Hi Everyone. It’s Jeffery Shen and I’m writing my first post 🙂
The day is Monday, January 6th, 2014. Today is our second last day at the build site. It’s also the day everybody (working class) goes back to work and the kids go back to school.
Being greeted by everyone as always as we wave to all the kids that come to meet us 😀The kids are EAGER to see the leaders and teachers!Leaders are giving children high fives as they walk out of the busThe children are excited to be with us another dayWhy are these kids sooooo cute!Melissa, Britishawna, and Katrina posing with their matching 30 hr famine shirtsThe leaders come together for a “mabuhay” cheer before we start buildingMy fellow leaders and I walking to build site, ready to get our BUILD ON!Fierce walking~!Step 1 – Fill bags with sand at the bottom of the hill (make sure they are light enough for Erica to carry) 😀Step 2: Cart sandbags up the hill. Give kids ride when going back down hill to pick up more sand bagsStep 3: Carry sand bags and concrete to mixing areaStep 4: Mix light coloured concrete and dark coloured sand so that it’s one consistent colourStep 5: Make a volcano that can to hold waterStep 6: Add water (and let it cook for a bit – at least that’s how the workers described it to us)Step 7: Mix it all up until it has a consistent smooth textureConcrete mix now ready to be filled into buckets. Student leaders leave their mark in wet cementThese are the original materials that the houses were built fromMy favourite job is pushing the cart up the hill. With kids is even better!This is a picture of me. Doing, umm, yeah…. I don’t know what I’m doingPeace signs from the kidsDanielle and the leaders make cards for our supporters back in Toronto (sponsors, teachers, family, etc).It was a fun process with the children to make all the cardsThese kids were very artisticDanielle is helping them to write and spellThe leaders are doing the same – Alyssa and Alanna would make great teachersDuring lunch Tito Bernie eating exotic Filipino delicacy called balut (Developing shelled duck fetus, boiled, then salted…..yummy) (Yea right!)Katrina leading the passing line for hollow blocksDon’t drop that thun thun thun ehhh~~Nicole solo carrying a hollow brickThis is me multi-tasking. Praying that I don’t drop anythingBritish doing some fancy block stackingHot potato pass it on~Jay reaching to send the hollow block (working off that pandesal)Kyla-anne posing with some kids who are getting ready to go to schoolUniforms are so cute – afternoon school shift is from noon to 6pmJay carrying one of the construction workers up the cliff and sweating like crazyDo you like my banana earrings. Jay don’t be jealous 😉Welcome to the gun show – Fierce!Now flex even harder boys!Grace before meals as always – food looks deliciousThe children teach us the jumping rope gameJairuz gives it a tryStarting off low and easyBring it up a bit!Waist level? How high can you go?The kids are so good at this game!Alyssa is the expert among the group of leadersMichael joins in on the action!Lindsay gets a special gift from one of the childrenThis is Ryzza – everyone just loves her!Jay bending to pick up a hair tie during Filipino style hopscotchHe’s off againJay using his crazy hopscotch skillsErica shows her own skills in hopscotchIn the Philippines you can order pop, but instead of it being poured in a cup, they serve it in a bagDanielle takes a picture with this adorable childKyla-anne is invited into one of the homes as she plays with the kidsAfter our lunch break, we teach “I Gotta Feeling” dance to the childrenI gotta a feeling~Wooo-ho0o!That tonight’s going to be a good nightStep, 2, 3, Clap!Meanwhile during our dancingDuring this part of the dance, everyone picks their own pose. Jay flashes his pandasel (his nickname for his stomach). He thought that we wouldn’t get a picture of it but Mike is fast with his camera.Danielle hugging Joshua, the child she has decided to sponsorTime for some piggy back races. Nicole, Kyla and Jeff are up first. The winner is……NicoleNext up, Mark, Joe and British. Marc Anthony is the victorShea, Alyssa and Alanna are up next. Alyssa comes out as the winnerThe last group is Mike, Kat, and Mel……Melissa is victoriousSenator Tobias Enverga and his family with MikeSenator Tobias Enverga was a former school board Trustee in ScarboroughSenator Enverga is the first Filipino to hold the position of Senator in CanadaSenator Enverga “looks up”Next game we play is Buggies UpThis is what “Buggies Under’ looks likeKyla-Anne doing her best