FROM KOPERVIK TO TALAKAG

From L to R. Rigmor, Andreas, Aleksandra and Olav Øygarden

Last week I was informed by Rose Longcob that a Norwegian family was coming to visit Bethany with their adopted grown up children. On hearing this news I was anxious to meet them when they arrived in Talakag. I was thinking to myself they are going to really feel the difference in temperature as its now the middle of winter in Scandinavia, just the right time for a vacation.
The day after they arrived Marilou and I went to Bethany to meet up with the new arrivals who were Mr Olav and Mrs Rigmor Øygarden and their daughter Aleksandra and son Andreas. Aleksandra who is now 24 years was adopted from Bethany when she was 9 months old and was born in Talakag. Andreas who is now 21 years was born in Kibawe also in Bukidnon and was adopted at 18 months old. Marilou informed Andreas when she heard he was born in Kibawe that he shared the same birthplace as a famous son of the Philippines namely Manny Paquiao, which he was delighted to learn.

The Øygardens were accompanied by the boyfriend of Aleksandra, Mr Steffen Lücherat as well as their good friends Eythor I. Johannsson and Mary Ann Lund. (see photo below)

This is the second visit of Aleksandra and Andreas who last came 13 years ago when Miss Lynip was still alive and managing Bethany. I was also informed that they were some of the first children to be adopted into Europe as until then most children were adopted either locally or to the USA.

It’s always great to see children who left so young return to Bethany as polished young men and women. During their visit to the Philippines both Aleksandra and Andreas will meet their birth mothers as arranged by Rose.

The family along with their companions will stay at Bethany until January 1 and then relocate to Cagayan de Oro so they can visit the many attractions in the area then travel on to Cebu to finish their vacation before returning back to the cold winter of Norway.

Marilou and I wish them all a very pleasant remainder to their stay here in the Philippines and maybe one day we will have the opportunity to meet up with them all again. We will certainly keep in touch with them and continue to keep them informed of the happenings at Bethany.

TALAKAG'S LARGEST GATHERING THIS YEAR TO DATE.

On the afternoon of Saturday the 26th December I had the privilege of attending a party held at the farm premises of Mr Jess Paras the prospective Congress candidate for Bukidnon District 1.

The party was a seasonal treat for the residents of Talakag and surrounding Towns and Barrios comprising District 1, as well as an opportunity for Jess Paras to celebrate his birthday with his family and friends amongst whom were his former classmates at Xavier University Class of 1971. The Paras farm is located near the Barrio of Dagumbaan in a beautiful area on the Talakag plateau with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

Jess Paras and Jim Cunningham

I felt very honoured to be amongst the real Bukidnons both Christian, Moslem and Traditionalists and enjoyed tremendously the hospitality of the Paras family extended to Marilou and I during our visit. For those of you reading this Jess Paras is an agriculturist who has held many government posts in the various agencies connected with agriculture in Bukidnon as well as nationwide, besides developing his own farm. An entrepreneur Jess Paras has owned and managed many businesses in Cagayan de Oro and currently owns and operates a Seacat ferry service between Cagayan de Oro and the islands of Camiguin and Bohol.

What has interested me recently about Jess Paras is his initiative to provide a vocational opportunity at his cost for young men and women of District 1 to enable them to acquire skills that will make them employable and give them the chance to find work and perhaps the platform for future personal development. Two of my nephews joined this programme and are thoroughly enjoying the experience so I know first hand that it is working.
Also attending the function was Mrs Fely Imperio (formerly Abello) who was one of the two first children to be cared for by Louise Lynip when she originally founded Bethany Christian Home for Children. Fely spoke to the gathering in the local Bukidnon dialect and endorsed Jess Paras’ decision to run for congress. Fely’s first husband was a former Mayor of Talakag so she knows a thing or two about local politics.

Fely and Jess Paras

Although I myself am strictly only an observer as far a politics go being a foreigner, I had to admit that I was in the presence of a very popular and respected person in the form of Jess Paras. I wish him every success in his attempt to obtain a seat in Congress in the forthcoming elections in 2010.

It would be unkind of me when writing this blog if I fail to mention the tremendous effort of Mrs Nena Paras and her son for organising such a successful event thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.

SEASONS GREETINGS.

