Hands!

I find hands fascinating. I always have.

I remember many church services as a child where I would sit and inspect my parent's hands. More recently I discovered the effect of holding holding my hand up to a LED and tracing my veins as far as I could along my arm. I have a scar near one of my nails - but I have no idea how it got there. And a nail that is a weird shape - but it didn't used to be. I also have a callus that has been there since about Grade 7, and currently have two scars from a blisters that are healing (a carrot chopping incident a few weeks ago), and faint scars down my thumb from falling down a hill.

The creases, scars, moles, cracks, wrinkles, freckles, calluses and fingerprints all tell the story of a life. Of a person who was designed in the image of God. Of a totally unique and precious life intended to glorify the one who made it. They tell of pain and of joy, age and youth; of countless pages of notes written, of plants tended, instruments played and of cars fixed - because that grease never quite comes off. They tell of sports games, paper cuts and fights; of dinners prepared and dishes washed. They tell of hard work! And sometimes they of accidents that were never recovered from, of skin conditions that keep you hands in pockets or sleeves pulled down, or hands that have have not been used much or perhaps have not been of much use. And they are beautiful because they tell YOUR story.

Ephesians 2:10 says " For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV)

How are your hands being used and what stories do they tell?

A new journey

I'm lying on my bed in my hotel room in Manila and I can't believe it's all over already. In only a few hours I fly out (thankfully this is a much more reasonable trip than the one on the way here!) and I'll be home before lunch on Friday, if all goes according to schedule.

I am so amazed at how God's plan for my year has been revealed. There is no way I could have planned or expected such an incredibly wonderful experience. I am so thankful for the opportunity I've had these past 8 weeks, for what I've learned and for being able to take a road trip on Monday to say one last goodbye to the CCA guys (is 4 times too many... Nah!! ) as well as say a quick hello to the team from Covenant College!!

I also want to take the time to thank Rehoboth for having me visit for the past three weeks. It has been such a blessing and it was great to be part of this incredible ministry they have. If you haven't already, please go to the Rehoboth website and find out a little more about what they do. http://rehobothsampalocministries.com If you ever feel like a little adventure, Rehoboth is always happy to have volunteers!!

Please keep Rehoboth and Covenant Christian Academy in your prayers.

Thank you for all your prayer and support over the last couple of months. To friends and family who have encouraged me and to the new friends I've made here, you have all been a wonderful blessing! As I start a new (and still somewhat unknown) journey, I will treasure the memories and, even more, the friends I've made here!

As a final note from the Philippines, I want to share a verse that I read during devotions a couple of weeks ago:

Psalm 96:2-3
Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous works among all the peoples!

Things I will miss

It hasn't all been just playing with the kids while I've been at Rehoboth. I have also been out with Sarah for a few afternoon activities. I've had my first ride on a motor bike (please don't freak out too much, Mum! I didn't crash or anything!!) and we visited a few waterfalls!

So much fun!

See, mum! Protective head gear. No need to worry :)

Gorgeous places

Bombs away!

I also made friends with a few critters this week, including a gecko this morning - which was fun until something unfortunate happened...

I found a cute little gecko!

Oops

And here a couple of photos with the kids! My apologies for the quality.

Off to the playground

Birthdays and songs

If you hadn't gathered from the previous post made by Mum, Friday was my 19th birthday. My first birthday in another country from my family but my 3rd in 5 years away from them. I've also now had birthdays in 4 different countries and as many continents!! Birthdays are a very big deal in the Philippines, so it was exciting to find out that myself and one of the other volunteers had our birthdays two days apart!

 In order to be fair, we decided to take the kids to the pool on Thursday to celebrate, as this was between our birthdays. She paid for the entrance fee and I bought snacks for everyone. We were at the pool for 4 hours and it was a success. A few of the little kids got cold quickly but there were 2 who adamantly refused to leave the pool despite shivering like crazy!! As long as they could swim they would! I participated in some fierce games of shoulder ride wars and competitions to see who could avoid being thrown in the pool with the oldest kids and some staff. I paid for it the next day with stiff shoulders and an incredibly sore neck, but I'd do it again!! (Maybe minus the shoulder rides...)

