archive for the “poverty” category
(Dominic)
For those of you anticipating a post about some little-known species of marijuana found here in the Philippines, well, I’m afraid you will be disappointed. This place can be paradise — in a way — for those with some means, but not to smoke a fat one. Ironically, I am listening to a favorite song of mine from 1967, White Rabbit, from the group, Jefferson Airplane as I write this. I love the sound and beat of the song, but the lyrics aren’t for me. »→
As today we don’t have internet access at home and thus Dominic couldn’t work on the internet, he was game to go downhill with me to revisit our new friends in Baguio Gold neighborhood. It’s not in Baguio City, of course, but that’s the name. We took beverages and cups and oranges and a new basketball and hoop nets down the steep street, past the ore ‘refineries’ to the kid’s neighborhood near the elementary school.
Friday afternoon we had a very late lunch in Pizza Volante in Baguio City. Upon return home to Tuding, Dominic and I walked down Main Avenue in Monterrazas Village, behind our home, to visit the kids in the gold-mining neighborhood and give a volleyball to the boys. »→
For most of today we didn’t have internet access, and I wanted exercise and fresh air, so I went walking to see how far Monterrazas Village extends downhill. Well, it doesn’t spread far before it devolves into real hillbilly country.
I walked Main Avenue, behind our neighborhood, to see what’s down there. Since moving in here, Dom and I had only gone as far as the two-rut lane sideways on the slope below our terrace to see the source of all the noise (dogs whining as if in pain, yelping, barking, drunken revelry, shouting, etcetera). »→
After church on Sunday, Ely, Ricardo, Flint (APTS student), Eliz and I went uphill from Gumatdang all the way into the city to have lunch in 50′s Diner. We wanted to treat Flint who is finishing a semester the local seminary and will fly back to his family in Fiji next Sunday. »→
Easter morning , Dominic, Pie and I rode a jeepney down a very winding road into a valley, to the village of Gumatdang. The principal industry is mining for gold. And the natives farm vegetables, pigs and chickens.
We crossed a swaying suspension bridge over a murky creek where villagers pan for gold and saw the modest Agape Church (Assembly of God), the parsonage, where worship services were conducted before the church was completed two years ago, and we met Pastor Espino, his wife Raciel and Esra.
We met Lydia and Lawrence, two Vietnamese missionaries, we saw Bob and Alma and their daughters and son, Pie’s nephew Josef, and most of the gang from Turning Point Home ready to worship with the villagers. »→
(Dominic) Smokey, my good friend in Panama City Florida, assured us that if we just follow God’s intentions, things will work out. I’m becoming more aware of this everyday, but the next step is always the one that scares you. At least the disciple Peter went a couple of step before he plunged into the water.