I would once again like to wish all the regular readers and visitors new and old a very merry Christmas and an happy and prosperous New Year.

Thank you for your kindness throughout the year and I hope and pray that 2010 will be kind to the Staff and Children at Bethany.

God Bless.

Marilou hands over seasonal gifts from the Expat Ladies Charities Inc Cagayan de Oro to

Rose Longcob.

RUBBER PLANTATION PROJECT: PROGRESS AT BETHANY

The other day whilst attending the birthday party of Atty Nacua I had the opportunity to visit the Rubber Plantation Project at Bethany that we started at the beginning of this year. The trees are really beginning to grow now with the majority over 2 meters tall. We will plant a further three hectares of seedlings next wet season to bring the plantation up to six hectares.
It was always my intention to have a minimum of ten hectares of rubber plantation so we are getting closer to our target with God’s grace and the financial support of our friends and colleagues without which this idea would never have been started.

Please also read about how we have progressed since we started our Rubber Plantation Project here, here, here, and here. If anyone reading this wishes to contribute to our Rubber Plantation Project please contact me by email for further details.

BIRTHDAY PARTY AT BETHANY

On the 14th December 2009 Bethany was the location of Atty Nacua’s birthday party.
Atty Nacua is the Chair Person of Bethany’s Board of Directors. The party was attended by the Staff and children as well as fellow board members and family of Atty Nacua.
It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and blue skies above and everyone enjoyed the birthday luncheon provided by the celebrant. The Bethany Choir under Rita’s direction sung a seasonal rendition to mark the occasion which thrilled the audience.
I would like to thank everyone including of course Atty Nacua for making the day a special one and hopefully we can have many more birthdays to celebrate at Bethany.

BETHANY/TALAKAG HAVE THEIR FOOTBALL KIT.

The players wearing their East Kilbride strips.

The players wearing their East Durham (Peterlee) strips.

The players with their Scottish Daily Record strips.

When we were last back in the UK attending our daughter’s graduation our visit coincided with our good friends and former neighbours Doreen and Billy Jarvis’s annual Garden Party. The party is given to honour the birthday of their daughter Dawn and provide a good knees up for friends and neighbours. Back to the story, when attending the said party I bumped into an acquaintance of mine Mr Billy Davies who is the Facilities Manager at Shotton Hall in Peterlee which doubles as the HQ of the Peterlee Council as well as some of the best function facilities in the area of East Durham. During my time as CE of my former company I used the Shotton Hall facilities on numerous occasion therefore getting to know Billy Davies quite well or so I thought. We got chatting about retirement and what I was doing in the Philippines etc when I mentioned to him our need for football kit as Bethany/Talakag were so keen to play football (Soccer).
Billy said he would see what he could do to help and we left it at that and got back to drinking the other Billy’s beer, well after all that’s why we were there in the first place.
Two weeks later I got a call from Doreen Jarvis to inform me that there was a bag of football kit at her house to be collected. By now we had moved house to Durham and we needed to go to Peterlee that afternoon so we said we would drop by and collect the kit. When we arrived at the Jarvis residence immediately I saw the bag of kit it was enormous it had a note on the top to say there was no one at home just help yourself. Marilou and I struggled to get the bag in the car and had a further struggle to get the bag into our apartment. When we opened the bag we were overwhelmed with the amount of football kit it contained and the only way we were going to get it to Talakag was by shipping it in a Balikbayan box. So it was back in contact with our shipper and after a struggle we managed to get the boxes packed and collected and on there way to Talakag.
As I mentioned in an earlier post the boxes had already arrived in Talakag and yesterday we had the handover of all the football kit to Pastor Melchor Gabitano and Mr Arquillano who organize and train the youth teams in Talakag. They were so grateful for the kindness of our UK friends in sending the kit which delighted everyone and in the photographs this is reflected by the smiles on the young player’s faces.
Once again a massive thank you to Paul and Debbie Kinghorn who run East Kilbride Rovers and East Kilbride Youths as well as Billy Davies from East Durham( Peterlee) Youth Football Team for their overwhelming kindness in donating to Bethany/Talakag so much football kit. I also would like to mention Guy Millen formerly of Durham University Business School for his individual contribution of football boots and tops to be used by our Bethany/Talakag players.
Last but by no means least I would like to thank Meriam and her long suffering other half Brent back in Scotland who got the ball rolling for me and Billy and Doreen without who’s garden party I would not have bumped into Billy Davies.
If I have missed anyone out who contributed to making the above happen then it is in no way intentional and I humbly apologise in advance and thank them profusely in arrears.