For my birthday I hired a videoke machine for the kids and mamas to enjoy! After their siesta yesterday, the party began with them singing happy birthday and eating ube (purple yam) flavoured cake. I was happy for them to enjoy it, so I only sang twice, The staff and the older girls got into it and the rest just watched. It is too difficult for the ones who are only learning to read to be able to follow along with the English words. I also handed out Caramelo Koala chocolates to all the kids. I only stayed for about 2 hours partly because I was exhausted and partly because I had a few Skype calls lined up! Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday!! :)

Other than birthday stuff, I haven't done much other than hang out with the babies this week. We were outside much of Tuesday; at the playground and I supervised while they swam in a wading pool - I got burned. I taught them "Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. If you see a crocodile don't forget to scream. Ahh!" They have mastered the screaming part! I also sang the Wheels on the bus song and taught them the verse, "The money on the bus goes clink, clink, clink." On Sat night I was with them for an hour until they went to bed. One boy kept asking for " clink, clink, clink" and "croc-dile". I also made up a silly song to the tune of Frère Jacques "At-e Jai-me, At-e Jai-me, ma-gan-da, ma-gan-da!" (Basically I taught them to sing that I am beautiful!!) And the same boy kept coming up to me and singing "A-gan-da!" So cute!!

It hasn't all been celebrations this week. Mama Gemma died from liver failure on Thursday night. Please pray for the woman's family and also the staff and children of Rehoboth during this time.

I have been so blessed to witness and be involved in 2 incredible ministries to the children of the Philippines and I would encourage you also to keep Rehoboth and Covenant Christian Academy in your prayers.

Happy Birthday!

So the danger of asking your mum to help edit posts is ... the possibility of having her hijack your post ... on your birthday!

So Jaime, Happy birthday from all of your family! We think you are an amazing, brave, beautiful, godly daughter and sister and we are so proud of you and miss you - especially today. Enjoy your last 2 weeks and we can't wait to see you again. Although, I'm pretty sure that after the incredible time you have had in the Philippines, this won't be the last time you are away for your birthday!

Here's a brief journey through the years!

After receiving money from Grandad for her birthday!

In Africa - after a little friend cut off her hair.

At Taronga Zoo, Sydney - this day last year!

Love you Jaime girl!

Period of adjustment... again

I've now been at Rehoboth for one week. It's been hard to make adjustments to a new place and new people again. I felt like I had finally settled at Rizal, and then I left. Only this time, it was like compound goodbyes and missing people. Because now I miss my friends in Rizal, as well as my family and friends in Australia! I keep feeling like, because of the new place and people there should be another time change. I can't tell you how many times I have looked at my watch and thought, "oh, it's 5:30 which means it's... also 5:30 in Rizal."
But God is good and he has provided with some great friends here also. I have been blessed by the 3 other volunteers who are here; 2 of whom are from the same area of Australia, and the other is from Japan. It was a surprise to discover that the three of us from Australia all live within 40 min drive of each other, and Sarah and I know a number of the same people. (I already knew about some of them, because that is how I heard about Rehoboth. And there was a team from my church who came here a few years ago.) I have enjoyed discussing with the other volunteers our different life experiences, especially with the two ladies in their 60s. Just another way I have experienced God's extensive kingdom!!
I have also enjoyed sspending several hours each day just playing with the children. My first (not counting last Monday) day didn't involve much playing because I was teaching 3 maths classes! Sarah, their teacher, had to go to Manila for the day so I agreed to take the classes. I think it went alright!
I think it was my third day here when I discovered that one of the most helpful things I can do is just play with the kids. They love the attention and it frees up the mamas (the caretakers) to be able to do some of their other jobs. So I spent most of last week back and fourth between the babies home and the children's home (two different sections of the same compound), spending a few hours at each. I think that the toddlers are my favourite age group, but the other 2 volunteers (Sarah has several official roles so she doesn't really count) already spend most of their tune there so I feel like is only fair if I divide my time equally between the babies and the children. And I do enjoy my time with the bigger kids too.
Unfortunately, I will not have many photos to share of my tinge at Rehoboth partly due to policies and partly due to the fact that I can't take photos of myself doing activities. If I had come with a team or another person, or even if I  could duplicate myself, I'm sure I could more photos. Since none of those things exist we will all have to be satisfied with few pictures, and my silly sketches!!
I did, however, take many pictures and videos of the parade and street services at the Hane Festival in Tanay on Saturday. The volunteers, directors, and the 9 elementary school aged kids braved the rain and heat to attend the festival, and it was so much fun. The kids loved it ave did a much better job at standing for 4hrs than I did!
Prayer requests
- thank God that I am settled now and for the friends he has provided
- For energy and good health as I haven't been feeling 100% for the past few weeks. I just need enough to make the most of my time here and get home ib 2 and a half weeks.
- Preparations due the team from Covenant College (the school I graduated from last year) who will be going to CCA in a week.
- guidance in sharing my faith in the opportunities
God has provided.