to lift Melissa. Hang in there Melissa~Last to “Buggie Up” is eliminatedNext game: snakes and laddersKids race to see who gets back to their seats firstTeam 1 on the left gets the pointShaelyn in the leadNext game: Pass the Pisil (aka Squeeze)First to high-five Jairuz wins a point for their teamNext game: back to back sitMark and Katrina partner upAnd so do Nicole and IFirst to get up on the count of 3 winsOne……two…………THREE“Are you two cheating?”Mike points at the winnersSenator Enverga gets involved in the next gameObject, try to grab the person’s finger with your left hand and at the same time try to avoid being caught with your rightOnly move your hands when we say the word “canin” (rice in Tagalog)Alyssa tells a story, “There once was a boy named Mike, and his favourite food was canin.” (Move finger, and close hand)Last group shot before Senator Enverga departsNext, Lindsay leads us in a repeat after me song (as it starts to rain)Danielle is up next and teaches everyone the “Boom, chicka, boom” song. This is how it’s done under waterThis is robot styleErica teaches the song, Down by the bayTime for snack before we depart for the day….Pandesal of course and hot cornBefore we leave, Danielle gets a special giftThis is what’s written at the back of the pictureHardhats lined up for tomorrow and we’re ready to goLindsay takes one of her 100 daily photos before we leaveOur customary escort as we walk back to the busKids are with us every step of the waySome even ask for a piggy backFinal high-fives as we say goodbye for the dayThey make us not want to leaveHi-fives even as the bus movesWe’ll see you tomorrowBye…..xoxoWe’ll be back!We’re off to the Mall of AsiaSo much for beating the traffic…Beautiful scenery outside of the mall – this is where we were for new year’s eveNicole and Alyssa pose in front of a TMNT face cut outTime to go skating, I wonder if they have Joe’s shoe sizeMarc and I tying our figure skatesI haven’t skated in 2 years and feel very unbalancedLindsay being super supportive and totally not laughing at BritishThe teachers help British with her balance on iceBritish gets the hang of it in no time (kinda)Look at that gracefulness (even you Mike)Alanna, Melissa, and Shea skating in a trioLindsay dancing on iceDanielle is dancing tooSkating group shot (normal)Skating group shot (whacky)Skating group shot (look up)Skating group shot (fierce)Skating group shot (the Mike pose)Leading British off the ice (she’s had enough) 🙂Up next, some good ol’ fashion team building – bowlingWe keep our same teams but the 3 teachers make their own team with British. They really don’t get off to a good start (see score above)Easy does it MelissaBowling is super funErica lining it up for a spare (one pin to go)Look at that concentrationKat showing off her STRIKE in the first frame!Melissa and her team go crazy after her own strikeJoe, trying to get a spare too….will he get it?I guess not as he lies there in disappointmentTeachers having a blast as they slowly catch up after a slow startIt’s all about the ballWe can do this!After 10 frames, the team of Alanna, Erica, Jeff, and Nicole score 222Shaelyn, Marc, Katrina, and Alyssa’s final score is 281After 9 frames, the teacher team (British, Danielle, Lindsay, and Mike) are neck in neck with the team of Jairuz, Melissa, Joe, and Kyla-anneLindsay seals the deal bowling a spare in her last frameThe teacher team wins the competition!But the question is, who’s will earn top score. Lindsay ends up with a score of 166. Mike has an outside chance to catch her as he currently sits at 98 in the ninth frame. A tall feat.Mikes needs a strike or minimum a spare to catch LindsayMike hits a spare to bring his score to 108. Lindsay has 116 but Mike has one ball left.Mike knocks down 8 pins with his last ball. Final score 116 – 116! And the teacher team also wins with a total score of 329 vs the closest student team at 299! Congratulations teachers!You know the drill now. This is regularWackyLook upThe Mike poseAnd…….FierceThe Mall of Asia is not only big, but it’s also beautifulBack at the hotel we say a prayer to give thanks for an amazing dayBut before going to bed, we need to sort out the gifts for tomorrow’s partyCan’t believe tomorrow’s our last day. We want to end it off with a bangThe kids are going to love these toysIt’s Christmas all over againWe even bought tools to leave behind at the communityWe also have gifts to the key members of the community that made everything possibleJust have to pack everything into the bags and we’re done!
