Elma's House

One thing I really wanted to do on this trip was to go visit Elma at her house.

Elma is little girl who was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. She met Geoff 3 years ago when he came to the Philippines on a medical mission. At that time she had her cleft lip repaired. They never do the lip and palate at the same time, so Elma and her mom were told that they could have her palate repaired the following year. Well, the following year was 2 years ago, and Kevin's first medical mission with ICSF. He met Elma and was instantly hooked.

Elma holds a special place in Geoff's heart also. She is sort of his "poster child" for his missions this year.

Anyway, after hearing so much about sweet Elma and looking at her picture for 2 years, I wanted to meet her for myself.

Luckily, Geoff wanted to go visit her! So instead of going to the beach or the waterfall, we went to visit Elma.

The following are pictures of our trip.

Following the sugar cane truck. These are everywhere. Sugar cane is their major crop.

Looking out over a sugar cane field, up in the mountains.

We were not able to drive all the way to Elma's for a couple of reasons. One was that you had to drive on a dirt road, and since it had rained we had to walk up the dirt road.

This is the other reason we couldn't drive. We had to walk on a cow trail through the field, up the hill to get to her house.

Still walking.

Our first glimpse of Elma's houses. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Elma and her little brother weren't quite sure what to think of all of the strangers at their house.

But she was happy to see Geoff!

Elma's beautiful mom and little brother.

Elma's dad. I think he liked having us come and visit.

We took Elma a teddy bear and a coloring book and crayons.

She loved the bear.

She colored with Geoff, after she got her bear comfortable!

There was a water buffalo (caribou) in the field above their house.

There was a goat under the house.

Getting ready to leave before it gets dark.

This is a little family that lived along the dirt road, the mother went with us to Elma's.

It was very humbling to see the circumstances that they live in, one room shack no water & no electricity. But they seem happy. They really don't know any other way of life.

Elma was a sweetheart, as I had expected.

It was worth the trip.