Day Five

From Jolo to Zamboanga

Now that the Doctors from Operation Smile and our mission were in full swing and really in rhythm, knocking out 6-7 operations for cleft palette a day, Ed, Ramon, Wayne and myself found ourselves hanging out in the two damp jungle cafes on the base run by local Jolo merchants.  We could not go outside the wire.   I was amazed at the work that these doctors performed.   It was hard to imagine they could perform such miracles on children with such severe problems.  The transformations were beautiful…and to be able to give back these children a wonderful smile, with dignity.   Many of these kids were branded with a deformity that hid them from their own people, that hid their own smile under a continual and shameful awareness of their appearance to others, knowing they might never be accepted.  When I made some of the girls giggle and laugh in the children’s ward / post-op, they would always hid there mouths from view.

Our military escort to the airport was provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and our flight left in the morning, flying back to Zamboanga.

Edwin, a tall, energetic representitive and head of the Zamboanga International Rotary, welcomed us to Zamboanga.  We convoved to a elementary school not far from the hotel we were staying in.  The school sat in a very beautiful canyon, covered with palms, jungle trees of all varieties and thick folage.  The children at the school were joyful, full of innocent smiles and were very happy.  The classroom and teacher I visited were wonderful and loved the flutes I had brought them.  The students really got the idea of a gift that comes from the heart from American students.  They, in return, gave me flutes to take back to America. 

 We were off to the orphanage through the busy streets of Zamboanga after lunch.  Ed has personally helped to fund this facility with many children who were abandoned or abused here in Zamboanga.  Many will not visit here or more dangerous places like Jolo, Sulu Province.

Ed and Ramon made a phone call and by 7:00 pm we were having dinner with the General Ben Dolorfino of the Philippine Army province.  Things were being put in motion for the next day.  Ed was trying to get us security to do a quick trip to the highly sensitive area of Basilan, Isabella City.  The  General was just the ticket and help we need to get Flutes Across The World to a very difficult area of the world, to have a ‘high impact’ in a community that has been deprived for years due to conflict, but we are not going without full protection from all the support we could get.

Wayne with our military escort only 1 kilometers to the commercial airport terminal.

Making friends everywhere we go...

A view of Jolo from air.

Bangka powering over the blue seas off the coast of Jolo. 

New gifts from Ojai, California...to Zamboanga.

 Public school in Zamboanga we visited with Flutes Across The World.

 Special kids at the orphanage in Zamboanga.

 Part of our Knightbridge team in Zamboanga with kids.