What a day..

Jory, Seth, and Troy at the Tagbilaran airport

Having a coke at the Co-Op


Kenzie on the Jeepny ride to the house!

8-2-09

What a day yesterday! We about 130 kids that attended our VBS (Crocodile Dock) They were SO excited, we could not get them to settle down- all day. I hope they learned something! We have been having a LOT of rain- there were a few minor injuries yesterday because the cement gets so slippery. A few of the kids- and Carly. She broke her tailbone a little while back- and she either badly bruised or re-broke it. ☹ sad day.

Although the program takes an insane amount of work- it has been worth it. To see 130 children worshiping from the bottom of their hearts- dancing and praising without any reservations, makes one’s heart skip a beat. They are on a totally different spiritual level. They just get it. Despite the fact that they have next to nothing, and face trials that even many adults in the US could not handle, they have faith in the Lord. They thank him for every little blessing that comes along. We fed the children during the lunchbreak (rice, fried chiken, and pansit –noodles) I have never seen so many beaming, eager faces. They were so hungry. So incredibly hungry. Each of them stuffed down more than a normal adult eats. You could tell that some of them knew it would be their only meal for the day. I just wonder what they do on other days when we are not here to feed them.

Anyways, last night we went to see the Loboc Youth Ambassador Band- in Loboc. The journey there was the first best part. We took two vehicles, and Seth was driving the Tool Cab. It is this itty-bitty Japanese-made truck. So small. He could barely fit. And the road is so horrible. Just bumpity bumpity bumpity. And we went full force ahead. It is hard to give you a picture- driving through the jungle in a little pick-up with Seth, and 4 people in the the back. Flying through the air and coming down into huge puddles and mud from earlier the day. The whole thing is a great memory.

And the band is another story- they were indescribable. It was NOT a band concert- it was a full show. They did motions and singing and- wow. It was amazing. And most of them have been playing for two years. They are high-schoolers that have been accepted into this program so that they may learn an instrument well enough to get scholarships for college. They are also given the instrument that they choose to learn. I have to say- they even sounded better than our bad at good ol’ Cottey College. The best part was when two of the littlest boys in the band came off of the stage. One of them came up to me with flowers, knelt, and played the trumpet. It was SO cute. The other one gave his flowers to Kenzie. They then pulled me up to the stage and ‘battled’ over me by competing in their trumpet playing. When they couldn’t reach a conclusion with that, they put down their trumpets and just grabbed my arms and really pulled. And they were serious! It kind of hurt, haha. It was quite the time.

Well yesterday and today weather forecast of ‘monsoon’, so it is pretty stormy here. But no lack of heat and humidity. Our plans are to have church- and then jump back into VBS for the afternoon. Everyone is having a fantabulous time. Keep the prayers coming!