We went to the DMC (the public hospital in Davao) on Friday and it was really eye-opening. So crowded and hot. All the halls are lined with cots with kids, old people, and parents draped everywhere. The hospitals don't provide food here and they require that a family member or friend come along to take care for their sick. We will be going there often--anytime we transport or visit a patient.
We also had orientation with Matt (Matt and Krys McNeil are the directors of Newlife) and he is a crackup. The first thing he said was "I am not a midwife!!!" Anyway, he has a very friendly and loving heart, but is also very firm about the truth. He emphasised the need to obey authority, honor the Philippino staff (or else get a really quick ticket out of here), and live in Christian integrity. We had our first Visayan lesson yesterday morning and since going to the DMC , i want sooo much to learn visayan. In the evening we played with the kids on our street and learned more words. One boy has a dog nammed ken who he carries around with him and the dog just acts like a rag doll--i think he loves the attention. please pray that i will learn to speak double time!