It is odd to think about what is normal when you are on The World Race and how you will ever return to normal. The World Race will end for us all 3 weeks from today. We are down to 21 days left and I can't quite wrap my mind on how I will go back to "normal" life. What is normal anyway?
Today we started out heading to the middle of nowhere to do a Saturday morning kids program with some children from a church that lost its pastor. Glen and Grace the owners of Mt. Moriah (the camp we are working at this month), own land nearby and so they have made it a priority to go each Saturday.
We set out in this giant stretch jeep. We heard one time they put 99 kids in it. We only had about 20 adults. We had to stop by the hospital as a couple of people from the other team we are with and a squad leader have typhoid and so have been staying there the last few days. Yep, typhoid is normal???
From there, we drove through the amazingly gorgeous countryside, bumping along rutted dirt roads that were nearly washed out from the rain that seems to be an every afternoon occurrence. We arrived to 20 children waiting for the program. We sang and had a skit, told a Bible story and did some scripture memory before sending this children on their way until next Saturday.
We headed over to a nearby house where we had lunch and hung out for a while. As we finished, they asked if we all wanted to ride the water buffalo. Why not? I was given the rop attached to the ring in its nose and nearly fell off. It is a bit hard to ride a water buffalo with no saddle. It is super wiggly and not real secure. I managed to stay on and have now ridden an elephant and a water buffalo on The Race.
From there, we climbed back in the Jeepny and headed for home. On the way, we stopped by this giant freshwater spring. They had failed to mention a swimming opportunity, but we were hot and the water was very inviting so a few of us jumped in fully clothed. Some day I might grow up.
We then came back to town and got caught in a rain storm. I just got wet a bit earlier than everyone else:)
Now we did some grocery shopping as we will cook for ourselves tomorrow before heading to dinner to eat some Philippino street food and then home to bed.
Riding a water buffalo, swimming in a freshwater spring…. just another "normal" day:)
