Water

Water is talked about a lot around here. There is the free water stations for the community outside the Children's Home and at the Cuatro Community Center, and the new community cooperative water stations going in other parts of the neighborhood. Our fellow Kids International Ministries friends Bill and Debbie Shaw launched their first issue of the Jeepney magazine (a street mag designed to raise awareness about issues of the marginalized while providing employment to underprivileged vendors) with articles on the struggle to find clean water for those trapped in poverty.

But today I am talking about different kinds of water - the chlorinated kind and that which falls from the sky. It has gotten hot recently. The hot season finally hit here in Manila and the days are consistently beaten with intense sunshine. That is why one of the greatest activities for us to do with the kids these summer months when they are off of school is swimming. We are blessed to have Faith Academy nearby, which has an amazing pool. We go swimming there twice a week, once with the older kids and once with the younger, so everyone gets a chance. Every single kid looks forward to swim days; we always have such a fun and satisfying time spending a couple hours immersed. Like today, there was almost a collective sigh of relief as we plunged in with the older kids, escaping the heat in the cool water. Really, it's that nice. Plus, swimming: what a great life skill for our kids to learn! Here we are in a nation of 7,000+ islands, surrounded by water, and yet most kids around here in urban Manila don't know how to swim. Thanks to the Minnesota YMCA for donating enough goggles for all the kids to use, we have plenty of little fish on our hands.

While the pool is a fun way to cool off during these summer days, so is the rain. We've been getting an early glimpse of the upcoming rainy season this week with regular afternoon downpours. While this is not helpful to the guys busily trying to finish the roof on the new dining room/nursery construction at the Children's Home, it can be fun and refreshing. Unique to places in the world like this is the glorious sound of a warm, heavy rain drumming on corrugated metal roofs. When we left the Faith Academy pool this afternoon, it was just starting to rain hard. When we arrived back at the Children's Home in the middle of a downpour, we realized we were all still wet in swim suits and perfectly dressed for the occasion. So instead of drying off and changing, we splashed around with some of the kids, playing basketball, soccer, swinging on the rope swing, and just having a good time getting drenched. With even more rain to come, that will be the first of many times to enjoy the rain this season!


DJ and Rachel