The Team is back in Manila.  We made our way back today starting out with vans on the new “Highway” that runs past Dibagat now. After a 5 hour ride on very winding back and forth roads back to Tuguegarao airport then flying back to Manila. 

       I am trying to get some of the team to type up their experience for posting here, but I will give you my impressions for now. 

       Coming to Dibagat, you get the same greeting no matter how you get there.  If by boat up the river or by plane, or now helicopter.  They come to greet you with big smiles and ready to carry your luggage or bags that you brought with you. This is because we would take a lot longer to bring them to the village if we were carrying them.  The hike is not too bad from the helicopter pad, not like the airstrip like before where you would hike down the mountain, cross a river and then go back up another mountain to the village.  Now it is just a 15 min hike mostly flattish but the heat and humidity are what gets to us Americans that are not used to it. After all flights were completed and we were shown where we were sleeping, it was supper time.  Things just taste so much better in the village.  Don’t know why that is but it just does. The pineapples are always the best I have ever had, every time I get to Dibagat. (Just ask Nard he will tell you) Supper ended and we went to bed, because we were all tired from the travels of the day.

       Day 2 was getting ready for the celebration and having more guests arrive.  Some from the southern Philippines, more from Manila, some from Taiwan.  Also had a little time to hike down to check out the river.  The down is the easy part, the back up to the village is the hard part even when you cool off in the river, by the time you are back up to the village you are soaked in sweat. So you really have to think about going down the river before you go.  Then after supper we had a pre-celebration service in the church on Saturday night.  We had dancers from nearby villages come, singing of Hymn’s and songs.  And ended by the passing of the Light to the World.  Everyone gets a candle and then one candle is lit and then the flame is passed around the whole church until everybody’s candle has the “light”.  Of course we turn off the lights when this starts and it is neat to see how the church gets brighter and brighter as the flame is pasted on.

      I posted some pictures below and will give an update of Day 3 Celebration Day tomorrow.