On
Thursday, we went back to the school in Carigara to finish the mural. This
time, all of the volunteers came and made it a true team effort. The comfort
room was almost completed, so Shawney and I went from class to class, teaching
them proper hand washing techniques. We provided each class with liquid hand
soap and the Grade 5 class was so excited, that they cheered upon receiving it.
Who knew hand washing could be so much fun!? After receiving this lesson, we
sent students out in small groups to contribute to our mural. Ben painted the
students hands, Bonnie and Kulia placed their hands on the wall, while Bekah
and Stefanie made sure students washed their hands correctly. By the end of the
day, 263 students from 7 classes had contributed. Students and teachers loved
the mural that is centered on pride, teamwork, and cooperation. The HELP
volunteers loved that we could do something small to make this school a little
more beautiful, one helping hand at a time. At the end of the day, Veronica
(who, by the way, made us the best carbonera pasta that I have ever had for
lunch!) started tearing up when we were saying goodbye. My favorite thing that
she said while hugging me was, “I’ll see you on the Facebook!” God definitely
intended for me to meet this woman to provide her with hope and resources as
well as to provide me with a phenomenal example of how to display genuine
compassion to others.
When we
returned to Tacloban, one of the volunteers had the wonderful idea of getting
massages. The massage itself was honestly one of the best that I’ve ever had
(and trust me, I’m a sucker for a good massage!), but everything else about it
was a little shady, including the price, the hours of operation, and the
building itself. But really, who cares?! I’m alive and here to tell about a great
hour-long massage that I received for a whopping $8.
Ben,
Bonnie, Shawney, and I had a short work day on Friday, as we asked if we could
do a few tourist-y things in Tacloban before we left. Kulia brought us around
to buy a couple of souvenirs and to go to an abandoned ship that was washed up from
the storm. The girls opted to stay safely on shore and take pictures, but the
boys jumped off this boat several times into the water. Upon seeing white
people, I think everybody in the neighborhood came out to watch. Furthermore,
the mayor’s office just so happened to pull up while we were there. They interviewed
Ben and I separately about our experiences in Tacloban where I commented on how
hard working the people are and Ben claimed that he had a great experience.
Apparently, they want to send a message to the national government and the
world about how self-sufficient the city is, so we were told to check it out in
a few weeks on YouTube. We’ll see…!
The
team was very sweet and treated everybody to dinner on Friday night for my
birthday. It was honestly the nicest place that I’ve been in since arriving in
Tacloban as we had tablecloths, stemware, knives (Filipino meals only require a
fork and spoon), and soap and toilet paper in the bathroom. (Really, it’s the
little things in life…!) I made several comments about how I overdressed for
the occasion as I was wearing a t-shirt and running shorts. I dedicated my meal
to Veronica by ordering carbonera pasta and the waiters brought out a mini chocolate
ganache cake for me. We had fun laughing, talking, and enjoying a good, hearty
meal.
So, why
the title of this particular post? Several years ago, I started doing something.
I have no idea where it came from, how it started, or why I even did it
originally, but whenever I wanted to cheer for somebody, I would say, “Give it
up for *insert name here*!” and start clapping profusely. Naturally, other
people would join in. Apparently, Shawney found this hilarious when we were in
Thailand together a couple years ago, and has continued doing it. By hanging
out with her for the past two weeks, I’ve been reminded of how awesome
mini-cheer committees are and, now, the entire house is constantly “Giving It
Up”. (Although typically very genuine, my favorites are when we “give it up”
for no apparent reason, like walking through the door or taking a bite of
food.) Because we left Tacloban yesterday morning, I’d like to genuinely “Give
It Up” for the followings things:
1.
Mildred, our cook. She makes wonderful food and
I have been introduced to a phenomenal new dessert: mango floats. Mmm!
2.
All the members of our team. They. Were.
Awesome. I truly enjoyed every single person that I got to spend the last two
weeks with.
3.
Beth, our truck. She’s a trooper for toting around
so many people on such poor roads. It’s honestly a wonder that she’s still
working.
4.
The work that HELP has been doing in Tacloban. Everybody
was so invested in these projects as, like I’ve been saying, this community was
very clearly in need of support.
5.
Most importantly, I’d like to give it up for the
people here. They’re friendly, hopeful, and hardworking. I saw a sign painted
on a cardboard box the other day that sums it all up, “Roofless, homeless, but
not hopeless”. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by mass amounts of people
with great character? They deserve encore after encore after encore. I am so grateful
for everything that I am blessed with, but even more grateful for being humbled
and taught by the Filipino people.
Lastly, posts are behind again;
however, I have traveled to Boracay (update on that coming soon!) and have a
MUCH stronger internet signal! Here’s to more communication with the outside
world and, perhaps, pictures finally being put up on my older posts!!!
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