At last

I can't believe I ave not blogged since I got here.  I love Cebu.  I love this hotel, I love theses people.  Got here late Sat night.  I feel like I'm in recently mode.  Recently into real life.  Weather is great, food is great, especially breakfast buffet included in room, which was really cheap because of the air which was also cheap.  I knew I was supposed to Come here.  So I got up Sunday and had a beautiful American breakfast of omelet, fruit, juice, cereal, toast with marmalade, coffee,  all delicious.  Also on the buffet was rice, chicken, pork, fish, even fish head on the fruit table.  I can do vegetables and even chicken, but the fish s just too much.  The baptist church was quite far so I walked to the nearest church which was Catholic.  My ain purpose was to e among believers and find out how to serve the victims of Yolanda.  I could not find anyone who. Spoke English and the service was not in Engish so I went into the garden and prayed.  I knew I was supposed to e here and I knew God would show me how to serve him and I wa rating that I would hear him and not do my own thing, I would wait for him but move about as I waited.  When I got back to the hotel, I picked up the newspapers in the Bly and in reading articles about ongoing efforts and volunteering projects, I found RAFI and they were opened 24 hours a day to take donations. So I thought I'd go there and help with whatever they were doing.  I took a taxi and we talked all the way.  I did not understand all that he said but he wanted to help me help others and shared a lot that I agreed with but wasn't sure what he meant.  I say this to say, I'm not sure what I was agreeing too.  When he stopped I got out and entered the nearby building.  It was very dark, and someone said come in,  I said thanks, where am I they replied Cebu and I laughed.  I said are y'all doing something to help the victims of Yolanda?  They replied yes we are.  I was expecting boxes of donations but no, I was in an amazing old place, come to find out it was the Yap Sandiegom heritage house, the oldest residence in the Philippines, fully furnished with antiques.  Absolutely beautiful for 329 years old.  But anyway, I sat down with the an who said yes and he began to show me what hey  doing on his I pad.they are helping build houses for the victims in Cebu.  It is the next island west from ground zero which is tacloban.   I told him that I didn't have money but I had time and wanted to do something to help.  He said so you are my angel from God.  They need encouragement, a smile a hug .  I said he took the the words right out of my mouth.  That is what I do well.  He said the main problem is supplies.  The suppliers are waiting for boats of supplies and then we will go.. Would probably be Tuesday or Wednesday.  I gave him my contact info and he said how do you happen to come here. i told him about the newspaper, the taxi and arriving.  then he informed me that what i was looking for was the building next door.  i was at the wrong place.  i told him i was happy.  if i could help him, thats where God lead me.  Then they gave me a tour of the beautiful facility.  Seems he is the 8th generation of the Yap Sandiego family and the current owner of this home.  He also as a place in the city and lost his beach home in the storm.  With this info I looked him up online and he is a renown dance choreographer, arrived with 3 daughters.  He had shown me pcs of the family and wants me to meet his Mother, and he as 2 daughters who went to college in US and are currently working in Miami.  He is also very active in Philippine restoration.  I again felt so blessed to have followed God lead and met such an interesting person and I told him I looked forward to working with him.  He corrected me and said we were ministering not working.  He offered to take me to my hotel or to meet his family but I told him I was just going to walk around the area.  He told me some highlights and off I went.  See pics of Heritage square and his house.  Then a Basilica her recommended.  Well I still don't really know what a Basilica is, bit I found this huge Catholic Church.  I was attracted by the beautiful music coming from inside. I ave really been thinking a lt about how divided the Christan faith is by denominations.  If we were just all Christians, we could make a much more significant impact on the world than we do as baptist, catholic, church of Christ, etc, etc, etc.  so I decided I could make the first step by not worrying about finding a Baptist Church but find a church where Christ is glorified.   It was a wonderful service.  My first Catholic Mass.  Big beautiful building, all English,  very good sermon about what is meant by the advent and meaning of the 2nd Sunday of advent and I guess I didn't learn it, but understood it at the time.  It was the 1 month anniversary of Yolanda so prayer for all involved in that. It was very enjoyable and informative.  Had to leave early cause it was getting dark and I wanted to get home before dark.  Ordered pizza for dinner and it was awful.  Soft crust, sweet sauce, cheese like for nachos at the ball game.  Oh well.  I can't wait to eat pizza and cheeses enchiladas.  