  clockwise from left:

1. last wed i held one of the babies until he went to sleep. i also played with the toddlers at the ssmr time!
2. while i wsd drawing these our resident bird escaped and came in my room - it took about half an hour to catch! the other lady from aust bought the bird at a pet shop last sun, only 3 days after she arrived
3. last thurs i read books to the kids for more than an hour until my throat hurt. and there is always someone playing with my watch!

  one of the street dances

Farewell Rizal

Today is my last day in Rizal, so I wanted to publicly thank everyone at Covenant Christian Academy for having me and for their hospitality and love. I really enjoyed my time here in Rizal and will miss you all. I would also like to thank the Royo family for having me stay at their home, and for teaching me how to hand wash my clothes!

It has been a blessing to spend time with and get to know the staff at CCA. It has been wonderful to witness your love for the students and commitment to your ministry with them. Having been on the receiving end of such ministry for the last 11 years, I really appreciated seeing the other side. Thank you for this opportunity to learn from you. Also, thanks for all the food and trips to SM and sleepovers and videoke! You have all become good friends and I'll miss you very much.

The amazing staff at Covenant Christian Academy

I also wanted to share few photos that I have taken.

View from my window

At Sampaloc Lake with Teacher Reeza, Teacher Malou, their sons, and Ate Raquel (my host family's daughter). That's Jacob with me at the front and Ralph at the back.

 Also at Sampaloc Lake

Tayak Hill from across the lake

Top of Tayak Hill

A barangay patrol vehicle (a barangay is equivalent to a suburb). 

This was what we rode up to the Tayak Hill track in because the barangay captain is the brother of the teacher who took me up there.

My tracing of the Philippines - I tried to mark the 3 provinces I am spending time in

The full rehearsal for the opening dance of Eat Bulaga. 
I promise it is a TV game show, not a rock concert!

Students at CCA practising their Christmas presentations.

A root of a giant tree that was destroyed by Typhoon Glenda. It was saved as a reminder.

Dinner with friends

Please enjoy these few visual depictions of my time in Rizal. I'll try to put some more up, but it is a tedious process. Although, as of next week I'm going to have to get serious about taking photos for myself!!

I have had such a fantastic time. It was hard to say goodbye to the students on Friday and I am not looking forward to saying goodbye to the staff today. But at the same time I'm excited for what God has planned for me at Rehoboth Children's Home.

P.S. Thanks, Mum, for all your help! None of these posts would be possible without all your help proofreading, editing and doing all the stuff I can't on the mobile site/touch screen. Lesson learned: next time bring the laptop and leave the tablet!

Answers to prayer

During my time here there have been times when God's presence and answers to prayer have been very poignant.

The first has been in regards to safety. I have had no concerns, thanks to the teachers who always accompany me. Although, I am not very comfortable with the attention I receive for my appearance. I think I have yet to meet anyone so far who is taller, even though I'm only about 5'8". There is also a general fascination with my pale skin, "blonde" hair and blue eyes. I should mention that people generally desire paler skin here, it seems like every second commercial is about a skin whitening soap/moisturizing treatment. It took me a while to work out why my hair kept being described as "blonde". I think it's because when a blonde dye is used on black hair, the result is somewhat similar to my brownish-red.The other common description is gold.


I get a number of stares when I walk around town, or the malls or ride on jeepneys. And, while the fact that the students and teachers like to touch my skin doesn't really bother me, I didn't really like walking through a market and having a number of vendors touch my arms as I walked past. One of teachers with me at the time commented that it was like I was magic lamp that could bring them luck in their business if they rubbed it. I have not felt threatened by any of this, only uncomfortable with the attention.

Last Saturday on the way home from the TV show I was very tired and feeling a little alone in the crowd due to communication difficulties. I was also disappointed because I had missed two calls from my family despite making sure that my phone was where I'd be able to hear it. Mum texted after the first call to say that she would try again in a little while, but I missed that too. So I prayed that God would get Mum to call again, because I was missing them and really wanted to speak to someone who understands me. Then, I had to just trust.

