Saturday, October 13, 2007 from Tom

The morning was gorgeous! I went out for a time of prayer and sat on a high rock wall overlooking rice terraces, the river, and a caribou walking/grazing in a field. The sun and a cloud are fighting for control of the eastern mountaintop.

As I read my Bible, three little girls sought my attention. None of them let on that they understand any English, but I am able to get their names and ages. The oldest of the girls had leaned out of a window to greet us as Rudy and I walked through the village yesterday. (I was able to deliver the letter I had brought from a young man in Baguio to his uncle in Caneo.) She also sought Adriana and me out during the seminar last night. The youngest is extremely ticklish. All of them are adorable. All of them are giggly. Sadly, their teeth are in poor condition. It really pulls on your heart to see the needs here.

In the afternoon, I went with Pastor Rudy to visit Jhil (pronounced Hill) and Dominga. Jhil survived a brain tumor, but lost his vision as a result of it. I really enjoyed sitting and talking with the family. Two of their nieces, one with her daughter, were visiting as well. We had a good conversation about life in the USA and the Philippines. I led prayer for Jhil and we talked about how God gives grace in every situation, even the ones we don’t understand. It was humorous when I held Dominga’s 1 year old son. He just stared up at me. He did not seem necessarily frightened, but he did not know what to make of this white skinned person holding him. After a while, he became accustomed to me and just pulled at the hair on my arms. It was fun holding him.

Much of the day was spent on the work projects. We got two bunk beds completed – except a piece of plywood for each. A full size bed for Pastor Rudy and his family was completed and put in their room. A table was also made for the kitchen. All of these will make the church much more hospitable for when people are staying there. Honestly though, I did not do nearly as much on those projects as the other men. I spent much of my time whittling the handles for the door of the church. They turned out well (with the help of Alexie and Xander) and were able to be mounted as we finished up our projects, well into the evening.

Grace,
Tom