LOOK OUT: HERE THEY COME

Let the games begin as they say. Very soon 3 wild and crazy women (Linda, Becky and I) will descend on the Philippines. This trio includes 1 very seasoned international traveler, 1 somewhat versed international traveler and then there is the Babydux (that would be me), following behind never having left US soil ever before. And to say I’m nervous is an understatement.

Our final destination will be the Visayas region and ultimately the delightfully smiling faces of the children at God’s Town and for me personally Sebio. Linda said all along “you can’t just send money and sponsor a child, you’ve got to go and actually meet him” and very soon I really will.

Linda, Becky and I leave this weekend. From what I hear the children at God’s Town are excited beyond belief. They have been counting down the days til our arrival. Hmmm, sort of sounds like me, but then again most of you know I’m a kid at heart.

Right now I’m experiencing and repeating the grumbles I heard from Linda while she packed over a week ago trying to fit 100lbs. of “stuff”, not exactly the word she used, into the 50lbs. allowable for my checked bag. Hopefully my personal necessities will fit on my carry on bags.

I’d like to say I’ll be able to send updates for the blog while I’m away but not sure if or how that will happen. I do expect one day we’ll visit a nearby town that has an Internet cafe where I can not only show Sebio this blog that has been about him and his co-children, but have him put his own post up as well. So please check in to see when that happens because I doubt I'll send an alert but ya never know.

I am also going to try and complete a project with all the children by having them make drawings about things that make them happy then bringing those pictures back and turning them into note cards. We’ll use the cards to thank donors and possibly sell them to raise more money for projects at God’s Town.

Speaking of a project that is going to be one of my tasks while I am there to see what types of projects I can submit to foundations and donors for funding. Linda has already mentioned the need for a water tower there so I’ll get all the details and a budget in order to submit the request to funding sources.

Seeing as I have a bazillion things to do before we depart I don’t know if this will be my last USA post. If it is I hope you will keep the 3 of us in your thoughts for a safe, fun and productive trip. Talk to you all when I can. As Tigger would say; TTFN – Ta Ta For Now.

Money Well Spent

While preparing to do my taxes I had a chance to really examine the information I received from Penbrook Church regarding my donation to their One Heart Charity which provides the sponsorship opportunity and funds to God's Town.

Here are some of the details I'd like to share: the charity directly supports 11children living at God's Town, 4 assisted that live in the nearby city and 4 staff.

More specifically these generous dollars were used for the following purposes:
- constructing a motorcycle cart to haul livestock at God's Town
- constructing a wall to prevent flooding
- constructing a 3rd piggery to expand the pig breeding program
- 2 bicycles, sewing machine, dryer, refrigerator, lawn mower
- 36 fruit and nut trees
- doctor visits, medicine, food and drinking water
- school fees for 10 children
- transportation costs for school and farming
- 3 semesters of college for 2 children

In addition 7 boxes of food, household goods and school supplies were shipped over by container shipping during the year at a cost of $110 each.

Money spent on the animals has developed a substantial breeding program with 3 breeder sows, their own boar and first water buffalo calf. The chicken raising program continues too.

Sponsor's donations have also enabled the children of God's Town to be involved in many community programs and projects such as plays, parades, scouts and you remember Sebio went to prom. Many activities kids here in the states take for granted. Shouldn't all kids do fun stuff like enjoy popcorn.

Donations are directly developing a producing farm and animal breeding program which means less reliance on charity in the future. A promise has also been made to the 7 children who will be graduating high school over the next 3 years that we will help them with advanced education including the one who wants to be a doctor.

I've been asked why these children there and I guess my answer would be because I saw a picture. A picture of a face and other faces that I thought could use my help and because why many people give, because someone asked. Not only did Sebio's face in that picture touch my heart but Linda, Becky and others who were already working with the children at God's Town asked; "can you help?" and we did. It's not just giving them money but helping to make them independent and self-sufficient.

