Manila Lessons, Take 5

This is the fifth of 5 blogs on my trip to the Philippines. Look through all the blogs labeled "Manila Lessons" to read about my journeys.
To go back to the first blog, click on this link or copy it into your browser: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-1.html
Second blog: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-2.html
Third blog:  http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-3.html
Fourth blog: http://mymacaustory.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-lessons-take-4.html

50 Lessons I learned (or was reminded of) in the Philippines [continued]

41.      Small acts of kindness go a long way. I worked for hours on a bulletin board that in the grand scheme of things make no difference in these children’s lives, but I hope that it will be fun for them to see their name as a star and perhaps a visitor will be impressed by the look of the place and donate. (We’re weird like that with where we give money sometimes) Here’s the bulletin board, all letters and stars cut out by hand. It was not my idea, only my labor…the names are still to be done.

42.      Green beans with a spicy kick are amazing! As were most of the somewhat simple dishes that we had this past week.

43.      Rice is a staple staple staple in the Philippines—especially where I stayed. They had rice with every meal—even breakfast. Good thing I like rice J

44.      Part of the Bourne Legacy was shot in the Philippines today, under an overpass I was on! That’s what the taxi cab driver told me as an explanation for his grunt toward them rerouting traffic. I felt like a mini-celebrity in a way. That’s by far one of my favorite action series.

45.      Philippine Airlines gives you meals on 2 hour flights!...but they also tend to not be on time. Both of my flights were delayed. I’ve heard that the Manila airport is supposed to be the worst run in the world…not sure if that’s fact or not. A whole terminal is dedicated to Philippine Airlines alone (and it is far too small of a terminal).

46.      It costs 750 Pesos to get out of the Philippines. That’s only about $17.50USD, but still…

47.      “There is no question if God can do miracles—He can; You just have to ask for them.” This is my wording of what Brit told me after explaining one of their babies coming to the orphanage. Apparently it’s not unusual for parents to love one baby more in Filipino culture, and this is to the degree one child may be neglected. There was a baby who was neglected/mistreated/ malnourished, but they couldn’t get the father to hand over custody. As I understood it, they fought for this for 3 months. One day, Ate. C. called together everyone to pray for this one baby for the whole day. The next day, the father gave up rights to her. Now she knows love. At 4 years old, she looks and to some degree is at the learning level of a 2 year old. She’s catching up quickly though now that she’s in good hands.

48.      “Ate” (pronounced like atty) means ‘older sister’ and is used as a term of respect for women in the Philippines. The children call Brit Ate. Brittany, and all week I had an Ate. before my first name as well.

49.      The Helen Keller Story by Catherine Owens Peare is a good book. I was able to read it during the evenings while Brit did homework and the babies slept. I didn’t recall that Helen Keller went to Radcliffe, the women’s equivalent of Harvard back in her day, or that she had connections with Mark Twain. He was always a big encourager and supporter of her. “Every day brings me some new joy, some fresh token of love from distant friends, until in the ‘fullness of my heart, I cry’: Love is everything! And God is Love.” –Helen Keller, 12 years old

50.  At the end of this, I hope you don’t see any of it as bragging. I love working towards a purpose, but I did nothing that was worth praise this week. It’s the year-round day-in and day-out laborers like Ate. C, Brit and Jordan that deserve such attention, though I’m sure they wouldn’t accept it themselves. I read this verse this week at the orphanage, “If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.”—Proverbs 30:32-33….at the end of it all, I am nothing and Christ is everything. If it were not for His blessings, His love, and His example, none of this would be fathomable. GH would not exist to love on babies in a Christian environment, Brit would not have had ‘divine insanity,’ and I would have never had reason to set foot in a classroom on my week away from work. We do because He did. We live because He lives in us. As I saw Brit say or type many, many times this week—TO GOD BE THE GLORY. Amen.

And on that note, the adventure is over and I'm safely in my apartment.

Answered prayers--He's still at it.