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.