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If you read my blog yesterday you’ll know that in between writing assignments I’m involved in a music program and medical mission here in the Philippines. Check it out here:
Bringing and music and medicine to the kids of Botongon (Estancia), Philippines.
For the last few days I’ve been introducing my friends Cathy and Daunton (from the UK) to Iloilo City and today they rolled their sleeves up — buying supplies and meeting the local medical crew who will be working alongside them at the medical mission in Batad next Saturday.
Before I continue though, it’s really important for me to explain that Cathy is the brains of this entire program. It was her idea completely, it was she who has driven the fundraising, and the booking of flights, and the paying for equipment, and the accommodation, and the medical supplies. Without Cathy this entire program would never have happened.
I just want to be clear as I write this, that my sponsored kids are benefiting from this program 100% because of Cathy. And I am so grateful that she was willing to give up months of her time — because a program like this takes months to prepare — to give back to the people here.
Even today as she met with the medical crew, she made arrangements for my sponsored families to have priority treatment at the medical mission on Saturday. You’ll see in the photos below the wonderful connection between countries as the ladies plan for the mission — and open the testing units they will use on the weekend.
But it hasn’t been easy the getting here.
Only 5 days ago all the UK volunteers had all their flights into the Philippines cancelled due to Coronavirus. Not to be defeated Cathy set to work and managed to rebook the flights for the entire team.
Imagine her dismay when we received a message last night from the remaining London crew, that their flights had been cancelled — AGAIN — because of Storm Ciara. Even now this moment, David and Paul were meant to be touching down in Iloilo City but we are still waiting for an update. They are currently in Manila rebooking domestic flights down to Iloilo City tomorrow morning.
But somehow it will all fall into place. The local driver and volunteer helper will arrive tomorrow morning and begin loading us into the van, somehow David and Paul will emerge from the airport — and the 8 of us (Jerry included) will be on our way to Botongon, Estancia.
Stop by the blog tomorrow for another update.
