Getting situated.

This morning, we commuted with Tammy to Wycliffe's main office in the Philippines. The complex features the administrative building, a short-term guest house, and some other buildings that we haven't yet explored. (But we will get to; we are staying at the guest house next week). The entrance to the complex (pictured below), is typical of most other businesses in that it has a guard stationed outside (on the left in the picture) that allows only authorized people through. Most communities are also gated with a posted guard, and most houses also have a wall posted around the perimiter of their yard, usually with broken glass imbeded into the concrete to discourage any unwanted visitors from climbing over.


Once at the center, we were given the grand tour by John, who I will be working with when we come here next year. He really has a heart for short-term groups, but isn't able to devote much time into it like he wants to. Needless to say, it was very good to meet him--John is apparently quite a kidder, and anybody in the office is fair game to jokes. It's almost as if my current co-workers have been preparing me for working with this guy.


At the end of the day, we had dinner with some of Ellen's future co-workers. Sarah, Michelle, and Tiffany had prepared a full Philippine feast for us, our first since arriving in the country, which consisted of rice, pork, noodles, and mango ice-cream. Mangoes are a popular fruit to eat, but I found out the hard way at breakfast that you aren't supposed to eat the skin. Probably the first of many cultural faux-pas that I will commit over the next couple of weeks. Anyway, these three ladies are teachers at Faith Academy, and they shared with us many of their stories of where they came from, and how they have adjusted to teaching in a foreign country, something that Ellen is already accustomed to.


Tomorrow we are going to be touring Faith Academy, where we will both find out more about the school, and Ellen will observe some classrooms.

His,

Dan