Philippine Connection: March Work Team

The Team:

Mark, Sherri, Jade and Jackson Pierce. Erin and Kathy Braaksma. Kyle and Loren Van Middendorp

The team left Helena, Montana in the morning on the 13th and arrived here very early in the morning on Sunday the 15th. We were so excited to see them! The week was full of painting, playing with the kids in the orphanage, and some fun outings as well.

We had so much fun getting to know all the members of the team! Since the wall is not under construction yet, the team was able to to some painting at the orphanage and replace some screens in the windows. Loren also spent a lot of time stripping paint off of the stairs up to the guest house so that they can be repainted. They worked very hard and compared to Montana it was very hot out! The most important thing that they did was play with the kids at the orphanage. It was fun to see the kids warm up to them and make friends. I also have to admit that it was fun to talk to people from good old Montana. Some days I miss home and family so much and other days this place feels so much like home!

While Josh was busy organizing work for the work team and being a host to them, he was also working on getting the bids for the project clarified. He has been spending hours on skype, e-mailing, and texting contractors. On Friday half of the team went home. They left Rehoboth at 1:45 am and Josh went with them to the airport. Josh and Sid (the driver) dropped them off at the airport at 3:30 and then waited in Manila for Josh's 8:30 am appointment. Josh thought that the meeting would only last a few hours but it took seven! In the end they decided to make a reccomendation to the board of directors and ask them to make the descision. Yesterday the board asked for further clarrification of the bids! So back to work tomorrow for Josh. Even though the construction has not started he has been very, very busy with the project. It can be hard for him to feel like anything is being accomplished. However, a lot is getting done on paper. We are also getting some very valuable training in the culture and language too. We are often times able to pick up on the topic of conversation around us. Although, I have to admit that English words are mixed in the Tagalog.

I am contiually brought back to the thought that God has a purpose in all this "waiting". It feels so purposeless to us, but I know that He has a purpose. So for now we will continue to "Seek Yahweh and live..." Amos 5:6.

Here are a few pictures from this last week!

Josh showing work team the land for the expansion.

Jackson and Mark scraping rust and paint off of one of the many grates.

Kathy and Erin covering the primer with the first coat of green paint.

Kathy with some of the boys, while they enjoy tootsie pops that the work team brought.

Airish, one of the twins, loving the masirap ( yummy) tootsie pop!

Sherri with two-month old Rose Marie.

Erin and Jade enjoying popscicles in the barrio. We took the all the children that could walk out for the treat.

Ronnie and George

Mark and Justin (who will be going home to Idaho very soon!)

On Wednesday we went to Batlag Falls. It was so beautiful! I was not a fan of the bridges on the walk to the falls, though! There were three of them.

The pool at the bottom of the falls was about 4 feet deep at the deepest and just the right temperature.

Mary Joy, Mama Minda, and Clara

Justin

Our family loved it!

After the falls we took the kids to Jolly Bee for hamburgers, fries and soda. It was like Christmas to them. It was so wonderful to see the pure joy on their faces!