A Trip to Palawan Adventist Academy

We were really excited when Sunday came because we were going to the Palawan Adventist Academy to visit Aina. So early Sunday morning, Shielah, E.J., LeAnne and I hopped on a shuttle and started the 1 1/2 hr. drive to Tacrosse.

When we arrived we went to the girls' dorm to find Aina. She was in her dorm room studying and was very excited to see us! We hung out in her dorm room for awhile. The rooms were a lot different than the dorm rooms I stayed in at my Academy. In each room there are 3 bunk-beds, so it is 6 girls to one room. You have to bring your own mattress if you want one, and since most of the students are poor, most just have little straw mats that they sleep on. And then each girl has her own 14inch "closet" in which to keep ALL their stuff (clothes, school supplies, hygiene products). 

Aina shared a room with the other PAMAS sponsored kids. So they were all very dedicated to their studies and enjoyed every day at school because they felt very privileged to go to school there. We brought all our sponsored students some notebooks which were donated by the Green Bay Church. They were very excited to receive the gift!

We found out, Aina is quite the artist. She told a story that she had made a birthday card for one of her friends at school, designing and drawing by hand a beautiful picture on the front and back. And the students Father found it and was incredibly impressed. So he scanned it and sent it to his mother who lived in Canada and she was also so impressed that she inquired if Aina had a sponsor for school because she was interested in sponsoring her. But Aina just thanked her and told her that she already had a sponsor. I was so proud!

After spending some time in the dorm, Aina took us on a tour of the school. It was very fun to explore her campus.

The Cafeteria

The Main Building

First-Year Classroom

The Chapel

Goat stuck in fence....didn't have those at my school...lol.

Boys Dorm

It was really hot that day. On top of the water tower was the
coolest place for these boys to find. :)

A sign displayed inside the classroom. :)

Then Shielah had to take care of some business in the Boys' Dorm so we waited outside there for awhile. We talked to Aina about things...pretty much whatever we both could communicate in Tagalog and English. She showed me her grades and she was actually doing really well in all subjects, except for English. So, I told her she had to come hang out with LeAnne and I for a weekend and she would learn all the English she could ever want.

Me, Aina, and her friend, Becca.

After Shielah was done in the dorm we had lunch and then we said our goodbyes. It was really nice to see Aina again and to see her in school with her friends and everything. I was very proud of how well she adapted. She was talking about going home for Christmas break and Shielah was concerned, thinking she might not come back. But Aina reassured her saying "No, I will be back. I really enjoy my studies and the privilege I've been given to study here. God gave me this opportunity and I'm going to take it!" I'm so proud of that girl!!

"The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge."
Proverbs 18:15