The Jolibee Day!

From L to R (Jomar 1, Rolly, Sandra, Beverly, Sara, Jender, Jomar 2, Jereme, Magiboo, me, Daddy, Josie)

How priceless are those smiles???

This morning we slept in for the first time since we arrived! We weren't picked up until 8:30, whoo! After breakfast we rode out to the campus and there were only 6 kids at the campus. At about 10:30 me, Daddy, and Beverly took Jomar 1, Jomar 2, Ralli, Jereme, Sara, Sandra, Jender, and (of course) Magiboo to Jolibee!

I wish I could explain to ya'll what that was like for these kids. The best analogy that I have heard is someone that has heard of Disney World, seen commercials about it, and heard others talk about and have always dreamed of going....and the moment when they first get to go. Daddy had taken a couple of the others earlier in the week but he didn't know they had never been before and didn't get them anything to eat, just let them play for a few minutes. Insert: Usually I bring Louise, Leigh, Momma, ect something home from the Philippines. I can't even remember what I brought them last time. This time instead of bringing them presents, we sponsored this day. I didn't have to ask to know that's what they would have wanted!

This time I let them each pick out their own kids meal. Three picked out a hamburger steak meal, three picked out hamburger meals. They LOVED it! Afterwards they wanted ice cream but the machine was down so I bought them Jolibees version of halo halo (I won't even go into detail about the grossness) and them let them play while we waited on the adults that had gone to the market. When the adults got there, they ate and when they ordered dessert (it had been about an hour since we ate), the machine was back up, and Daddy ordered them all ice cream cones! This is all Magiboo ate: a hamburger steak and rice, half of his sisters hamburger steak and rice, half of another kids hamburger, a order of french fries, then his halo-halo dessert, then a piece of one of the adults chicken, then his ice cream cone and half of another's! Before we left he asked one of the kids that was saving their hamburger if he could have it!!! Good grief, if there was any doubt he was mine!

By the time that we got back from Jollibee it was 1:00. We sang all the way home and then just sat around and reviewed our Bible stories and sang some more because it was SO hot! By now the boys were up (they had all been up before the sun this morning to see family off and clean up the campus from the party last night, so they had taken a siesta) and Kevin asked me (notice the quotation marks), "Do you want to play touch the body?" "WHAT?", I replied. And he repeated it, TWICE! I looked around, red in the face, and was thinking, "NO! And if I did it wouldn't be right here in the middle of the yard with 20 kids around!" I realized that I was the only one embarrassed and tickled so I said yes and for them to explain it to me. Thank goodness, it's a game very similar to dodge ball. Get it? Don't let the ball "touch the body" :^) I have laughed so hard I have cried over how shocked I was when he asked me that!

After that, Daddy came back from his Bible study and we went and baptized one of the staff members brother! Everyone was SO excited! He was our 43rd baptism of this campaign. Then we said goodbye to everyone and me, Daddy, NaNa, and PaPa ate sweet and sour pork at Cafe Feliz. I will be honest, I had tears in my eyes when we said goodbye to the kids and everyone tonight, just knowing that tomorrow will be our last day with them. Momma used to say that I was never able to fully enjoy the last half of camp, family reunions, ect because of dreading the end of them. That is definitely true today. I am just dreading it. I miss my family and friends but I would stay here in a hot second, if that was a viable option. Tomorrows blog will be written through many tears in my eyes.

We heard from Josie tonight and still no real progress in her labor. Please, please keep her, little Matt, and all of us in your prayers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evNzzucomVg