So long teenage years...hello road to getting old

So we're at the half way point in this internship. I've been here for 8 weeks, which means I only have 8 more weeks left. As much as that makes me happy and everything, it also kind of makes me sad. I'm just beginning to feel comfortable here. That doesn't necessarily mean that I could see myself here long term... I don't think being here long term is for me.

Getting back to the fact leaving makes me happy, I am really really REALLY excited to go home. I get to see all my friends and family again. I get to eat American food ALL the time, and I don't have to eat rice 3 times a day =) I have been craving pancakes and diner food so badly the last couple weeks. When it comes to food, that's just about all I think about...pancakes and going to a New York style Diner. The pancakes I can understand...I have those somewhat regularly...but the diner, i'm not so sure about. I don't really eat a diner all that often.

Okay enough about food...it's making me hungry, and I just finished breakfast, which was noodles and milk, not mixed, if you were interested. But yesterday, or tonight, depending on when you read this, was my birthday. As the title says...it's time to say “so long teenage years...and hello to the road to getting old.” But now that i'm 20, which is weird to say, I don't really feel all that different. I mean yesterday didn't feel like a “special day” like it has previously. To me it was just another day. With that said, when I first arrived, Angela had told me what the Filipino people do on ones birthday, which scared me at the time. She said that Filipino people wake up the birthday person at like 5:00 in the morning to sing to them, and then make the birthday person make everyone breakfast and coffee and such. When I had heard this I was very scared, because I did NOT want that happening to me. So when they asked me when my birthday was, I was skeptical to them. I eventually did tell them, and thankfully, they didn't do that to me. But we didn't have power again the night before so we all slept in the living room because it's a lot cooler out there then in the rooms. Only problem is that the tile floor isn't all that comfortable, so I didn't really sleep all that well. Around 6:15 I got up and went into my room and slept for another hour or so, which I was very thankful for.

This is totally random, but while I've been here, I have been very very VERY thankful for music. On my last missions trip I didn't have any music with me, but fortunately my friends let me borrow their ipods, which helped a lot! I LOVE music, and it helps me if i'm not in a good mood, or just bummed about stuff. There have been about 2-3 songs that have been particularly helpful. Not Alone by Red, Hymn For the Missing by Red, and Best Is Yet To Come also by Red. There are a lot of songs that I've listened to that have brought me peace while i've been here, but these three have been the most helpful to me.

I forgot to mention this in last week's update, but we went to a Taoist temple for an “outing.” Once a week or so, we didn't go on one this week, we all go on an outing somewhere. It could be to the movies, it could be to the beach, or it could be an educational outing. I personally loved the Taoist temple, but everyone thought it was boring. But I like that kind of stuff. It was just interesting to see everything, and just to experience such quiet even though there were a lot of people there. Because everyone was bored out of their mind, we only stayed about an hour and a half, and ended up going to Family Park, which is a huge park that has fields, and a pool, and it even has it's own Zoo, a small zoo, but a zoo nonetheless. We went there to eat lunch, and so that the kids could run around and play. We spent more time there, then we did at the Taoist temple, and the Taoist temple was supposed to be our “outing” for the week.

Well that's all I have for now. Talk to you next week!!

With the wind,

Mark

So long teenage years...hello road to getting old

So we're at the half way point in this internship. I've been here for 8 weeks, which means I only have 8 more weeks left. As much as that makes me happy and everything, it also kind of makes me sad. I'm just beginning to feel comfortable here. That doesn't necessarily mean that I could see myself here long term... I don't think being here long term is for me.

Getting back to the fact leaving makes me happy, I am really really REALLY excited to go home. I get to see all my friends and family again. I get to eat American food ALL the time, and I don't have to eat rice 3 times a day =) I have been craving pancakes and diner food so badly the last couple weeks. When it comes to food, that's just about all I think about...pancakes and going to a New York style Diner. The pancakes I can understand...I have those somewhat regularly...but the diner, i'm not so sure about. I don't really eat a diner all that often.

