Update 30
Rog has located a nearby bakery so after tasting their ware, we went to CG. The boys were dressed up and the CG van was filling up fast with many local people was well as CG boys. Three of the boys joined us and we caught a jeepney arriving at the church at the same time the van did. The pastor was Sharon's uncle and a former CG house parent. He introduced us to the first CG grad who later sang in the praise band. The pastor also runs a building business and has 10 CG grads working for him. The First hymn was in English and one DUMC sings, Blessed Be the Name. ..sung at full volume & gusto. Next several were in Tagalog but since the boys have been making me read some Tagalot, I could sing along...not understanding a word. The sermon title on the big screen was Called to Serve...and typical here, the pastor spoke mostly Tagalog but with some English intertwined so I heard...and many are hiding that you are Christians from M - Sat....why are you living if you don't serve...and our names as well as a couple other volunteers of CG & one working with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) from Holland. The congregation was mostly youth and less than 100. I spent a little time talking to the young YWAM volunteer. She said YWAM was in many countries and had many volunteers. We have met soo many volunteers from sooo many countries. What would the world be like if there were no volunteers????
Update 31
Just a little bit about few things:
Went with Billy & Sharon to a restaurant at the highest point in Antipolo for a overlook of Manila...and if that wasn't high enough...we walked the swinging bridge up another 200 yards swaying in the breeze while holding our breath...so guess you could say the view from there was breathtaking!
While discussing Philippine history with one of the boys, it was really weird when he got excited about their Independence Day...because it was independence from us...in my life time!
Minimum wage here is 466p for ten hour day...that's a little over $10
There is Gov't health insurance...though not the best. Some employers give better coverage to their employees. Some even give retirement pensions.
You can buy a single cigarette...and so many do...including the youngest CG boy (10) who got caught and was kicked out of school for 3 days!
Driving in the right lane is dangerous--though paved & even with a painted side line...they just paved around existing poles & trees & support wires...like it's no big problem to be driving along and come to a pole dead center. And how do they get away with no traffic lights????
Ketchup is made from bananas
When the stores close up at night and pull down their metal doors, a new street "store" is soon set up...selling shoes, cds, clothing, snack foods, etc...how do people find these "night stores??"...or do they just rely on whoever is passing by??
School: got to visit the elementary school with one of the CG boys as my guide. Talked to several of the uniformed teachers who welcomed me into their classrooms where the ABC's, days of week & months, number lines etc. were on the walls & lots, lots of noisy uniformed students were bouncing up & down in their seats. I did not pass a quiet classroom. The kids read aloud what was on the chalkboard...seemed to be a contest over who could read the loudest. Also looked at their report cards...basic & simple...Love of God was graded along with reading, math, English, etc.
The Philippine constitution recognizes the Bible as the truth.
Great food choices have been: flan, lumpia, pork/ckn on a stick and many rice dishes topped with garlic, hot peppers, veges, pork/fish/ckn and lots of well seasoned broth. The boys eat about 4 cups of rice with various toppings 3x a day!
Snacking on salty treats and sucking sugar treats is almost constant...and all those tiny colorful bags litter the streets and yards like over-sized confetti. Most treats cost 1p or 2p (2 or 4c)
We went to the movie, In The Woods..staring Meryl Streep & Johnny Deep. Felt like we'd stepped back into USA for the evening as the theater was first class and though the popcorn wasn't quite as tasty...it was so nice to munch. We both liked the movie...and cost for both of us & popcorn was about $10.
Crazy to see precooked & vacuumed packed corn on the cob in the grocery store...walk a block & see corn on the cob being grilled on homemade grills using bits of wood for fuel.
We stop often at a little neighborhood store who loves practicing his English and now stocks Coke Zero for me!
