Yes, sad to say, but I’m back in Canada now where I’m working
through the somewhat drastic change in climate, among the many other
differences! It’s hard to believe but three plus
weeks has come and gone, marking the end of my time in the Philippines. As has been the case before and is definitely
true again here, I came to serve and offer what limited knowledge I could to
assist, but what I received in return were countless examples and inspiring lessons
of selflessness, perseverance, and unceasing hope. And, as per the Filipino culture, undeserved
gratitude many times over.
I’ve always found, and I think some of you can testify to
this as well, that there exists a special bond with those whom we serve with; naturally,
this made for some tough goodbyes. From a
youthful 85 year old doctor who’s now on his 43rd trip (and was less jet
lagged than I!), to the ex soldier turned team leader, to the nurse who’s lived
and served in one of the most repressive Islamic villages in the world, to
those who’ve been bombed while serving in refugee camps (and some of the national
staff stories are even wilder!), I’m honoured to have met each of them, learned
from them, and served with them.
While my time here is up, the needs remain and the work
continues. Two more eMi guys arrived just as Gary and I wrapped up our time so
you can keep Michael and Robert in your prayers as they will be in country for
the next month. Gavin and Stephen remain
in country as the backbone of the SP WASH teams, along with our national WASH
and Hygiene staff, who already lead much of the programs and whom we will hand
off the reins to entirely at some point in the future.
My next goal (other than getting over the cold I caught
somewhere en route back to Canada) is to post some of the pictures of the
Filipino people I encountered, the devastation I witnessed, and the
reconstruction that is underway.
Until then, I again sincerely thank you for your
encouragement, thoughts and prayers over the past few weeks. I would encourage you to continue to keep
praying for the Filipino people and the rebuilding process, as well as the SP
team that will remain in country for at least the next year to assist in these
efforts.
Final thought, and as we were often reminded in morning devotions
and other discussions, there are a number of other places in the world that are
currently enduring their own conflicts including Syria, South Sudan (where a
number of our team served prior and a few have already returned to), and the Central
Africa Republic. The hurting doesn’t end
with Typhoon Yolanda, or the Philippines, so let not our help for those in need
end there either.
Salamat Po,
Wes