Okay enough about food...it's making me hungry, and I just finished breakfast, which was noodles and milk, not mixed, if you were interested. But yesterday, or tonight, depending on when you read this, was my birthday. As the title says...it's time to say “so long teenage years...and hello to the road to getting old.” But now that i'm 20, which is weird to say, I don't really feel all that different. I mean yesterday didn't feel like a “special day” like it has previously. To me it was just another day. With that said, when I first arrived, Angela had told me what the Filipino people do on ones birthday, which scared me at the time. She said that Filipino people wake up the birthday person at like 5:00 in the morning to sing to them, and then make the birthday person make everyone breakfast and coffee and such. When I had heard this I was very scared, because I did NOT want that happening to me. So when they asked me when my birthday was, I was skeptical to them. I eventually did tell them, and thankfully, they didn't do that to me. But we didn't have power again the night before so we all slept in the living room because it's a lot cooler out there then in the rooms. Only problem is that the tile floor isn't all that comfortable, so I didn't really sleep all that well. Around 6:15 I got up and went into my room and slept for another hour or so, which I was very thankful for.

This is totally random, but while I've been here, I have been very very VERY thankful for music. On my last missions trip I didn't have any music with me, but fortunately my friends let me borrow their ipods, which helped a lot! I LOVE music, and it helps me if i'm not in a good mood, or just bummed about stuff. There have been about 2-3 songs that have been particularly helpful. Not Alone by Red, Hymn For the Missing by Red, and Best Is Yet To Come also by Red. There are a lot of songs that I've listened to that have brought me peace while i've been here, but these three have been the most helpful to me.

I forgot to mention this in last week's update, but we went to a Taoist temple for an “outing.” Once a week or so, we didn't go on one this week, we all go on an outing somewhere. It could be to the movies, it could be to the beach, or it could be an educational outing. I personally loved the Taoist temple, but everyone thought it was boring. But I like that kind of stuff. It was just interesting to see everything, and just to experience such quiet even though there were a lot of people there. Because everyone was bored out of their mind, we only stayed about an hour and a half, and ended up going to Family Park, which is a huge park that has fields, and a pool, and it even has it's own Zoo, a small zoo, but a zoo nonetheless. We went there to eat lunch, and so that the kids could run around and play. We spent more time there, then we did at the Taoist temple, and the Taoist temple was supposed to be our “outing” for the week.

Well that's all I have for now. Talk to you next week!!

With the wind,

Mark

Week 7...which means only 9 more weeks left...which means we're down to single digits people!!!!

So here we are once again. We only have 9 more meetings after this one, which is kind of weird. I can't believe i've been here 7 weeks already. I know I say that just about every week. But it's true. The longer I'm here, the more and more comfortable I feel here. This past week has been a really good week for me. I'm finally beginning to accept my role here, and be who I am here, a big brother/ role model/ staff member.

