Day 9 - Team Toby: Toby, Hannah, Josh, Courtney, Ebony

This morning it was quite bizarre to think that we basically only have a weekend left here in the Philippines. It does not feel like Saturday, let alone feel like we have actually been here for nine days already! This morning we all woke up at 7, had breakfast and prepared for a double rotation of construction. Half of us headed off to Josie’s Angels new home, and pulled vines off a fence/wall, scrubbed down and sanded the basketball court wall before painting it the first coat of dazzling white. The other group headed over to the mango property (or school) and made concrete BY HAND!!! Luckily we had John and Josh who set about mixing it for us as we all brought the sand and blue metal, and then poured it. We all had a quick merriander before heading back for the second rotation, where the group doing concrete changed to throwing wood off the third storey and then pulling all the nails out of it., whether by the three hammers available or by my most awesome chunk of concrete, to push the nails back through the wood.

At 12 we all headed back home (to the ministry centre) for lunch and an hour break, to catch up on journals (much needed by almost everyone) or to catch up on sleep for those who weren’t feeling well (or Leon who can sleep anywhere!) We then headed over to the children’s home and watched a little tv, sung, and played soccer with them. After playing with all the kids for a while we headed next door to the ministry centre to play volleyball in an Aussie vs Canadian/Filipino game, we ended up playing about six/seven games and unfortunately were defeated each time, because we were playing on concrete (As of course we all play beach volleyball)… but we had FUN! J

We eventually headed back to the ministry centre and had a mas masarup dinner, and spent the next hour preparing for the devotion at the children’s home. Team 2 did a play on the walls of Jericho, which everyone loved, and the kids finished the devotions off with 2 songs for us, Here I am to worship, and the fruit of the spirit, including a coconut and banana. Afterwards we gave them our gift of pens from ‘world of fun’ and we sat for half an hour watching tv with them, and chatting to them. Most of them realised that we are leaving soon and it was so hard to watch them writing their names for us, and writing notes and pictures, and asking us not to forget them. It was especially hard as we realised that tomorrow we would have to say goodbye to them, and a few of us were already struggling not to cry.

After leaving the children’s home we all piled in the cars and headed towards our mystery evening activity which turned out to be the movies. We were all quite excited to just sit for two hours and relax a little in some air-conditioning. Yet we soon found out that there were four tagalog movies playing yet only two English movies, meaning we had to choose, and ended up watching ‘breaking dawn.’ Enjoyed by some, but not so much appreciated by others. Amazingly we all stayed awake, and didn’t get home until quarter to 12, meaning that we didn't get into bed until after 12.

We’d just like to let you all know that this is possibly the second last time that we will post, as we are flying out to KL tomorrow morning, and will then see you all on Tuesday, and will be able to let you all know our experiences in person!!! I’d also like to remind you all to pick us up from the airport at 2:30/3 (due to customs) on Tuesday 11/12/12 as we would actually like to see you all!!! Love and hugs and kisses to all, and we’ll see you all in a couple of days!