Symanzik Family Update

Kirsten's 4th grade class went to the Mindanao Philippine Culture Center yesterday. I was blessed with the opportunity to go along.

This is a rice thresher. The rice is put on the platform and stomped on by feet. The rice falls to the mat below.

Up on the rice thresher. It felt wobbly but fun!

In a rice storage hut.

The cultural center put on a show of traditional music and dance. It was beautiful to watch them perform on the instruments and dance in their beautifully woven outfits.

Dancing

Traditional dance

Kirsten and her classmates had the opportunity to play the traditional instruments.

Good use of the logs!

Playing on a traditional family hammock outside the hut

House on a hillside. The 'steps' are thick logs notched out to climb up to the house on.

There were several examples of huts in the cultural center village. Some of the huts are very small, maybe 6'x8'. Cooking is done in these bamboo huts by lighting a fire in a box filled with sand.

The cooking box.

Example of a chief's hut. The chief's hut tends to be bigger than the others in the village.

Hut by the river.

Our guide, language teacher, Philippine culture teacher at Faith academy and good friend, Ate Bebe! She came with the 4th graders to explain more about what they were seeing and to answer questions.

Happy Mother's Day to every mother reading this.

I thank God for the children he has given to me. I pray they each continue to grow in His wisdom and grace. I pray they each always seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. And, I thank God for granting me wisdom and grace as a mother to raise them each in His ways.

Mikayla is growing into a fine young lady. She is very gifted in writing. She is a good friend to others, and patient (for the most part) with her siblings. She and I enjoy going out for coffee!

Kirsten is very artistic. She enjoys spending time 'creating concoctions' for science experiments. She has a good sense of humor and enjoys caring for her baby brothers. She, also, is growing into a fine young lady. She enjoys frequenting the one craft store we've found here in Davao!

Ben is 'all boy.' He loves to play sports like football, basketball, baseball. He enjoys playing army games. He is becoming a good reader. He enjoys helping Kirsten with her 'concoctions.' He also loves to play with his baby brothers!

James is 'holding his own' (bottle, that is!) He has a smile that can melt your heart. He loves to scoot around in his walker, play with toys, enjoys eating papaya, rice cereal, rice, mongo beans, squash, carrots, green beans, potatoes, etc. He came to us sickly but is now robust and healthy.

Jerard is getting better. The new shunt seems to be working well. He is smiling, starting on rice cereal, playing with toys. He has a very calm, peaceful spirit about him. He loves to cuddle.

Jerard came home from the hospital today.

He has an IV antibiotic he's on as a precaution. That will be administered three times a day through a heparin lock until Wednesday.

The doctor is pleased with how the shunt seems to be working.
Pray no infection sets in!

His blood work has been improving, his cerebral spinal fluid is 'clean' and at this moment no infection seems to be anywhere!

It is nice to have a short hospital stay and it is nicer still to have him home!

We did get the results of the immunoassay test he had a while ago. While some antibodies are low there is no cause for concern.
It could be his body just working on getting better.
The immunoassay test will be repeated in a couple weeks to see if his antibodies are getting stronger.
Pray they are!!!

The Middle School of Faith Academy put on the play "The Velveteen Rabbit" Friday and Saturday night.
It was very well done.
Mikayla, along with many class mates, was a tree. She did great!

Mikayla has really been enjoying middle school. This school year she's been active in football (soccer), tutoring, participating in community outreach, the school play, choir, band, etc.
I, as her Mom, am really blessed to see her growing into such a fine young lady.

Jerard is doing quite well after his surgery on Wednesday. He is eating well and he does not have any fevers, etc. His neurosurgeon is hopeful that we will be discharged Saturday morning...yeah!