This week we were given a new schedule that will take us to when school starts, and then we get a new schedule. School starts on June 6^th here, and the first day of summer vacation for the kids here was April 5^th, the day I arrived. So it's not that long of a break. But with this new schedule I am with the kids all morning, and during the evening, and I have the afternoons off. In the morning I am responsible for giving just about all the kids, accept for 3, medicine. The kids have some kind of skin fungus that spreads when ever the kids sweat. So they have to get this medicine three times a day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once again in the evening. The morning dose, they receive right when they wake up, and are not sweaty yet. The medicine is a cream that has to be put on the spots themselves. The afternoon and the evening doses they have to shower before receiving to get the sweat off, and be clean. Once they get the medicine, they have to let it sit before being able to run around again. Once all the kids have gotten the morning medicine dose, and have let it sit, it's time to go outside for outdoor games and activities. This usually involves throwing the football around. I taught most of the older kids how to throw a football this past week, and the more they throw, the better they get. Once we're done with that, which is usually around 10:15-10:30 or so, it's time for chores. Each kid has his/her own chore, depending on what the chore is, there could be two kids to do one chore. Chores last until about 11:00, at such time, they have to go inside, and takes showers to get the next dose of medicine. This lasts about an hour or so. At noon, it's time for lunch, and then after lunch is my time off until about 5:00 or so. In the afternoons, they have group music time with Art and Earl. They have private music lessons in the morning during outdoor play and activities. At 5:00 when I get back from my time off, it's free play and the kids can do whatever they'd like, which usually involves playing cards, they LOVE playing cards. At 6:00 it's time for dinner. Dinner has gotten very interesting lately. But that's to be expected in a different country. After dinner I have time to Skype people back home if needed (If you want to Skype let me know, and we can set up a date to do so). During that time, the kids receive their last medicine dose of the day. From 8-9 is devotion time. I'm responsible for devotions on Wednesday and Saturday.

Before the new schedule started, I had been in charge of devotions for the older kids every night. About 2 weeks ago, I had asked them to start reading their bibles by themselves, and I had told them to start reading in the book of John. Yesterday, Thursday, one of the boys came up to me and said that he had finished the book of John, and was in Acts, and he mentioned that he liked John, but he was liking Acts better. This made me very very happy to hear. I am hoping and praying that he continues to read once I leave, and not just him, but all the kids continue to read their bibles everyday. I've learned that without reading the bible everyday, life gets sluggish, and doesn't feel all that good.

Now that we have a pretty sound schedule that people are following, it makes being here a lot easier, and a lot less stressful, and lot more enjoyable. As I've said the past, these last 9 weeks will fly by. I am happy that I go home in about 2 months because I get to see all my friends and family whom I haven't seen in 4 months by that time. But at the same time, a little bummed. I mean, yeah, I know that this trip has to come to an end eventually, but this is an awesome place to be...aside from the heat. I could do without the heat. This doesn't necessarily mean that I can see myself here long term. I don't think this is for me long term. Would I mind returning in the future for a visit, or another missions trip? Not at all.

All right well that's all for this week. Same time, same place next week!

With the wind,

Mark

Squid, Cockroaches and the case of the missing cell phone

Hello people of planet earth! This is now my 6^th weekly blog update...can't believe it's been that many already...only 10 more weeks left. While that number is getting more and more exciting the lower it gets, it's also getting more and more real that I'll be leaving here, and who knows if I'll ever be returning. The kids are already asking when I'll be back after I leave. At this point in my trip, I say the only thing I can, “I don't know when I'll be returning” but the said truth is, I might not be returning any time soon.

So this week has been interesting...but at the same time, not so interesting. It was interesting that I had three firsts. I had squid for the first time, and now that i've had it, I can honestly say that i'm not a big fan of it. But I think it may just be the way that it was cooked. It was cooked in it's own ink, but through talking to people here, they say that if I have it fried, it tastes a lot better, which makes sense, because everything fried tastes better. Now onto my second first of the week. I had my first run in with a cockroach. It wasn't your typical run in either. I didn't see scurry across the bedroom floor. No, I woke up to it, on my side. You can imagine my fright when I saw that thing. I tried swatting it, but because of the hour in the morning, approximately 6:30 in the morning, I wasn't quite myself yet so my aim wasn't all that good, and I missed horribly. The cockroach then proceeds to crawl onto my back where I quickly lose sight of it. I flip my shirt hoping that it gets flung off. I look all around my bed and I don't see it at all. It's not by the wall, it's not at the foot of the bed, it's not on the other side of the bed. I get up and go about my morning as usual. When I come back into my room late morning, I see it on it's back dead. Where it was I have no idea...all I know is that it was dead and that's all that matters. And my third first, was that I had my cell phone stolen for the first time on Thursday. I noticed my cell phone missing on Thursday night, on Friday morning I went to the home where the people that run the ministry live. I told them that my cell phone was missing, and that none of the boys had it. Art, Annabelle, and Earl went to the pawn shop right down the road, and they said that they had bought it yesterday, but had sold it to another pawn shop in the market in the city. It was then decided that Earl would just go to the pawn shop in the market pretending to be looking for a new cell phone and look for my phone. While all this is going on, I was on Skype with my parents telling them what had happened. We had deactivated the phone so that it would not work here in the Philippines. We then prayed that whatever happens would be the Lord's will. We then said our good-bye's and good night's/ good mornings, and hung up. No sooner did I hang up with them, did one of the co-founders get a text message from Earl saying that he had my phone in his hands. The guy at the pawn shop wanted $2500 Pesos for it which is about $58 USD. Earl was able to negotiate the guy down to $2030 Pesos, which is about $47 USD, because that's all he had at the time. The good news is that I have my cell phone back, the bad news is that the SIM card and mini SD card are missing, and they wiped my pictures as well as messed with the settings, but all things considered, I'd rather my cell phone back with a few settings messed with, then not have a cell phone at all.

