Driving adventures with Ellen

JANAURY 23, 2013

Yesterday, January 22, was a busy day for all of us. We took Denny to the ferry to spend the night in Cebu buying all types of needed supplies. Laarni and I then took “the list” and proceeded to go all around Tagbilarin to accomplish our tasks. We started out by visiting an office that assists the disabled. Our goal is to locate four wheelchairs as requested last Feb. by a neighboring barrio. We intended to revisit that barrio but circumstances prevented us – which I will explain later. We really need to know the situation and condition of each of those possible recipients so we can bring them the right kind of wheelchair to meet their needs. Apparently these chairs will need to be shipped from Mindanau so there will be a cost for that. Laarni and I then proceeded to Bohol Deaf Academy to give one of the deaf teachers, who teaches computers to the deaf, a “new” computer that Tom Lutke received as a donation. That teacher was so thrilled, as were the students! The students are always so sweet and greeted us so warmly. Sadly I don’t recognize their faces anymore because they have all grown up from the time that I was working with the deaf. Bohol Deaf Academy is such an incredible place of learning! The deaf are receiving a wonderful education – probably better than most in the Philippines. Wish you all could see it!

After BDA we went to a new hospital called Medical Missions Group Hospital. WOW! It’s so pretty and clean and inspiring. It’s a small place that has been around for many years but recently remodeled and beautiful. We met with one of the directors to offer her a blood counter that John Campbell had obtained from a hospital in Glasgow. We left the manual with her and she plans to talk with her lab techs and see if they are interested. It’s their’s for free if they so desire.

Our next stop was Dao Diamond where IDEA has it’s main office and the deaf run a fabulous hotel. We delivered a very expensive hearing aide donation from my brother. The nurse will have them refurbished and then one of the deaf will benefit from them!

Our 16 year old Strada is still rolling along but now the driver and passenger windows do not roll down, nor does the AC work! Needless to say Laarni and I were melting and getting desperate. Our friend, Dennis Drake, who runs IDEA (for the deaf) recommended a good place to have the AC fixed. The man needed the truck all day so Laarni and I caught a tricycle (you should all ride in one), and went to the mall to shop for the two dinners we are giving this week. We picked up the Strada around 4:45pm and headed for home (after returning to the mall to fetch all our groceries that woudn’t fit in a tricycle) because it was getting dark. Sadly there was no time to visit the disabled because by the time we would have gotten there it would have been too dark. We will visit them before the weekend is out. Here’s our next adventure. The Strada became more and more difficult to shift until finally it wouldn’t shift at all! There we were in going home traffice with giant overloaded busses screaming by and “dead in the water”. A neighbor whose house we were stranded in front of referred us to a mechanic 500 meters down the road and off Laarni went with the man’s son on his motorcycle only to return 20 minutes later with two mechanics. Within one minute we had our diagnosis. No clutch fluid. The container was cracked and all the fluid had drained out. Five minutes later some fluid appeared from a nearby store and off we went! Praise God! We got home about 7pm, hauled our groceries into the house and we were done with the day. God really took care of us all day and we’re so grateful.

Today, January 23rd, Wed., we are cooking a meal for about 12 people – the church council. So much to talk about concerning this little Fellowship. Pastor Felix will be with us – he’s taking a sabbatical from his church in town for 6 months to rest, but saw the need and decided to help Family Christian Fellowship here in this barrio. Please pray that God will send just the right pastor who will stay here in this barrio, pastor the people, and really love them. This is a great need.

Well, I’m off to see what I can do to help Laarni make this Philippine food. I have no idea what I’m doing but I can sure dice and chop. I’m sending Along to get Denny from the ferry – I refuse to drive that Strada today.

Blessings to all, Ellen