In Cebu Brother Earl has a saying that goes like this..."first time you come to the Philippines, you are a visitor. Second time you are seen as a Friend. The third time you become family." for the benifit of Something for change they have added to the saying.."Tenth time or more you become part of the furnture."
We have been back in Cebu for one day and two nights now. If it werent for the kids having grown taller and more mature, i could believe that we never left. The kids have accepted us back in as part of the family and we've been included in everything thats been happening. Infact they are so used to us being around a few of started of speaking to us in Bisaya, forgeting completely that we speak English. I know its appalling that we still cant hold a conversation in the local language. I really want to work on improving my Bisaya.
There are three other visitors here in at the moment. The lovely Kerry Bracken and Trevor and Glennise Laurenceson. Kerry is the mum of an old friend of ours Laura Bracken; Laura was in part responsible for introducing us to Cornerstone on September 2008, when we were filming the documentary Smokey Valley. After that trip is when James Owen, Laura Owen and I felt insired to create Something for Change. Kerry is a nurse in Ruby, Victoria and has been connected to cornerstone for years with her four children all having voulenteered here through a highschool program. Kerry and Paul also are the sponsors of one of the boys here Paul Tica. Glennise and Trevor are a retired couple who hail from Queensland and are also sponsors of Paul Tica. Glennise is also the first cousin of David Gray and is here on her first trip to the Philippines on a trip that was planned before Davids passing away. They have sent the last 2 weeks visiting all of Davids branches of work here. They have coped amazingly considering the amount of cultureshock they have also been confronted with and are passionate about telling the rest of Davids extended family about the true extent of his work.
If you are wondering why Paul Tica has so many visitors at the moment, its because he graduated from College yesterday. He has finished with culinary school and is looking for work as a chef. His mother, a sister along with two of her children made the day long ferry trip from Calbayog on the weekend to witness this grand occasion. To celebrate his achievements the Laurenceson treated the entire house to a feast at a fancy restauraunt in town. The boys were thrilled and resembled beached whales by the end.
Today Ariel Beduya graduates from highschool. James and I have been invited to attend as his guests. he was so pleased with his achievements as he showed us his order of service and yearbook. James and I had visitied the Beduya family home in Calbayog. They live in a bamboo shack no more than 3x2 meter with 13 members of their family. Their mother died when they were young from a snake bite and their father had to choose send some of his childre away to cornerstone, as a way of providing them with a better future and the possibility of an education. He sent Ariel and Robert first followed by Christian and Samuel-dennis. So this is a huge achievemnt for them all, with Ariel being the first of these boys to finish highschool.
On that note, i better get off this piece of technology and get ready for the big day.
More later..
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment