Seeing A Difference

I haven’t been negligent in posting. We have been so busy this month, and hit the ground running. I attended Mercy In Action’s Disaster Preparedness class from the 2nd – 6th, while John, John, and Jason were hard at work with the guys on the new house. As you can see here, the house is nearing completion. The cement is now painted yellow, and the kugon roof is almost up. The kitchen is tiled, countertop and floor, and those images are coming soon. I just uploaded a new album of photographs, so please look through Who We Are Instead for the latest additions.

After the end of the week-long class, we met together with our fellowship for Sunday worship. On Monday morning, John and I headed to Antipolo in Manila, to help Dr. Scott Nelson with some mechanical projects. John had met Dr. Scott through a mutual friend during his previous trip to the Philippines, four years ago. John had fixed his Honda generators when they had been out of commission. When Dr. Scott heard that John was back in country, he contacted him and asked if we could come spend a few days at his place and work on some projects.

The Nelsons, Dr. Scott and his wife Cindy, welcomed us warmly when we arrived. During our five day stay, they treated us like royalty. I honestly don’t know who was happier, them to have us, or us to be had. They were extremely hospitable, a gift that is rarely practiced today. John was wonderful, and knocked out all of Dr. Scott’s projects in record time.

I was able to work alongside Cindy. Her ministry involved tutoring the neighborhood children who were falling behind in their studies. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am-10:30am, she tutors a handful of students in a room located on the second floor of the clinic. It was a pleasure to take part in the sessions, and I enjoyed investing my time there.

And now we are back in Olongapo once more. This week, we will be helping the Penwell families move out of their current housing at the apartments and into their new duplex. It is in closer proximity to the Bennett Clinic, and suits them better in many areas. Most importantly is the location, but the bottom house has no stairs, a huge benefit for Scott. So we are in the process of moving them out of the apartments, and will then help set them and their office spaces up in the new location.
There is much more that I could write, but time is of the essence and there is so much to be done. John and I are well, and refreshed. It is wonderful to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

originally posted on January 14, 2012