My Senses by Kylee

On the Beach during the Day:

I see the beautiful blue beach, super white sand, palm trees many people bustling about, vendors selling the same five items hats, sunglasses, sailing, pearls, or massage and many, many fancy hotels and restaurants.
I smell salt water (It is very hard to describe. Maybe it is like it is calling you into the water.), seafood restaurants with giant live lobster and fish, barbecues with hotdogs called tender juicy (the commercial is hilarous! Here is the link: Tender Juicy Commercial.), and other barbecue with chicken and fat. I really like the smell. It smokes up and the smoke smells like chicken and barbecue sause. Masarap!

I feel soft, fine sand under my shoes, cool breeze that makes me feel a little less sweaty, and just really fortunate that I get to live in a place like this.

I hear vendors calling out at me "Massage 'mam sir!" and many different languages that people are talking to each other in. 

 

On the Beach during the Night:
I see lights flashing all around me, tons of people bustling around,  and vendors selling light things that make green dots show up and tops with Angry Birds on them.
I smell the gross odor of seafood, delicious smell of other restaurants, and again the salty smell of the water.
I feel wind pressing against me and cooling me down and people brushing my shoulder as I get by the large tour groups (we have started saying "3,2,1 deak around! Deak around!" as we bend and run around the groups to get to where we aren't claustrophobic)
I hear "Happy hour drink!" or "Dinner?" as I pass by a buffet or restaurant and myself replying "Hindi, Salamet po!" (No thank you) and loud music.

On the Main Road:
I see sari, sari stores with little individual candies, shampoos, juice powder, etc., trikes passing by me, Internet cafes (this is where the kids go to play on the computer or check their facebook), and print shops.
I smell more barbeques and the smoke coming from the trikes and motorcycles.

I feel myself pressing against vacant trikes that are parked on the sidewalk so I only have a little space to walk on, on the side walk and the little bit of wind that comes from the trikes passing me.

I hear the roar of the motorcycles and the "hi's" from the people we know as we pass.

At the Feedings:
I see beautiful children in need of education, concrete houses, and spiritual food.
I smell yet another barbeque and the food that we are giving them.
I feel kids touching me, trying to get picked up. I am sure that I am getting stronger because of my lifting of small children! ;-)
I hear roosters!!!!!!!!!!! They are so loud and contrary to popular belief, they crow all day and night! :-)

Overall:
I see the water beautiful blue ocean, vendors, the beautiful moutains on Panay, huge resorts, and poverty.
I smell smoke everywhere because they use fires to cook, barbeques, beautiful salt water, and tons of need.
I feel so blessed that I get to live here. God has blessed us with so much and so we can do this. And this is a great place to do mission work in!
I hear a bunch of people in need. I hear God talking to me through scripture, Bible studies, and prayer.

Thank you for reading this post!
-Kylee B-)