I'm proud of my girl. She has done a great job on this trip. She has tried new foods, made new friends, not complained at the lack of amenities and spoken well in front of between twenty and a thousand people. Not easy for most American teenagers. What a great girl. She deserves a pak pak (clapping hands).
Today started bright and early and for once the rain did not show. This was awesome since today was free clinic day. Some of us spent the first part of the morning registering patients or getting the basic vitals such as height, weight, BP & temperature. They then helped the dentist and other medical personnel work with the patients. The Philippine army was also there giving massages and haircuts as part of their required community service. The military here requires each person engage in a number of community service hours each month. It's a great service that they do. I tried one of the massages. It was quite relaxing.
We had our morning worship with Pastor Roy leading a congregation of around a thousand. This was going on while the medical mission was occurring so people were coming and going through much of the service. It's a very different worship service from what we are used to with all the dancing and praise songs. It's a fun experience with a body that truly seems to believe in God. The service is also almost 2 hours long but it seems to fly by, even when most of it is in Cebuano. Many of the praise songs they sing in English but most of the rest of the service is in Cebuano.At the end of the service, two of us were asked to give solos. Deann, the nurse, sang her's first. Then I sang mine. Yes, my first ever solo was in front of a thousand people. A little intimidating but I didn't feel that nervous. The Lord must have been giving me strength. Megan told me before I went up that she was nervous for me and her heart was beating very fast. Thank you my dear girl. That was quite an experience and I think I pulled it off reasonably well. I then gave a few words of thanks. I let everyone know that Tatay wishes he could be here to sing to them again but he can't sing anymore. He and Nanay send their love. I continue to almost break down whenever I bring up my parents. I however can't help but bring them up at a gathering. So I guess that I am at an impasse. Survive and move on, the fire swamps are next.
At the service, I saw the Wee Women wearing the new dresses we handed them yesterday. They looked so beautiful in them. They each added a belt that made the dress even more beautiful. One of the girls let me know that this dress is now her favorite. It was a great gift. Thank you for making them Barbara.
Megan and I then met with my in-laws sponsored child Jamel and his mom. He is a cute but shy kid. His mother spoke very good English and we had a great time together. I gave them the letter and little gift that I brought from VCR. I know, interesting acronym. It's the first time I have ever tried it. It really shortens things although my shortness now consists of three sentences. Anyway, they much appreciated the letter and gift. We then took them shopping. Jamel wanted a new pair of school shoes, high top sneakers and a basketball uniform. He picked out the Miami Heat. After buying 2 sets of shoes and the uniform, we still had quite a bit of money left over so we gave it to the mom to buy groceries for her family. They were very appreciative.After returning, I was given the opportunity to have a massage. Glenna, the team and LCW leader, was just finishing up one and offered to pay for me to have one since my back has been hurting most of the week. Yes, I had my second massage of the day. This one with more of an emphasis on the back. I was very relaxed after that.
We ended the day with a team dinner at Greenrich, a local restaurant.
Time is now flying by and we want it to slow down although I would love to see my wife and baby doll again. We both miss them terribly.
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