No chemicals are used in the farms supported by the Buffalo Bank, and all of the people I met seemed so healthy. All of this began with a single investment by Ed in the first twenty water buffalo.

I again turned my attention to Ed and Manila. We spent the week together pouring over paperwork, talking about pending missions and getting caught up on what needs to happen to continue Ed’s work. What amazes me is that Ed, who clearly suffered a stroke, has no concern for his own health and wants to communicate only to insure that the children to whom he promised surgeries get treated. In a private moment, Ed insisted that I travel to an orphanage and make a donation in his name. Many times I heard Ed insist that he would wage peace until his dying day, but his appeal in that private moment for children who have lost their parents solidified his commitment to continue this work until his dying breath. Happily, I made the trip to the orphanage and complied with his wishes.

The smiles on the faces of those children reminded me of the smile that Ed wears. Those smiles light up the dark spaces on the earth. The little child in Ed wants all of the other children to smile too. We have all seen him rise up to protect the less fortunate as their guardian and protector. We have seen him brave border crossings to bring in life saving relief. We have learned to give at his hands. We have watched him thunder away, threatening warlords. But, Ed is so much happier when the children are smiling.

The work continues…