Sunday 17 August 2014

Day 16
We started our last morning with the celebration of mass at the hotel. Monseigneur Rey was the celebrant and it was an emotion-filled room as both he and Father Dan shared their parting words with us. Father Dan shared with us, that for 12 years he has prayed to be able to bring a group of people from his new country back to visit his home in the Philippines. And that this journey with the mission team has been the answer to that 12 year prayer. He also shared that the mother from one of the families that received homes we had built, told him the following: She shared with him that 3 months ago, she, in her words… had “prayed an impossible prayer.” Though she saw no way that it would ever be possible, she had prayed for a house. We are so humbled to have had God allow us to be a part of His answering that prayer.
Then we had a short half hour to pack up for the airport! There were a few tense moments as the bus was an hour late picking us up to go to the airport, but it finally arrived and we got there in plenty of time. After an 11.5 hour flight we are all home in Canada!!


Highlight of the day:
Our closing mass together before leaving for the airport
Quote of the day: “Mission Accomplished!!” (Msgr Rey)
Challenge of day: Getting 40 people thru line ups!! J Went thru 6 lineups/security checks before even boarding first plane!!
Prayer request: For our safe journey home and that God will richly bless those who cared so well for us.


Saturday 16 August 2014

Day 15
Our final day in the Philippines! The past 18 days have truly been an inspirational, enjoyable and different experience for us all. I'm sure today was filled with mixed emotions - sadness to leave this beautiful country and community yet anticipation to return home. This morning we visited a well established orphanage, run by the Sisters of Charity. It is located on an island! It is home to over 200 people including babies, folks with special needs, toddlers, a good number of seniors, a battered women's shelter and a wing for people with Aids and HIV. We met many children, but we learned the story of one particular little girl named Roxanne who was 18 months old. She was born missing part of her arm and was abandoned at just a couple days old and left  in a shoe box. Today she is a happy vibrant child who is full of smiles. Another gentleman we met was named Bayta. He has been at the orphanage for 50 years. He could not stop singing the praises of this place which has been his home his whole life.  It was a very touching and memorable visit for all of us. Although this place has a beautiful spirit and kids are clearly loved, it is certainly not without it's challenges. The nursery which houses 20 babies under who are under one year of age has only 3 staff people to care for them. Some areas are in disrepair, and as with any facility like this, funding is a constant challenge. The presidential palace (home of the president of the Philippines) is just outside the gate of the orphanage. They are literally neighbors! Unfortunately,however, in the 6 years of her presidency she has never set foot in the orphanage. After  lunch at the orphanage, we presented the girls with their new dresses from the dress a girl" initiative and were sent off by a choir children who sang us a farewell song, promising to pray for us and our families...these little ones who have no family of their own....
After tearing ourselves away, we could not leave Manila without at least a brief visit  to the famous Mall of Asia. It was definitely a new shopping experience, although seeing the entire mall was impossible in the time given! 

In total, this trip as a whole has been amazing. Words cannot describe the wonderful relationships and experiences we have been blessed with these past few weeks. It is my hope we do not forget the love we have given and received during our time in the Philippines. 
Michelle Tomasiewicz 
Prayer request: For the children at this orphanage!! That they may find loving permanent homes.
Quote of Day: "Though she is right outside our gate & can hear our cries, she does not come."(sister at orphanage)
Day 14
Our final day at the retreat house! This morning 's  morning prayer encouraged us to be people of hope and joy. Our focus today is ..."What now?" How do we take all that we have learned and allow it travel home with us and continue to transform us? After prayer some rested, walked or went to browse the little shops around us. The afternoon we all gathered and the missionaries were broken into small groups of 4 and traveled through 8 different stations which allowed them to further contemplate that question of "what now?" The stations focused on the following:
1. The Corporal Works of Mercy
2. Some quiet private prayer time
3. An affirming presentation of the gifts that were observed in each member of the team.

4. A journaling activity
5. Brainstorming about those injustices and inequities at home in Canada which we are passionate about setting right
6. Forming an action plan
7. Change: Can't change anybody but ourselves
8. Hope: God's in the mess!


