Climate: slight breeze, a few fluffy clouds, big sunshine.
Heyaaaa!
It's Thursday: another few days gone, another few amazing experiences experienced.
Thank you for all your support, prayers and kindness via bookface, emails and this blog - I just love bragging about all our adventures. It's sooooo much fun!
So, back to Monday afternoon where we returned to Tahanan; the boys' jail...
We spent the afternoon trying to remind the 35 boys that they're just that; boys - the basketball never stopped bouncing, the volleyball never stopped being punched, the badminton games were pretty skilled, along with some hardcore chess games, and also some pretty incredible bracelets and necklaces getting crafted.
It was soooo lush spending the afternoon having soooooo much fun, getting super sweaty whilst getting to know the boys a bit better. We soon discovered the beautiful cheekyness in their characters.
The youngest, Li Lung was pretty special; he's 10 years old and in for breaking curfew on the streets. His mother taught him English from a very early age, so the language barrier caused no problems. He chatted very maturely with me about the past 4 months that he's been in Tahanan - his case still hasn't gone to court, so it may be a while before he's out. His mother lives just one bus ride away, and visitors are welcome everyday, and yet she's never visited. Not once. He's learnt Tai-Chi, and was sooooo excited to show me his very impressive moves. He explained he had to learn the art to help him fight off the older boys at night time. When I asked him what he thinks they are lacking and need most in the prison, he answered "a mum". Heart breaking.
They're such amazing lads. It was extremely easy to forget they were prisoners. For that afternoon those boys acted like they were free kids, and we had the huge pleasure of joining them in it. It was magical.
That evening we had a wkd treat - we went to a beautiful Seafood Restaurant built over the sea.
The place was pretty swarve (with the most comedy toilets with very low cubical walls) with the most incredible selection of the freshest fish to eat alongside a pretty talented guitar player. We had a lot of fun getting to know our interpreters a bit better, and trying some very fat crab (while Hannah the veggie enjoyed veggies!).
Once home the oldies helped pack bags of rice, noodles, coffee, tea...etc to give away the next day, while the youngies hung out in the hotel lobby. Cool kids!
(FYI - new location: hotel room, sat under the AC....because it's just impossible to write while Ramil and Mary's adorable 6 year old twins are hanging off your arms!)
Tuesday started with a very early rise (setting the alarm for 5.30am is gay) as we had a long journey to find the tribes!
After team time and breakie we leaped into the jeepnie and set sail. As soon as we were out of the city Ramil sent a few of us onto the roof of the vehicle - truly THE best way to travel! We trecked up a mountain, along a cliff edge road, and after about an hour and a half we'd reached the stunning palm tree village where we'd be spending the morning.
The whole town gathered and we met in the beautiful church building made out of wood and bamboo for a mini meeting. We introduced ourselves, again, sang a couple worship songs, again, Johnny and Matt did their skit, Jonny and I shared our testimonies and then we finished with the puppets. We gave out the food parcels to each family, and finished by handshaking every Filipino in sight. The congregation were sooooo welcoming and friendly. It was very cool.
We then set off through the stunning riverside village. It was inspiring to see the people living so simply and in such peace.
We ended up at the local school where we blagged a very spontaneous puppet show, song and story, and then gave out new flip flops to all the gorgeous students.
We headed back up the village to play at the side of the river before eating fried chicken and rice - eating with our hands and off banana leaves. Very cultural!
The entertainment over lunch was one of the local boys climbing up the 60 foot coconut tree, in the rain to fetch us pudding. And we discovered it to be a very interesting pudding of coconut (in Doyle's words: "it was disgusting") and a new variety of banana (in Doyle's words: "a disgusting variety") which tasted more like undercooked and gone off potato!We then climbed back into and onto the jeepnie and headed down the mountain a bit, towards our next very spontaneous blagg.
It was more than a little bit beautiful driving through the stunning scenery, admiring a bit more of that skillful creation. We turned into a little cliff edge lay by, hopped off the jeep and slipped up a small stream towards another school.
We split into 3 groups and oober quickly lesson planned, went for it and found out how hilarious adlibbing can be!
Then the rains started....
It was a pretty immense downfall, and as soon as Matt, Jonny, Alex and Harding finished cann-canning in the shower, we sprinted to the jeepnie and took off. It was a pretty hectic journey back down the mountain, with one
near-getting-stuck experience, but our very skillful driver kept us extremely safe and we got home in no time.
We had dinner and then a free evey, which consisted of hanging at the mall, getting massages and early nights. Very nice.
Yesterday we had our last day at the jail. And what a day!
