Rainy Days

The rainy season has officially commenced! In other words, the monsoon and typhoon season is now upon us, which means bringing your payong (umbrella) with you wherever you go is a must! But at times, it doesn’t do much good because the rain here tends to blow sideways. Nevertheless, it brings such a smile to my face to watch kids run around and play so carefree in the rain and observe the creative ideas Filipinos come up with to stay dry.

After living in Costa Rica for almost a year and experiencing a very predictable rainy season, this has been quite an adjustment. You cannot plan your day around the rain; you go out and hope for the best. However, at any given moment, it could cut loose and pour down rain for a short 20 minutes--which will still cause the streets to flood--to hours upon hours. If caught in a torrential downpour, transportation can come to a halt, and many people run to the closest building to take refuge until the rain lightens up.

Schools can be canceled for days with the rainy season due to the intensity of the monsoon or typhoon passing overhead. If classes are canceled, students must make them up on Saturdays or, if necessary, at the end of the school year. The rainy season also means that the squatter communities, where we do ministry, even flood. We cancel these ministries from time to time for safety reasons but always check in to make sure families are okay. I have acclimated enough to warmer weather that, at times, I now wear a light jacket when out and about. (Never thought I’d be saying that in the Philippines! Last weekend I donned my coat for almost a whole day…ha)

In other news, towards the end of September, I plan to visit the child I sponsor--through Children International--here in the Philippines! I am very excited about this opportunity as it has been a desire of mine for some time now. My parents will also be coming for a visit in October. I am very much looking forward to spending some time with them :)