So here is what ministry here in
Malaybalay looks like. There are 2 shifts to work with the kids one
in the morning and one in the afternoon. So you get the kiddos off
to school or you get them done with homework and off to bed. There
are also 3 8 hour baby shifts. This is where the diaper changing and
feeding comes in.
We have quite a few people here so each
person works 2 or maybe 3 shifts per week. If you don’t have a shift
you work some sort of project on the grounds in the morning. So far
I have helped gravel a road, dig a trash pit, and demolish a building
to use the bamboo to make a wall for a classroom.
The afternoons were mainly spent
resting or visiting the prisoners nearby. Unfortunately, it looks
like we won’t be able to visit the prison at least for awhile. I
don’t know the details, but the warden who was very open to having us
visit the prisoners is in some hot water over it and could even loose
his job. So we won’t be able to sing songs and teach the Word to the
prisoners who are so hungry for Christ, at least until this blows
over. This is a situation that could defiantly use some prayers.
Basketball is after dinner on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday. I have really missed playing some hoops and
it is great to play with the locals and bond with my fellow racers.
We may even get to play with some highschoolers in the afternoons now
that prison ministry is on hold.
Saturdays are filled with children.
There is a huge program for kids at the camp where we stay and there
were probably around 300 kids last week. They get brought in to the
camp in vans and there is a message, puppet show, and small group
discussions, followed by a free dinner. It is such a great thing to
offer the kids in the area and they seem to really enjoy it.
Monday morning was Superbowl Sunday
back in the states and we were able to go to our contacts neighbors
house and watch it. They are an American missionary family that just
moved here from California, so they were eager to watch it too. They
had a projector and we were able to watch it on the wall of their
living room.
Since kickoff was at 7:30 am our menu
was a little different than yours probably was. We had pastries and
coffee. However, no Superbowl party is complete without queso, so I
made some with some Velveta knockoff and hot-sauce. It turned out
great, but we had to use Ritz crackers to dip it in. We were so
blessed, many people even commented that it was just like being at a
party back home.
On Tuesday, we took a day off and went
whitewater rafting. It was probably the best rafting experience of
my life. We had 4 rafts for our whole group and in addition to the
great rapids we got to do a little cliff jumping also.
I really love the Philippines, the
people are great, the food is amazing and cheap and there are so many
different programs to be a part of. I even get to play some hoops,
though my skills are rusty to say the least.
