Whew!

What a day Wednesday was! Not only was it the third day of work so our bodies are pretty tired- the heat was very oppressive! The locals even told us it was a bad day for them! We had a couple of people down at times due to not feeling well but today is a fresh day and we will see what that brings.

The work has been tough. We have our librarians teaching the WOL librarian the Dewey Decimal System- although it is a cool comfortable place and they get to hear the music from the summer camp.  Paul seems to get the painting jobs; the other girls have been chipping away at the paint on the dining hall.  Both jobs are at least in the shade but still very hard work especially with the very basic tools that they are using.  The Bible Institue building that we are putting up is the killer!  On a hill in the wide-open sun, again using very basic equipment- shovels and wheelbarrows are a commodity! Jacob and Terry are the mixing team- the locals even set up a little sun shelter for Jake!

I think this is what strikes me the most about the people- they are all so loving and caring and happy!  They are always smiling and watching you to see how you are doing.  Everything is respect and they LOVE to share their language/culture!  Music is a big part of the life here.  It sometimes brings a new meaning of making a “joyful noise” as sometimes they are a bit off key but the meaning of the song is strong.  I love to listen to them sing in the kitchen at night during clean up.

Last night the “Kiwis” were getting ready for the morning trip out of camp.  It is too bad because we were starting to warm up with some off them.  Just starting to know their lifestyle, culture (and slang) and beliefs.  We found a twin for Elizabeth, a girl her age with the same educational goals and loves.  She is upset that she only had “7 minutes to meet her”.  There were some difficulties with some of their team but for the most part they were good people.

We took out the 6’ cage ball that the youth group purchased for camp- it’s huge and the kids had a great time, although we did have a few minor injuries- the first being the Fogles youngest son Jonathan who got run over by the ball- fortunately it was by his older brother and not one of us!  A few of the local children got to play with it too, I am sure it will be put to good use.

Last night the kids hung out with the Fogles children, it was nice to see them all having fun together.  They ended the night watching a movie at their home.  It is interesting to see 10 people get into one of out typical 7 passenger van, but that is how they do things here- still plenty of room on the roof!

Balut was the highlight of the night-this is a 16 day old duck egg (maturity is around 26 days) that is hard boiled.(note Elizabeth’s entry and the description- she was actually describing a “red egg”) “Boy”, one of the day laborers and a leader in the Teen Youth Group, rides around on his bike at night with a cooler full of these to sell.  His wife prepares them and he sells them for 10p  (.25).  First Tyler,Bekah and Sarah Fogle were the only takers- what sideshow.  People from all over camp came to see them eat.  Of course there were cameras and videos all over the place but they did it! With all of the theatrics!  So now Erika and I now could not be shown up and went in for the second round.  It was like a scene out of Fear Factor- this HARD cooked egg, you break away the shell and there is a juice like chicken soup then you have some yoke and then the “best part” the young duck. That was the hard part- a little crunchy and some feathers.

The nights are textbook here.  The moon rising over the coconut palms, wispy clouds, gentle breeze and the flowers around you- amazing! Believe it or not, the bugs are worse at home- could be because of the ample amount of bats flying overhead- as long as they are overhead that is fine!

We just had a cost vs. benefit discussion with a couple of team members. It is always a tough choice- do we send money that will feed and employ several for a long time or do we send people for a short term and have them interact person to person.  I think that we all agree that this has been a life-changing event for all of us. We have all grown closer, especially my family.  We have been rejuvenated in our beliefs and re energized in our desires to make a difference.  We have met with most of the family of the Missionary that we support as a Church and are able to report first hand that they all are hard workers, pitching in where ever and when ever they can.  They have a love for the people and the people love them, they are doing great things here- this what WE received out of the trip.  There is another side of this trip that we must factor in- the personal touch.  The Fogels know that we as a Church support them in more than finances.  The locals that we meet and interact with know that a group of Americans so far away-from a culture and climate that they cannot even begin to understand, care enough to take time to travel and work beside them. Sure the financial support is great but up close and personal works for me.

It is now Friday morning.  Bev is in her room resting.  The camp nurse checked in on her several times last night and she seems to be gaining ground- don’t think she will be running a marathon today but things are looking up.

I saw on one of the comments to the blog that you wanted to know who the author was of these supplemental postings- let’s keep it as a “mystery writer” you see if you can figure it out. 