It was a great afternoon with lots of good insights. Following an early supper, we boarded the bus for the one hour drive to the Manila Hotel. Not quite how it played out....we were stuck in a traffic jam the likes of which I have never seen in my life! If I was wasn't grey at the start, I was at the end. We had an incredibly skilled driver!! But words cannot even describe that whole experience! Luckily...like just about everywhere else in this musical country, the bus was equipped with karaoke!! So the 2 1/2 hours that it took to get to the hotel were entertaining....mostly. : ) Bert even responded to pleas from the back of the bus and sang a rousing rendition of "Rhinestone Cowboy"! Such a good sport!! Father Dan and Father Rey reunited with us at our hotel after being away at a bishops funeral for a couple days in Manila. Our hotel is a very nice facility with big spacious rooms and hot water. We are a very lucky bunch.

Prayer request: For our team to come home inspired and energized to continue to serve.
Quote of the day: Bert on the bus: "How many more miles til we get there??"
                            The adult version of "Are we there yet...????" 
Day 13

Today was the first full day of our retreat at the beautiful Angels' Hills retreat center. The group gathered at 9 am for morning prayer where we reflected on the importance of forgiveness and how that is what sets us apart as christian communities. ("See how they love one another"). The remainder of the morning was spent in reflective prayer and silence to process the many ways that God has worked in our lives throughout this mission trip.

For the afternoon, a large majority of the group took a once in a lifetime excursion opportunity. We traveled on jeeps from Tagaytay to Taal Lake. The view on the ride down the mountain was breathtaking. It looked like something out of Jurassic Park or Tarzan. The roads were barely wide enough to fit two vehicles!

We rode on what looked like glorified motorized canoes to an island on Taal Lake. The lake was a gorgeous green color. It was nice to breath in some fresh air!

On the island, we rode horses, some smaller than others, to the top of a dormant volcano. On the way up, the ride was rockier for some than others. A few people struggled to stay on the horses...or the horses struggled to keep Canadian sized people of European descent on them. Regardless of the outcome of the trail ride, it was an absolutely amazing view up the mountain and on the top. Like typical tourists, we all took hundreds of photos with the hopes to plaster them on social media later in the day. Like our morning meditation reminded us, it was very easy to see Gods beauty on this breathtaking trail ride. This was a definite trip touring highlight for many of us!

After supper, our evening session began with a living rosary under the stars. Then we moved into a time that centered around a re-enactment of the washing of the feet. Scott, Michelle and Joe washed the feet of each team member, thanking them for their contributions to our team and their willingness to serve. Then the 3 basins of water were placed in the middle of the room and the group were invited to come forward and wash the feet of anyone in our community with whom they felt they needed to reconcile or... to wash the feet, in a spirit of gratitude, someone who had served them. It was a beautiful and touching hour of healing. Laying low for the last few days has been exactly what everyone has needed in order to process all that has happened over the last 2 weeks.

Prayer Request: For healing and unity among communities. This mission team community, church communities, families and the global community. That we may forgive each other readily.
Quote of the day: "This is the little horse that could...." (Scott to the horse's handler after insisting that the little horse was NOT going to be able to bear his weight back down the hill)
Day 12
Today ends our brief stay in Legazpi. We spent last night in the cutest little hotel. It had an outdoor pool with frogs jumping all over the place. We checked out at 8:30 and headed to the small airport. We flew out at about 10 in the morning and after a 45 minute flight arrived back in Manila. Then it was onto a bus that would take us to our retreat location. Enroute we stopped at a restaurant for lunch that had a spectacular view of a mountain lake. We arrived at Angel Hills Retreat House midafternoon and got settled before supper. It is a beautiful facility with many gardens, statues and spaces to just “be”. Tonight we gathered for night prayer and our first retreat session with the theme: “What just happened?” We all had the opportunity to share what we had learned about ourselves, how our faith had grown, where we saw God at work and who were the people that touched us. A letter was shared with us that had been written to the group by the recipient families. It was a good day, but we all were ready for bed by the end of it!

