As leaves once yellowed in the sun turn brown and blow away in a cold winter wind my heart begins to reminisce on the happenings of another year passed. Looking down the tunnel of the past year I am, more than anything else, humbled at the goodness of my Savior. As my quiver expands exponentially I come to understand more and more the desire of my Father in heaven to give good things to the ones He loves. Just like a cold winter wind heralds the end of a season yet with it brings the joys and pleasures of a winter’s snow. So to these perilous economic times, which herald woes for many, finds our family rejoicing for a new season in which to enjoy the goodness of our Perfect Father.
The blessings began at the start of this year with the Lord laying on our hearts a desire to serve Him in short term missions this summer. Just like with any ministry that we take up the Lord had planned to give us more than we could ever give back to Him. The blessings began with our economic stimulus check from the Federal Government. With this added bonus Leah and I saw that traveling overseas would vey well fit into an affordable budget for us. We then sent out letters to many of our missionary friends overseas to see how we might help them on a short term trip during my summer vacation. We soon heard back from Matt and Carol Bugbee with news that they needed a teacher for the Middle School program at the SIL Summer Conference in Bagabag. Leah and I then began to get things in order to travel to the Philippines over our summer vacation.
As we planned our trip the expenses began to pile up and our monthly credit card statements were getting bigger than we could pay. However, we knew that the Lord had laid this trip on our hearts and in the final month before our trip we received two lover offerings one from Faith Community Church and one from Antelope Valley Bible Chapel. Eventually all of the details were worked out and the day after school ended in May we left for the Philippines.
For three weeks Leah, Sophie, Aubrey and I got a first hand look at what it might be like to be missionaries overseas. We had multiple opportunities to talk to missionary families about their experiences and many more opportunities to serve and be served by those who have dedicated their lives to serving the Lord in the Philippines. The first two weeks of our stay were spent primarily in Bagabag running a Middle School program for the children of SIL Bible Translators in the Philippines region. During this time we took the kids through a curriculum we had developed based on the story of Pilgrim’s Progress. We were also able to set a correspondence between several of the kids there and the kids that we minister to here in the Antelope Valley. During the final week of our stay we worked with Pastor Noel in an area of Manila called Laguna. During that time I was able to teach at various church and outreach programs and I was also able to teach in their school the Arise and Shine Academy. Through it all we saw the great need for workers in the harvest and we also came to realize that it would be very possible to minister as a family.
Coming home from the Philippines we found that the Lord and more plans to bless us through our ministries. For the remaining weeks of our summer we planned two camps one for my church and one for my school. First we took a group of Middle School kids to Silverwood Lake for a 3 day camp. During this time I led the kids through a study on the Believer’s life of worship, and I was struck with the fact, as I constantly am, that God chooses the weak things in the world to shame the wise as I saw the kids understand the simple truth that the most rewarding life is a one lived selflessly for the Lord. Coming back from Silverwood we then began planning a week long altitude training camp in Mammoth Lakes for my Cross-Country team. We ended up taking a group of 7 kids with us and had a great time running through some amazing back-country. Most of the guys who went were Christians and we had a neat time on top of Duck Pass the last day just enjoying the Lord’s creation. The day after cross-country camp ended school began.
Though we had an extraordinary summer serving the Lord He has even greater plans for us in the semester ahead. It began with the Lord answering our prayer for help with the Middle School Youth Group A.L.I.V. E. (Always Living In View of Eternity) we had started at Faith Community Church. I knew that there was no way I could run this Youth Group by myself and still teach and coach at Rosamond High School. So the Lord sent several college students our way from the Master’s College whose talents seemed to perfectly line up with the things we needed help with in our fledgling youth group.