Tomorrow is a big day. Our last day 😦
Thanks for reading my first post and for following our travels. Write your comments below and tell us what you think.
Peace and Hope, Steve De Quintal Teacher, Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton CSS, 1515 Bloor St. W. Toronto, Ontario M6P-1A3. 416-393-5545 ext. 84293 “To think, to pray and to serve.” I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something. So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make new mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever. – Neil Gaiman ****You can always email but a call or a visit will get a quicker response***** ________________________________________
It’s sad to think that tomorrow we are leaving!!! Our celebrity experience will come to an end. Even though half the kids were at school when we arrived we still received a warm welcome from the ones that were in the community. Building was great, everything went by smoothly because I knew what to expect. Man I love my team!
When we were teaching the kids I got a feeling I was very surprised at how fast they learned how to do it. Jays pandesal…… no comment. He really thought he would get away with that eh. For the very first time I did not win the piggy back race. I still fell like a winner considering the fact that I was up against Balano and Fantuzzi, LOL.
It was really nice meeting the Senator of Ottawa and even better when he joined us in the games we were playing. He invited us to Ottawa for lunch, so I’m really looking forward to that day. When I found out that he was the first Filipino senator in Canada I was appalled. This goes to show that anything is possible if you put you mind to it.
I enjoyed the outing with the PH fam that night! I went skating even though I knew I don’t know how to skate. S/O to Linds and Mike for helping me.. respect! This was also my first time going bowling so I was glad I was able to share that moment with the PH fam.
Even though we were all tired after such a long day we still managed to sort out all the gifts. It will all be worth it tomorrow once the kids receive them. They have been asking for gifts for so long now, it will be worth the wait. Can’t wait to see the smiles on their faces!!
Another productive, successful, fun, and crazy day with the group and with the kids. It’s amazing how the groups still manage to be energetic and continue on helping to build houses although it’s crazy hot. Although the groups are in the sun for hours we still manage to play with the kids and have fun. lastly, it’s amazing how MIKE is way too fast with his camera to take a picture of my pandesal! I still can’t believe that our trip is coming to an end!
Today was a memorable day! We got to meet a senator of ottawa which meant more pictures- formal, wacky, and look up! The building is a routine now, its great working with this team! The games we played were so fun- Kyla trying to carry me and i her does not go! hahaha. Teaching the kids the dance was fun as well they’re so energetic and have so much rhythm! It was relaxing making cards with them- so many of them are creative and artsy and their penmanship is excellent. I couldnt stop complimenting how neat they were. Our evening at the mall of asia was great! Skating with shorts on= fun! Although the skates stunk and my feat were cramping ): Despite that it was nice that the Philippines could experience Canada in this little way. We then took our journeys to bowling and it was crazy!!! It was definitely a hardcore competition with team 2 and the teachers. We were soo close to beating the teachers but we came up short. But its okay all the rolls and the floors and yelling when we got strikes were worth it! #teamtwo
ps. The shopping was unreal..the mall is so big. Shopping is the hardest sport.
We missed half the kids and a few of the construction workers as they were all back to work and school. Nonetheless, we carried on with our day as scheduled.
It was great having Senator Enverga and his family join us and have a grasp of what our program is really about. I hope he enjoyed his visit, and I look forward to our lunch in Ottawa (that’s directed to you, Mike).
Having the kids teach us their games was a fun change. I enjoyed learning what they do during their leisure time.
I was feeling a bit down as we left because a lot of the kids and construction workers kept telling me they are excited for the pinoy fiesta, but upset that we are leaving the next day. It was not the best feeling seeing them sad for once after all the energy and happiness they showed for our entire experience there. From there, I expected the following day will not be the happiest.
Looking through these pictures of our 2nd last day and doing captions was really fun, but upsetting at the same time. It was happy and fun to actually look back on our trip, since we never had down time to reflect daily. Yet sad to think about the 2nd last day with the kids and AKC.
It was cool to have meet Senator Enverga and his family. His daughter went to Mary Ward, and has the same name as one of my TA members. Made me think that it was her.
Most of the kids were off to school, but the community seemed just as alive and welcoming as usual. It was so much fun playing with the kids, having piggy back races and playing buggies up.
