faces of Project Destiny

faces of Project Destiny

Vroom- vroom!

Teresa asked me to come down to Project Destiny for a couple of months while she went to the states for furlough. Due to a series of unfortunate events, which have resulted in knee surgery, Teresa didn't end up being able to leave. However, I am still here and still going to be fulfilling my role as assistant to Ate Sonia and driver and go-fer and common senser and problem solver and .....whatever else might come my way. :)
For now the plan is that I will be here until December. There are several options I'll have at that point and I'm still praying about what that will mean. The CDTS will be taking a year off of the school, so we don't start until January 2011. However, we do have a China trip planned for March or April. Anyone wanna join??
For now, enjoy these photos...I wanted you to see what I'm up to....:)

This is the handy dandy van...I spend alot of my day in this trusty little guy...toting staff and kids to various locations in the city.

We can get like 10 people in it...wanna come over? There's room for you!!

These orange trikes are like little frogs. They just JUMP in front of the van while it's moving down the street. FREAKed me out the first time. I've learned though. I'm now an excellent driver in the Philippines. :) ;)

Here's the kids and some of the staff. Aren't they a good looking crew?

2 more photos. why won't picasa upload more than 4 at a time?

This photo is a bit more realistic than the one at the end of the other post. :)

Sweet Rachel. She's so much fun and I'm looking forward to knowing her more.:)

Girls Nite Out in Baguio

So, the nite before i left Baguio the DTS girlies and i went out for some stress relief. They were like 8 weeks into their 12 week school and i was leaving early for my trip to Butuan. We decided to take a taxi to the Manor in Camp John Hay for coffee and dessert. :)

(L -R) Katlea, from Manila, her family's home was flooded during the typhoon last week. Rachel, from Malaysia, so funny girl. Sarah, from Canada, firecracker. Hazel, from Manila, i just love her. lots.

Even though it was 2 weeks early, we celebrated Sarah's birthday....:)

Isn't that cake gorgeous? Come visit me here in the Philippines and I'll if we can get you some.

4 sweet and innocent looking missionaries sitting in front of the fireplace in the lobby. We don't look like we could cause trouble, do we? Ok, the one on the right does, but the rest of us are pretty innocent i think. :)

photos for next post...

hey it's late and i'm sleepy. but when i look at my last post suddenly the photos aren't there. so here's the photos. if they're a repeat sorry. if they don't work again, sorry. if you don't like them, sorry. :)
i'm going to sleep. i'll fix it in the morning.
:)

:) i don't know if you'll ever need to know this, but just in case you do:)

I'm going to show you what you need to know should the occasion ever arise that you need to take a bucket shower and are unsure how to proceed.

Step # 1: Make sure you have the essential pieces for your shower. The 3 items in the photo, plus the usual cleaning products should all be nearby.

Step #2 Locate the bucket. In this case, it's a lovely bright blue color, very cheery. Fill the bucket about 2/3rds of the way with tap water, or pumped water, or rainwater...for best results it's try not to use the toilet water (though it might be tempting if you're having to go far to collect this important ingredient).

Step #3: When you've accumulated enough water, locate the water heater- in this case the bright yellow plastic thingy with the fashionable brown cord. <Please read all of step 3 and 4 before plugging in this stunning piece of technology to avoid being electrocuted in a cartoon-like moment you'll be embarrassed to admit later.> Place the heating element (the yellow part) into the water to the point that it is submerged, but not all the way to the bottom of the bucket. This ensures optimum water circulation. Using your best girl/boy scout technique, wrap some of the brown cord around the faucet to hold the plastic in it's position. Now it's time to plug in the water heater and then go make some coffee, check your email, pick your nose...

Step #4: After about 30 minutes return to check on your bucket. Please do not thrust your hand into the bucket to see if it's hot enough. You will die. Or smoke. Or at least it will hurt. Alot. Simply feel the outside of the trusty blue bucket. If it's warm, you're ready to unplug the heater and move on to step 5. If not, wait longer. But remember: a watched bucket never boils. :)

Step #5: Check to make sure the water heater is unplugged.

Step #6: Now you're almost ready to take your nice hot shower. Locate the dipper, in this case a marvelous, ladylike fuschia pink plastic scoop. <Please note that anything that scoops can be used if you can't locate this exact item. Things I've used: coconut husk, bottom half of plastic liter bottle...my friend Susie tried to use a live turtle, but that's another story. :)> It is imperative that you check the water temperature before dumping water on your head. Start by touching the water with your finger. Then mix it with the scooper, assuring that the heat has been thoroughly distributed. Add cold tap water as needed to get your preferred temperature.

Step #7 You are now ready for the actual shower. Squatting works best, since the water is limited. Soap up. Rinse. Wash hair. Rinse. Condition. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. Please note that at the bottom of the bucket you might find chunks of what looks like clay. It's gunk from the water heater. It's best to not use that for rinsing. Cause you just end up full of chunkies...which is I think what might have started this process in the first place. So, as tempting as that warm water looks, don't be drawn in...walk away. Find your towel. You've just accomplished your goal. Congratulations!

At this point I think you should know that tonight, after almost 5 years of bucket showers, for the first time I stuck my hand in the bucket to test the water while the heater was still plugged into the wall (220volts). It hurt. I didn't like it. But I did laugh at myself. And I thought maybe some of you would laugh at me too. Which led me to this post. :)