WAKE n' SHAKE

    "RUN, AHHHH RUN!!!!!" shrilled Mercy, as she dragged me into the street. 

Confused. Heart racing. Legs shaking. NO. The Earth was shaking! 

    " Hinay! Hinay (slow down)!" ordered Mercy, as chaos ensued. 

It was over. Still trembling. Chest pounding. Head pounding. It shook me to my core. Realizing ... I had just experienced my first earthquake. 

It was just another morning, another day, another moment in time. But that was before. 

Now we rebuild, renew, and remember. Now and again we relive, with the aftershocks and tremors. 

   Our immediate area and town of Dumaguete City on Negros Oriental, did not sustain any severe damage. However, other islands in the Visayan (central) region, Cebu and Bohol, cannot say the same. The epicenter of the earthquake was on the island of Bohol, where our YAV group had been weeks prior. 

         The chocolate hills observation deck in Carmen, Bohol. Before and after.

                                       (Photo credit: Abby Kraft & Pat Torres)

    

   And what really made the earthquake real for me, besides experiencing it, was seeing the sacred Santo Niño church in ruins. Then looking at images on my camera and seeing it whole, just as we had weeks prior, on our exposure trip to Cebu. 

 http://ph.news.yahoo.com/photos/view-damaged-basilica-minore-sto-nino-cebu-church-photo-105353156.html

  

  

       Cracked sidewalk and ground at Robinson's Mall here in Dumaguete. 

   I continue to pray for all those displaced and affected by this tragedy. And for emergency aid to reach those in need very soon, for the situation is dire.  Especially for our host community in Trinidad, Bohol, whom we have not had contact with yet. 

   Scary how fast things can change...

Put on the shoes!

    Yeah books! Guess I should get going on the reading ...

    As Donald Miller puts it in his book,  A million miles in a thousand years, I am actively trying to write a better story.

    His book, which I highly recommend ( yellow cover, on the bottom of the left stack), addresses a question we often find ourselves asking, "what am I doing with my life?" The book goes on to equate our lives with the elements of story, and you know what it actually makes sense! Donald Miller goes from sitting on the couch watching mindless t.v., to biking across America, hiking the Inca trail, writing a film, and so many more adventures. 

    

   So it really is not a question of "what am I doing with my life" but more so challenge yourself to think "what am I not doing with my life?" Go finish that book you started over a month ago, talk to that cute someone you've been avoiding eye contact with, call/text/ *insert means of social media* that person you need to forgive or reach out to, get outside, get moving, but keep in mind it will not be easy. However, when you are actively writing a better story you are too busy to entertain the old things that once weighed heavy on you. 

  I am experiencing this now. For what is not pictured or easily photographed are the moments when all I want to do is stay in my room. Or thoughts of doubt, of loneliness, of questioning my purpose here in the Philippines. What helps quiet those thoughts and feelings though are days and time spent engaging with others. A story gets even better when it is shared, or to paraphrase Miller, you become a part of their story and they become a part of yours.

  Let me tell you there are incredible stories out there. And I will be sharing some of those stories with you in future posts. For in these quiet, often unspoken or unheard of stories lies sadness, truth, love, and immense strength. 

  As a runner more often than not the hardest part of any run is putting on the shoes. But once you do, there are no regrets, and no turning back. 

   So what will your story be?

Mountains, sweat, and bites

Greetings everyone! I know it has been quite some time since my last post, but from here on out I will try my best to post at least once, if not twice a week =)

  So the first month in this beautiful country with its even more beautiful people, has flown by! A good portion of it was spent on our exposure trips to other Visayan islands, Cebu and Bohol. I will be the first to admit I was extremely nervous going into the trips, because the objective was to understand and be in community with the rural and urban poor. My fears derived from how they would perceive us "Americans." I did not want to be seen just for the color of my skin because that alone has had us be recipients of special/ different treatment while being here. On top of that I feared voyaging without our trusty guides Dessa and Cobbie would also be quite the challenge. For all of us were just getting comfortable with the surroundings... But it was time for a challenge and we were ready- ok not really but we had to at least pretend. 

Well the pictures speak for themselves, but what needs to be emphasized even more is the amount of love we received. Regardless of the community and how long we were staying we were more than welcomed. We were loved. 