THE FOOTBALL KIT HAS ARRIVED AT LAST.

The boxes containing the football kit donated by our friends in East Kilbride and East Durham has arrived in Talakag.
Please watch this space for further news.

My Apologies.

I would like to apologise to all those who read my Bethany blog for my recent inactivity in bringing you up to date on what is happening here in Talakag.
Sad to say the truth is when we arrived back in Talakag following our visit to the UK to attend our daughters graduation from Stirling University we were informed that my wife Marilou's brother has passed away the day before we arrived.
We were busy assisting the family with funeral arrangements and subsequent protocol which in the Philippines lasts for forty days following the death.
Life goes on however so its now back to something like normality after such a sad occasion.

THE DAILY RECORD and SCOTTISH POWER comes to the Philippines via East Kilbride.

During a recent conversation with Pastor Melchor Gabitano at Bethany Christian School he informed me of the activities of the school football team or soccer as its called in the Philippines. I was to say the least shocked and stunned at this revelation no pun intended Pastor. Football has been of lifelong interest to me both as a player in my younger days and as a supporter to date. Up until he informed me of Bethany Schools involvement I had never witnessed any interest in the game around the town on my numerous previous visits to Talakag or the Philippines for that matter.
On our return to the UK to attend our daughter’s graduation from Stirling University we visited a very dear friend of ours Meriam Hunter nee Quilang a native of Cagayan de Oro now East Kilbride in Scotland and I happened to mention Bethany Christian School and their wish to obtain football equipment. That’s when the miracle happened Meriam contacted her friends in East Kilbride which is located in Lanarkshire an area steeped in football history both past and present and within a few days she called me back to tell me she had obtained a collection of football strips as well as boots etc. I was overwhelmed when I saw what she had managed to gather in such a short time. The principal donor to our football cause is Paul and Debbie Kinghorn who run East Kilbride Rovers and East Kilbride Youths Team as well as individual friends.
Our initial reason for visiting Meriam was due to her informing us that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last Autumn 2008. Due to us preparing to travel to the Philippines we never had the opportunity to visit her at that time. It was with trepidation that we journeyed to Scotland from our house in the North East of England to see her. Fortunately Meriam had already had the chemotherapy treatment following her surgery and was recovering from its effects as her hair although still short had grown back. Meriam had gained weight as a result of her medication so we did not recognise her at first glance. During our get together we were able to catch up first hand with everything she had gone through since her diagnosis and we were truly humbled by her determination not only to fight her illness but to help others suffering similarly. Despite her condition Meriam does not think solely about herself but instead still thinks about others be it family, friends or strangers and has continued working at the job she loves with David Urquart (Travel) Ltd. http://www.davidurquhart.com/
The Philippine Football Association is now affiliated to FIFA and football is becoming more and more popular especially with satellite TV bringing live games direct from Europe.
Soon the Daily Record will be known all over Mindanao especially if Talakag Town is successful.

JOJO THE HUMAN DYNAMO

Bethany is very lucky to have in its midst Jojo Rivera a very talented young man sponsored by Terry and Lynn Habeck.
Jojo joined the Bethany team in order to assist with property maintenance and stimulating the creativity of the young people. Jojo has gone way ahead of what was asked of him in both commitment and effort and has earned the respect of everyone he comes in contact with. From beautifully decorating the children’s cottages and day centre to teaching arts and crafts to Bethany School students as well as students at local community schools. His involvement in the design and building of the Bethany booth at the recent Talakag Fiesta earned Bethany an award from Mayor Nestor Macapayag. Jojo has now turned his artistic skills to painting the new signage at the main entrance to the Home and School as well as decorating the exterior walls of the school. Jojo has been instrumental in resurrecting the home gardening initiative with the setting out and planting of vegetable beds to supplement the Homes food requirements. Jojo has shown that when criticism is constructive it becomes motivational and it’s a treat to see how he has welded the team back together again.
If ever there was an example of determination to succeed its Jojo’s efforts and still remaining cool calm and collect when all around him is in a state of chaos.
This is the type of transparency that donors wish to see happening with the money they give, believe me you are not being let down in any way shape or form.

