JM Day 2 and touring Dumaguete

Dumaguete Belfry - This was used as a pirate warning signal

JM at Rainbow. He and his buddies would have made good pirates.

After an extremely sleepless night without JM, we anxiously arrived at Rainbow Village to reacquaint each other, meet James' caregivers ("Ya-yas"), and make things official before taking JM back with us.  Clearly JM and his buddies have been in the best of care.  Mike and Sheryl, the program directors and missionaries from California, have carved a tiny oasis for these children that makes the best of their situation.  We could not have asked for better people to have cared for JM!

Afterwards, we headed to the center of Dumaguete City to explore. Dumaguete City is now a thriving university town with a bustling marketplace.  We were happy to have Sheryl drive us around as there seems to be no driving rules in Dumaguete: no signs, lights, turn signals, etc. Just a constant stream of motorcycles with passenger sidecars navigating out of sheer instinct and pluck. We walked through the marketplace and checked out the local churches, one dating back to the original Spanish mission church that was originally built in the late 1700s. We found it somewhat interesting that the name "Dumaguete" derives from the local word for kidnapping, as the pirates off the coast would maraud the city and snatch people up.

We brought JM back (without having to resort to marauding) to the hotel and he is adjusting VERY well to his new parents. His caregivers were very clear that JM is one of the most easy-going kids they have had and he has definitely lived up to his reputation.  Though quiet and shy, he will explode into smiles when playing ball or with his new truck. Playing with a ball is his favorite activity and we were surprised by his ability to throw and kick the ball.