Prayer request: For those many remaining needy families who were not chosen to be recipients of one of the houses. That God may send others to help them.

Quote of the day: "I was the happiest I have ever been.Words cannot describe the joy I felt." Landen(Upon describing his experience at witnessing an ordination of a young priest in Daet)

Tuesday 12 August 2014

Day 11!

August 12th , 2014

Our sending off day in Daet was one of many tears and expressive goodbyes between the team and our host families. It was an early morning to gather for mass at 6am where the message from Father Mandy was  about how the greatest gift in life is each other and  that we need to give ourselves.  With Jesus in our bellies we shared in one last laugh and exchanged hugs before heading out to our next destination; Naga City. It' was great to  see how relations were fostered over the past week and many of us can't wait to see and speak with our new families in the future. 

After two hours we arrived at Father Dan's home town of Naga. We visited the beautiful Cathedral, toured a minor seminary, which Father Dan attended and then ate lunch with the Bishop!  Once again we were blown away by how hospitable the Filipino people  are and  the Bishop's down to earth and personable being in sharing with us in stories, laughter and a dancing singing cat! A lunch never to forget. 

Then we traveled on to Legazpi with some still feeling woozy, but rest was in sight! We were blown away (not literally) by the volcano at Legazbi. It is an active volcano and is world renowned for being the most symmetrical volcano. Don't worry, the dragon is sleeping at this time.. 

We settled into our hotel, ate supper, relaxed and closed off the hot damp evening with prayer and reminiscing about the week of hard work we had. 

Tomorrow we are flying to Manilla and then on a bus to the The Angel Hills Retreat Center outside of Manila for our three day retreat section of the trip.


Highlight of the Day:  Seeing the volcano 
Quote of the Day: "God made Adam and Eve, the heavens and the earth and everything else is made in China."- Bishop 
Prayer Request:  That during the retreat we will be able to process all that has happened and be able to grow deeper in our relationship with God. 

Blog written by Scott. 

Peace and love, 
The arch team. 
Day 10

Well after being away from home for almost two weeks, our families at home are very, very missed. Hearing stories about parents, siblings, and pets is common within conversations (you would not believe the amount of pictures I have seen of Steph V's dog Marla).

Yesterday was a day full of blessings, tears, and some hard goodbyes. We started the day out by going to the job site and powering through as much work as we could in the time we had. Workers started welding metal rafters onto the houses, electrical work was put in, and they finished parging the inside and outside of the house. Our group started and finished the framing of house #2's addition, finished half the plywood on the outside, and continued to haul concrete, rock, and bricks.

At 2pm our group stopped working and handed over the houses to the workers. We wrapped up our job at the work site with speeches from Michelle and the two families who were receiving the houses. The gratitude they felt and the looks on their faces will be something we will remember forever. We said our goodbyes to the families around the worksite and the kids whom we had grown to love and played with everyday. Finally Michelle was able to drag everyone away from the site and we loaded the jeepneys to head to the beach.

Road laws don't really exist in the Philippines. In the time we have been here I think I've seen maybe one set of street lights and two stop signs. Seat belts are unheard of here, sitting down in a moving vehicle is optional, and there is no definitive speed limit (although for the most part people do go reasonable speeds). The jeepneys we have been driving in everyday to the worksite are vehicles that you can choose to ride inside, on top, or at the door with your legs hanging out. Most prefer riding on top of the moving vehicle.

When we got back from the beach we said our goodbyes to Paquio (the Filipino man who helped and protected us the entire week) and went to spend our last night with our families. We all celebrated our nights in different ways. Some went out for dinner, others went to karaoke bars, and some went to the cock fights. We all had amazing nights and are going to miss these people so much. Everyone is so kind and hospitable and their country is beautiful. This trip really is a trip of a lifetime and we thank everyone who has helped us to get here.

Prayer request: We ask for prayers for the families as they settle into their homes. That their homes quickly become homes full of peace, love, and laughter.

Quote: "What does blessed mean? It is not material goods or the amount of things we have. You are blessed because you have a loving family and an amazing community." -Scott

Written by Randi Peat