BEV is BACK! She is looking well and able to help out some- prayers answered!

We have had a pretty productive day the girls have the primer on the dining hall and the guys have poured most of the first floor of the BC.  They had a shipment of 600 more bags of cement come today.  We have found that backing is not a skill many of them posses it was a sight!  Then 3 guys unloaded the whole truck by hand- head actually- in about 3 hours.

Friday night we spent some time with the Fogles- this after their youngest son Jonathan decided that he would try and fly.  He was “camping out” in one of the cabins, making his bed- the top bunk of course and fell out- striking his head- aga

in!  He was found out behind one of the offices washing the blood out of his head while saying “I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die!” Poor kid was terrified with all of the blood!  Just a head wound, we used a tee shirt to put pressure on and then he was worried that he got the shirt all bloodied! Cute kid! Just a butterfly bandage and another war wound for the little guy.

We went to the Fogles for a game or movie. They have a nice house on the top of the hill- quite the climb actually.  We ended up playing a game, some memory game- I truly can’t remember the name but the guys won one and the girls won one. The night was topped off with some delicious ice cream (although not Martel’s). 

Lives are changing daily-both theirs and ours, what a great trip!

April 24, 2008

6:04 PM

After yet another grueling day of work, Erika, Beck and I are sitting on our porch, enjoying the sunset. Yes, how picturesque, you must think. Really, though, it is. We’ve got a view of most of the campus, coconut trees, and the mountains in the distance. It’s kind of beautiful. Although we don’t really participate in camp life, we get to watch it all happen. Tonight is their last night on campus, and they’re having a costume party, it seems. They all came to dinner in rather peculiar outfits… one of the counselors was wearing a sleeping bag rendition of what looked like Mulan’s kimono? It’s definitely been an interesting ride, so far. There’s going to be a big farewell bonfire later, with games and songs. Hopefully they won’t be too late, us American laborers certainly need our beauty sleep.
            The youth group’s ball came out last night… not for the kids, but for the Fogle family and us. The ball turned out to be all six feet it claimed to be, and it weighed at least 50 pounds. Unfortunately, while we were getting used to it, there was a Fogle casualty… Jonathan, at 8, was the youngest player, and Ben, at 22, underestimated his strength and accidentally rocketed the ball in Jonathan’s direction, full-body checking him to the ground. In picture perfect form, Jonathan fell straight backwards, hit his head on the cement, and immediately opened his eyes as wide as they would go. Of course, everyone stopped long enough to double over in laughter, and then resume play, minus one player. 

Last night will most likely go down in history as one of the most disgusting moments in my memory. Beluit, a Filipino delicacy, is sold every night on campus by some locals to a few unassuming tourists. The adventurers that they are, Tyler and Bekah decided at the beginning of the week, that they’d try the snack: 9- day old fermented duck egg, buried underground and then hard- boiled. As gross as it already sounds, the duck is half-formed; the occasional set of feathers is found within Balut and it’s not uncommon to feel the crunch of the beak when you’re eating it. A New- Zealander, Deb, impulsively decided to try it. She struggled all the way, too disgusted to even touch it, yet managing to put it in her mouth and swallow it. Apparently, documenting Tyler, Bekah and Deb eating it made it seem so delectable that my father, Erika and I decided to try it. Yes, I ate balut. Yes, it’s as disgusting as it sounds. It might have been the most difficult thing I’ve ever tried to do. Yes, I gagged quite a few times. Unfortunately, there was a solid 20-person crowd and a batch of Fogle bullies who were relatively relentless. I manned up. I ate it, despite the fact that no one expected me to be even remotely willing to try it, and even less were expectant of my ability to finish it. I DID IT.

I’m still nauseous.

It’s remarkable how quickly the light disappears. Just 5 minutes ago the sun was out, and now I’m sitting typing in the dark alone on the stoop because everyone decided to either visit the pool or the swings.  It’s beautifully peaceful here. We’ve all started thinking about what it would be like to stay, and begun plans of coming back, and for longer intervals. Erika, earlier, was saying she wished it was more like Narnia; time outside of the camp would stop so we could enjoy it here. It’s hard to believe day 5 has already arrived, and that we have only 4 days left before we begin the journey back home. I kind of wish we’d only spent 3 days here, because we’re meeting people and establishing connections that are beginning to really matter. My dad earlier asked me if I regretted it yet. Not in the least could I ever regret a trip like this; it’s been a spectacular experience thus far, paint highlights and sore muscles included. 