After our time with the kids, I was pumped for skating. The skates weren’t too bad, and I fell a few times, but it was just so fun. An hour passed by insanely fast.
At the end of the day, I was exhausted, but still managed to help sort gifts and count the toothbrushes. I was really sad to think that I was leaving the Philippines soon (little would I know). I wanted to make the best out of the last day, and that made me excited and less upset.
Between all the card making, new games we taught the kids and skating and bowling, it’s safe to say that we had a lot of fun this day! And the visit from Senator Enverga was a cool surprise too! You can tell he enjoyed the games we played just as much as the kids did!
Knowing that it was our second last day, some of the children decided to make me cards which I was touched to have received. It made me sad that some of the kids were at school and that I didn’t get to spend more time with them but it was okay since we had the closing ceremonies the next day. Playing Bugggies Up with the kids was a blast and I was surprised at how strong some of them are as they tried to carry me!
I was surprised at how good some of the Filipino skaters were at MOA. They’re a lot better than me! I guess skating just isn’t my forte… and neither is bowling! Nonetheless, skating was great as I was beginning to get a bit homesick and bowling with everyone was fun too!
Build day #4 was an awesome day! Though missing some kids because of school, the others definitely filled theirs spots. It’s really hard to believe that its our second last day at the AKC site, time flies! It’s sad to think that we only had one more day to spend with such an awesome community and one more day before we left the Philippines! It was great to meet the first Canadian senator, Senator Enverga, and his family. He is very kind and even invited us to Ottawa for lunch, which Mike said yes to!
Who says you need winter time or have to be in Canada to go skating? We didn’t! Skating in MOA was a great experience, now I can say that I went skating in a tank top and didn’t freeze! Bowling with the group was a lot of fun aswell. Can’t believe we came second, again! Oh well, it was still a remarkable day!
It’s hard to believe that we are leaving tomorrow. We are all extremely sad but we pushed the thought out of our heads so we can focus on the day. It was so cute how the kids didn’t want to go to school because we were there. It really showed the bond we created in just a short time. We put everything we had into this building day because our time in AKC was coming to an end.
Making cards with the kids was so much fun. It was hilarious to see Miss. Danielle helping Patrick write so many cards. It really touched our hearts when the kids would make us personal cards. I always love dancing with the kids because they never have a care in the world and just focus on having fun. They learned the dance so quickly and were excited to perform it. Meeting Senator Enverga was such an honour. I’m glad he got to witness all the good that youth are doing.
Playing games with the kids today was extra fun because us leaders were extra competitive. We got to teach them new games that they loved like the back to back standing up game which Erica and I clearly dominated at! We were sad to leave but a fun night awaited us.
First we all went skating at MOA which was another opportunity for us to bond and who else gets to say they skated in tshirts and shorts? Bowling was fun and watching everyone freak out when someone got a strike was interesting. Although my team didn’t win, Mike still owes us Menchies (We haven’t forgotten LOL). We were really getting the hang of our fierce pose by this point. The exhaustion was really setting in but we still made time to organize more gifts for AKC.
Harviejake, one of the teens at AKC (he danced during our closing ceremonies) sent me this (in Tagalog):
I hope that we can all finish school and graduate with high honours because that’s the only way for us to reach our goals and be able to go to Canada too. Did you know that you are big inspirations for the kids here at AKC, all they think about is, “when I grow up I’m going to Canada.” That means they’re going to do their best in school in order to pursue their dreams. They always look at your website and look at your posts from your Philippines trip. Even I can’t stop looking at it, we just can’t move on. All the great memories you left us keep coming back. Thank you for the inspiration… I almost cried during your farewell party, because it hurts when the people most special to you leave just when you start getting comfortable with them.
It feels nice knowing that we made a huge positive impact on the people of AKC. From Harviejake’s message, I know that they can stick to their word and do their very best so we can see them in Canada too. I would love to see these kids graduate and reach their goals.
Day 4 of our build. I can’t believe it’s our second last day here at AKC. Where did the time go? It felt like just yesterday we were being welcomed with the opening ceremonies.
The sun was blazing hot as usual, it just gets hotter and hotter here in the Philippines but I’m not complaining with that brisk cold Canadian weather back home. Knowing that tomorrow was our last day, everyone made a push and worked extra hard at the build site.
