Monday in Dumaguete

Our Monday started with a devotion with the staff of LCP.  It was a great time to sing together and talk about God's word before entering the busy part of our day.


We first visited the meat processing facility that had been donated by our friends from Bloomington.  It's a nice livelihood project that is allowing some of the parents to provide extra income for themselves.  It's an excellent idea and much needed in the area.  On a lighter note, you should have seen us all in hairnets and slippers.  I tried desperately to capture Megan on film but alas, I failed.


Megan and I then visited one of the preschool programs in Calindagan with Tate and Coda.  It's quite an experience entering the community to visit the preschool.  In the school, the kids were all so well behaved and so cute.  Tate read them a story and gave them an image from the story to color as well as stickers.  I then handed all the girls new dresses that were made by a friend in Orlando.  The girls were very appreciative although somewhat shy.  They then sang and danced for us.


We then visited the Looc soup kitchen.  This soup kitchen is for the local elementary school students.  They were amazing.  The teacher would rattle off a bible verse location and they would give us the verse.  Along with the soup and rice they were also required to take provided vitamins and brush their teeth.  This was the original soup kitchen project that was established by a volunteer about 10 years ago.  It's a wonderful way to insure nutrition.  Malnutrition is a big issue in many of the communities where LCP works.


After lunch, Megan and I then went to meet the president of Silliman University.  He is a classmate and friend of my brother Brian.  His family and mine go back to the early sixties at Silliman.  I have pictures of myself with his brother Samuel crawling around together as infants.  It was great to catch up and to learn about what Silliman was doing these days.  I learned from him that my mother had actually started the Psychology department as well as the Womens Studies program at Silliman.  My mom sure does seem to always be starting or building something.  It's amazing how many ties my family has to this city.  You mention the Elwood name and many times you will hear the person mention one of us and some connection they have to us.  Just today I met briefly with a person at the agricultural office and he and my sister were classmates.

After we left the president's office, I then took Megan down memory lane as we walked the Silliman campus.  I hope I didn't bore her too much with my reminiscing.  Oh the memories came flooding back.  There was some new but still much remained as I remembered it.  The tennis court now has a hard court was well as the clay I so remember.  The archery area is no longer where it was.  The gym is different but the library and Luce auditorium looked the same.  The divinity school where my dad worked as well as the chapel and church looked the same.  My old high school now has a huge new building in the back where I remember classrooms and A/C in the classrooms.  You have to understand, I lived on that campus and walked/biked around it daily.


I then visited my old house.  Much looked the same although a little worn down.  The nipa hut my dad purchased at a founder's day was still there but no longer used for ferns.  The banana trees are mostly gone.  A building now occupies part of what used to be our side yard.  The tree that we planted on my birthday when I was in six grade is now huge with a great overhang.  Incredible, although I guess it has to be around 35 years old now.

We then ended the day with dinner with a number of the sponsored college students.  Megan was provided with "the opportunity" to ride to dinner with Carmenia & Carmella which she had trouble declining.  Her first trip on a motorcycle was one that had her sandwiched between the other two ladies.  She had fun.  Megan and I then ate with a girl my parents have sponsored for many years.  She is now a in her last year of college.  It was great getting to know her and what she has been doing.