Reach the poor

John 10:10
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

more →

I’ve found that many web surfers find this weblog when they search for “beggar,” “poor in the philippines,” “pictures of poverty in baguio city,” “photos of poor weary burdened,” “poor kids photos,” “poor beggar,” “baguio poverty,” “reaching the poor,” “begger” (sic), “beggar kids,” “jamaica pictures of poverty,” “pictures of poor people,” “philippines’ beggar,” “poor and reach people,” “the poor” and such terms in Google and Yahoo search engines.

more →

Tropical Storm Higos (”Pablo”) has been marching across the Philippines for two days, and we are getting beaucoup rain in Luzon! Ramadan ended today, so all Republic of the Philippines government employees were excused from work, and classes were suspended in public schools. I’d bet alot of pesos that schools will be ‘closed’ tomorrow due to flooding and risks of mudslides, rockslides and drownings.

Toni Rose hasn’t been going to Kindergarten due to chicken pox affliction. For days Mack has felt lousy, and he had a rotten tooth pulled by dentist on Monday afternoon, so he has also been affected by pain medicine and antibiotics while otherwise feeling under the weather, with a cough. So having a holiday from high school was fortunate.

I took to their family more groceries this afternoon and made a small donation to the thrice-weekly Feeding Program organized by the parents’ association of the Kindergarten in Baguio Gold.

We haven’t had internet access in home for two days until now. We still don’t have a working home phone. PLDT is horrible. Yesterday upon return from Baguio City, where I didn’t visit an internet café, I took down to Baguio Gold some grocery odds and ends, student supplies and money. Today Mack came up to this apartment, then he an I went into the city for lunch, a ten-minute visit to an internet café and grocery shopping. We returned home before rainfall. Dominic took Nikko and Dennis into the city for a meal and haircuts. Tomorrow Dom will go with Mack to a dentist office after he leaves school.

We’re getting more blowing rain as Tropical Storm Jangmi approaches the Philippines on its way to Taiwan. Typhoon Hagupit passed Luzon days ago on its way to China, and eight people in this province died.

Typically, due to excessive rainfall and inadequate preparation of Filipinos, people drown in swollen rivers, die in mudslides/hillslides or get crushed by falling trees, houses or rocks. People reside in hillside shanties which wash downhill, and some live at the bases of slopes where tons of mud and rocks flow and crush them Other people wade into rushing rivers, are swept away and drown. I read of one man who waded in deep water covering city streets, fell into an open manhole (uncovered sewer) and was never seen again.

It’s sad. I pray for the souls of these unfortunate people who perish without preparing to meet their Maker and for their loved ones left behind to mourn.