Dripping tap...

We have had two dripping taps since we moved in.  The outside laundry tap which has continued to get worse day by day and Corey's shower tap which has dribbled badly since day one.

They got so bad we had to do something so we called the owners.

I am a builder's daughter and a dripping tap = new washer = couple of bucks.

I know how to change one, my problem is usually trying to undo the tap, so it is easier for Sean to do it.

We assumed that two new washers would be brought over and hey presto drips would be gone.

We'll this is day 2 and we have no running water, lucky we have bottled water. The laundry tap just got replaced old for new. The tap and the spout are one so I can see changing a washer might be more complex.

However, the shower tap is another story. Firstly they replaced the shower head with a new one, but it kept dripping (that's a surprise), so we got the old one put back. Sean tried to suggest a washer in the tap was the issue but to no avail. They have smashed a hole in the shower wall from the tap to the shower head and are now ripping all the pipe work out of the concrete wall.

So, I imagine that we will have new pipe work, including a new tap to stop the drip. Who knows? But the wall has to be rendered and painted.

 

All for a dripping tap! Labour is cheap!

Who is my neighbour ...

I have been pondering whether to write this post or not. It keeps popping up in my mind so... here I go. Sorry no photos in this post.

One thing we have plenty of here is ... time! Having said that the time of having time to spare is diminishing.

This is really a story about Sean. Sean is using his time to deepen his understanding of the mysteries of Christ and learn more about authentic Christian community that works in city environments. So he reads and listens to podcasts. After listening to one podcast titled Whose neighbour am I? (the link is below should you be curious) he asked me to take 30mins to listen to it as well.

Warning only listen if you are prepared to act on what you hear!!!

http://media.whchurch.org/1998/1998-01-04_Boyd_Whose-Neighbor-Am-I_64kbps.mp3

If you are Christian or have had Christian associations then you will know the parable well. (Luke 10:25-37) If you are anything like me when I hear these parables again and again, my brain switches off and says "I've heard that story before". However, these parables are not just nice stories they are lessons that we are supposed to discover the meaning of and then implement in our everyday lives. Jesus commands at the end " Go and do likewise". If I read and don't apply the lesson can I really be a disciple of Jesus?

The sermon is convicting - and the speaker makes it so simple it is hard to escape the undeniable truth the parable presents. Don't worry it doesn't challenge any of your doctrines; biblical or man made. It challenges far more than that - Am I really a Christian? If yes, then is that fruit demonstrated in more than my words but in my actions.

Sean and I discussed at length what that meant for us here. We had some idea's and have began to implement them. However, the test for Sean came a few days later ...

God often does that to us ... "When you heard it and you were convicted did you really mean it? Did it change you?" "Let's see ..."

Sean and Corey had to go down town to pick up our ACR Cards (visas), and Sean loves getting into the thick of real Filipino life so after picking up the cards instead of getting a Taxi straight back they (Sean) decided to walk around. As they walked to the shopping mall Sean noticed a small boy playing on the side of the road in the dirt. As he got closer he noticed the boys leg had a wound which was filthy and covered in pus. "Who is my neighbour?" It is in that split second you make a decision - walk on or do something. To cut quite a long story short, with no parents around it is probably not good for a white guy to pick up a kid and walk off with him. However another lady helped Sean with language issues and pointed him to a hospital right across the road. So off they went. Once you start you can't stop. Boy needed to see a surgeon but is too dirty, so off they go to buy clothes for a 10 year old. Wait for welfare to find parents to get consent for surgery. Will you pay sir?

Eventually, Sean and Corey arrive home sharing their adventure. Boy with parents will meet surgeon at 11am, come back in the morning to pay. Next day we wait for the call.  The hospital calls, "Parents were here but didn't wait for surgeon and have left." Story ends. I guess at least the boy has new clean clothes and his wound was cleaned.

What would I have done? Would I have crossed to the other side of the road? Would I have pretended not to have seen him and kept walking? Would I excuse my lack of action by saying " I can't help every child I see" or "I'm in a hurry" or "What about his parents don't they care about him"? We only have a split second to make that decision and it is so easy to say I would have stopped and helped him but will I when the situation arises?

