Meet the Kids - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

Here are some pictures of my time spent in Malaybalay, and a little info on each one of the kids there. This is a great group of kids, please keep them in your prayers!!

Ariel is the leader of the pack, at 12 years old. He is a sweet young boy, very helpful, respectful, and really enjoys spending time with visitors. Ariel would walk me back to my room each night to make sure I was safe and my room was free of rats!

Gege (pronounced gee-gee) is an awesome young lady! Gege is 12 years old as well, and a huge help around the home. She mops, empties the trash and cleans the bathroom without any complaints. Gege loves having visitors come to the home as well, and wants to be a missionary when she grows up!

Cedrik is 10 years old and one of the few kids that have been at the home since the beginnning. Although only 10 years old, it is clear that Cedrick is becoming a teenage boy! He loves to play basketball, and also enjoys helping the men do construction around the home. He has a great smile and is very welcoming to all visitors!

Mart is a very quiet and shy boy. I think he is 9 years old, and is currently in-between the young boys group and the big boys group, and I often would see him playing with both. He has a very sweet smile and you never catch him yelling or saying mean words to any of the other kids.

Ron Ron is quite a character! He doesn’t speak much English, although he does understand quite a bit, so our communication was pretty limited. Ron Ron loves to play basketball and ride his bike. He also loves to take care of his younger brother Oneil, often doing his chores for him or sharing his much bigger clothes.

Roldon and his younger brother Erick are the two newest children at the home. Although they are still adjusting, they have made it clear that they would rather be at the home than go back with their mother. They are happy to be a in a safe and loving enviornment and are soaking up every minute of it. Roldon loves to pray and is known for his long and in-depth prayers!

Marvin is the younger brother of Mart. He isn’t quite as shy as Mart, but he does have his moments! Marvin loves to ride bikes and play with the other kids. He gets along with all of the other children and will rarely see him in a disagreement or argument with the other kids. He is very sweet and loves to spend time with volunteers.

Ella is one of the few girls at the children’s home. She is a happy, sweet, and carefree young lady. She listens very well and when asked for prayer requests, her reply was: “that we would obey the adults.” She enjoys playing with her younger sister Roxanne.

Oneil is a funny little guy! Younger brother to Ron Ron, this little man is your typical little boy. He is often found rolling in the mud, wrestling with the other young boys, and loves to yell. Oneil was born with a cleft pallet and has recently had surgery to fix the problem. However, he has yet to learn how to speak and is in great need of a speech therapist to come and help him.

Roxanne is a spunky little girl. She absolutely hates all vegetables, and will usually be at the table 10-20 minutes after all the other kids, while trying to finish eating them. Roxanne has a very expressive personality, and often shows how she’s feeling by the look on her face. I got many less than pleased faces while spooning her some vegetables.

Joshua is an adorable little boy. I’ve always been drawn to the young, small boys, and Josh is that boy in Malaybalay. Josh is similar to Oneil in his day to day adventures of being a boy… rolling in the dirt and splashing in the mud are everyday occurences for him. He was always the first to greet me each day with a great big hug and a huge beautiful smile.

Erick was another young man I spent a lot of time with. Erick is younger brother to Roldon and has only been at the home for a couple months. Although 4 years old, when he arrived at the home he wasn’t able to walk because of the severe malnourishment that his body had endured. Just recently he has begun to walk and talk and is loving every minute of it. He doesn’t speak English, but he does know how to repeat just about anything I say, and follows up with a huge toothless grin.

Nathaniel (Tan-Tan for short) is the baby of the home, at 9 months old. Tan Tan is a pretty happy baby and is known for the look seen below in the picture, where he scrunches up his face and puckers his lips. He has also never had a hair cut, because some Filipinos believe in waiting until babies are 1 years old before giving them a haircut… hence the poneytail. It was nice to get my baby fix from Tan Tan while in Mindanao!