The blessings continued, by way of trial, through the roller coaster of emotions of the next few weeks. It began with a pregnancy test, as it often does, in early September that was negative. However, a couple of weeks later a second test came back positive. It seemed that this truly was a year for blessing, but a couple of weeks later Leah began feeling like she was having another miscarriage. Leah went in for a check up and they could not find a heartbeat so we prepared for the worst with the follow up visit. On the day of the visit Leah called me on my Lunch break, and, after making sure I was sitting down, told me that she was fine and that they had found two heartbeats. I can not begin to express in writing the elation this news brought me. It was as if I had come around a bend in my understanding of the Father Heart of the Lord. It is one thing to know that the Lord is able to do “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” but it is another thing altogether to experience it in such a real way. Before I had heard this news I had resigned myself to the fact that I do not deserve such great gifts from the Lord. I had told Him that I was content with what I had but that my desire was for Him to protect our unborn child. To not only hear the news that our child was fine but to know that the Lord was blessing us with twins was perhaps one of the most humbling blessings I have received from the Lord.
As the year progressed so did the blessings. Cross-country season was soon in full swing and the Lord was teaching me humility again. My competitive nature often gets the best of me as I coach and I lose focus on why I am doing it. At Cross-country camp this year I told my athletes that I wanted to measure our success based on how we glorified God with our performances more than anything else. One of the ways we did this was with a weekly bible study after practice on Monday’s for anyone who wanted to come. It was through this study that my top runner, and team captain, realized that He was Christian in name only and that he was spiritually dead. Over the course of a couple of weeks he recommitted his life to the Lord. Through observing our conversations my number two runner eventually recognized his spiritual shortcomings and he soon committed to living for the Lord as well. At the end of the season both of my runners new found faith was put to the test as they advanced as individuals beyond any of their teammates. At the final race of the year we talked about running for a reward that endures rather than a temporary one. At the end of the race both runners told me that, though they did not advance to the prestigious state championship, they were content with their races and that God deserved all the glory for their season. They were also both rewarded with an opportunity to talk to Mickey Hall, the father and former coach of Olympian Marathoner Ryan Hall, who shared with them many of the same things I had told them about running for the Lord’s glory. As of right now these two runners, Christian and Joey, are both planning on attending the Master’s College in Santa Clarita and running for my brother. It is my prayer that their spiritual growth will continue there.
Altogether this year has been full of blessings. With each there have been lessons learned and treasures gained. We find ourselves at the end of the year with a deeper understanding of our Father’s love and grace. Perhaps more than anything we have learned to never doubt the goodness of the Lord. That does not mean that we have perfected that art of doubt free living. We still find ourselves anxious over an uncertain future, but the testimony of the Lord’s goodness bid’s our hearts to let go of anxious thoughts. In addition, we know that to whom much is given much is expected and we have received so many gifts this year that we know the Lord will expect great things from us in the future. Though such expectations can be daunting we are reminded that the Lord is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in us. So it is in joyful expectation that we look forward to the years ahead with our Faithful Father as our Great Giver and our Guide.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Story of Heavenly Treasure
Once there was a king who had three sons who he sent away to a foreign land to earn their fortunes. He told them all that one day he would summon each of them home without warning. When he called them they where to come immediately and they would not be allowed to bring anything with them. Even the clothes they would be wearing would be forfeited for the same garments they first wore to this foreign realm. Upon arriving in their temporary homes each son found a sparsely furnished room containing a bed, a dresser, a table and a chair. On the bed was a note from their father which said: “anything you bring into this room will never leave it again, however, anything you send home will be kept for you with interest, the choice is yours invest in your temporary residence or in your true home.” The king also promised the sons that their daily needs would always be met no matter how much of their earnings they sent home.
The first son stood in the middle of his room and thought about his Father’s words and the home he had left behind. He imagined what it would be like to one day return home to hoards of treasures that he had sent ahead. He looked forward to pleasing his Father with what he had done, and enjoying a life in his true home with the things he would save for himself. The second son sat down awkwardly on the chair and decided that he would certainly send things home but first he would replace this uncomfortable chair with something a little more bearable. The last son cast the letter aside and said “I’ll send stuff home someday, but first I’ll buy some things to enjoy my time here” and he promptly left to shop for new furnishings for his quarters.
