Time passes differently here. I apologize for not posting in a while, but it seems there's not enough time in the day. Edgar's dad passed away recently. The "lamay" or wake lasted for 10 days, so for several nights we'd stay in Bulalacao. People of all ages hang out all night around the house playing cards and talking. It was actually fun. I'm sure it was utterly exhautsting for the family, not only mourning and staying up all night, but also serving hoards of people with coffee and snacks for 10 days straight. But this is Filipino style. Community and being together is what life, and I supposed death, is about. One night, after a couple of hours of shut-eye at Elesita and Yunings hut up the hill, we woke up again at 2:30am for Mananita, the early morning birthday serenade, because it was the birthday of Edgar's dead dad. Everyone cried. It was a poignant moment.
Another night Elmer and I were on the way there by motorcycle. Emi is a massive man with a huge belly and he was driving. A few dogs strolling in the road were caught unawares and we hit one dead on. Emi still laughs at my scream of, "Oh my God!" the moment before impact. But nothing happened to us. Just a thud and a yelp. I guess He heard me. But sorry about the dog.
In other news about death (it seems I'm facinated by this subject.. is that weird?), my three turtles met a tragic end. I put the bucket which they called home in what I thought was a shady spot in the garden. But I was mistaken. At about quarter to noon I happened by and found that the ruthless sun had abused them all morning. The bucket was filled with turtle soup when I found them. Even the baby one was cooked. No amount of fresh cool water could revive them. Poor bastards... all my fault. The next day Jemuel and I had a proper funeral service at the peir, tossing their stiff bodies in the sea.

Let's see more info.. we started a bible sharing goup with the youth and we are meeting regularly, not only for prayer but cleaning the curch grounds, visiting the barios, and planning for an overnight youth camp in the mountains.

oopss. gotta run. catching a pumboat to calubian~~