We rocked up in the morning and hung out again - playing games (we discovered Uno, prison rules style) and having silly amounts of fun. At about half 10 the prison's pet pig met his fate - a spit roasted beast of a pig got carried in and butchered in the sunshine by one of our translators, J. Once J had turned the piggy into pork pieces the boys grabbed their food trays and excitedly lined up for the feast! They all absolutely loved it. Well, most
of them - the poor Muslims missed out a bit...shame!!!
We headed home for lunch, assuring the worried faces that we'd be back to lose at basketball again later that afternoon.
We hoovered up another delicious meal, had an hour's chill time (very needed in this heat) and then headed back to the beautiful jeenpie.
As soon as we were back in the prison gates the boys filed out of their cells and sat the chairs down in rows, eager to see what would happen.
Hannah Montana started with the chair drama, which Lisa and Martin co-starred in. The boys loved it - they found it hilarious. Even some of the stone faced hard nuts on the back row were laughing! Then Alex shared a word on the Psalm about how God had a plan for us before the world was made...etc. The chappies listened really well and hopefully were reminded of their value and worth. Then we did the competition...
We brought a load more Oreos and juice pouches with us, and so challenged the boys to a talent-off to win the goodies - if the boys won they could gobble them, if us Brits (which included the Belgians, South Africans and Filipino interpreters) won we'd get them! The challenge was on.
Round one: dance-off. With Matt and Jonny showing off some v.questionable moves against an incredibly impressive jail boy duo, followed by Lisa, Hannah and Sam against 3 jail boys plus a 86 year old man, the Tahanan boys won hands down.
Round two: rap-off. The Belgian brothers against the skilled boys. Six very non-English raps later, the Bruggemans had just won it.
Round three (final round): amazing-Filipino-street-game-off. After running up and down, up and down the prison grounds playing the complicated yet incredible game, the boys finally won (of course!) and therefore were awarded with the treats.
While enjoying the yums, one of our translators, Michael shared his moving testimony, and that marked the end of controlled time; then onto crazy manic time!
We rolled out a 10 metre long sheet of paper and finger paints and told the boys to go mental. Those kids got art skills. All the ball games started back up, along with a very hectic chase with Niels and Jonny running after the boys. They just adored it....even the older ones, even the I'm-way-too-cool-for-games ones!
Then donned the end of the afternoon and our goodbyes. Once the last photos and cuddles/high-fives were over the boys lined up to return to the cells, and we slowly plodded to the jeep.
It was such a privilege to meet those amazing boys. Without sounding weird, I hope I never get to meet them again; I hope and pray that if I return here that those boys have turned their lives around and are free. I really really hope.
With the not quite dry sheet of finger paint covered paper hanging out the side of the jeepnie, we travelled home. We then had a bit of free time before heading out again for dinner.
Once our bellys were full of yummy chicken, noodles, pizza, beef, pork fat and osterich (?!) we then headed over to Candy's (Matt sang Candy Shop the whole way....Michiel soon realised the meaning of the song!!!) for the most incredible desserts. It was a really wicked team time evening, giving Ramil and Mary and extremely well earned break from us crazy cats!
After another lush night's sleep we woke pretty early this morning. Breakfast, then team time quickly led to hopping into the jeepnie and setting off to the rubbish dump.
We pulled up just outside the muddy neighbourhood and went straight inside the local church. Greeted by the beautiful pastoress, we got explained to us how here husband, the pastor, died recently and now she's raising 7 children whilst keeping the church and school running. Incredible lady.
In the small corrugated iron church hall sat a dozen very smiley and very beautiful kiddies, and perched at the front, in a baby stroller was the mini-est baby I've ever seen. The pastoress explained that the little boy had been dumped on the rubbish heap about 6 months ago. He was 2 months old at the time. While holding that precious 8 month old life, with a frame of a new born, it struck a chord - another "why?" moment. He was truly scrumptious!
We then split into 5 groups and headed into the community. We went from house to house meeting the people who live on the dump - hearing their stories, seeing their homes, giving out more food parcels and praying for the needs.
It was extremely eye-opening and a challenge for most of the team. It was also probably the hottest I think I've ever been in my life....Evans had shoulder sweat marks to prove the sweltering conditions! Funny!
We got home, showered off the sweat and discovered a feast of burgers, pasta and sodas waiting for us at Mary and Ramil's pad - lussssh!
It's now the afternoon and we're about to leave to spend some time with the city's street kids.
This trip is beyond words imcredible - we're soooooo blessed to even be here, and all the stuff we've been doing, and still got yet to do (rafting tomorrow, then scuba diving the day after - woooooooop) is just all once in a lift time!
We were kinda dreading the farewell party, as at the moment it feels so hard to think of leaving, but we've decided to turn the party into an Engagement Celebration for Martin and Juanita, so even our last night's guna be incredibly cool. Exciting times!!!!
Congratulations for completing yet another essay! Till next time readers, God
bless x
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