Fun Times

At the beginning of the month, the boys and staff from the Home enjoyed a field trip to Avilon Zoo. It was neat to see animals native to the Philippine Islands, but I think the boys were more interested in the North American skunk (ha) and the bobcat.

My parents received a proper Filipino welcome by Super Typhoon Lando, hitting Manila the day after their arrival. (Despite the seriousness of the storm, I found it rather amusing that of all times a typhoon hit, it was now. We have not had a regular monsoon season this year, yet their arrival came gale force winds and extreme flooding.) One of the many Chocolate Hills. Nevertheless, we made the best of it and took off for the beautiful island of Bohol, which was safe from the typhoon. Bohol is a very lush island, and it is home to the famous Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, and beaches with some of the finest white sand. My parents were also able to visit the boys at the Home and bless them with some gifts. I did my best to introduce my parents to Manila traffic, jeep riding, and trikes. Despite my dad and I both coming down with a cold, it was a fun time.

The boys at the Home are doing very well in their studies. A few months ago, I mentioned that one of the older boys had accelerated in his schooling, and just last week, two more of our boys took an exam to test out of their current grade level! We are still waiting for the results, but it looks promising :) All ten boys were recently dedicated within the church, and I had the privilege to be asked by two of the boys to be their ninang (godmother.) Traditionally dedications are done at birth, but because of the boy’s previous lives on the streets and the lack of an actual birth certificate, this could not happen until now.