It may be someone who needs an ear, or food, or clothes or a hug. It might be someone I know or a total stranger. Will I recognise the need and then will I act?

Spot the difference 3 ...

One big difference here is that bulk buying is not cheaper.

In fact in some instances it is dearer.

Because wages are so low many things are packaged in small quantities: things like toothpaste, shampoo, facial creams, milo, hot chocolate, coffee etc.

You can buy 6 sachets of shampoo for approx. 24 pesos (depending on the brand) because to buy a normal size bottle would cost around 230 pesos.
 

 These Vaseline jars are so cute!

Perspectives ...

Sean met Venus in 2003 on his first trip to the Philippines, and then again on his next visit. At that time God put on his heart to help Venus by giving her the opportunity to see and experience another country and to strengthen her worship leading gift.

We all met Venus when we all came to the Philippines three years ago, and the plan was put in motion. At the beginning of 2012 Venus came to live with us and attended Hillsong College studying Worship leading. Although she did not stay for the 12 months, (only 3 months) I think she was able to see and experience things from a new perspective.

Venus lives in CDO so we were able to catch up with her a few days after arriving here. We met Venus at Robinson's (Supermarket) she works on the hotdog stand inside. She has a degree in Accounting. It was great to see her and catch up on how she is doing. We had her and her family over for a meal at the Marco Hotel and got to meet Clive her baby son. Very cute.

Last Thursday we were invited to her place for dinner. Venus's Mum, Jovenca, had invited family and half her church. ( She is the pastor of a small church held under their house.)

This is their neighbourhood and alley leading to their house.

 They have a little shop under their house

 Ps Tata's church under her house.

 Ps Tata

 Outside the shop

 The meal and guests

 Ps Tata and the kids loved these cupcakes X muffins

 Jonathan and some local children - they are laughing at him because he is white!

 

Three years ago CDO experienced a massive flood that killed many people. When we first arrived in CDO the rivers were rising rapidly and one day (unprecedented)many workers asked for the afternoon off and shops closed early so people could get home before their houses flooded. It stopped raining before it happened. Venus' town is situated right on the mouth of the river. She took the boys to have a look at the new dyke walls they are building to prevent the disaster happening again.

 

Forest Adventure Park ...

Our day started at 5:15am, Mandy was picking us up at 6:00am sharp. We were going to go last Saturday but with the threat of another typhoon we had to cancel. Then Mandy asked Sean to do a motivational talk for a visiting basketball team. As part of the Tagoloan Festivities a Cebu university basketball team was invited over Tagoloan to play the local team. The team was being shown a local attraction the 'Forest Adventure Park', so we got to tag along.

It took about 2 hours to drive there, but the scenery was very interesting. We drove through huge pineapple plantations and even saw the Filipino 'Big Pineapple'- I couldn't get a photo unfortunately. People dry different things on the sides of the road, seems so dangerous, but they go about their business ignoring traffic as it whizzes by.

We got their at 8:00am but the team was running late so we had Breaky.  The kids came and went eating and playing.

 There was an American Indian theme happening in the kids playground

 The Reid Family

 This was a great swing - we couldn't get them off it.

 Mandy.

Pancakes for me

 Omelette for Sean

 

Once the basketball team arrived, Sean went off to speak and the kids and I were left to amuse ourselves which we did very well. We had 3000 pesos to use so we had to plan carefully.

The Luge and the mini golf cost 600 each so they were the first activity.

 

 

Amy followed by Jonathan

 Second go.

 

After the Luge we played mini golf. There are life size animals located all over the park. We took pictures of heaps of them, too many to put in here.



Mini golf over the troops were divided. Amy wanted to go on the evil orange ball (the rest of us wanted to keep our breakfast in our stomachs), the boys wanted to go on the buggy.

 

Amy with the evil ball



 Strapped in and ready to roll

At the bottom!

 

Now for the boys! They wanted to go in the buggy.

 

After this we had lunch and went home.