Some weeks here are really hard.
Happily this week wasn't one of them! On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week we were away from Cebu to spend a few days on the beach with the core group of students who helped organise the orientation or the new applicants. Officially it was a leadership camp but in reality it was a holiday given to them as a reward for their hard work.
It was a fantastic few days spent relaxing, enjoying the beach, swimming and having the time to simply be. A very special time.
It was also an eye-opener to how the students live. Steph and I and the Salesians who came all had tents which we pitched on the beach, whereas the students simply slept on the beach or under a makeshift shelter built from plastic sheeting and pieces of wood. We all washed both our bodies and our cooking utensils in public using water from two big plastic barrels. The toilet facilities were rudimentary. The food was prepared and cooked by the students, we ate a lot less meat and a lot more rice. We were annoyed by the flies and at noontime we missed our air-con unit. Such conditions are very likely much closer to what they live in ordinary life.
All in all it was pretty amazing! perhaps the photos describe it best......
Wish I was there? Oh yes.
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