Okay, soo I knew that this week had been exciting, but I just didn't realize how exciting it was until I wrote this blog entry. This has probably been the most exciting week I've had in a long while, definitely since I've been here. But I've also learned a very important lesson through all this; No matter where I am in the world, whether it be at a Christian home for abandoned children in the Philippines, or out on the street in the slums of Mexico, I have to be careful with my valuables. I can't just leave them lying around like they are nothing.

Thank you all for praying for me! I hope you have a good week yourself, and we shall meet again next week :)

With the wind,

Mark

Week 5 already?? REALLY???

So here we are once again. Week five is just about over which is weird. It feels like I just got here maybe two weeks or so ago. But I only have 11 weeks left. And if the remaining 11 weeks go as fast as the first 5 have, I'll be airborne and on my way home before I know it.

This week has been pretty uneventful. The most exciting thing I got to do this week was probably go to the Emergency Room...and it really wasn't an emergency. The only reason why I went to the ER was because if I didn't, and just went to the regular hospital, I would've had to wait forever for a doctor. But the reason why I went to the ER was because my foot was so swollen it looked like a softball was stuffed in it. At first, Angela, one of the co-founders of the ministry, thought it was a common Filipino foot fungus someone gets when another person “borrows” your flip-flops and sweats in them, and you put them on and sweat in them also. The sweat mixes and BAM!, you have the foot fungus. When I fist showed her my foot, it was only a little swollen, with the beginnings of blisters. That afternoon she checked on it again, and the swelling was getting worse, which she said wasn't uncommon. The next day, my foot had grown a lot worse. She had mentioned the possibility that I might have to go to the hospital if it get's worse. She and her mom came back in the afternoon again to check on me and the other kids, the kids have a skin fungus from the soap they've been using, and from the morning to the afternoon, my ankle had again more swollen. It was then decided that I would go to the ER to see if they could figure out what the cause was. The doctors at the ER had come to the conclusion that it was an infected blister that I had popped, and the reason for all the swelling, was that it was slowly spreading. That was on Friday, now as I'm writing this on Sunday, my ankle is A LOT less swollen, but it is still swollen a little bit. Unfortunately, I have to stay off my feet with as little walking as possible, which is getting very old, very fast. I've pretty much been cooped up in my room since Thursday afternoon watching movies, which may sound like fun, but let me assure you...it get's old very fast. I'll be very happy when this is over and done with, and i'll be able to leave the house...let alone my room freely. That's pretty much all that happened this week. Like I said, an uneventful week.

Oh, I've been craving every single kind of American food you can think of this week. New York Pizza, Bagels, McDonald's, I hardly ever eat there, so I don't know why I'm craving it, donuts, you think it, I've craved it.

With the wind,

Mark