I’ve been in Malaybalay now for a week. It’s funny how in some ways a week can seem so short, and in other ways, soooooo long! Putting yourself in an unfamiliar, uncomfortable situation is always difficult. I’ll be honest… I like being comfortable. I like my bed, my car, American food, warm high pressure showers, and so many other familiar things. On the other hand, I’m not so fond of dirt, foam mattress pads, having rats for roommates, eating rice and fried chicken every meal, or cold showers.
But I know I was never promised comfort. And I know it’s good for me to not always be comfortable. And I know in the grand scheme of things, 10 days in Malaybalay is actually a really short period of time… and so I am making the most out of these 10 days, whether I’m comfortable or not!
I wake up fairly early and head over to the children’s home around 730am each day. I spend the next 5 hours hanging out with the kids. There are 13 kids at this home, the oldest is 12, a boy named Ariel, and the youngest is Nathanial, 9 months. In between the two you have a big handful of boys: Cedrick, Ron Ron, Mart, Marvin, Roldon, Eric, Joshua, and Oneil. The girls are Gigi, Ella, and Roxanne. The kids play pretty well together and are actually quite well behaved. Because there is so much construction going on, they are usually playing in the dirt, shoveling, raking, building, etc.
They have a basketball hoop out on the dirt field, as well as a volleyball net, and a few bicycles as well. Other than that, the wide open space is their playground and the rest is up to their imagination. They have a lot less stuff than the kids in Manila, but they don’t seem to mind.
In the afternoons I take a little time to rest, and then in the evenings I head back to the children’s home to help out with showers, dinner, and chores. Then we have devotions around 7pm and the kids are in bed by 8pm.
And it doesn’t take much longer for me to fall asleep myself! No television, no movies, no cell service, no internet, and no one to talk to (except for the rats of course). I read a little, get the coffee pot ready for the morning (there are still some perks!), and then I hit the hay… or in this case, the foam.
Besides, the longer I’m awake, the longer I hear noises that scare me. Even now as I type this I hear Grizzly, the orphanage dog, barking and growling at something, and to be honest, I’d rather not know what that something is! Anyways, I have two more days left at the children’s home here in Mindanao before I catch a plane back to Manila. Pray that I would make the most of my remaining time here! See you in Manila!!
