Drawing to a close

Our last full day in Ligao started with an early morning visit to the Ligao National High School. This is an awesome place. It's got over 6200 students. The lady at the helm is Carmelita Sinson. She is a dead-set legend. She loves her school and her students and is rightly very proud of them all. We gathered in her office for a meet and greet before being entertained by the School's incredible choral singing group. They are international champions and performed 3-4 outstanding songs for just us! The string band performed 3-4 songs as well. They were all incredible and it and it was simply amazing to watch. 

We then headed on a tour of the school where we met students, admin staff and specialist teachers. They couldn't have made us feel more welcome. Pastor Choi has a brilliant relationship with them. He's one of Ligao National High School's famous graduates.

Following our tour of the school we went back to our digs to ready ourselves for a busy day. This was one of our most action packed days since we'd arrived. We rode the Jeepney to Ligazpe via Sumlang Lake which was lovely with an awesome view of Mt Mayon. 

We then took a detour via Cagsawa Ruins. They are the remnants of a 16th Century Franciscan church. The church was destroyed on February 1, 1814 following a major eruption of Mt Mayon. In the face of the eruption, many people gathered in the stone church. Needless to say it ended badly. 

        Some crazy photos at the ruins

We then made our way to Ligazpe town centre where we shopped. It was lovely to get some relief from the heat. We all went in different directions and then regrouped at the Golden Arches. After some general indecision, we locked in to see a movie. It was only appropriate given the presence of Peter Parker and family that we see Spiderman. We had lots of fun. The lovely Choi and Alma and Charis killed time in Maccas while the tourists were entertained. After the movie we set off back to Ligao in the dark. Jeepney travel is always an adventure. 

Our driver (Eli) is the strong silent type. He seems to know everyone. He spends a fair bit of the day giving toots and small acknowledgements to passing Jeepneys. He's been running his Jeepney for over 20 years. It's affectionately named "Gift of God."

              Eli & his beloved machine 

By the time that we got back to Ligao it was too late for cooking. Alma (who seems to have more connections than the King of Tonga) ushered us into a fantastic local restaurant called Kuyangs. It was a very interesting place. Not only did it serve magnificent fried chicken (I'm convinced the Filipino's have cracked the 7 secret herbs and spices) and magnificent noodles and spring rolls, but they also ran cheeky Zumba classes. So before we sat and ate, the majority of the group (myself excluded) partook in pre-dinner Zumba. Crazy but true. It was a very memorable last full day in Ligao.

           A bit of Zumba before tea 

Tilly exclaimed that she was going to             

                marry this little guy 

Tuesday was pack-up day and time to start the process of making our way back to Australia. After another memorable breaky, Pastor Choi and Alma led us in a little reflection about our time with them. It was incredibly moving. Choi and Alma shared from their heart about their journey and their calling to the people of Ligao.

They have found their purpose in serving God and serving others. They are extraordinary hosts and they loved us like their own family. We each went around the circle and shared a memory of something that impacted us and made the statement - "God is good because...." It was an amazing time and one that each of us will treasure forever. Lots of tears.

               Biggs and the gang

             Tilly & her Filipino Dad

        Our home at the Pension House 

We then hit the road back to Ligazpe. They organised an air-con van for the team to travel to the airport. The luggage rode in the Jeepney and I rode shot-gun with Choi, Sam, Biggs and Charis. Final good-byes at the airport Cafe before boarding our Cebu Pacific flight to Manila. Plenty of time to kill at Manila airport before making our way to Terminal 2 and boarding our overnight flight home.

                  Ligazpe Airport

It was an amazing experience and each of us has struggled to articulate exactly what we experienced. It's so hard to impart the very precious sights and scenes that came our way. It's also very hard to capture the reality of Jesus that we all experienced. It's so rare to see so much Christian faith in action. For me it was like having a front row seat to heaven while still living in the here and now.

We were blessed with safety, good health and a grand adventure. It was a unique time with a unique group of people. We'll never be able to exactly replicate that experience. But we are all the richer for it. I'd like to thank Lara especially for all the hard work she did to get us organised with times, dates and places. You are the visionary in this scenario and but for you, we would never have ventured to the Philippines in the first place. It was a joy to share this experience with my special family. I love you all very dearly and it's times like these that make me appreciate you all the more.

I'd like to thank Liza for all her work booking tickets and making sure we got where we needed to go. Also Liza for your unique sense of compassion for those less fortunate than us. And to Pete, Sam, Grace and Tilly. We so enjoyed your company and we treasure the bond that we have established through this unique experience. We all admire your willingness to even make the crazy decision to join us. You had plenty of reasons not to, and you made the bold decision to step out into the unknown. I admire you Pete and Liza as parents for your leadership and courage. I pray that the lessons you learnt and the experience of God that you had will stay with you forever.

To Jenny and Emily - I so enjoyed getting to know you both. You are both quality girls with beautiful hearts. Thank you for the way that you embraced the chaos and made yourselves vulnerable. You did lots of things that were outside your comfort zone and you did them brilliantly. I love that you got involved with such enthusiasm - You were both wonderful travel companions.

To Nicola - Thanks for being a fabulous big sister and wonderful friend. You were an awesome tour guide and you put us at ease wherever we went. We couldn't have done this adventure without you. Your local knowledge, your sense of fun and your incredible sense of direction were astounding. You gave each of us the confidence to have a go and try new things. You too have a beautiful heart for service and I look forward to seeing where God takes you and Paul in the future.

At Church in both Ligao and San Ramon I shared the wonderful words from 2 Corinthians 4 v 8-9. They are words that offer each of us the encouragement we need to press on with our lives. We live lives that are busy, stressful and often times difficult to balance. But we can all take comfort from the encouragement that these words offer us:

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed."

I trust that this little travel blog will provide my family with entertainment, encouragement and lasting memories over the coming years. Thanks for sharing this experience with us. Hannah, Charlie, William and Gracie, you are well loved! Dad

            Back in blustery Melbourne