Since I had a 4hr bus ride ahead of me I decided I would read through the weekly readings again (Jeremiah 40 - 47). The first words I read were ""Comfort, comfort all my people" says the Lord." I think I started crying at that point. I needed to be reminded that that God is my ever present and only true source of comfort. And I marvelled at how when I read that earlier in the week it hadn't really meant much. But in that moment when I was desperate for comfort it was exactly what I needed!!

It took me about an hour to read through the rest of the chapters, but nothing really struck me in the same way that first verse of Jeremiah 40 did. After that I listened to some worship music on my phone, and the phone rang!!! I was struggling with answering the phone because I was so focused on thanking God for answering my prayer. The call only lasted about 5 minutes because the connection was bad but it was ok because I had already been comforted. It was enough just to hear mum's voice and know that God was with me.

There are plenty of other times where I have seen God at work and felt his presence, but I just wanted to share that particular instance because I think that was the most powerful for me.
Thanks for all your prayers, I really appreciate it!

TV shows and huge spiders

I've already been in Rizal at Covenant Christian Academy for 2 weeks, which means that my time here is half over. My stay here has been extended, so I will now be leaving on the 10th of Nov to head for Rehoboth Children's Home. The teachers at CCA keep asking if I will return here for a few days before I return to Australia, and when they found out that I will be having my birthday at Rehoboth a few of them declared that would come up and visit me. It's very sweet that they appreciate having me here and will miss me!

I realised yesterday that I haven't really talked much about what I have been doing here, besides observing in classes. To give you an idea of what most weekdays look like, I thought I'd give you a summary in terms of wildlife and food!

4am - the roosters in the neighbourhood begin to crow and wake me up, but I go back to sleep

5:30am - the birds begin to chirp and I wake up properly, 15 min before my alarm.

6am - I share the bathroom with spiders while I take a shower. It's a good thing I'm not scared of them because last week there was one the size of my palm!

6:40am - breakfast: I eat cereal with powdered milk, which everyone thinks is strange and boring

7am - I walk or take a tricycle to school with Teacher Eunice and sometimes Teacher Ellen. We pass many dogs, some cats and some roosters. Most households seem to have an animal, but they are not pets in the way I'm used to.

9:30am - snack time: I often have spaghetti or sometimes something else from the canteen

12pm - lunch time: there is always rice with fish or pork, occasionally chicken or beef. It takes me a long time to eat the fish because I'm not used to having it, and certainly not whole! So taking bones out is a very long and tedious process. There are also plenty of flies around whenever there is food.

3pm - the students go home and I often have a small snack; bread or nuts or something cold

5pm - the teachers finish work and I walk home with Teacher Eunice. We go past all the dogs again. The mosquitoes also begin to stir, so when I get home I have to reapply bug repellent.

6pm - the geckos come out. They are between 3 and 10cm long, but usually around 7-8cm. I've tried to take pictures, but they always move in the second or two it takes to capture the photo.

6:30 - dinner time: rice again with some meat and vegetables. The cats of my host family also hang around the table, hoping to get some food. I have not had my usual allergic reaction to the cats which has been a blessing

9:30 - time to get ready for bed. Again I share the bathroom with the spiders, only now there are also geckos. I reapply bug repellent and climb into my "princess" bed under the mosquito net.

My extracurricular activities have included regular visits to SM malls, learning to do my laundry by hand, walking up Tayak Hill, going to a town where every store on one road manufactures and sells shoes, going swimming in my clothes (not the first time!), visiting relatives of friends from my home church, sharing at staff devotion, and attending a number of birthday parties. I also had a sleepover at Teacher Eunice's last week and I tried balut; a one day old fertilised egg with a partially formed chick. I managed to eat the yolk, but couldn't swallow my mouthful of chick when I bit a bone or beak. There is a video, but I might spare you from watching me gag!

On Saturday I also had the opportunity to be part of the studio audience for Eat Bulaga, a live TV game show that airs everyday except Sundays. We had to leave Rizal at 4:30am, and I was woken up at 2:45 so we could get ready. We got to the studio in Manila around 9 and were admitted in just before 10. I didn't understand most of what was being said, which made for a long 5hrs; we didn't get out of the studio until 3. But it was fun and I've never done anything like it before. I was very tired by the end of the day because we didn't get home until 9, and I don't sleep very well in transit.