I guess it is my turn to add my 2 cents worth to our journey-WOW! It has been quite the experience so far!  This is a wonderful facility run by dedicated people. I am very impressed with the organization of the camp as well as the professionalism of everyone involved.  I am particularly impressed with the Filipinos working here.  Every one of them greets you and smiles- “good morning sir/maam”.  They are happy to serve us all and do it in a manner that makes everyone feel special and appreciated.

We are joined by some other volunteer workers, a couple from Wisconsin who are spending 3 months overseeing the work details- boy do they get the job done!  Non-stop!  We also have a group from New Zealand, they are only here for a couple of days due to going to other mission sites in the PI. 

I would be remiss if I did not mention the food.  I thought that I would actually loose weight due to the heat and not wanting to eat, but everything thing they present is wonderful so of course I have to eat- and eat (even the food on the plane was good!).

It is obvious that the love of the Lord is present everywhere you look.  The Fogles  continue to show their passion to bring the word to the citizens of the Philippines and anyone else who crosses their path.  I am glad that we brought some young people to interact.  They are seeing the world through different eyes, to include that of the Fogles children-all of which where very out going and happy to interact with our teens.

Well- time for breakfast and hopefully another productive day of work!

April 21,2008 2:26 PM

IT IS HOT. After lunch and a pretty serious rainstorm, the crew has managed to get a little unexpected siesta. Although it isn’t currently raining, all of our paint supplies are too wet to continue work. I’ve decided to start blogging ahead, because I’d like to document as much of the trip as possible and we aren’t going to get internet access every day. Our two orphans, Erika and Jake, were the first to spring for the international phone calls; since I’m here with my family, I have no legitimate excuse to splurge for the airtime, even though the lack of cell phone use is already getting to me. I’m almost relieved to be back at home (in front of a computer monitor) which makes me sound WAY more geeky than I actually am, but it’s a comfort to have the familiarity.

We got in around 1:30 this morning and managed to get some semblance of sleep before our 7 o’clock breakfast consisting of eggs, sweet rolls, and pork with white rice, which, despite its improper placement as a morning meal, was very delicious. We started our day with a staff meeting to discuss the minor faux-pas that we, as Americans, might not find inappropriate. This turned out to be helpful, because the people here find shouting to each other, even if to call attention, offensive because they take it as anger. We were encouraged to make every effort not to criticize each other, or condescend in any way. This, of course, is relatively tricky for my family, who speaks sarcasm instead of English and had already very likely exhausted all niceness on the 30-hour trip. I found out quickly that Bekah and I shouldn’t be working together on the same project for more than 2 hours at a time.

The tasks for the day have included painting, restacking library books, and preparing to lay the foundation of a new building that’s going in. This weekend, the camp was holding a convention for local school administrators, nationally paid for, to encourage incorporation of religion into the curriculum. That, in itself, is a major cultural difference: integration of church and state. This afternoon, a new batch of campers are arriving- all inner-city kids from Manila. I’m hopeful that we’re going to be able to spend some time with them during the week.

The other crew, 15 adults from New Zealand, is in the Philippines for three weeks. Until Thursday, they’re working with us at the camp. Then, they’re moving their ministry to a squatter village, and, eventually, moving on to the rubbage dump, where at least 10,000 people have established residence.

All of us are currently in dormitory-style housing, staying in a four-room cabin with two rooms for men and two for women, each room sleeping 16. We’re all at half capacity, so everyone gets bottom bunks (the novelty of bunk beds must wear off around 14—not even Bekah wants a top bunk). Each room has two bathroom stalls, two showers with no hot water, and two sinks. They’re the newest cabins on campus, and, besides the fact that their power voltage is different than ours so I can’t charge my iPod, they’re pretty nice.

Okay, I have plenty more to say, but the computer battery is dying and I’ll spare you from a hypothetically long-winded entry. If I were reading this, I’d make it to the half-page and then skip to where the really interesting part, but nobody’s been bitten by a snake or gotten food poisoning or been hit on the top of a head by a coconut… yet.

Keep checking the blog; you know it’s more productive than youtubing, and if people actually read this, it’s less creepy that I’m typing a narrative to my very possibly non-existent audience.

Magandang Gabi ,

Liz Giacomantonio

PS- one of the New Zealanders knew where Portland was. Woooo!