Today, we had the privilege of meeting Senator Enverga. He got to witness everything that we’ve done and even joined us during our games with the kids. Although half the kids were at school, we still managed to have a lot of fun. We had a piggy back competition, which my partner and I won! We also taught the kids our dance. Senator Enverga even offered us lunch in Ottawa! Leaving today made me realize how hard it’s going to be tomorrow.
During the evening, the PH fam got to spend more time together. We went to Mall of Asia, went skating and bowling. Skating reminded me of home, just getting on that ice had me thinking that in a couple of days, I’m back to that cold weather. Oh, and having races on the ice with the PH fam was also fun. Bowling was enjoyable, although my team didn’t win, we still managed to stay close. I had a lot of fun bonding with everyone. I’m not prepared for tomorrow and still can’t believe our trip is coming to an end.
BUILD DAY 4!!!! It would be the second time I mixed the cement… Oh how I was soooo scared! The first day we started, I thought mixing would be a lot of fun! It was literally mixing sand and water.. IT WAS LIKE A SANDBOX BUT FOR BIG KIDS!!! Haha, in other words. I thought it would be a blast… Until I remembered that I had NO ARMS WHATSOEVER! So doing this job wasn’t the best for me. I almost go t a heat broke from doing it. Me and mixing were just not meant to be. AND THEN… I AM FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE to mix cement… I thought, okay I have been doing other things that did work my arms out, I think I gained a little muscle. So I mustered all the strength that I had and I begin mixing.. It wasn’t that hard!! It was super fun.. It was either we put to much water or I did get the gains, anyhow I’m so proud of myself! But I really could not have done it without people encouraging me and being so kind and supportive! This group is so special! I love AKC!!!! God bless! ❤
The skies threatened for rain today but all of the smiling kids provided more than enough light to compensate 🙂 Today all the kids kept asking me, “You’re already leaving tomorrow right?” and my heart broke every time. Even though we would be with them for only 5 days, I had made best friends whom I will cherish for the rest of my life. There were lots of kids who would cling onto me and say “This is my mommy!” :’) I dreaded for the end of the day since the next would be our last…waterworks at the ready!
Catholic Student Leadership 
Again and again, I continue to be in awe…
Thank you so much for sharing!
Peace and Hope, Steve De Quintal Teacher, Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton CSS, 1515 Bloor St. W. Toronto, Ontario M6P-1A3. 416-393-5545 ext. 84293 “To think, to pray and to serve.” I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something. So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make new mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever. – Neil Gaiman ****You can always email but a call or a visit will get a quicker response***** ________________________________________
It’s sad to think that tomorrow we are leaving!!! Our celebrity experience will come to an end. Even though half the kids were at school when we arrived we still received a warm welcome from the ones that were in the community. Building was great, everything went by smoothly because I knew what to expect. Man I love my team!
When we were teaching the kids I got a feeling I was very surprised at how fast they learned how to do it. Jays pandesal…… no comment. He really thought he would get away with that eh. For the very first time I did not win the piggy back race. I still fell like a winner considering the fact that I was up against Balano and Fantuzzi, LOL.
It was really nice meeting the Senator of Ottawa and even better when he joined us in the games we were playing. He invited us to Ottawa for lunch, so I’m really looking forward to that day. When I found out that he was the first Filipino senator in Canada I was appalled. This goes to show that anything is possible if you put you mind to it.
I enjoyed the outing with the PH fam that night! I went skating even though I knew I don’t know how to skate. S/O to Linds and Mike for helping me.. respect! This was also my first time going bowling so I was glad I was able to share that moment with the PH fam.
Even though we were all tired after such a long day we still managed to sort out all the gifts. It will all be worth it tomorrow once the kids receive them. They have been asking for gifts for so long now, it will be worth the wait. Can’t wait to see the smiles on their faces!!
Another productive, successful, fun, and crazy day with the group and with the kids. It’s amazing how the groups still manage to be energetic and continue on helping to build houses although it’s crazy hot. Although the groups are in the sun for hours we still manage to play with the kids and have fun. lastly, it’s amazing how MIKE is way too fast with his camera to take a picture of my pandesal! I still can’t believe that our trip is coming to an end!
