Visiting Frans - Our Compassion Sponsor Child
Today was an awesome day, and not just because we started it off by eating longanisa and tocino for breakfast. Today we visited Frans, our 5 year old Compassion International Sponsor Child, and we got to spend the day with him and his Mom and Dad. The amazing thing was that today was a holiday in the Philippines so the Dad was also able to join us.
We started off at the Compassion Site which was a church, and there we were greeted by the project director, the case worker (who came along with us), the pastor and of course Frans and his family. Frans family was so cute they were wearing their best clothes that they had. They wanted to present themselves well. I was so blessed. We also had with us our faithful driver, Abner. Without Abner I don't know how we would have got around!
Our first stop was Frans' home, in Talisay City in Cebu. We were taken through some windy paths between small homes until we reached his house, with a sign on their door that welcomed us. They of course lived modestly, only having a 8' x 10' room for the 3 of them (and one on the way) - nevertheless, they were excited to welcome us in. Lynnette wanted to buy them a house! She couldn't imagine how another baby was going to live in such a tiny space. Frans mother had a smile despite her living conditions and was so proud to bring us in her small little room.
It was the first time being anywhere outside from Talisay. Frans constantly looked out the window in amazement. Especially when we drive over a bridge it was his first time seeing the river... From there we drove them to bustling Cebu City (which is like a smaller Manila) to take the family to the shopping mall. They have never been in a car much less at a mall. At the mall Lynnette wanted to buy Frans the basic nessesities... so we bought him some clothes, shoes, a spiderman backpack and then we let him pick out some toys. I then proceeded to ask the parents what he would want for Christmas, and they said a bike. In my excitement and desire to overly spoil the little filipino boy, I jumped at the opportunity to buy a bike for Frans, but in hindsight I realized that maybe that was a little much and probably ranks high in Compassion's list of gifts that may be too excessive (that's what I get for not checking with my wife first). But when I see how happy he is riding that thing, I just can't help but get a little giddy myself.
At the shopping mall we walked around a bit until we spotted the bounce houses of all bounce houses - in fact it was called the "Bounce Maze" - which took the bounce house to another level of madness. Frans had a blast in there for about 45 min.
Afterwards we went out to lunch, we asked Frans what he wanted to eat he said FRIED CHICKEN so we took them to Shakey's and we had some spaghetti, pizza, fried chicken...again maybe a little excessive, but at that point I didn't care. Lynnette was worried that the cheese might affect their stomach. Frans gobbled down all the food. He ate the food so fast. We prayed for the food and family and reminded them that none of these gifts were from us, but from friends and family who supported us, and ultimately Jesus - who was a pretty good friend of Frans' already. Gotta love that guy Jesus.
After the great meal, we visited some tourist spots that the family had never been to since they've never traveled outside of Talisay. One was a historical Taoist temple and the other was the Lapu-lapu memorial. Lapu-lapu, was the Filipino hero who, with his tribe, took on Ferdinand Magellan and the spaniards, and killed them all in a glorious victory on the shores of Cebu. I had a chance to take a picture with Frans by Lapu-lapu's impressive statue.
From there we headed back to his home, but not without a quick stop at Jollibee for dinner - the most popular fast food joint in the country, and then we said our goodbyes. It was a fantastic day that greatly blessed to have been used by God to bless Frans and his family. It was another one of those defining events in life that forces your perspective to change about our pursuit of "stuff".