COLLEGE STUDENTS JOIN BETHANY AS PART OF THEIR DEGREE COURSE

On Monday the 18th May three students of Lourdes College in Cagayan de Oro City commenced their work experience at Bethany.
The students Lourdes Michelle Cagubcub, Audiemier L. Zayas and Honey Jane Sabuga-a are in their fourth year taking BSc in Social Welfare. The degree course requires them to complete 500 hours of work experience thus the reason for them being at Bethany working with the toddlers. During their time at Bethany they will be assessed by our resident Social Worker Mrs Rose Longcob who will report on their progress to Lourdes College at the end of their assignment in September. This is an excellent opportunity for the young students to learn about care in the community and be exposed to real life instances of vulnerable children in Bethany’s care.

RUBBER TREES ARE GROWING

The rubber trees that were planted earlier this year are now beginning to sprout up.
The rainy season plus the fertilizer and insecticide treatment has paid dividends and progress is being made. It is hoped that we can persuade our friends and new donors to help us achieve our goal of planting 10 Hectares / 25 Acres which will go a long way in helping Bethany achieve its desire of being self sustaining in years to come.

Additionally Bethany has planted corn and also vegetables to help in ensuring the kitchen needs are supplemented. With the little funding currently available the staff are making good use of every peso given to them.

BETHANY BOARD ELECTS A NEW CHAIRPERSON

Bethany’s Board of Trustees has recently installed a new Chairperson in the form of Attorney Chemene Nacua. Ms Nacua is employed by the Department of Justice (Republic of the Philippines) as an Investigating Agent.
Ms Nacua is a graduate of Lourdes College as well as Xavier University and resides in Cagayan de Oro. The Bethany Board of Trustees has been reforming over the last two years and Ms Nacua’s appointment shows how serious the board is taking the task of reorganisation to address the main problem of under funding, that it has faced over the last few years. There will be more additions to the board as new skills and expertise are required in Bethany’s ongoing transformation.
I wish Ms Nacua and the Board of Trustees every success in their future endeavours.

BETHANY APPEALS FOR NEW DONORS

Since the passing of its founder Ms Louise Lynip in July 2006 its no secret that Bethany has struggled financially. In order to support the current 28 children in residence at the Home along with the necessary support staff and management Bethany needs a steady income from its donors on a regularly basis.
Additionally Bethany runs an Elementary School Grades 1 to 6 as well as a High School Years 1 to 4 which supports the educational requirements of the Home as well as the Town and Barrios of Talakag. The Bethany Christian School was founded originally to educate the Home’s children when the number of children being cared for at the Home exceeded one hundred. Since those days of course the number of children from the Home attending the School has dwindled to currently around 10 but the need for the School with a pupil population of in excess of 320 justifies its continuation, particularly with education been seen as the number one way to ease the acute poverty in the provinces. Not only does education ease poverty it greatly helps in establishing a sound platform for nationalism and patriotism and schooling goes a long way to prevent children being fragmentised.
Bethany is trying to establish a sustainable income programme with the planting of a rubber plantation which is being initially funded by private donation primarily from donors in the United Kingdom. When complete the rubber plantation will comprise of approximately 25 acres and should yield between 60,000/ 90,000 pesos per month depending on latex production and market price. This is equivalent to £830.00- £1,244.00 or $1,250.00-$1,875.00. Along with other such sustainable projects like the current handicraft training initiative for the older Bethany children whereby products can be made and customised to suit occasions like weddings, birthdays and anniversaries etc this project is ongoing and funded by Mr Terry & Mrs Lynn Habeck and the training is being carried out at Bethany by Mr Jojo Rivera.
The Farm that Bethany once had to grow cash crops for additional income has largely been neglected over the last few years due to lack of capital as well as knowledgeable management. This is about to change with a new member of the Board of Trustees being an agriculturalist and plans are being drawn up to revive the poultry houses as well as the piggery along with establishing cottage gardening in order to help supplement the feeding requirements of the Home.
The afore mentioned cannot be established to the point of sustainability unless donors donate on a regular basis. I appeal to all those past, present and future donors to dig deep and make a commitment to a worthy cause that will make you proud to be part of irrespective of your nationality or domain. Bethany was established through devotion to ensure that the needy children of Bukidnon and beyond were cared for in a Godly manner, please help us to continue the good work for as long as there is children in need.