As time went on each of the sons made a place for themselves in the foreign land. The first became a master carpenter whose services were called upon from all over the land. His work was immaculate and could be found in the finest palaces. He was sought after by all the aristocracy, and for his work he received riches beyond imagining. Yet his living quarters did not change from the first day he set foot in his room. Every cent was immediately sent home to his kingdom, and he lived sparsely, but never in want, in his tiny room.
As for the second brother he apprenticed as a tailor and soon was able to open his own shop. Eventually his designs were turning heads all over the city and his coffers began to grow. As time passed it became widely known that lords and ladies simply could not be seen in public unless they were wearing the designs of the Kings second son. At first this son was good about sending a percentage home, but the homes of his customers were so beautiful that soon he began to crave for something more than his simple abode. He then found a more spacious house of his own and set out to decorate it in accord with the same taste and artistry that graced all of his garment designs. Soon he realized that an artisan such as himself should have a studio in which to display his wares, after all should he not be a good steward and have an adequate work place in which to manufacture and distribute his clothing. It wasn’t long before the bills surpassed the money he was sending home, and occasionally he could not even send anything toward his future kingdom. He told himself that this was fine. After all his Father loved him and would understand he just had to make ends meet.
As for the third son thoughts of his true home soon faded into distant memory. He used his skill as a musician to gain recognition and favor throughout all the land. The concerts he would put on were legendary and people would gather from the four corners of the land just to hear him play. His music brought happiness and comfort to all who heard it, and soon he found that men were willing to pay anything to be serenaded by his melodies. It wasn’t long before he was rich beyond all reckoning. He did not even remember the sparsely furnished room that had been his dwelling for his first night in what was then a strange new land. His new home was beyond extravagant. He not only had more rooms then he could sleep in a year but his grounds seemed to stretch off in every direction forever. Room after room was filled with instruments that had never been used. And case after case contained ancient instruments that would never be played again. This brother did not even know the history behind many of the pieces he collected for he was much to busy composing new music and giving concerts. However, not to worry, he an extensive staff of servants who kept everything immaculate and presentable at all times.
Then one day the third brother returned from a concert to find his entire home and all of his possessions engulfed in flames. As he ran to his house he saw his two brothers standing in front of it and staring blankly into the flames. He cried out to them “help me save my home” as he rushed headlong onto the flaming inferno. However, he soon found himself caught up in a powerful grip. At first he struggled against it then he looked up and recognition turned to shame as he stared into the disappointed eyes of his father. He quickly began to make excuses for himself saying “I had so much saved that I was going to send home, I just have not had time yet. If you will give me a chance I can run in and get some of those things that I was meaning to send forward and you can take them home for me. It is just that I have been working so hard that I have not had enough time.” To this his Father replied: “son, you have had plenty of time and now it is too late. You have sent nothing home and though you have lived extravagantly here you are not a prince in my home. You will be brought back now with those you once called brothers to see what could have been yours, but you will never be able to cross over from your torment into the glory of my kingdom” As he said this men came forward and dragged the young musician to the waiting ship. The Father then turned and beckoned to his other two sons to follow him on board. The walked forward in quiet anticipation clothed in the same garments they had worn when they first set foot on this foreign land. It seemed only a moment before they were in sight of their true home, and their Father began to show them the preparations he had been making for them in their absence. To the second son he pointed to a small house on the seashore as they drew near. At first his sons could not see it, but as they drew closer it began to take shape in the shadow of the castle that towered over it. His Father told him that he would dwell here and rule over the fishermen. It would be his responsibility to see that everything on the seashore ran smoothly. As they pulled into port the second son leapt off of the ship and ran forward to see all of the treasures he had sent forward with which to furnish his eternal home. However, upon opening the door he found his fisherman’s cottage, though neat and tidy, did not have much more in it then his original dwelling in the foreign kingdom. As he turned to his Father with a perplexed look on his face, His Father explained to him that he would have liked to have created a grand home for his son, but all of his energies and greatest treasures had been invested in his last home and not sent forward for his Fathers use. Then, after embracing his second son, he took his oldest forward to his glorious mansion the likes of which could not be described in the space afforded here. However, it is sufficient to say that the entrance alone could have contained both of the former homes of his brothers many times over. And the joy of dwelling in such a place in the presence of his Father for all of eternity can not be described even to the most vivid imagination of man apart from the quickening of the Holy Spirit.
