So it's time to leave The Philippines. We've had a magnificent time here doing all manner of amazing things. The day started early for Lara and myself. We headed out for a quick trip to 7/11 before making our way via trike to the Ligao market. I had promised the two 16 year old boys at the Ligao jail that I would get them a cap each. They showed a strong interest in my special red cap. So, to make good on my promise we hunted through the market until we found some.
We headed back to the Hometel again (via trike) in time for breaky. We love breaky at the Hometel. Neil and his staff have really looked after us. Sister Alma has also organised a toaster, fresh bread and coffee for us each morning.
After breaky, we gathered at the Church for a little time of reflection. Alma was feeling quite unwell this morning. Gracie Parker was still struggling after a bad night. There is a bit of fatigue settling in. We had a very powerful time of sharing and reflecting. Each of us had an opportunity to share what had impacted us the most. Pastor Choi played his guitar and reminded each of us of God's goodness and explained what it meant to part of God's family. He's a very special man.
Biggs then presented his University thesis - He's got big ideas for the Ligao church. He topped his class with his thesis. He surveyed the local population and designed a "church" which is actually a community centre based around the needs of the community. The three greatest needs that he identified were malnutrition, unemployment and poverty. It's a stunning proposal and very advanced and technical in both design and construction. This little church is doing amazing things and has big ideas for the future.
Once everyone was packed up, we headed for the airport. We had lunch at the Airport cafe (as is the tradition). It was hard to say goodbye to Pastor Choi and Sister Alma. They are such wonderful people and they have taught us so many incredible lessons. Their hospitality is amazing and they practice sacrificial acts of service as a normal and natural part of everything that they do. We will miss them.
We had an uneventful trip back to Manila. Emma Russell was fortunate to win the highly coveted Cebu Air multiple choice competition. The answer was Hong Kong. I can't remember the question.
It was in Terminal 3 that we bid farewell to the Starrs and the Russells. They are both very cashed and had clearly learnt nothing from the previous 9 days of service amongst the poor. While the rest of us took home the stark lessons of poverty, the aforementioned families stayed on to indulge in 5 star luxury.
The remaining families decided that we probably had 30 mins to browse Terminal 3 before making our way to Terminal 2. This turned out to be a bit stressful. After various fast food experiences, we eventually made our way to the bus to start our trip to Terminal 2. We should know better by now. We always find this stressful and we always promise that we won't do this again. Will we ever learn? We arrived at Terminal 2 with 15 mins to spare. Probably a little tight for an international flight.
We arrived home in Melbourne at 5.30 am on Wednesday 10 July. It was an incredible time away. We are so grateful to God for the amazing memories, the sensational people that we met and the lessons that we learnt. It is was such a wonderful time with an amazing group of people. To the Parkers, the Starrs, the Russells, the Millars and the Jacobs - I salute you. Everyone on the trip showed good grace, the ability to compromise, a desire to try new things and an amazing ability to live outside their comfort zone. To my own family, I thank-you for being who you are. This trip is one of the great highlights of my year. To my darling Lara, you worked so hard to plan, collect, enthuse, organise and encourage. We couldn't have done it without you.
I trust that everyone has enjoyed this little blog. It's purpose is simply to record (in a chronological order) the highs and lows and the daily activities of our time in The Philippines. I trust that you've found something in it that either inspires you or makes you smile. Until our next adventure.
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