Mrs Lorna Wishart's visit to Bethany.

Mrs Wishart with little Ian at Bethany.

On the 21st March Mrs Lorna Wishart a close family friend of Marilou and I paid a visit to Talakag from her Philippine holiday house in Davao. Lorna was on holiday in the Philippines from her family home in Hartburn near Stockton on Tees in the North East of England.
Lorna has been a donor of Bethany for sometime now and had recently contributed a large Trampoline for the play area along with a cash donation to the Rubber Plantation.
During her visit to Bethany Lorna was able to see and play with the children and meet the House Parents and carers. She was particularly interested in the Rubber Plantation project and how it was progressing as well as knowing that her Trampoline was being well used by the children.
I know she left with a heavy heart and a pledge to do even more for Bethany in the future.
Thank you Lorna for taking the time out to visit us here in Talakag and especially for your visit to Bethany which was very much appreciated.

Jim and Jean Kirchner visit Bethany.

Jim & Jean receive a farewell present from Rachel a House Parent.

Jim and Jean Kirchner recently left their home in Smith Centre Kansas to spend six weeks doing voluntary work at Bethany.
Jim until his retrial was involved in managing his business interests namely furniture retail outlets as well as funeral direction companies.
Jean until her retirement worked in the banking industry for 42 years and became VP of her branch.
Jim and Jean had previously done voluntary work in Belize prior to visiting Bethany so were well equipped for their stay.
Jim had a project in mind before coming which was to uplift the wooden floor in one of the children’s cottages and replace it with ceramic tiles as termites had started to destroy the wood. Like all projects when you begin you find other things that need fixing like the window screens and the kitchen fabric and the toilets and showers and on and on and on!!!!!!! Jim found a friend in Jojo who hails from Luzon and is a talented artist who was funded by Lynn and Terry Habeck (see previous post) and together they transformed a functional cottage to a very desirable residence for the children.
In between looking after the toddlers and infants Jean also assisted in the above project but her heart lay in caring for the children who miss her daily visits to them.
I must confess I witnessed two very happy retired Americans during the six weeks they spent at Bethany without serious complaint.
Before Jim and Jean left a farewell party was provided by the Bethany staff for them in order to say a big thank you for all they had done during their visit.
Once again a “BIG THANK YOU” from all at Bethany and we hope to see you back again some day.

The Nicest Part about Being Connected With Bethany

The children and staff and Bambi the pup say a big thank you to Lynn, Terry and Anthony on their recent visit to Bethany.

Keith shows Lynn his favourite kid at the H.E.L.P. Foundation Goat House.

This is how its done says Terry; I wonder who is enjoying it most?

Lynn assisted by Terry and Anthony distribute goodies and gifts to the children.

The nice thing about being part of Bethany is the fact that one has the opportunity to meet genuine amazing people.
On Valentines Day I had another such experience when Terry and Lynn Habeck along with Lynn’s son Anthony Decoste took some time off from their very busy work schedule to come down and visit us here at Bethany.
Terry and Lynn run their aviation logistics business http://www.aviationconcepts.aero/ based in Guam whilst their son Anthony looks after the Manila side of the operation based in Makati. Lynn and Terry had contacted Keith Hooper a fellow board member at Bethany and said they would like to visit Bethany whenever their time allowed them to do so. That time was Saturday and after spending the Friday night at a hotel in Cagayan de Oro city Keith and I drove down early morning to collect them as they had to depart later that afternoon to return to Manila.
On arrival in Talakag we stopped by Keith’s house briefly to say hello to Keith’s wife Pat and my wife Marilou along with members of Keith’s H.E.L.P. Foundation staff.
Next it was off to Bethany were Lynn, Terry and Anthony met Rose and Greg Longcob and had an opportunity to go into the infants cottage and meet the children there as well as ask numerous questions about Bethany. Then it was off to the toddler’s cottage where after meeting the children Lynn terry and Anthony distributed numerous candy treats to the children as well as toys and educational gifts galore. The children were overwhelmed as they thought Christmas had arrived either again or early with so many goodies being handed around. I have never seen so many smiling faces at one time, as I witnessed then.
We had to drag Lynn, Tom and Anthony away from the children to the Guest House for refreshments as time was passing so quickly and we were mindful of their tight schedule.
The next port of call was back to Keith’s house following a brief tour of Talakag for lunch where everyone had an opportunity to ask questions of each other which was very enlightening as it’s at this time one gets to know other people. On the conclusion of lunch and our hosts Pat and Keith were duly thanked for their excellent fare we then moved of to the H.E.L.P. Foundations Goat Farm to enable Tom, Lynn and Anthony to observe the formal handing over of goats to three participants in the goat give away scheme for needy families. More information on this project can be obtained by clicking on the H.E.L.P. link on this site.
At this juncture I has to reluctantly say farewell to our very kind and gracious visitors for visiting Bethany as they were going to see how rubber was produced and collected on the conclusion of their visit whilst en-route to the airport to catch their return flight to Manila.
Once again a big thank you Lynn, Terry and Anthony for visiting us here at Bethany, and as we say in Scotland now Talakag “Haste ye back”.

