Agape Art

good Sunday morning!

Good Sunday morning!

It’s around 6 am. I am waking to the girls outside and the multiple roosters. A handful of the girls slept outside because of a “brown out”. That means all the electricity is out. It is cooler outside than in. Wow, and talk about dark! It was pitch black, when I woke up for a moment in the middle of the night.

Yesterday the three of us plus 2 more missionaries went to Apo Island. Apo means  grandchild. As if Negros is the grandmother, Apo is grandchild. It is a small island of only 700. It was very interesting to see. There is no running water on this island, nor electricity. They have to take the 35 min boat ride to the main island to transport water. So, for example, we ate lunch at the resort on the island. In the bathroom, the water to wash my hands was in a large bucket. I had to take a smaller bucket to scoop out water.

Apo is known for its snorkeling and scuba diving. A few of us saw water snakes, periwinkle starfish, sea turtles! Really truly amazing! We had a guide named Kenneth, a younger local boy who went with us the whole day. He was so nice to have along. We all got stung multiple times by little jellyfish. That was really a hindrance, but we kept exploring. All the amazing colors and shapes were so beautiful.

 

Being on the ocean got me thinking a lot about my life. I grabbed my sketchbook and began to draw a house on the cliff of the island.  Then I began drawing some of the fisherman in small boats around us. I felt really good to draw.

I am thankful for this day.

 

The missionary woman we met, who went with us was really neat to talk to . She  works with the children up in the mountains. I understand the mountain people here are similar to country folk back home. They are more craftsman ,living off the land, and have less things and less money. She had some really cool stories about her life. She lived in Romania for 1 ½ years doing mission work. She talked about how different it was there from here, for her.

It has been very enjoyable to talk about different cultures. There was a German diver on the ride to the boat for 

Apo

. He was talking about

Germany

and some of his experiences traveling. It was really cool to meet both of these people and hear their experiences.

After our long day yesterday, and coming home to a brown out, we went to sleep very early. It was a very long sleep, lots of dreams, and very well rested this morning.

Today we go to church with all the children from Rainbow, even the babies! We come back for a big lunch on the patio. And later we go to a Scandanavian mission and serve food to some of the people there. This mission is really neat. I hear they built housing to transfer a lot of people who were living in the city dump, out and into this housing. Every week Rainbow helps minister by serving food. I am looking forward to going there today.

 

Well, signing out for now. Love and miss you all!

Kadie

why did the chicken cross the road?

I saw that happen the other day when we were driving home. I was so excited. But I am easily amused.

Lots of activity the last few days. Thursday, we took the girls on an outting to Bahura, a beach resort. So pretty, as usual. Crystal clear water, and sparkling sand. The pools were nice too. And the food we had for lunch was delicious! One of the girls said she was in heaven after her first bite. They really had a lot of fun. It was sort of a once in a lifetime opportunity for them, so I am glad we got to be a part of that memory. Poor Becky and Kadie are covered in sun burn. It's really bad and painful. :(

Yesterday, just our Agape Art Team and Ate Karen & Theresa went to Apo Island. It's an infamous diving spot, but we went for snorkeling. I was scared out of my mind because the ocean scares me a little, but I went for it because I knew I was being watched over and it was totally worth it. Kadie's first time too but she caught on right away as well. A whole 'nother world down there. Saw lots of little Nemo's and other colorful fishies. Periwinkle starfish and a few of us were lucky enough to see some sea turtles. All was relaxing and enjoyable until these little translucent jellyfish invaded. Ouch! The boat ride back and forth was nice too. I liked looking at the water. It was a royal/navy blue color in the some parts, and aquas and teals and seafoam green in others. But you could still see the coral through it pretty easily.

I feel like I'm leaving so much out, but I'm just grateful to get the chance to write. There was a brown-out here since 2pm yesterday. Luckily we had running water still. Didn't matter so much at that point that it was cold. Felt good on the sunburn. Power came back right before noon which was perfect timing. Sundays are group lunches so we all ate together. Now everyone's resting before outreach in an hour. And later tonight, I'll get to teach the girls to make yo-yo's. We haven't had art lessons in a couple days so I am looking forward to it.

Losing power on the laptop so I have to go.

xoxo

-Kelly

Bahura Beach Resort

April 24, 2009

Wow, what a special day spent with the Agape girls!  Today we took a little break from the artwork and we were able to bless the girls with a once in a lifetime experience . . . a day trip to Bahura Beach Resort! 

As the girls were loaded in the car, ready to go (30 minutes before departure time showed their excitement), Papa Mike came over to the car and asked if he could share something from his heart with them.  He reminded the girls of how special this day truly was. Due to the blessings poured out to the Agape Art team, we were able to share this blessing with the girls.  “Bahura is a very special place”, he reminded them.  “A place that you have never been and may never be again.  It is a truly unique experience.  So it is my prayer”, he said, “that you have as much fun as possible and enjoy this blessing of time and fun that the Lord has given us through the Agape Art team.”