Today was a memorable day! We got to meet a senator of ottawa which meant more pictures- formal, wacky, and look up! The building is a routine now, its great working with this team! The games we played were so fun- Kyla trying to carry me and i her does not go! hahaha. Teaching the kids the dance was fun as well they’re so energetic and have so much rhythm! It was relaxing making cards with them- so many of them are creative and artsy and their penmanship is excellent. I couldnt stop complimenting how neat they were. Our evening at the mall of asia was great! Skating with shorts on= fun! Although the skates stunk and my feat were cramping ): Despite that it was nice that the Philippines could experience Canada in this little way. We then took our journeys to bowling and it was crazy!!! It was definitely a hardcore competition with team 2 and the teachers. We were soo close to beating the teachers but we came up short. But its okay all the rolls and the floors and yelling when we got strikes were worth it! #teamtwo
ps. The shopping was unreal..the mall is so big. Shopping is the hardest sport.
We missed half the kids and a few of the construction workers as they were all back to work and school. Nonetheless, we carried on with our day as scheduled.
It was great having Senator Enverga and his family join us and have a grasp of what our program is really about. I hope he enjoyed his visit, and I look forward to our lunch in Ottawa (that’s directed to you, Mike).
Having the kids teach us their games was a fun change. I enjoyed learning what they do during their leisure time.
I was feeling a bit down as we left because a lot of the kids and construction workers kept telling me they are excited for the pinoy fiesta, but upset that we are leaving the next day. It was not the best feeling seeing them sad for once after all the energy and happiness they showed for our entire experience there. From there, I expected the following day will not be the happiest.
Looking through these pictures of our 2nd last day and doing captions was really fun, but upsetting at the same time. It was happy and fun to actually look back on our trip, since we never had down time to reflect daily. Yet sad to think about the 2nd last day with the kids and AKC.
It was cool to have meet Senator Enverga and his family. His daughter went to Mary Ward, and has the same name as one of my TA members. Made me think that it was her.
Most of the kids were off to school, but the community seemed just as alive and welcoming as usual. It was so much fun playing with the kids, having piggy back races and playing buggies up.
After our time with the kids, I was pumped for skating. The skates weren’t too bad, and I fell a few times, but it was just so fun. An hour passed by insanely fast.
At the end of the day, I was exhausted, but still managed to help sort gifts and count the toothbrushes. I was really sad to think that I was leaving the Philippines soon (little would I know). I wanted to make the best out of the last day, and that made me excited and less upset.
Between all the card making, new games we taught the kids and skating and bowling, it’s safe to say that we had a lot of fun this day! And the visit from Senator Enverga was a cool surprise too! You can tell he enjoyed the games we played just as much as the kids did!
Knowing that it was our second last day, some of the children decided to make me cards which I was touched to have received. It made me sad that some of the kids were at school and that I didn’t get to spend more time with them but it was okay since we had the closing ceremonies the next day. Playing Bugggies Up with the kids was a blast and I was surprised at how strong some of them are as they tried to carry me!
I was surprised at how good some of the Filipino skaters were at MOA. They’re a lot better than me! I guess skating just isn’t my forte… and neither is bowling! Nonetheless, skating was great as I was beginning to get a bit homesick and bowling with everyone was fun too!
Build day #4 was an awesome day! Though missing some kids because of school, the others definitely filled theirs spots. It’s really hard to believe that its our second last day at the AKC site, time flies! It’s sad to think that we only had one more day to spend with such an awesome community and one more day before we left the Philippines! It was great to meet the first Canadian senator, Senator Enverga, and his family. He is very kind and even invited us to Ottawa for lunch, which Mike said yes to!
Who says you need winter time or have to be in Canada to go skating? We didn’t! Skating in MOA was a great experience, now I can say that I went skating in a tank top and didn’t freeze! Bowling with the group was a lot of fun aswell. Can’t believe we came second, again! Oh well, it was still a remarkable day!
I would just like to add that I have the best arm at the gun show. Don’t worry Mike, you’re a close second!
It’s hard to believe that we are leaving tomorrow. We are all extremely sad but we pushed the thought out of our heads so we can focus on the day. It was so cute how the kids didn’t want to go to school because we were there. It really showed the bond we created in just a short time. We put everything we had into this building day because our time in AKC was coming to an end.