BETHANY UPDATE

When we made our plans to retire to Talakag it was with the intention of doing just that, retiring after a very hectic but also fulfilling working life. As most readers know I was very heavily committed to both the local as well as business scene back in the North East of England during the 18 years that I lived and worked there. Retiral in the fullest sense has had to be postponed I’m afraid as at the last Bethany Board meeting I was proposed and seconded to become the new Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
To me this post to which I was very honoured to accept is something completely new to me as I have worked all my life in the private sector and never in an NGO/Charitable capacity.
Not one to pass up on a challenge I see this post as an opportunity to take Bethany to a new level and hopefully through a series of changes that will strengthen its foundation and secure its long term future amidst the current financial constraints it faces.
I’m sure those of you who read this will be heartened to know that the past of Bethany will not ever be forgotten but it’s the future now that counts both short and long term.
Bethany consists of several facets namely: The Orphanage, The School both Elementary/High and the Farm.
The Orphanage cares for children from new born to high school graduates or in some cases for children who go on to complete college or university.
Not all children are fortunate enough to be adopted and with the Bethany policy not to separate siblings those of larger families do indeed stay until their education is completed at least to high school graduation.
The Elementary/High School not only provides an education for the Bethany children but also children from the surrounding barangays as well as the town of Talakag itself. So as you can imagine it plays a large part in the community’s education and is an important part of the Bethany complex.
The Farm was established originally to supplement the food stock for the orphanage as well as utilise the land available for planting cash crops to help in the running of Bethany. So as you can see it’s important to ensure that all three facets function efficiently and cost effectively as would be expected in any normal business setup.
Its mine as well as the boards intention to carry out a S.W.O.T. analysis in order to determine the current situation and plan for the future needs of Bethany based on a comprehensive budget fit for purpose with full accountability and transparency for the many people to whom we are most grateful who contribute both regularly as well as occasionally to the funding of Bethany. The new Bethany Board of Trustees comprises of people with skills and knowledge that will be fully utilised in the shaping of the future of Bethany. The Bethany board has also decided to bring in outside help in the form of volunteers who will help in carrying out in-depth studies of both current and past practices in order to determine what is the best option for the future of Bethany. All staff members will be involved in this exercise and have an opportunity to input, drawing from their own experience and knowledge.
I will keep all our readers regularly updated on the progress as and when it happens.
God bless you all.
When we made our plans to retire to Talakag it was with the intention of doing just that, retiring after a very hectic but also fulfilling working life. As most readers know I was very heavily committed to both the local as well as business scene back in the North East of England during the 18 years that I lived and worked there. Retiral in the fullest sense has had to be postponed I’m afraid as at the last Bethany Board meeting I was proposed and seconded to become the new Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
To me this post to which I was very honoured to accept is something completely new to me as I have worked all my life in the private sector and never in an NGO/Charitable capacity.
Not one to pass up on a challenge I see this post as an opportunity to take Bethany to a new level and hopefully through a series of changes that will strengthen its foundation and secure its long term future amidst the current financial constraints it faces.
I’m sure those of you who read this will be heartened to know that the past of Bethany will not ever be forgotten but it’s the future now that counts both short and long term.
Bethany consists of several facets namely: The Orphanage, The School both Elementary/High and the Farm.
The Orphanage cares for children from new born to high school graduates or in some cases for children who go on to complete college or university.
Not all children are fortunate enough to be adopted and with the Bethany policy not to separate siblings those of larger families do indeed stay until their education is completed at least to high school graduation.
The Elementary/High School not only provides an education for the Bethany children but also children from the surrounding barangays as well as the town of Talakag itself. So as you can imagine it plays a large part in the community’s education and is an important part of the Bethany complex.
The Farm was established originally to supplement the food stock for the orphanage as well as utilise the land available for planting cash crops to help in the running of Bethany. So as you can see it’s important to ensure that all three facets function efficiently and cost effectively as would be expected in any normal business setup.
Its mine as well as the boards intention to carry out a S.W.O.T. analysis in order to determine the current situation and plan for the future needs of Bethany based on a comprehensive budget fit for purpose with full accountability and transparency for the many people to whom we are most grateful who contribute both regularly as well as occasionally to the funding of Bethany. The new Bethany Board of Trustees comprises of people with skills and knowledge that will be fully utilised in the shaping of the future of Bethany. The Bethany board has also decided to bring in outside help in the form of volunteers who will help in carrying out in-depth studies of both current and past practices in order to determine what is the best option for the future of Bethany. All staff members will be involved in this exercise and have an opportunity to input, drawing from their own experience and knowledge.
I will keep all our readers regularly updated on the progress as and when it happens.
God bless you all.

SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN POSTING

I would like to say sorry for the delay in my postings it is mainly due to sometimes having a poor Internet signal connection from Talakag.
I will try and do my best to keep you all informed of what is going on at Bethany as quickly as it happens from now on.
I also have photographs to add to the last two posts again I will post them this week to keep you all up to date.
Thank you for bearing with me.

THE BAE LABI VISITS BETHANY

TheBae Labi with Hans Brandies and myself inspecting the Rubber Tree seedlings

The Bae Labi is presented with her Honorary Award by Rose Longcob

The Bae Labi with one of the children at Bethany

The Bae Labi Sonita Manlin Mande-Ryde paid a surprise visit to Bethany on the afternoon of Wednesday 21st January along with Hans Brandies a German National and renowned authority on Lumad Folk Music in the Philippines. The purpose of her visit was to review the progress being made with regards to the Rubber Tree Plantation Project.
On her arrival at Bethany the Bae Labi was welcomed by Greg and Rose Longcob who after completing the introductions proceeded with the Bae Labi to inspect the rubber tree plantation. The Bae Labi who was the first to make a donation towards the project was very pleased to see the seedlings already planted and as a consequence of the unusual amount of rainfall looking very green and fresh.
The Bae Labi said she hoped that Bethany would realize its goal and become self sufficient in funding as a result of such projects and she urged those who could afford to do so to donate towards completing the planting of the fifteen (15) hectare project. So far through the generosity of our supporters we have raised funding for planting five (5) hectares.


Following on from her visit to the plantation the Bae Labi was given refreshments and further enlightened of the background and history of Bethany by Greg and Rose Longcob.
Before visiting the infant’s cottage the Bae Labi was conferred with the title of Honorary Board Member of the Bethany Board in recognition for both her generosity and support for not only the Rubber Tree Plantation Project but her pledge to wave the flag and enlighten those who may wish to help Bethany whilst on her travels around the world.
Like any visitor to Bethany the Bae Labi was overcome when visiting the infant’s cottage and was greeted by the Staff and little Zaid who immediately touched a soft spot with her. The Bae Labi was reluctant to leave the children behind but was so pleased to know that they are in the care of safe and loving hands. Before finally leaving Bethany the Bae Labi thanked the Bethany Staff for allowing her to visit at such short notice and promised to return when her very demanding schedule makes it possible to do so.

As a footnote: The Bae Labi is a personal and very dear friend of both my wife Marilou and I and we are very grateful that she took the time out to visit Bethany at our request as we know when back in the Philippines from her home in the UK she is extremely busy with her charitable work for the indigenous people of Mindanao.
By coincidence Hans Brandies was visiting the Philippines discussing the publishing of his new book with potential publishers and decided to join the Bae Labi on her visit to Bethany after both had attended a meeting at Mindanao State University, Marawi City the previous day. I had corresponded with Hans on several occasions through our common membership of http://www.taboan.net/ a very informative website covering Mindanao.

