| New Developments in Lourdes' Home Village -- We visited together in early May 2003 -- |
| Two views from the north of the house we built for Lou's mom before our wedding in winter 2002. It's now the best house in that village... Left: you can see the road, the back of the shrine and our truck parked within a bamboo fence. Right: you can see how it's right next to the stream, which tends to flash-flood every summer... |
| Me sittin' in front of the grotto-shrine on a hot evening, with various in-laws (Lou in the Left shot, her mom in yellow). |
| Right: The house and front-gate viewed from the west. Above the shrine is the 1100-litre water-tank that was installed during our trip. Filled from a well by an electric pump, it will supply clean washing/drinking/cooking water by gravity-feed. It's the first such system in this village, and will make a big difference. |
| NEXT PAGE ---> (the pig-farm biz...) |
| Left: the Catholic Grotto-Shrine designed and built by Lourdes's Mom with cement left-over from the house. On the lower level is Sta. Nino (the Christ-Child), the namesake and patron of this village. Upper-left is St. Vincente, center is an angel with dove-wings (representing the Holy Spirit). Upper-right is Our Lady of Lourdes, the principle deity for this family. Cross up top. The 3 doves visible are children of the original 2 white doves we ceremonily released at our wedding reception. Usually, they would fly away (and be re-caught or eaten by predators in the jungle), but those 2 stayed at the house, made a nest & family -- continuing as symbols of our love. |
| Installing the electric pump and water-tank at the house. |
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| David and Lou's Mom, dancing to some pop-tune in the garden. |
| Relatives of workers & neighbors watching the action. |
| Two of our "native"-type pigs, sacrificed and roasted over wood-fire to make the Philppine favorite party-food "lechon", to provide a feast for all concerned. |