Epilogue:
Where does desire for the things of this world and a true longing for the next begin? If we are to live as if this world is not our home how comfortable should we seek to be in this passing phase? If these passing years are our only opportunity to get treasure in eternity should we invest our time in anything else? Money invested in this world may not result in blessing but money invested in the next will always pays dividends beyond your wildest imaginations.
The first son stood in the middle of his room and thought about his Father’s words and the home he had left behind. He imagined what it would be like to one day return home to hoards of treasures that he had sent ahead. He looked forward to pleasing his Father with what he had done, and enjoying a life in his true home with the things he would save for himself. The second son sat down awkwardly on the chair and decided that he would certainly send things home but first he would replace this uncomfortable chair with something a little more bearable. The last son cast the letter aside and said “I’ll send stuff home someday, but first I’ll buy some things to enjoy my time here” and he promptly left to shop for new furnishings for his quarters.
As time went on each of the sons made a place for themselves in the foreign land. The first became a master carpenter whose services were called upon from all over the land. His work was immaculate and could be found in the finest palaces. He was sought after by all the aristocracy, and for his work he received riches beyond imagining. Yet his living quarters did not change from the first day he set foot in his room. Every cent was immediately sent home to his kingdom, and he lived sparsely, but never in want, in his tiny room.
As for the second brother he apprenticed as a tailor and soon was able to open his own shop. Eventually his designs were turning heads all over the city and his coffers began to grow. As time passed it became widely known that lords and ladies simply could not be seen in public unless they were wearing the designs of the Kings second son. At first this son was good about sending a percentage home, but the homes of his customers were so beautiful that soon he began to crave for something more than his simple abode. He then found a more spacious house of his own and set out to decorate it in accord with the same taste and artistry that graced all of his garment designs. Soon he realized that an artisan such as himself should have a studio in which to display his wares, after all should he not be a good steward and have an adequate work place in which to manufacture and distribute his clothing. It wasn’t long before the bills surpassed the money he was sending home, and occasionally he could not even send anything toward his future kingdom. He told himself that this was fine. After all his Father loved him and would understand he just had to make ends meet.
As for the third son thoughts of his true home soon faded into distant memory. He used his skill as a musician to gain recognition and favor throughout all the land. The concerts he would put on were legendary and people would gather from the four corners of the land just to hear him play. His music brought happiness and comfort to all who heard it, and soon he found that men were willing to pay anything to be serenaded by his melodies. It wasn’t long before he was rich beyond all reckoning. He did not even remember the sparsely furnished room that had been his dwelling for his first night in what was then a strange new land. His new home was beyond extravagant. He not only had more rooms then he could sleep in a year but his grounds seemed to stretch off in every direction forever. Room after room was filled with instruments that had never been used. And case after case contained ancient instruments that would never be played again. This brother did not even know the history behind many of the pieces he collected for he was much to busy composing new music and giving concerts. However, not to worry, he an extensive staff of servants who kept everything immaculate and presentable at all times.