There are certain things I saw and heard on these exposure trips that I cannot forget, even if I wanted to. The incredible smiles and the incredible strength, despite the every day struggles, are imprinted on my heart.

Some of those things are:

- A homeless little girl reached out and touched my arm. The very next day on the same street corner, an even smaller, sick child with tears in his eyes stood in my pathway and there was no avoiding him... But to have given them anything would be breaking Filipino law. It broke my heart more though. 

- SO much raw meat!

- SO many stray animals!

- Ants and I will never and I repeat NEVER be friends!

- dry fish and rice, and some more rice

- "Hey Americano," " Helloooo friend!"

- Duncan ate python...!!!!!

- " in your country you are very rich..."

- hiking, climbing, and bathing in rice fields

- hours upon hours of being 

- " Ate ( older sister) Shelby you are a good dancer."

- " Now a word from our visitors..." (Blank faces) They love to put you on the spot here, and it's not a matter of if, it's when. Whether it is a few words, song, or dance! It will happen to you and when it does you WILL make a fool of yourself, but you will live. 

- day to day survival

- sun up to sun down = work

- Laughing our way through the hills of the countryside

- More community and love than I ever witnessed or recognized

PICTURES, PICTURES, and more PICTURES!

Hello family, friends, fellow YAVs!

  So recently a dear friend told me "please limit the amount of words used to less than a textbook," when I was trying to share stories about my time here in the Philippines so far. In all fairness if I tried to write about the past couple of weeks I would be here till next year, so to spare us all and in honor of Adam's wise advice I will share some highlights through pictures! And come on who doesn't enjoy a good picture book every now and again?


   (dis) Orientation took place in sacred Stony Point, NY from Aug. 19th- 26th, where all of us YAVs shared in a week of hazy crazy days of awesomeness!

     Our commissioning family at the TOP of the ROCK in NYC. Thanks Pastor John and Elizabeth 

30 plus hours, four airports, and three layovers later our Philippine YAV family of: myself, Mallory, Duncan and Abby, were reunited once again!

First Philippine sunrise that greeted our jet-lagged souls 

The neighboring Island of Cebu

Our site directors knew we needed some TLC from our travels, so thank you South Sea Resort for your magical views and hospitality

And so began our culture and language sessions.... playing native instruments that our friend Nicky MADE, Cobbie showing us #bucketbathing101, and not pictured is our attempt to speak Bisayan and Tagalog... trust me it will be a work in progress for the entire time we are all here. But many thanks go out to our wonderful language teacher Miss John!

Apo Island fit with all the characters from "Finding Nemo", and let me tell you I have found my new favorite sport SNORKELING, but next time I will remember the sunscreen because radiant red is not exactly my shade... whoops sorry Mom.

Dumaguete City dump site

This is where all the plastic and waste ends up...

Some rest or live here to take shelter from the sweltering heat

Running to get the best selection, to earn the most pesos for they earn their wages by the kilo

Makes me think twice about how I go about my day to day...

These boys made my day and almost made me forget where I was, and it broke my heart when they started to chase after us when we had to leave. A child's smile is incredibly moving.

And so began our two hour car trip up to the Mountain town of Mabinay. Aren't we just a wonderful family, Christmas card worthy don't you think?

back row: Duncan, Dessa, Cobbie 

front row: Abby, myself, and Malpal a.k.a. Mallory 

" Gimme a Y.. gimme an A... gimme a V... YAV!"

 Tatay (Father) Cobbie & Nanay (Mom) Dessa

Our incredible site coordinators, who put up with us

Duncan and our new pal Aaron Ramsey/ Nate Archibald

Homemade Peanutbutter... YUM!!

Lamdas Church in Mabinay

One year celebration of the MBCDC school!!!

5 am worship service.... we were lucky to be awake

It was a Spring Awakening...... absolutely amzing

And finally after all was said and done we came back to Dumaguete  and had a birthday to celebrate... HAPPY big 23 miss Abigail Kraft, my fellow YAV, my sister

Birthday dinner for Miss Abby!

Side note, yes Duncan loves being with his new three sisters ALL the time!

Thanks for reading see you all in two weeks after our exposures in Cebu and Bohol, sending my love and thoughts to each one of you!