TLC Visit #3

At last...I will finally update my blog again.

I visited the home (again, at last!) last Saturday with Miel and a team of 7 Canadians who are in a short-term alternative Gospel preaching mission.

TEST #1: Two days before that, I actually canceled because of the weather advisory - a supertyphoon was supposed to hit Manila and nearby provinces. Come Friday, Kelsy, one of the team members, texted to ask if there was any chance of us pushing thru. I told her that if there was any change in the weather, we would defitenly push thru. Thankfully, the typhoon changed direction and Manila wasn't directly hit, though it was signal number one.

I informed Mang Benjoy, the driver I originally got, that we were going to the home the following day. Unfortunately, since I canceled last Thursday, he scheduled something else for Saturday. TEST #2: NO DRIVER. So I was stressing out the entire day trying to find someone who could replace Mang Benjoy. I was praying nearly every hour for a driver and asking almost everyone in my phonebook to pray for it too.

My friend, Jan, was such a blessing. He was suggesting transportation options and was really doing his best to help as much as he could. 8PM and I still haven't found a driver. Come what may, Lord. You will make a way, I know. And he did! When I got home from my trip to the uhhh... salon (Right. I wasn't too worried, I guess), I got a text from a former officemate. She gave the number of Mang Nene, the project driver of ECAP-USAID. I texted Mang Nene right away. He replied instantly and praise GOD! We had a driver for Saturday!!! He is just sooo good!

I met Mang Nene at Jollibee-Vito Cruz at 7:30AM and waited for Miel who lives just nearby. TEST #3: We almost didn't have a car! Miel didn't remember I told her we were going to take their car hehe...All three of us went to their place to ask her brother if we could take the car. And again, thank GOD! He allowed us to use the car!

So off we were to Mcdonald's-CCF where Jan and the Canadian team were waiting. Test #4: Along Ortigas Extension, we were stopped by the police for a traffic violation - a seatbelt violation and one other I couldn't remember. The fine was originally 600 bucks but I don't know why it was reduced to 250. It was definitely a good thing though. No questions asked hehe.

Traffic wasn't bad so we arrived early. I briefed them about the ministry and the home itself and then we went inside the home to hang out with the babies. Right on! Yea, we did hang out for hours. There are 7 infants and 7 toddlers in the home now. They were all soooo cute! Marian and Nicole were wearing dresses again! We all had so much fun playing with the babies!

When I told them we had to have lunch and head back to Ortigas, they went, "You can go ahead". Haha! Cool people!

We had lunch at Chowking-Taytay and Bev, Gary's wife (they are the team heads) paid for our lunch! Had a great time with them! Bev and Gary joked that they were gonna take the babies back to Canada as souvenirs. They wouldn't need documents for those, Bev quipped.