6/9/12

Our last day in the Pandan neighborhood of Gingoog.

We got going early today so we would have time to take the goals that Dan and Mark and some guys from the village built to their final destination. Mark has been eyeing a spit of sand that has been slowly growing as people remove stones from the creek upstream to build with. God gave him a vision to build a soccer field to get the kids of the village involved in team sports. Mark has learned that many Christian values can be taught through team sports.

As soon as the goals were in place we played a game with our crowd of following onlookers curious to see what Marko, as they call him, was doing. We had fun, Mark and Dan demonstrated a victory dance and when we were done several children took the field and were enjoying themselves too.

Next it was time to go to a meeting for Compassion International. They have a day for the kids that they support to come and do activities, receive aid  and be fed on Saturdays. The requirement is that one of their parents has to come and stay on the grounds during the event. As a result there is a captive audience to share with. The three of us were invited to give a message to these people who were mostly moms. It was a powerful time. You could tell they really appreciated us and also what we shared with them.

It was a very hot day. Even the locals were commenting about the heat so I decided to take a dip in the ocean and then shower off in the CR (comfort room) to wash off the salt and sticky sweat. That lasted maybe 20 min. but I don’t really mind the heat. I'm kind of soaking it up really.

The CR Patti and Mark have is basically a bathroom that works without running water. It is a concrete room that has a toilet, sink and shower space built over septic tank that has holes in the side to leach into the ground instead of lines that run out from it like the one we have here at home. Next to the toilet is a large plastic trashcan filled with water that was hauled by hand from the neighborhood well. You scoop the water from the container and poor it into the toilet after you are done each time to “flush” it. The sink has a plastic water container with a spigot over it and the drain runs straight onto the floor underneath where there is a floor drain that is shared by the shower. The shower is set up with two more of the same plastic water containers set on a higher shelf so you can stand under the flow and get clean. All of the water is hauled in by hand for all of this. It really is an ingenious set up for a home with no running water!

The rest of the day we spent just hanging out with Mark, Patti, Bekah, Raymond, Grace, Raymar and Anna Mae. We had a wonderful dinner together. It was chicken cordon blue! We have, by the way, been having a cook who, worked until recently at a fore star restaurant in town. He has been cooking our dinners for us. It was a great way for Mark and Patti to spend more time with us and took allot of stress off of them as well as a chance to help out our cook. Not to worry, City’s Edge reimbursed them for our meals while we were there. We were, after all, there to help them not to be a burden to them.

Their Pastor also came by to spend some time with us. He played the guitar and sang with us too. It is so hard to say goodbye. I will really miss these people and this place!

Tomorrow we fly back to Manila and begin the long trip home.