Last week while I was in Thailand, Allan and Will were home alone. Emily was off on a trip with the Middle school called Outdoor Ed. Outdoor Ed gives students a chance to take a week off from classes and learn about the country in which we live. Every February, Faith Academy along with 3 other small missionary schools on other islands and homeschooled MKs take a week long trip to one of three different locations: 1.Taal Volcano in Tagaytay with an emphasis on Science 2. Subic Jungle and JEST survival camp with an emphasis on survival skills, and 3. Corregidor Island, a historical South East Asian battle site from World War II and the Bataan Peninsula, from the famous Bataan death march of WWII. Of course this trip's emphasis is history.
This year the trip was to Corregidor and Bataan. Just before Christmas, the middle school was divided into squads. For weeks they have met together to learn and prepare for this trip. Emily was on a squad of 8 6th grade girls, led by her band teacher, Mrs. Johnson. The girls all seemed to bond well and had a great, as well as a cold time. Temps in the PI last 2 weeks were really cool dropping down into the high 60's each night with a stiff breeze. You know it is cold here when the guards at the gate into school have on jackets, stocking hats and gloves each morning (I know for those of you suffering through record snows and lows in the US this is like late spring temps, but this is the Philippines and after 20 months of continuous summer we did feel a little cold.) The kids broke into divisions of squads and traveled around to 3 different sights each night. They slept out under the stars on the island of Corregidor and on the beach at Bataan. One of those nights it began raining and they had to gather their stuff in the middle of the night and sleep in a little open air hut called a Bahay Kubo.
Emily loved Corregidor and exploring old tunnels and ruins from the fort. Her favorite (or at least most impressionable) part of Corregidor was a long hike through a series of dark tunnels where they saw a skeleton. Em says he still had on his dog tags, but she didn't want to get close enough to find out what country he was from. For an 11 year old girl, a real skeleton is a little scary. I think even the 8th grade boys with them were a little uncomfortable.
Emily's favorite part of the whole week was the ministry project they did near a fishing community on the beach near Bataan. Her division passed out shells and gospel tracks in Tagalog among the kids and fishermen living in the village. Em's squad had spent a good bit of time practicing how to say different things in Tagalog. She also had 2 Filipina girls in her squad which helped with communication. Emily, who has never met a stranger, was truly in her element. She met 2 girls about her age that spoke some English and she loved talking to them. Their father takes a boat out to deep water and collects large shells which he then puts a glaze on a sells to tourists. The girls responded to Em's gift with a gift of their own. They gave her a beautiful shell their father had collected. It is quite a prized possession and on prominent display in her room. Emily returned home Friday exhausted, but she had a great time and can't wait to go again next year.
Last week while I was in Thailand, Allan and Will were home alone. Emily was off on a trip with the Middle school called Outdoor Ed. Outdoor Ed gives students a chance to take a week off from classes and learn about the country in which we live. Every February, Faith Academy along with 3 other small missionary schools on other islands and homeschooled MKs take a week long trip to one of three different locations: 1.Taal Volcano in Tagaytay with an emphasis on Science 2. Subic Jungle and JEST survival camp with an emphasis on survival skills, and 3. Corregidor Island, a historical South East Asian battle site from World War II and the Bataan Peninsula, from the famous Bataan death march of WWII. Of course this trip's emphasis is history.
This year the trip was to Corregidor and Bataan. Just before Christmas, the middle school was divided into squads. For weeks they have met together to learn and prepare for this trip. Emily was on a squad of 8 6th grade girls, led by her band teacher, Mrs. Johnson. The girls all seemed to bond well and had a great, as well as a cold time. Temps in the PI last 2 weeks were really cool dropping down into the high 60's each night with a stiff breeze. You know it is cold here when the guards at the gate into school have on jackets, stocking hats and gloves each morning (I know for those of you suffering through record snows and lows in the US this is like late spring temps, but this is the Philippines and after 20 months of continuous summer we did feel a little cold.) The kids broke into divisions of squads and traveled around to 3 different sights each night. They slept out under the stars on the island of Corregidor and on the beach at Bataan. One of those nights it began raining and they had to gather their stuff in the middle of the night and sleep in a little open air hut called a Bahay Kubo.
Emily loved Corregidor and exploring old tunnels and ruins from the fort. Her favorite (or at least most impressionable) part of Corregidor was a long hike through a series of dark tunnels where they saw a skeleton. Em says he still had on his dog tags, but she didn't want to get close enough to find out what country he was from. For an 11 year old girl, a real skeleton is a little scary. I think even the 8th grade boys with them were a little uncomfortable.
Emily's favorite part of the whole week was the ministry project they did near a fishing community on the beach near Bataan. Her division passed out shells and gospel tracks in Tagalog among the kids and fishermen living in the village. Em's squad had spent a good bit of time practicing how to say different things in Tagalog. She also had 2 Filipina girls in her squad which helped with communication. Emily, who has never met a stranger, was truly in her element. She met 2 girls about her age that spoke some English and she loved talking to them. Their father takes a boat out to deep water and collects large shells which he then puts a glaze on a sells to tourists. The girls responded to Em's gift with a gift of their own. They gave her a beautiful shell their father had collected. It is quite a prized possession and on prominent display in her room. Emily returned home Friday exhausted, but she had a great time and can't wait to go again next year.
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