Day 3: The Gentle Whisper

​Today kicked off with a hearty meal provided by the lovely Talima staff, yummy fresh eggs and pineapple and we were ready for our day. Kaitlyn, kindly sharing her intimate testimony alongside our Mark chapter 1-2 devotion, aligned our hearts with the good word before sharing our time with Pastor Victor. 

Jumping on our roofless ‘multi-cab’ (a tray on a ute with seats) we travelled a short distance to Church of God, Olango. We brainstormed ideas for a skit, soon settling on the eventful story of Elijah, aiming to provide an engaging performance for the children of Olango. In doing so we aimed to pass the message of God communicating his presence as not always appearing in plain sight (thunder, rain, fire and wind) but rather being with us always, in ‘a gentle whisper’.

Kindly supplied by the Church, we ate lunch consisting of chicken, veggies soaked in a yummy soy/vinegar juice, and of course, accompanied by rice. Retiring to our hotel, the students gathered reading and sharing stories on school, family and the common hardships of a teenager, bonding upon similar traits and entertainment.

At approximately 5pm we travelled over to the church and met the wonderful, cheerful kids of Cah-oy, screaming, the children were excited to meet their visitors. Together we performed a couple of playful church songs before performing our unwell rehearsed skit.

Utilising the bubbles the students bought, we blew bubbles until nightfall, realising how much a simple gesture of blowing a bubble would excite such beautiful young souls. However I felt very nauseous after holding some spiders that they confidently handed me. We assisted in serving supper to the children, where the kindness of Pastor Victor shined, as I subtly observed the gentle hospitality he delivered. I smiled and felt grace as he assisted a 2 year old boy in transferring his soup from a cup into a plastic bag to take home, his words unfamiliar to me, but crystal clear to the eye.

The short time spent with the children broke down my mental wall, allowing me to understand the blatant indifference between Filipino children and Australian children, a laughter shared between languages and sensations experienced through cultures. The opportunity to see every child deserving of happiness, love and joy regardless of social status, through God's wisdom was simply inspiring.

After another amazing Filipino meal we headed back to Talima, feeling the cool breeze on our sweat attained skin as we ride through the night back to our temporary home, and it was time for some down time.
 
-Pink Lava (Caitlyn B)