Three Weeks To Go

Mt. Hibok Hibok on Camiguin, Philippines

So I will try to get back into the habit of blogging here.  After my return from the Philippines in February, I had to scramble to find some employment.  And of course, once I found employment, I had to work work work to get caught up for being off work for so long.  Anyway, during the time that I came back from the Philippines and until the present, life has been quite interesting.

In August I formed Educate: Bohol, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping school children return to school and to help them be successful once they are in school.  It also works to help schools and teachers who are trying to work with special needs children.  As a result of this effort, I will be returning to the Philippines the end of October and will return in early December.

Most of my time will be spent working at Icthus Christian Academy in Ubay, Bohol.  I have been asked to conduct assessments of all of the children there for learning disabilities.  I will also provide some basic vision and hearing screenings, as most children there do not have access to these simple exams.  While I am working with the children, I will also provide some instruction for the teachers there on how they too can do basic assessments for learning disabilities and also how to modify their curriculum to work with special needs children.  Also on the schedule is a class on spiritual gifts for the teachers.  While many of the teachers are Christians, they have had little guidance on how to recognize their gifts nor on how to use them.

And of course, there are always numerous side trips.  I think my tentative schedule looks something like this:

- Oct 30 - Depart Albuquerque (4:00 a.m.)
- Oct 31 - Arrive in Manila (11:00 p.m.)
- Nov 1 - Tour Manila (Mall of Asia, Manila Zoological Park)
- Nov 2 - Depart Manila for Cagayon de Oro, Mindinao
- Nov 3 - Tour CDO with Nemesio Carbonilla and his family (flooding site of December typhoon where many squatter settlement  families drowned.) Will visit Christian home for street children.
- Nov 4 - Visit Camiguin island, Mindinao, for worship service at new mission church.
- Nov 5 - Depart Camiguin and arrive Ubay, Bohol, and begin work at Icthus Christian Academy (ICA)
- Nov 9 - Depart for Carmen/Sierra Bullones for weekend worship with David Salingay and Jose  Arig and the churches in those communities (I helped build the church building in Sierra Bullones in February), and to evaluate children for educational needs.
- Nov 12 - Return to Ubay and ICA – continue evaluation of students and staff development courses.
- Nov 16 - Depart for Cebu - visit two Christian colleges and Sunday worship with Jungie Ramirez, pastor of Mandaue Christian Church, and to evaluate children for educational needs.
- Nov 19 - Return to Ubay and ICA – continue evaluation of students and staff development courses.
- Nov 23 - Depart for Tubigon to meet with Pastor Florante Lagahit and Pastor Jul Castellano to discuss Christian schools and for Sunday worship. Evaluate children for educational needs.
- Nov 25 - Depart for Siquijor to meet with Junrie Rameriz, pastor of Siquijor Christian Church, for Sunday worship and evaluate church children for educational assistance. (Siquijor is an island where witchcraft is practiced openly.)*
- Nov 26 - Depart for Dumaguete, Negros Occidental, tour city and province.
- Nov 28 - Depart for Cebu and then to Ubay and ICA – conclude evaluation of students and staff development courses.
- Nov 30 - Depart for Tuguergarao in Cagayon province, Luzon, then to Diffon, Quirino, to meet with Pastor Gilbert Guillermo to discuss a Christian school startup there and for Sunday worship. Evaluate school children as needed.*
- Dec 3 - Return to Manila
- Dec 5 - Depart Manila for USA

*These trips are not funded – an additional $300 is needed to include these important meetings.  

I'm tired just typing it all out.  Of course, it is also subject to change.  I don't quite have enough financial support for some of those side trips, as they involve additional airline travel (Siquijor and Diffon).  I pray that more supporters will step forward to help with these visits.  I also have been asked to provide some Bibles for the Sierra Bullones church as theirs were water damaged during a typhoon. And of course, there are always little things that come up.  Many of the Filipinos see an American as an ATM machine with endless resources.  While I don't mind helping, I myself have very limited resources and so I must be very selective regarding which assistance I provide.  I could find myself broke and begging on the street corner very quickly if I help everyone who asks for it.

With that itinerary, I will have plenty of things to post here and on Facebook.  I will be borrowing a video camera for the trip and hope to document this trip with as much video as possible.  I've also been asked to take more general interest photos this time.

I hope to post more here in the next three weeks as I prepare for the trip.  Not sure what topics I will dicuss, but .  .  . I will try regardless.

Scott