THe PaTH

Beth's oils or the antibiotics we bought without a prescription (from a pharmacy of course). We may never know what really made Arturo better overnight, but whatever it was made the top of my list! And Arturo's. And Suzanne's. And Beth's. And everyone else at the church. There was never anything in any of my medical training about Tonsilitis, but I'll tell you what, after watching it take it's toll those last few days I don't EVER want to have it.

Thursday was the first day we were really able to go out in the city to meet with potential partners. It was a day full of one thing leading to another which I absolutely loved. Being able to look back at the path something takes to get from start to finish has always been something I've enjoined. In life or in projects. It doesn't matter to me. 

The Department of Health. The Department of Education. The Department of Social Welfare and Development. At each and every single one we were able to meet with the department head. Being able to listen to some of the problems Tacloban has  faced in the past, as well as the problems that came as a result of Yolanda was such an enlightening experience.  I'm beyond thrilled to see what the groups that cycle through this summer will be able to do with it all!

I don't know if you've caught on at all throughout the last week or so of blog posts, but I'm all about the little moments in a day. Today I saw things that would break any heart. Like driving through town and seeing a building still completely filled with debre. Or the house you come across while walking down the street that has been smashed by a gigantic tree, but still people are living inside. Or when the department head tells you to go check in to the Department of Education just down the hill, and the way it is described is "the big building on the corner without a roof." Or the time you spend at  walking through a market five looking for an ATM that works because even though the bank has one Yolanda left it as nothing more than a box, like it did with so many other everyday items. 

 

But still there are the moments that just keep you laughing. Like the moment when a Mexican and an American decided to get behind the wheel in the Philippines for the very first time. Or the time you are told by a three-year old that everyone in the church is a "artista" or celebrity except for you and her.

What I love the most though are the moments that make you feel nostalgic. The moments when you find yourself doing your favorite things without even planning them to happen. Things like stopping at a corner stand to buy mini pineapples for a quick merienda, or walking the street talking about how a motivated person really can make a difference. Or how about when you decided to park the car for a moment just so you can walk through a little market where the kids stop to talk and at the end is a beautiful view of the ocean around you and the nearby islands that call it home. Or when you all of a sudden just decide to explore because you know what, life doesn't need to be hurried; it just needs to be lived. Those are some of my 
favorite moments. All of those things are the reason I do what I do.