With that special reminder of how the blessings we received back home are having a special impact on these girls lives, along with the beautiful sound of the girls singing songs to the Lord in the car, my heart was warmed and my day was extraordinary long before we ever arrived at the resort.

 

The resort left us with no disappointments (other than some painful sunburns).  Our day was filled with beautiful pools surrounded by tall palm trees and tropical plants.  Just beyond the pools was pure green grass that led to a little beach with the vast ocean before us and two other islands in sight.  In the distance on the other side, we could see the beautiful mountains of Dumaguete through the trees.  A few of us began with a long walk down the beach that included some time swimming through the refreshing salt water of the Pacific.  Next we splashed (literally) into the turquoise pools.  Kadie had her own little diving class going with some of the girls in the 13 foot pool.  She was so good, a European man came and asked to join in her class.  It was funny, he really seemed to want some help with his diveJ I had the privilege of teaching two of the girls to swim free-style and how to breathe out the side correctly.  A three course lunch with appetizer, entrée and dessert was included in our $10 admission fee.  A few of the girls had a hard time finishing as they are not used to more than one course.  After lunch we got to do some kayaking in the ocean.  Some of the girls who are not strong swimmers were very timid, but they were happy to ride along with a stronger counterpart.  There sure are some competitive athletes in this bunch.  They did great!  While we took turns on the few kayaks we had, a few of us made a fascinating discovery of the fun to be had bouncing on a fallen palm tree over the water.  This was one of my favorite partsJ  What a wonderful day of connecting with the girls and each of their unique personalities!

Thank you to everyone at home who poured out blessings upon us and this vision of Agape Art.  Whether it was an encouraging word to push forward with my vision, a financial donation to make it all possible, a donation of supplies of all kinds, or even for just allowing me to take off from work for two weeks . . . I thank you from the depths of my heart!  Your generosity impacts lives and pours God’s love upon us all that get to experience His blessings through wonderful places and time spent together.

-Becky Palmieri

Exhausted, but full of love and gratitude!

What wonderful little artists these girls are?!

Look at what the girls did today!  We are SO proud of them.  It was a very challenging day of artwork for them.  What we planned for the morning, ended up consuming all of the day.  Our team had to cut the afternoon session short at to go to town to run an errand.  I asked the girls to finish up on their own and clean up the supplies.  We arrived back around 7pm to 11 completed paper collage portraits that were just beyond fantastic!  The girls said they were really challenged by the drawing and shapes today, but as they got near finished, they were very excited.  I can tell that they are very proud of their work, as they should be:)

The relationships have been good.  The girls are warming up and making friends with all of us as usual. It's been so sweet to see their personalities come through in their process as well as in their finished products. Kelly and I go to spend some time loving on the toddlers last night during their TV time before bed.  It was a hoot!  They were climbing all over me and I just couldn't get enough of it:)  We read in our devotion today about how God brings victory to humanity.  It reminded me of the big picture here at Rainbow. . . how the Lord brings redemption to these sweet children that were abandoned.  How he brings them to this safe haven where they are cared for and loved and introduced to Him, and then places them in families.  He brings victory to their traumatic stories.  Praise God for who He is!

Becky

2 pm Wednesday

Which I think 2 am in Cincinnati....

We just had lunch in between our art sessions.... Tuna fish in a can is much different here than at home, let me just tell ya. Its preserved in coconut milk instead of water or oil like at home. Tastes more like sardine fishy than tuna fishy...Interesting. We mixed it with rice and soy sauce, crackers and bread. Becky being a pampered chef consultant has its perks!

Today we gave the girls portraits that my sister Jeannie's, art students created. They were each given a pic of the student , a short interview about the student, and a mosaic portrait they did of each girl. Now the girls are doing a collage portrait back. We are having them trace the pictures and simplify shapes...do stylized line drawings, and then collage.

I worked closely today with one girl. She is the one who is passionate about running. And she has that type of enduring runner's spirit...Going the distance...Today she worked with me, listening to guidance about how to handle different light and dark values with lines. I was so excited to experience her endurance. I feel inspired by it, when I do my own drawing, to not stop just when it gets hard. Each area of a work is like a puzzle. She reminded me that, when faced with a challenge, calm down, and set my mind frame to go through it and accomplish it.

Its been nice to hear from you! Talk to you soon,

Love, Kadie

Virtue Heros

The Agape Girls showing off the virture dolls they made today!  They got so creative with it!

We had a full day of art projects today with the girls.  It was great to see Kadie and Kelly experiencing the joy of the girls that brings me back year after year.

It's been so great to be here again and be a part of this ministry.  Pastor Mike and Ate Sheryl really have been great hosts.  As we arrived, we went to my favorite "Chicken Jo's" for dinner as they explained the ministry and history of Rainbow to us.  They were very thorough and it was great to know that we truly are an important part of this wonderful ministry.  We were excited to learn that we may even have the opportunity to witness two adoptions while we are here!  Two sets of toddlers have finalized adoptions and are simply waiting for their new families to be able to come meet then!  What a blessing it would be to witness God's greatness as He unites those boys I love with their new families!