Next day I anxiously waited to hear from Val but gave up about 10am and went to get a haircut.  There is no sense in waiting till I get to my scissors when a haircut is110 pesos or about $3.  That was at a very nice Paul Mitchell salon.  Very nice people.  I talked to them about my plan and desire and asked what they would do.  Well my guy said e had actually volunteered with the DWDF, and they were a worthwhile foundation and actually delivered.  Seems tons of donated food items have been stolen out of the warehouses so people are careful who they donate too. He gave me the jeep eh number and ame of the group and away I went.  Ad an unbelievably captive audience in the back of the jeepney.  They wanted to know all about me and were really appreciative and challenged by my presence in Cebu.  Then they listened to my soapbox discussion about women around the world.  It as been beautiful here to see women anticipate in life.  They were just as shocked as I was that so many women around the world have no rights.  However my hairdresser had told me that when you get married and have children, the husband will insist that you stay home and raise the family.  Often that means moving back to her family home, and because momma loves her children, she meddles in their business, and it makes it hard for the marriage.  Go figure!  I withheld the urge to say if she really loved her children she would allow them to make their own lives and keep her mouth shut.  Back to the Jeepney,  they were a great audience and all Catholic, believer, and I probably got to talk to about 20 people or more on the trip.  So now I'm wondering if that is the best was to witness in this culture.  They were very appreciative and told me how my presence there meant a lot to the.  I told them Texas said God Bless the Philippines. I went where I was supposed to go and they sent me across the street and they weren't taking volunteers anymore so they sent me somewhere else.  Now I'm thinking "what the heck,  do they need help or not.  The paper and the news says they do but they aren't taking volunteers". But I went there and it was a huge auditorium.  Maybe a convention center called CICC but there were 2 aides there laying down, so I figured not a lot of volunteer work going on, but it was lunch break.  They were ver. Nice and turned out 5. Women were there who work for DWDF, and they were not really able to do anything cause they are waiting for the shipment of rice.  Very much like Val Avignon to wait for building materials.  So there is food here, but not complete sets so they are just sitting while people out in the damaged area are hungry.  They invited me to come back tomorrow.  I explained my day and my desire and gave them my soapbox speech, and built a passion in. Them so they found that we could do a little double checking,until that was finished, but the police dept. was doing that, when they got back from lunch.  We started, the policemen returned, and here comes the rice.   So now we. Can work.  Uh oh.  Because of the missing inventory in other p,aces, now we have To have an official come do an inventory.  It is really hot here and I decided to go get a drink.  There is a couple there he fromAustralia and she from New Zealand.  They were here to volunteer as well so we want for coke and water.  We discussed how backward some of this was going and why some cultures or civilizations just don't seem to know how to get organized.  It really is strange. uA is really new on the whole scene of things and yet we are so far ahead in so many areas.  Yes, all our progress s not for our best, but we do know how to step back and see the better way to do things,  other countries jst don't seem to get the whole thing of efficient.  Once the rice is checked in, we start breaking down these 100 lb bags of rice int0 about 5 lb bags,  then had to twist tie the bags and then put these bags into the original bags that were packed yesterday with 5 cans of sardines, tomato sauce and 8 pack of dry drink mx. The 5 lbs rice.  See pics for vastness.  Stayed till almost dark, rubbed blisters on 2 fingers and bruised another.  Went to the mall across the street from there where there was plenty of security, had dinner and took a taxi home.  Slept really good and felt much better today.  This morning, my new friend Val called and they will pick me up at 4am tomorrow to head north.  I am really excited about meeting the victims.  Pray that I will show Gods love.