Team, New One's and Birthday

Hello all! I hope you all have been blessed this week. This week has been both short and long, wonderful and hard. I considered making this in two posts since there is so much to tell but it will just have to be a long post this time. Just a warning, if you read this with your kids, you may want to proofread it first. 

Let's start with the team. We had a team from Rock Harbor, Moro Bay here this past week. They did VBS with the kids in the mornings and took over our nightly devotion. Then they had different activities in the afternoons. They were an absolutely wonderful team! You could see their love for not only the kids, but us adults as well. They did crafts, played games and taught the kids new songs. As a way to minster to the adults, they had a mini woman's spa retreat for us. They gave us a pedicure and a back, neck and hand massage. They washed and massaged our feet while we went over 1 corinthians 13, the love chapter. Let me tell you, being pampered while spending time in the word is a great way to spend the evening : ) They kept saying how amazed they were about the organization and the outpouring of love in this house. For those of you who haven't been to the Roamarino's, abundant love is never lacking. I sort of joined the team since I have never been on a team before. I had a good time. If anyone from the team reads this, I thank you for a great week. 

While the team was here, they and a few of us got to go to the government hospital and the downtown police headquarters. I don't know if I have ever been so overwhelmed as I was at the hospital. I had to fight back tears multiple times while we were there. We went to the maternity ward, to say I was shocked is an understatement. How they treated these women and their brand new precious babies, was heart-wrenching. There were probably 200 women but closer to 75 beds. No woman had her own bed: 2 to a bed. And the rest of the women were on cots, mattresses, and sheets on the floor. The beds were crumbling apart, the frames rusted, mattresses were black instead of white. There is no air-conditioning. There were bugs and flies everywhere. One poor woman, her baby was a premie and needed to back into the nursery but since they didn't have enough money to pay the fee she was stuck until her husband could scratch up enough money to pay it. These women are treated like animals. The nurses don't care for them, they only administer medicine and make sure the fees are paid. If you need care, then a family member has to stay  with you. How those that work there and be fine with how the patients are treated is beyond me. How no one is changing it. You know it's bad when people say that at a hospital you only become more sick rather than well. It's only a miracle that the babies stay healthy after spending a few days in the hospital. My heart broke in pieces at the situation in the hospital.

Then the next day we went to the downtown police station. That was an eye opener. Nanay and the leadership go there often since they have an abused and battered women and children's department. First thing those that are in jail are seriously in jail. It's not like in the states where it's like a motel. It is down and dirty, you know you're in jail, jail. Overcrowded much like the hospital. The heart breaking part is that the home where they house the children and women is right next to the jail. There are no windows or even locked doors. These men who are locked up for good reason, can always see the girls. The department that oversees the house is on the other side of the complex, so if they needed the help, they have a far distance to cover. Because of the amazing woman who is now the head of the department, corruption has thankfully deceased. But before, insanity happened. The officers would bribe the house parent and take these girls who have already been abused over to the jail. They would use them as prostitutes for themselves and the inmates. Here are these girls who have already been through more than they should have, at a place where they should be protected but instead are put into the same situation they were rescued from. It made me sick. I thank God that the new chief took a stand against that kind of treatment and has turned things around for the better. She has done wonders for the department, not to her own benefit though. Corruption here runs rampant. Everyone knows it goes on and hardly anyone does anything to change it. So when the new chief came and took the policy of doing what is right no matter the consequences, she ruffled some feathers. If you think about her, please pray that the Lord keeps her safe, that she makes it home to her family every night. 

After that depressing note, here's the cheery : ) we got 3 new kids this week. Yup all while the team was here. One of them is the cutest and tinest baby girl. She's only 4 lbs, so it will be awhile till she is out and about with everybody. But it looks like she is healthy and happy. We also got a new puppy named Molly. She is this excited bundle of fur that likes the nip at your ankles and pee where ever she wants. It's been a fun week of new ones. On a random note, I am halfway done with my first headband. Haha the other night I was sitting in a rocking chair crocheting the headband, thinking wow I have really changed. I would have never picked this up in the states. I'm pretty proud of it, it's crooked and lopsided but hey it's handmade haha. 

The other exciting thing this week was my 22nd birthday. Some of the kids have been telling my happy birthday since thursday. I basically had a birthday weekend. For birthday's here, there are special things that you get, no matter your age. You get a special plate, bowl and cup. I have a picture, several, of my birthday plateware. Instead of water, you get juice, the kids savour it by drinking it with a spoon. (The ever present spoon.) Then at every meal, the whole family sings you happy birthday. I have been sung happy birthday too this weekend more than any other birthday. I cried when they sang me happy birthday the first time at breakfast. One of my 2nd graders has sang it over 10 times followed by a hug and a kiss. I don't know if all the ladies do it, but so far if it's one of the older manangs birthday they will get something to share with the family. I decided to make pineapple upside cake for the whole family, all 160+ of us. My original plan was to use a box cake but I guess the Philippines doesn't like cake that much. After we dropped the team off at the airport, Tatay and manang Teri took me to the big American grocery store, no cake mix. Copious amounts of pancake mike but no cake mix. So we went to another store, still none. We bought pineapples and decided to make it from scratch. Making a cake from scratch for a small family is one thing, making it for a family of this size is entirely different. Here's the break down: 27 cups flour, 18 cups sugar, 6 cups butter, 15 cups milk, 42 tsp baking powder, 12 tsp salt, 12 tsp vanilla, 36 eggs plus all sugar, pineapple and butter for the pineapple upside down part. We used 9 pans to fit all the mix. It was crazy. And it was all mixed by hand. The kids loved it! Which made me so happy. On Sunday, we had a picnic and movie outside for my birthday. They had a sign and everything, picture below :) knowing that I love Mexican food, they made Chinese tacos and taquitos for dinner. Yum! 

Then I got nine happy birthday cards in the mail. The biggest surprise was a present from my family! They asked manang Laura to bring their gift with them.  This birthday has been filled with so much love. I am incredibly blessed by it. My birthday was wonderful! 

A song that has been on my heart this week is, "I am amazed by you, I am amazed by you, I am amazed by you and how you love me".

Till next time, I love you and God bless,

Kelsey