Other than a yucky blistery burn on my finger from a disagreement with the glue gun, we've all stayed pretty healthy so far.  Our team has been getting along well together. It's clear that the Lord is using the three of us in many ways to minister to each other, as well as to be a blessing to the children and staff at Rainbow.

The more I come to visit, the more I want to stay for a longer time to be a part of the full vision that the Lord is working in this place.

-BECKY

 

Rainbow Village

(the view from our cottage)

Excuse us, our internet's been wacky. We have been trying to

communicate several times, then lose connection right when we hit Send.

:(

But things are going great. Everyone is very friendly and welcoming.

The Agape girls are starting to warm up to us too. The view at Rainbow

Village is just amazing and so peaceful. I actually enjoy going to

sleep to the sounds of lizards and waking up to the call of roosters.

The variety of fresh fruit is a plus for me too and it's interesting

the concoctions they are served with. Mangoes loaded with salt, dipped

in soy sauce? Not bad. I've been attempting to try these new things,

just can't say they all agree with my tastebuds. But we're all

embracing feeling the Filipino culture.

Today we had the first of our art lessons and it was a success. I'm

amazed by how creative a lot of the girls are. I feel grateful to have

the opportunity to teach how to express it. Kadie taught the idea of

Virtue Heroes. We had them gather in a circle and list virtues they saw

in eachother. They then picked the words that best described themselves

and transformed them into decorated mirrors, word art, and 3D puppets.

The girls were very receptive and seemed to really enjoy the process

and everything turned out so cute. I'm looking forward to the rest of

the week.

But combined with the heat and the long day of projects, we're all a

little tired. Time for bed. We hope all is well back home.
I send my love.
-Kelly

we are in Manila

Hey Friends!

Its 1:20 am Sunday morning and 1:07 pm Saturday for Cincinnati. We want to check in after a long travel to get here to Manila. With swollen feet, dry throats and very tired yet eager spirits, we have just checked into our hotel. Tomorrow we take a commuter plane to Dumaguete City.

I have to say, the passenger pick up at the airport was crazy! It took us about 2 hours to get out of there. The crowd of people was very very large. People are very patient. I was suprised as I was dealing with my own impatience. There was nothing anyone could do. I suppose it would do no good to get impatient.It was a very interesting first impression.

The heat is definately here. I am glad I cut my hair!

Look forward to keeping you posted! Please send some love...you can respond to posts. We would love it!

Kadie

Introducing the 2009 Agape Art Team! Join us in Prayer!

Kelly Sankner, Becky Palmieri, & Kadie Sanders

Please join us for a small prayer send-off gathering in Room 130 at Vineyard Community Church at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, April 15th.

As our departure date of Friday, April 17th approaches, we've been busy preparing ourselves personally, spiritually, and artistically.  We're so to see what the Lord has in store for this team and all those that we will soon meet at Rainbow Village in the Philippines.

 

Agape Art needs your help!

These past couple months of my journey in Agape Art have been full of blessings from the Lord mixed with many trials of the heart.  As I shared just a couple months ago as 2009 began, I've felt the Lord leading me a new direction with Agape Art this year.  That new leading has led to lots of continued prayer on my part as well as inviting others to pray along with me.  Please continue to pray for me as I seek to be in-tune with the Lord's plans for the direction of the Agape Art program.  One big change is that we will not be hosting a large fundraising art show event this year.  The Lord has challenged me to use time and resources differently this year, including some other creative and common ways of raising funds, while focusing more heavily on the team selection and preparation for this next trip. 

 

With that said, our need for funding is still quite great!  We are hitting a crucial crunch time, in that we should be purchasing plane tickets within the next 10 days!.  The total cost per person is approximately $2000 each.  Over 3/4 of that amount is needed for airfare, while the remainder helps with our expenses in the Philippines including all the art supplies needed to run the art camp for the Agape girls.  We like to think of our fundraising as a team effort.  Although we do have some of our funds in place, as a team we are less that half-way to our goal.  We need your help!

 

We are all certainly feeling this economic crunch together, and extra money seems like a thing of the past.  Although extra money may be something you don't have, I ask you to at least consider making a small donation which may include a small sacrifice such as one less dining out occassion or something else that is significant but not always necessary to you. In seeking the Lord’s voice and direction, I firmly know that He still wants me in this and that he’s not done with Agape Art just yet, so here I am “just asking”.  If you have any room in your budget, I humbly request a donation of any size.  If everyone who reads this were to give even just $15.00 by March 12th, we would be well on our way to empowering the lives of the teenage girls at Rainbow Village in 2009. 

 

To make a donation:

Checks may be made payable to Vineyard Community Church (VCC)

Please write Agape Art-STM-BP in the memo line

Send donation to:

Vineyard Community Church

Attn: Missions

11340 Century Circle

Cincinnati, OH 45246

(contributions are tax deductible)

 

 

Thank you so much for all your support throughout this journey!