Then one day the third brother returned from a concert to find his entire home and all of his possessions engulfed in flames. As he ran to his house he saw his two brothers standing in front of it and staring blankly into the flames. He cried out to them “help me save my home” as he rushed headlong onto the flaming inferno. However, he soon found himself caught up in a powerful grip. At first he struggled against it then he looked up and recognition turned to shame as he stared into the disappointed eyes of his father. He quickly began to make excuses for himself saying “I had so much saved that I was going to send home, I just have not had time yet. If you will give me a chance I can run in and get some of those things that I was meaning to send forward and you can take them home for me. It is just that I have been working so hard that I have not had enough time.” To this his Father replied: “son, you have had plenty of time and now it is too late. You have sent nothing home and though you have lived extravagantly here you are not a prince in my home. You will be brought back now with those you once called brothers to see what could have been yours, but you will never be able to cross over from your torment into the glory of my kingdom” As he said this men came forward and dragged the young musician to the waiting ship. The Father then turned and beckoned to his other two sons to follow him on board. The walked forward in quiet anticipation clothed in the same garments they had worn when they first set foot on this foreign land. It seemed only a moment before they were in sight of their true home, and their Father began to show them the preparations he had been making for them in their absence. To the second son he pointed to a small house on the seashore as they drew near. At first his sons could not see it, but as they drew closer it began to take shape in the shadow of the castle that towered over it. His Father told him that he would dwell here and rule over the fishermen. It would be his responsibility to see that everything on the seashore ran smoothly. As they pulled into port the second son leapt off of the ship and ran forward to see all of the treasures he had sent forward with which to furnish his eternal home. However, upon opening the door he found his fisherman’s cottage, though neat and tidy, did not have much more in it then his original dwelling in the foreign kingdom. As he turned to his Father with a perplexed look on his face, His Father explained to him that he would have liked to have created a grand home for his son, but all of his energies and greatest treasures had been invested in his last home and not sent forward for his Fathers use. Then, after embracing his second son, he took his oldest forward to his glorious mansion the likes of which could not be described in the space afforded here. However, it is sufficient to say that the entrance alone could have contained both of the former homes of his brothers many times over. And the joy of dwelling in such a place in the presence of his Father for all of eternity can not be described even to the most vivid imagination of man apart from the quickening of the Holy Spirit.
Epilogue:
Where does desire for the things of this world and a true longing for the next begin? If we are to live as if this world is not our home how comfortable should we seek to be in this passing phase? If these passing years are our only opportunity to get treasure in eternity should we invest our time in anything else? Money invested in this world may not result in blessing but money invested in the next will always pays dividends beyond your wildest imaginations.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
On Typhoons and Time Travel
On Typhoons and Time Travel
June 23, 2008
We are done…sort of. In running one of the greatest spiritual lessons we have learned is to always be content but never satisfied. Having finished this portion of our lives’ course we are content that things have worked out exactly as they should. We know that the Lord allowed us to reach whom He willed, and he prevented my ministry where it was not His will. He gave us all the strength we needed, and if there is anything that we did that glorified Him, it was His strength working inside of us. At the same time our eyes have been opened to what a life of ministry looks like and we are not satisfied with the status quo of our mundane American lives. If you want to experience this same dissatisfaction with your own life then praise, work and pray with men who have received their entire lives from the Lord. Men who have sat in prison knowing they deserved to die for the murders they had committed, but instead now taste daily the eternal mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through my ministry at Arise and Shine Community Church I had many opportunities to see the lives of just such men.
Having completed my initial visit to Cabuyao Laguna on Wednesday I returned their after a day of preparation with my family on Friday. I spent most of Thursday preparing my sermon for Sunday and talking to people back home. This was the only day of the trip where we didn’t go out of the house to do some sort of ministry, and it was a needed rest before the final push to the finish. On Friday morning after breakfast we headed down to Cabuyao for the weekend with a backpack, a diaper bag and two kids in tow. This may sound like meager supplies for a three day trip, but there is no where to stow luggage or children. And everything is expected to rest nicely on your lap, along any with random Filipino who unwittingly tries to sit next to you but finds that your wide American hips don’t allow him to sit four to a two person seat like he is used to. However, these people are friendly and such contact is expected in public transportation. This was our first trip as a family without any missionaries to guide us, so I was somewhat nervous. However, the Lord is faithful and He allowed us to arrive in Cabuyao with little to no difficulties. Our trip did take two hours longer than expected, which was somewhat uncomfortable with all the visitors on my lap, but God preserved us. I can honestly say that all of this travel has truly taught me how delicate my body is. The pain I felt in my legs and hips during these trips was more intense than anything I have ever experienced in any of my long distance runs. This I felt was God’s subtle way of reminding me again that we do not accomplish things with these weak vessels, but it is God who works in us.
