The Bill Pool Sailing School

     judge a man, then, by that

     against which he must strive

     against what

     if not this soft night

     and the wind and sea

     against the myth

     he must become

     and his own will

     the ocean waits

     to measure or to slay me
     the ocean waits

     and I will sail

                         --Webb Chiles

We owe the whole program to Doug Schuch, an American sailor from North Carolina who arrived aboard his 47' yacht, FELLOW TRAVELER, earlier this year.  He specifically sailed to the Philippines, to Port Bonbonon, looking for a Community to immerse himself in, and it didn't take him more that a week to become an active and intregal part of our two Learning Centers! 

Doug taught photography initially, then moved to swimming and sailing for the kids.  The three dinghies he built specifically for the students to learn not just sailing, but boat building and maintainence, too.  The boats are here to provide others, also, with an opportunity to enjoy sailing, while generating a small income for the Learning Centers.  

On Sundays, Doug helps the kids rig their boats and set off, then Renato Dela Cruz (co-director of Bonbonon BLCLC) assists the students from another dinghy, as they learn to handle the boats themselves.  

Doug was kind enough to make a motion (passed) at our first Board Meeting of Bright Lights Community Learning Initiatives, Inc, that the name be the Bill Pool Sailing School, to honor Bill's memory in the founding of One Candle Schoolhouse.

Glimpses Granted

No ray of sunshine is ever lost,
but the green which it wakes into existence needs time to sprout,

and it is not always granted to the sower to live to see the harvest.

All work that is worth anything is done in faith.
- Albert Schweitzer

Very emotional morning, April 4th, 2011, watching former students of One Candle Schoolhouse's Saturday class as they graduated from their Philippine public school. 

But it was equally heartening to recognize present Saturday Students from the Bright Lights Community Learning Centers--students now taught by the Volunteer Teams--who were undergraduate students receiving awards. Many of these students' parents were unable to attend the ceremony because they work overseas to provide paychecks for their childrens' education.  Many Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and even Siblings become the primary caregivers then, supporting and witnessing these childhood milestones for absent parents. 

Madeleine, one of our German Volunteers, was privileged to perform that role for one such student when she received her award.  It was deeply touching to glimpse this tender outgrowth of seeds planted in faith.

To all of you who have been such an important part of One Candle Schoolhouse's  evolution into the Bright Light's Community Learning Centers,  please share with us this happy occasion and know that you, like overseas parents, have made it possible...

We're cook'n now!

Irmgard Krepela

"We are here to add what we can to,

not to get what we can from, Life."

--Sir William Osler

 Our long-time "Austrian Angel", Irmgard Krepela, recently returned to visit our newly constructed Learning Center in Siit, bringing with her a truly heavenly donation from her family: Funds for  the construction of a much-needed kitchen!  

Since September of last year, the cooking of our Saturday Feeding Program has been outdoors over a wood fire, with preparation and dinning on make-shift tables...

 ...but under Irmgard's personal supervision 

the Bright Lights' efficiently modern kitchen was completed in record time

and now hearts as well as bellies are filled with gratitude:

Again, THANK YOU for your open hearts and generous donations:

Christina Stahl                    Helga Krepela                       Mathilde Strobel

Along with Irmgard Krepela's gift of a full kitchen to the Siit BLCLC, Gunther Wegricht's equally generous (and much-needed) donation of a Printer/Scanner/Copier has brought bright smiles to students' faces as well as furthering their literary and artistic enterprises....

Brightening the Path

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."

This motto was selected by the BLCLC Teams as the theme for their joint Fund Raising Program over Valentine's weekend, and it was exemplified by the generous support given by:

Siaton Mayor Ator

Chris Koeppel Family

Valery Dyb

CPO Armardo L.Egina

Jamie & Nikki Ingram

Francisco A. Palalon

Julia (& husband Seigfried)

Charly & Mely Kandera

To read the full story please click here

Renewable Dreams

Dreams are renewable.

 No matter what your age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within you 

and new beauty waiting to be born. 

--Dale E. Turner

Last Saturday night, February 12th, as I sat in the front row audience taking pictures of the fund-raising performance by the two Learning Center's students, I was overwhelmed by the realization that the vision posted in September of 2008...

"It has long been my dream for One Candle Schoolhouse to move out into the local community, to be more accessible to both children and adults, and to be run by Filipinos themselves."

...had truly come into existence largely because of these people:

 

...Thank you, Bonbonon and Siit Team Members Annabel, Renato, Analie, Lilith, Evelyn, Jesslie May, Shane Mae, Janefel, Aljendra, Madeleine (visiting DED volunteer Inez, from ANIMO).

Watching the performance, the sudden realization of my dream for One Candle Schoolhouse gave only momentary pause about no longer being needed. I felt not loss but joy, recognizing I was now free to transition more fully into the next phase, the Livelihood Skills Program...and for the first time since Bill died, I was excited and infinitely grateful to feel renewed energy for my private dreams as well!

Blogging Begins...again

Lilith Kugler

Madeleine Baensch

"If you've only
one breath left,

use it to say thank you."

 --Pam Brown

Yesterday was a special day.  It was our regular Team Meeting day, but for me it heralded a long, longed-for, return to sharing and thanking supporters for the many blessings we celebrate because of them.

Lilith and Madeleine are Volunteers from the German DED/JVS program, Weltwaerts.  They arrived September 2010, and will be with us for a year, to assist the two Learning Centers' development.  This is the second year we've been fortunate to have talented, enthusiastic, creative partners to work with.

Leoni Ocker was our first, arriving in October 2009, and shouldering a more-than-substantial share of my work that year.  The One Candle Schoolhouse/ Bright Lights Community Learning Centers would not have survived if not for the Weltwaerts program.




Here are a few of the photos taken while we worked, yesterday:

Evenlyn Bucad, Siit Director, composing Thank You Certificates

Lilith instructing how to make a posting to the new TEAM page in our blog

The transition and transfer of One Candle Schoolhouse into the two BLCLC communities of Bonbonon and Siit, has allowed OCS to now focus on a Livelihood Skills program for talented individuals who cannot afford college.  

Shane Mae is asking for input on the name of the hand-painted T-shirt business she shares with Aljendra, one of the eight original students of OCS.

Reviewing their published post, Jesslie May reads aloud their individual statements

"I only wish you could see what I see when I look at you." --Kobi Yamada

Grand Opening - Siit Campus

"Are you in earnest?  Seize this very minute: 

What you can do, or dream you can,

begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

Only engage and then the mind grows heated. Begin and then the work will be completed."

--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe