Our Philippines Adventure: Sunday at Isabela

Sunday, 11th September 2011

What a night Mum had – Eden woke up about 2.30am and vomited, and continued until about 5.00am – both ends, while we were merrily sleeping away in our bedroom, oblivious! I had another sleep in (still feeling pretty seedy), while Matt got up and went to the markets with Bro Sherwin, Sis Luz, and Bro Luming. Bro Luming left them at the markets, while he went to pick up the bro & sis from San Jose for the memorial meeting. Matt and the others made their way back by trike.

Just love the markets here

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig...

We started the meeting a bit late, as we were waiting for some people to arrive from far away. It was very interesting the seating – men's side and women's side, although I sat on the men's side with the children, and a few other brave females. Bit of a pity as I was looking forward to working out who belonged to who, as there have been so many people we have met, I can't remember all the names!

I had to play the keyboard (only one hand), which was not really needed, as they all sang heartily without need for accompaniment. Matt gave the exhort on Luke 3/Isaiah 40 – the voice crying in the wilderness, while Bro Frans translated, and even read the quotes out in Ilocano from his english Bible!

The Isabela Ecclesia

Bro Luming's handiwork - on all the windows of the hall

There was a study in the afternoon (on stones/rocks), which I didn't go to – looked after the children instead, as they have been sitting through lots of bible studies lately. Seemed to be lots of laughter – not sure what about, but everyone was happy.

Eden and Moses

Bro Rudi in the middle

We went to an interested friend's house for bible study and dinner, while dinner was cooking, we went to the markets for some supplies that had been forgotten (bananas and water – pretty essential for Noah), and visited the hospital again, and saw Bro Jayson and Sis Bernadette's daughter, who is in hospital with dengue. The doctor came to check on her while we were there, and told us a bit more about treating dengue – you can't, as it's viral, but they monitor haemorrhaging, which is a high risk. Sis Bernadette seemed very happy to see us, although her daughter is still suffering from a fever, so was probably wishing we would all go away.

Back at the interested friend's place, we had dinner (she is the mother of Sis Bernadette, and Ivy) and held a Bible study. She has only10 children, 8 daughters and 2 sons, and one of her daughters has three children, who behaved exactly like our children, which was comforting to see. The Bible study was on the Devil and Satan – a big thing in the Philippines, especially up in Isabela. Lots of discussion again after, but mostly in Ilacano, which leaves us out of it. Silas fell asleep during the study, and slept all the way back home – he had to be supported by two people in the back of the multicab – very heavy! Noah sat on Bro Luming's lap and “steered” the multicab back to the road – even had to put it into 4WD, as it had started raining very heavily and made the track even more boggy!