Making cards with the kids was so much fun. It was hilarious to see Miss. Danielle helping Patrick write so many cards. It really touched our hearts when the kids would make us personal cards. I always love dancing with the kids because they never have a care in the world and just focus on having fun. They learned the dance so quickly and were excited to perform it. Meeting Senator Enverga was such an honour. I’m glad he got to witness all the good that youth are doing.
Playing games with the kids today was extra fun because us leaders were extra competitive. We got to teach them new games that they loved like the back to back standing up game which Erica and I clearly dominated at! We were sad to leave but a fun night awaited us.
First we all went skating at MOA which was another opportunity for us to bond and who else gets to say they skated in tshirts and shorts? Bowling was fun and watching everyone freak out when someone got a strike was interesting. Although my team didn’t win, Mike still owes us Menchies (We haven’t forgotten LOL). We were really getting the hang of our fierce pose by this point. The exhaustion was really setting in but we still made time to organize more gifts for AKC.
Harviejake, one of the teens at AKC (he danced during our closing ceremonies) sent me this (in Tagalog):
I hope that we can all finish school and graduate with high honours because that’s the only way for us to reach our goals and be able to go to Canada too. Did you know that you are big inspirations for the kids here at AKC, all they think about is, “when I grow up I’m going to Canada.” That means they’re going to do their best in school in order to pursue their dreams. They always look at your website and look at your posts from your Philippines trip. Even I can’t stop looking at it, we just can’t move on. All the great memories you left us keep coming back. Thank you for the inspiration… I almost cried during your farewell party, because it hurts when the people most special to you leave just when you start getting comfortable with them.
It feels nice knowing that we made a huge positive impact on the people of AKC. From Harviejake’s message, I know that they can stick to their word and do their very best so we can see them in Canada too. I would love to see these kids graduate and reach their goals.
Day 4 of our build. I can’t believe it’s our second last day here at AKC. Where did the time go? It felt like just yesterday we were being welcomed with the opening ceremonies.
The sun was blazing hot as usual, it just gets hotter and hotter here in the Philippines but I’m not complaining with that brisk cold Canadian weather back home. Knowing that tomorrow was our last day, everyone made a push and worked extra hard at the build site.
Today, we had the privilege of meeting Senator Enverga. He got to witness everything that we’ve done and even joined us during our games with the kids. Although half the kids were at school, we still managed to have a lot of fun. We had a piggy back competition, which my partner and I won! We also taught the kids our dance. Senator Enverga even offered us lunch in Ottawa! Leaving today made me realize how hard it’s going to be tomorrow.
During the evening, the PH fam got to spend more time together. We went to Mall of Asia, went skating and bowling. Skating reminded me of home, just getting on that ice had me thinking that in a couple of days, I’m back to that cold weather. Oh, and having races on the ice with the PH fam was also fun. Bowling was enjoyable, although my team didn’t win, we still managed to stay close. I had a lot of fun bonding with everyone. I’m not prepared for tomorrow and still can’t believe our trip is coming to an end.
BUILD DAY 4!!!! It would be the second time I mixed the cement… Oh how I was soooo scared! The first day we started, I thought mixing would be a lot of fun! It was literally mixing sand and water.. IT WAS LIKE A SANDBOX BUT FOR BIG KIDS!!! Haha, in other words. I thought it would be a blast… Until I remembered that I had NO ARMS WHATSOEVER! So doing this job wasn’t the best for me. I almost go t a heat broke from doing it. Me and mixing were just not meant to be. AND THEN… I AM FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE to mix cement… I thought, okay I have been doing other things that did work my arms out, I think I gained a little muscle. So I mustered all the strength that I had and I begin mixing.. It wasn’t that hard!! It was super fun.. It was either we put to much water or I did get the gains, anyhow I’m so proud of myself! But I really could not have done it without people encouraging me and being so kind and supportive! This group is so special! I love AKC!!!! God bless! ❤
The skies threatened for rain today but all of the smiling kids provided more than enough light to compensate 🙂 Today all the kids kept asking me, “You’re already leaving tomorrow right?” and my heart broke every time. Even though we would be with them for only 5 days, I had made best friends whom I will cherish for the rest of my life. There were lots of kids who would cling onto me and say “This is my mommy!” :’) I dreaded for the end of the day since the next would be our last…waterworks at the ready!