6/20 - Traveling

Okay, before I start my long episode of posts, I should clarify a few things:

We went on this outreach to help Ate´ Mary Jean and Genevive-2 midwives that have worked with Mercy in the past. The 2 villages we conducted prenatals/health teachings in were in Genevive's area. Genevive is still new at this, so Ate´ Mary Jean was asked to supervise for the time being. The people we helped were primarily part of the Minobo Tribe (of which both midwives were part of), though some traveled from far away as well to get checked.

......SO......

We left Mercy at 10:30 am - the 4 of us: Mary, Christina, Jordan, and me. The first step of travel was to walk to the main road (1/4 mile), & flag a bus down. 

The bus at the beginning....it was completely full at the end!!

With all the stops included, it took around 1.5 hrs. to get to Tagum, where we ate lunch, and caught a Jeepney going to Kapalong (ka-POL-ong). The Jeepney was packed by the time we left (around 30 people, not counting those on the roof).

Lunch in Tagum

ALL of Tagum's Tricees are green!!! It almost feels like there is a race going on!!! 

The Jeepney from Kapalong was plumb full. As you can see, people sleep easily here. Isn't the little girl so cute????

Just for an idea of what the inside of a Jeepney feels like ;)

Originally, the plan was to meet Ate´ Mary Jean in Kapalong, but when we got on one of the many Jeepneys in Tagum, guess who we found? Ate´ Mary Jean!!!! She was just coming back from visiting her mother in another village. That was completely God.

In Kapalong, we met the 2 motorbike drivers who'd be driving us everywhere in the mountains: Ronie (husband to Genevive) & JENNIE (Our Supervisor's - Jane - brother). Besides being taught to drive a friend's motorbike last summer in Illinois, I have never been on a motorbike/cycle before, and not with other people either, so this was an experience - one I immensely enjoyed!!!

Banana Fields (the blue plastic is covering the Bananas)

A house out in the Boonies/Buchid :)

We arrived in Tagpopo-ot around 2:30 pm - 4 hours of traveling. 

Walking up to the Ate´s home

Our Room-quite spacious, & boy, did we enjoy the mosquito nets!!!

The view from our bedroom/porch

Jordan, Mary, & I in the front entry

Since Ate´ stayed in Kapalong to do some shopping, we 4 visited Maribel - a Filipino friend of Mary's. Maribel was extremely hospitable, and served us Orange Juice, peanuts, graham cracker dessert, and dried plantain - delicious!! After talking some, she put on a very well-done video that the Minobo's made for the other Minobo people, that focused on Luke 16:19-31, where Jesus gives the parable about Lazarus and the Rich Man. It was very thought provoking....wish I could bring a copy home!!!

At Maribel's home with her adopted son: Mar Mar.

The Tagpopo-ot people just finished their church building. Maribel was in charge of the decorating. Isn't it beautiful???

A 'Carabao' - the cow of choice in the Buchid (cousin to the water buffalo)

To protect their land from other Filipinos building on it, many Filipinos build shacks or constructions all over their land, like this one.

Maribel, Mary, Christina, and Jordan on Ate´s porch

When we were sitting outside, a neighbor's Chicken waddled onto the porch, followed by her 4 few month old chicklets. Here she is bedded down for the night!! 

We had dinner at Ate´s house - rice, cucumbers, and a fish/eggplant dish. Afterwards, we worked on how we were going to do the health teachings/play for each village (the people love 'drama', & so we try to give it to them :p), and talked about allergies to different foods.