MEETING THE GURSKE FAMILY

This last week has been wonderful in my book for the reason I was able to meet the Gurske family from North Carolina in the USA.
The story actually started around the middle of last year when my wife Marilou was contacted on her Talbuks Café blog (http://www.talbukscafe.blogspot.com/) website by Betsy Gurske making enquires about visiting Bethany around the end of the year with her family. Betsy is married to John and has a daughter Kendall and a son Kenneth.
The reason for their interest in Bethany was their son Kenneth was adopted from there at the age of nine months and they wanted to return to enable Kenneth to be able to answer some questions that every young person from a similar background may wish to ask.
My wife asked me if I would reply to Betsy and answer her questions about their forth coming visit to the Philippines. I answered what I could and asked Rose Loncob to fill in the gaps particularly relating to accommodation in Manila and obtaining internal flight tickets etc.
I must add at this juncture that the main reason for the Gurske family’s visit was to enable Kenneth to meet if possible his maternal mother and any other possible immediate relatives. I have to say only Rose could have been able to research and arrange a request like this in such a short space of time.
Right up to the wire what was requested from the Gurske family did not look likely due to the amount of work that has to go into researching an adopted child’s past history, etc. However I’m pleased to say Rose came up trumps and was able to fulfil Kenneth’s wish. One can only imagine the thoughts going through the minds of each family member as to what to expect on arrival in the Philippines after having been away for sixteen years. Kenneth admitted to me his apprehension to the visit but not in a traumatic way but more in an excited way. He further added that as his flight was coming into land in Manila and he could see the buildings below he felt elated about his arrival. When he was in the terminal building with the usual throng of indigenes, he felt as one not apart. Kenneth is an American but culture and national identity cannot be brushed under the carpet and so he had arrived back in the land of his birth.
I asked Kenneth how he felt after he had passed through immigration and customs and he said he felt as if he was on vacation now that he had arrived in the Philippines.
After spending a few days in Manila taking in the sights and sounds, the family then headed for the island of Mindanao and the city of Cagayan de Oro. On arrival at Lumbia Airport they were met by Greg Longcob and taken to the town of Talakag which is about 30 minutes drive away on a very scenic route to where Bethany is situated.
The whole family joined in during the first few days interacting with the children and giving Kenneth an opportunity to find out more about where he spent the first nine months of his life. The most emotional time was yet to come for Kenneth when he would have the opportunity to meet with his maternal mother and other family members. When I asked Kenneth how he felt just prior to the meeting he said he was apprehensive at first but after the initial meeting and introductions had been made he felt, well why should I be apprehensive after all that’s why I’m here in the Philippines. Kenneth found out he had an older brother as well as two half brothers and two half sisters. His maternal mother was accompanied by three of her sisters Kenneth’s aunts and a cousin who acted as a translator during the reunion. Kenneth may wish one day to write an article himself on my blog to let the readers know how he feels about his reunion after having time to let the whole experience sink in.
I must admit I was humbled by the support given to Kenneth by his adoptive parents as well as his big sister Kendall throughout this whole experience.
The trip to the Philippines was made possible by Carolyn Felton, Director of the Academy of Fine Arts, Charlotte, North Carolina where John and Betsy work as Music Teachers who secretly somehow raised the funding together with her friends (who wish to remain anonymous) to make the whole trip possible for Kenneth and family. I think Mrs Felton achieved with her act of compassion not just a big surprise for John and Betsy but a lot more than she can ever have realised and my wife Marilou and I would like to say a big thank you to her for giving us the opportunity to meet the Gurske family as a consequence of such a wonderful selfless act. Kenneth’s sister Kendall who graduates this summer, intimated to Marilou and myself that she would like to return to the Philippines and get involved in voluntary work after she graduates. Her wish is to work with children in some kind of health aid programme so we promised to look around and see what’s possible. If there is anyone else out there reading this post and would like to assist Kendall in fulfilling her wish please contact me. Kendall has already spent three months on a voluntary aid scheme in Senegal, West Africa.
The Cunningham’s would like to wish Kenneth every success in whatever he wishes to do for the future and to let him know how impressed we were of his adoptive family and that should the future bring him back to the Philippines we will only be too pleased to welcome him as his Tito Jim and Tita Marilou.