Arriving in Cabuyao we went to the school/church where Leah got an opportunity to meet the staff and some of the students, and the staff and students got opportunities to pet our girls (there is nothing quite so irresistible to a Filipino as little blond haired blue eyed Americans). After our daughters finished warding off their adoring fans we made our way to the Alberto’s house where we had merrienda, and I was told I would be speaking in an hour at the youth group. I may have been told this earlier, but I don’t understand everything all of the Tagolish that I spoken to me. So I promptly put together a lesson and went to the church. This group of students seemed to track with me better than on Wednesday. However, several of my stories and jokes were only met with blank stares. I felt as I spoke that I was stripped completely of all my public speaking strategies, I had to instead completely rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance. Once I realized this and put myself in His capable hands I was able to speak in a way that seemed to move my listeners. After this we returned to the Alberto’s for dinner, and we planned our trip for the next day.
The Alberto’s gave us the biggest bed in the house which the four of us shared. This was quite an experience for us, but who needs sleep anyway. The next morning the Alberto’s decided that they wanted to minister to us. We came here to minister to them, but they truly live by the truth that it is better to give than receive. Though they live in one of the poorest towns in a poverty stricken third world country they saw to it that we were treated like royalty. The day started with a trip up to see a volcano in Tagaytay. We made this trek in the church Jeepney along with the Alberto’s and three of the church workers: Ariel (the driver and a man who though quiet is extremely passionate about his walk with the Lord), Ambet (a young convict who has had his life transformed by Christ’s blood) and Richard (a dear brother who has found forgiveness for the terrible things he did in a previous life). Richard spent most of the day trying to get Sophie to talk to him, but she was much distracted with the Alberto’s youngest daughter Xaris.
When we finally arrived in the village we were disappointed to see that the fog and rain completely obstructed the Volcano from view. So we went to a Pancake House for breakfast. We ate pancakes and the Albertos ate spaghetti, chicken and rice (the social restrictions of what is considered breakfast food do not apply in the Philippines). After this we went next door to Starbucks to try to enjoy the view of the Volcano on the veranda. All we could see was fog, but the girls did not mind. We then proceeded down the mountain to a national park were we went for a short hike and were blessed to see the beautiful scenery come into view as the fog and rain gradually cleared. We spent the afternoon enjoying the shops and lunch at an outdoor café. Here the Albertos treated us to much of the island’s most popular foods with fruits, shrimp, snails, chicken and pork all served in traditional Filipino formats.
After that we enjoyed a trip back down the mountain to the Alberto’s house in Cabuyao. Here most everyone enjoyed a quick Siesta then Pastor Noel and I headed out to the hospital to pray for the sick with the other pastors. As we headed down the rains began to get stronger and stronger. We pretty much waded to the Hospital. Arriving there we were stopped by the guards and not allowed to enter. This was an interesting experience to me, for prior to this we had not experienced obstruction in any of our other ministries. After leaving the hospital it was explained to me that we were not allowed to enter because there were a couple cases of a highly contagious disease. I had been praying as we went for the Lord’s protection so I guess this was His way of protecting me. Since that did not work out we went back to the school and prayed anyways. It is amazing to me how the Holy Spirit can cause unity in prayer even when we are praying in different languages.
After prayer we went back home for dinner, and then Pastor Noel told us to go to the front yard so his congregation could serenade us. We then went to the porch and sat in two chairs as a large part of the Church body gathered around us and sang to us. They then thanked us for the work we had done and prayed for us. After this we ate some more. Then with full belies, and even fuller spirits, we went to bed.
