It was early morning when Kristi from Naomi’s Heart Mission suggested we visit the Filipino market downtown.  We were so excited to venture out to explore General Santos City and to experience everyday life in this beautiful part of the world.

We prepared ourselves for the adventure by bringing our pesos and a roll of toilet tissue, as public restrooms are not typically stocked with toiletry items.  Boarding the “Mystery Machine”, we had plenty of room to stretch out and open-air windows to take in the sights.  We could see the mountains in the distance as we traveled through the countryside and passed by tuk-tuks and motorbikes downtown.

Entering the grocery store, we  strolled through the produce section.  With so many unusual fruits, we decided to purchase a few so that we could try each one back at the mission.  What was also interesting was that they displayed a cooler of unpackaged hotdogs that shoppers could select one at at time.  Kristie picked up a few items that they would prepare for us later that evening.

I purchased sunscreen, a couple of make up items and a cake so we could celebrate.  My favorite item was the pineapple Tang, a perfect drink for breakfast not available in the United States.

We ate lunch at a local restaurant with Kristi helping us select items that would be most familiar to us.  The food freshly prepared with a variety of spices which was a very enjoyable meal before returning back to the mission.   With our groceries in tow, it was best that we leave sooner than later to refrigerate the meals that we purchased and were ready for another scenic drive through General Santos City.

Have you been on a mission trip to another country?  I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below.  Many thanks for reading about my visit to Naomi’s Heart Mission in General Santos City, Philippines and wishing you many Happy Travels!

Naomi’s Heart Mission is an organization that feeds the local families of General Santos City, Philippines.   For only $25 per month, Naomi’s Heart Mission can feed one family for the month.  For nearly 20 years, NHM has been supporting the Filipinos by feeding them and educating their children.  If you are interested in learning more about their programs or provide support, please visit their website at www.naomisheartmission.org.