And now I'm asking, can you help? I will be bringing back pictures, stories and information about the children, God's Town and probably countless ways you can help. Perhaps you don't want to sponsor a child on an ongoing basis but there are numerous needs they have there. Children must be clothed and provided with food, educated and how great they can be a part of scouts and go to a prom. I will surely learn that I take far too much for granted in my life and will want to do more but if others help too think of all we can do.

And why these children there?....

because they need us AND I'm asking.

Tax deductable donations made payable to One Heart can be sent to the church at:

Penbrook United Church of Christ

56 Banks Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103

THANK YOU & KEEP IT COMING

We can tell who the kind-hearted, generous chocoholics are because I've had donations of Hershey's Cocoa from Linda at my work and 3 cans from Diane where Aaron works. Thank you both for this generous donation. Linda even threw in a zip lock bag for their travels. We can take a max of about 12 cans and right now between what I have and a couple in PA from church members there is a total of 7 so I could take a couple more. I have also been told the kids love marshmallows so if anyone wants to throw a few packages of those my way I'll gladly take it. I hope we can even toast them when we're there since they do often cook outside on a fire.

And since I'm on the subject of food (like when aren't I?) Arlene who grew up in the Philippines and works for another non-profit agency near ours, last Friday kindly brought me some homemade authentic lumpia (their version of egg rolls). She instructed me on how to cook them because they still needed to be fried. Then later that same day this ambitious woman returned from her lunch hour which I'm assuming she took at home with still warm pancit. Pancit is a rice noodle dish which I've seen in cookbooks and would like to learn how to make. It included chicken, veggies and the most delicious little sausage pieces. I had to call and not only thank her, marvel at how good it all tasted, but inquire about what those little sausages were called and where could I get some. Her response: she knows them as chinese sausages. Arlene now must not only give me the recipe for the pancit but the wrappers the lumpia were in which can only be described as delicate and yummy!! Or at least that was the sound I kept making as I ate them. Thankfully we still have 3 left in the freezer for another time.

Arlene also wants to take me to a local filipino restaurant in the Voorhees area before I go on my trip. She said there is also a market nextdoor so I can get my very own chinese sausages to have and devour.

Foodie in the Philippines

I have been trying to read and learn about the Philippines, their people and culture. I have taken Filipino cookbooks out of the library and currently own a huge bottle of fish sauce for which the recipe I made only used a minute amount.

Some interesting facts, did you know: The Philippines is an archipelago (or island group) comprising 7,107 islands, and is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital city is Manila. With an estimated population of about 92 million people, the Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country. It is estimated that there are an additional 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands.

Its tropical climate sustains one of the richest areas in terms of biodiversity in the world. Aaron said quite a few of his fellow Army soldiers were from the Philippines.

Being the foodie that I am I also read: Filipino cuisine has evolved over several centuries from its Malayo-Polynesian origins to become a mixed cuisine with many Hispanic, Chinese, American, and other Asian influences that have been adapted to local ingredients and the Filipino palate to create distinctively Filipino dishes. Dishes range from the very simple, like a meal of fried salted fish and rice, to the elaborate, such as the paellas and cocidos created for fiestas. Popular dishes include lechón, adobo, sinigang, kare-kare, tapa, crispy pata, pancit, lumpia, and halo-halo. Some common local ingredients used in cooking are calamondins, coconuts, saba (a kind of short wide plantain), mangoes, milkfish, and fish sauce. Filipino taste buds tend to favor robust flavors but the cuisine is not as spicy as those of its neighbors.

Furthermore, unlike many of their Asian counterparts, Filipinos do not eat with chopsticks. They use western cutlery. However, possibly due to rice being the primary staple food and the popularity of a large number of stews or broth based main dishes in Filipino cuisine, the main pairing of utensils seen at the Filipino dining table is that of spoon and fork, not knife and fork. Trying new and interesting dishes is something I’m very interested in experiencing on our trip.

I’m most looking forward to seeing the Philippines through Sebio’s eyes. I can’t wait to ask him questions and have him show me around and teach me all about his culture. And I have learned I will be able to visit an internet café and show him my blog, or our blog as it should be called since he is the star of it. I also hope to be able to post myself or how cool, let Sebio actually post on the blog himself.