The next morning we woke to a typhoon. What this means for those who have not experienced it, is that torrential rain is combined with extremely high winds to produce an awesome display of God’s power. The only way this really affected us was that we did not have electricity or running water to prepare for church. Also, we did not have electricity at the church. So we had a somewhat soggy dark service. Nonetheless, this did not dampen the spirits of the Filipinos who love to sing praise whether they have electricity or not. The poring rains did limit the number of people who could make it to the service, but I am fully convinced that God brought the people whose hearts He had prepared to hear the message I had delivered. During the service I spoke through a translator which was not the original plan. Pastor Noel told me that his parishioners understood English and I would not need an interpreter (I wrote my sermon with this in mind). However, on Sunday morning Pastor Noel went to speak at a different church, so Pastor Alan was in charge and he realized I would need a translator. Though this drastically changed the amount of time I had prepared to speak it gave me time to whittle my sermon down as my translator was speaking. I was once again convinced that this forced me into a new kind of reliance upon the Spirit that I had not experienced before. As I spoke the congregation grew and the electricity came on. At the end of the service there was more excited singing and sharing and the Filipinos sang to us one more time (did I mention that they love to sing). After Church there were still torrents of rain coming down so Leah, Sophie, Aubrey and I all rode in a motorcycle side car to stay out of the rain (the first time I saw these in the Filipines I thought that there was no way I would ever take my family in one of those…however experiences change your proclivities). Back at the Albertos we ate lunch and waited for Pastor Noel to return so that we could say goodbye. Upon his return we loaded one last time into the Church Jeepney and were then chaperoned to our bus with Ambet and Ariel. As we rode back to Manila in the FX I reflected on the work god had allowed us to do.
We came to Cabuyao to observe the ministry and to encourage the ministers, but instead the Lord increased our ministry beyond anything we could have ever imagined. I spent most of my time preparing for this trip in putting together the trip to Bagabag and had viewed my visit to Cabuyao as an afterthought. Perhaps it was because of this that I was more reliant on the Spirit and was able to minister to so many people in various ways. Altogether I believe that this ministry gave a more rounded perspective of what God is doing in the Philippines. I had witnessed much of the international ministry in my interactions with the SIL missionaries, but in Cabuyao I was able to see how nationals are ministering to their own people. Both ministries are vital and effective, and within both of them I can see how I could add to the ministry. However, the Lord has not specifically called me to either of these ministries at this point.
It may have been coincidental, or spirit led, that as I was doing this trip I was reading George Muller Biography. I had picked it up sometime ago, and had not yet been able to read it. One of the things that stood out to me as I read was that George Muller felt called to the mission field from early in his Christian life. He pursued several avenues to make this happen, but none of them ever worked out. As it played out God had plans for him to stay where he was and create an amazing ministry to orphans. During all this time he maintained his passion for missions and was quite effective in raising word about missions work in the East Indies. Altogether he raised millions of pounds to finance the ministry there primarily through his faithful prayer life.
As I meditated on this I realized that there are many ways God can use a heart for missions. That said my passion for missions has only grown stronger through this trip, and I will be faithful to pursue whatever avenues the Lord leads me down. However, for now I know that my ministry (after my family) is to the Jr Highers at Faith Community Church and my students at Rosamond High School. However, I now have a new fervor for these ministries, and I think I can bring to both of them a more global perspective of what the Lord is doing…Paalam! (I found out upon leaving the Filipines that this word is actually not used to say goodbye. It means goodbye, but it is not common to say it. Instead different guttural abbreviations of other words that I can not remember are used. If you were wondering we survived the Typhoon, made our flight [barely], and are now home in the good old A.V. after enduring a 39 hour long Monday in which the sun rose and set twice.)
