October 22, 2018
This week has looked a little different than normal because the kids have the week off from school. Each weekday we go out to the schools in the morning and afternoon to feed the children. As a team we go to each school once a week. Some days a few of us stick behind and do construction work at The Lighthouse (our house & KIM location).
Our team eats breakfast together then has a bible study every morning. Then the team goes down and loads the van with the food. One of the KIM employees drives us to the school. Chris is usually the driver. There is currently construction workers building a sea wall across the street from The Lighthouse so we wave to them every time we leave!
On the 22nd we went and handed out food in a beach community we had never been to before. On the way there we stopped and bought a cane for a woman we had met and prayed for the week before. Upon arriving to each location we get surrounded by kids who have a bowl/cup for food. Some of the kids stick around until we are done passing out food so that they can play games with us. Chris and Beryl, the KIM employees, are awesome about showing us how the locals make a living and who needs prayers in each community. On this day Chris took us to the beach were he explained that most of the men there were fishermen. While walking around Ris and I met a woman who just had back surgery a few weeks ago. She did not understand a lot of English but allowed us to pray for her in front of her house. We also got to have our favorite snack, fried bananas!
From there we drove to Deta’s house. Deta is the woman we bought the cane for. Caitlin, Savannah, and I met her the previous week after a feeding. Chris told us he wanted us to met her and pray for her because she was having problems walking and seeing due to arthritis and cataracts. We prayed over her that day but all of ups felt like we had to do something more to help and to introduce her to the rest of the team. On the 22nd everyone got to meet her, pray over her, and hug this sweet woman after we gave her the cane.
On the drive home we stopped and bought Vietnamese style (Philippines made) hats. We see workers wearing them all the time and Savannah has been begging Chris to stop and buy one for weeks. It rained the entire way home that day. It is always a race against the rain to do things since it is the rainy season here. It only lasts a few hours though before the sun comes back out and heats everything back up. I finish off the morning by playing with the dogs at The Lighthouse and reading a book or writing while we wait for lunch.
Vickie and I do some construction work on the second level of the school located at The Lighthouse in the afternoon. This is where the hold AWANA on Saturdays. We have been working very hard to finish the grouting of the new tiles in the room before our last Saturday here. Fingers crossed we get it done!
Before dinner we usually try to do something with the neighborhood kids. Today we took them to the beach. I took one of our favorite dogs, Rocky, with us. Like most of the dogs here Rocky has a skin condition so he doesn’t have a lot of fur but the salt water is supposed to help with that. I tried taking a picture with him but he doesn’t slow down for anything! Besides that we just eat dinner, do another bible study, then finish off our nights with a movie together.
Our team has been very fortunate this month with our living accommodations. We have bunk beds, showers, the beach, American food being made for us, and such a caring host family. It will be very hard for us to say goodbye next week but we will always have a place in our hearts for the amazing people God has brought to us in Tacloban!
Much love,
Steph