I have also had the privilege of having fellowship with a number of Christian Reformed Churches. I attended a midweek service and a bible study with the Rizal Christian Reformed Church of the Philippines (formerly New Jerusalem CRC). The first Sunday, I attended the 26th anniversary service at Mabacan CRCP and joined them for a fellowship lunch afterwards. Last Sunday I joined the Reformation Rally of the 6 or 8 CRCP churches of the Southern Luzon Classis. It has been a blessing to join there churches in worship. A number of people have expressed their appreciation for the ongoing support of my home church, Pakington CRCA, and especially our financial assistance after Typhoon Glenda a few months ago.

I was not at all prepared to speak when asked to do so both Sundays. I'm not really sure if what I said made sense, or if people could understand much of what I said. I tend to speak quickly and more quietly when I am nervous, and a microphone doesn't always help, I also know that they sometime struggle with my accent, especially if I speak fast. Last Sunday was, I think, the largest crowd I have ever addressed at 500+ people.

In the classes, I have taught Gr 2s Simon Says with the "head, shoulders, knees and toes" parts, and they taught me their version of the song, in Tagalog. I played a game with the Grs 5 and 6 where they had to say a word relating to a topic, but their word had to begin with the last letter of the previous word. I've also had to master long division so I could correct the Gr 3s work; I learned long division with polynomials at school and can do those, but I didn't learn with just numbers! I also minded the Gr 6 class (plus 2 Gr 5s) for a few hours because their teacher was sick. I didn't do a very good job and they probably got away with more than they should have because I wasn't sure what to do!

Yesterday I was asked what I will miss most when I leave Rizal, my immediate answer was, "the people." "The short people? The happy people? The silly people?" "My friends!" Without a doubt, the best part of all of these activities has been the people I have gotten to know while doing these things!!

It's More Fun In The Philippines!

Yesterday I was in the Grade 6 class. I had a little bit of time to do something with the students, so I showed them my blog and asked if they would contribute something for the blog. The official tourism motto is "It's more fun in the Philippines" so I asked if they would write a couple of things about why that is the case. This is what they had to say.

It is more fun in the Philippines because:

 "People here are humble, they are fun to be with, they are nice and hard working and there are so many beautiful places. Filipinos take care of the tourist spots here in the Philippines and we have 7,107 islands, you can visit them and you will enjoy your stay here. Children are respectful and fun loving and there are lots of foods here; kakanins, and dishes are the best sellers of the Philippines. You can play with the children here, there are lots of Filipino games that are so fun. I hope you can visit the Philippines."

"There are many places and many islands, and the Volcano Mayon in Albay"

"It's a beautiful place in here and it has many games. It has many animals, the peoples attitudes in here are kind and sometimes we are silly. The people here are loving and fun loving and friendly. Everyone is hardworking, the kids here use "po" and "opo"* and the kids here are courteous."

"The people of the Philippines take care of the place. It has so many tourist spots like falls, hills, mountains, beaches and more. The people of the Philippines are happy, lovely, friendly, hardworking and we use "po" and "opo" to the older people."

"It has many places and many good places and beautiful like Tayak Hill."

"Once you have come here in the Philippines the people will welcome you. There are many tourist spots in the Philippines. Because of its 7,107 islands. There is Mayon Volcano, Chocolate Hills, Tayak Hill and many rivers and waterfalls. The people here are kind, hospitable and thoughtful. No matter what disasters come we are still one country. We have many festivals. One example Masskara festival. We show respect by saying "po" and "opo". We have many Filipino dishes here, like sinigang, adobo and kare-kare. We are known brave and strong because we fought the Spaniards for our freedom. The houses here in the Philippines in the past are nipo huts. And that is why it is more fun in the Philippines."- Arianne

So now you all know why it is more fun in the Philippines! I have certainly experienced many of the things that the students mentioned, and I look forward to visiting Tayak Hill sometime in the next couple of weeks! Now here are a few other ways I have experienced it to be more fun in the Philippines:

- Jeepneys and tricycles are only used as means of transportation here, as far as I am aware.

- Umbrellas are used all the time, both when it is sunny and when it is rainy!

- People are constantly taking photos

- The spaghetti sauce is sweet and often has banana in it.

- Filipinos are very clean, they always wash their bread in their coffee! (That's a bit of a local joke)

I also got to choose the winners of an art competition that the students did last week and the theme was "It's more fun in the Philippines"

*Po is a term of respect used to address older people (even just slightly older). From what I understand, it is used at the end of statements. For example; opo - polite form of yes, thank you po, good morning po... Older people are also addressed as Ate (big sister) and Kuya (big brother)