June 23, 2008
We are done…sort of. In running one of the greatest spiritual lessons we have learned is to always be content but never satisfied. Having finished this portion of our lives’ course we are content that things have worked out exactly as they should. We know that the Lord allowed us to reach whom He willed, and he prevented my ministry where it was not His will. He gave us all the strength we needed, and if there is anything that we did that glorified Him, it was His strength working inside of us. At the same time our eyes have been opened to what a life of ministry looks like and we are not satisfied with the status quo of our mundane American lives. If you want to experience this same dissatisfaction with your own life then praise, work and pray with men who have received their entire lives from the Lord. Men who have sat in prison knowing they deserved to die for the murders they had committed, but instead now taste daily the eternal mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through my ministry at Arise and Shine Community Church I had many opportunities to see the lives of just such men.
Having completed my initial visit to Cabuyao Laguna on Wednesday I returned their after a day of preparation with my family on Friday. I spent most of Thursday preparing my sermon for Sunday and talking to people back home. This was the only day of the trip where we didn’t go out of the house to do some sort of ministry, and it was a needed rest before the final push to the finish. On Friday morning after breakfast we headed down to Cabuyao for the weekend with a backpack, a diaper bag and two kids in tow. This may sound like meager supplies for a three day trip, but there is no where to stow luggage or children. And everything is expected to rest nicely on your lap, along any with random Filipino who unwittingly tries to sit next to you but finds that your wide American hips don’t allow him to sit four to a two person seat like he is used to. However, these people are friendly and such contact is expected in public transportation. This was our first trip as a family without any missionaries to guide us, so I was somewhat nervous. However, the Lord is faithful and He allowed us to arrive in Cabuyao with little to no difficulties. Our trip did take two hours longer than expected, which was somewhat uncomfortable with all the visitors on my lap, but God preserved us. I can honestly say that all of this travel has truly taught me how delicate my body is. The pain I felt in my legs and hips during these trips was more intense than anything I have ever experienced in any of my long distance runs. This I felt was God’s subtle way of reminding me again that we do not accomplish things with these weak vessels, but it is God who works in us.
Arriving in Cabuyao we went to the school/church where Leah got an opportunity to meet the staff and some of the students, and the staff and students got opportunities to pet our girls (there is nothing quite so irresistible to a Filipino as little blond haired blue eyed Americans). After our daughters finished warding off their adoring fans we made our way to the Alberto’s house where we had merrienda, and I was told I would be speaking in an hour at the youth group. I may have been told this earlier, but I don’t understand everything all of the Tagolish that I spoken to me. So I promptly put together a lesson and went to the church. This group of students seemed to track with me better than on Wednesday. However, several of my stories and jokes were only met with blank stares. I felt as I spoke that I was stripped completely of all my public speaking strategies, I had to instead completely rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance. Once I realized this and put myself in His capable hands I was able to speak in a way that seemed to move my listeners. After this we returned to the Alberto’s for dinner, and we planned our trip for the next day.
The Alberto’s gave us the biggest bed in the house which the four of us shared. This was quite an experience for us, but who needs sleep anyway. The next morning the Alberto’s decided that they wanted to minister to us. We came here to minister to them, but they truly live by the truth that it is better to give than receive. Though they live in one of the poorest towns in a poverty stricken third world country they saw to it that we were treated like royalty. The day started with a trip up to see a volcano in Tagaytay. We made this trek in the church Jeepney along with the Alberto’s and three of the church workers: Ariel (the driver and a man who though quiet is extremely passionate about his walk with the Lord), Ambet (a young convict who has had his life transformed by Christ’s blood) and Richard (a dear brother who has found forgiveness for the terrible things he did in a previous life). Richard spent most of the day trying to get Sophie to talk to him, but she was much distracted with the Alberto’s youngest daughter Xaris.
When we finally arrived in the village we were disappointed to see that the fog and rain completely obstructed the Volcano from view. So we went to a Pancake House for breakfast. We ate pancakes and the Albertos ate spaghetti, chicken and rice (the social restrictions of what is considered breakfast food do not apply in the Philippines). After this we went next door to Starbucks to try to enjoy the view of the Volcano on the veranda. All we could see was fog, but the girls did not mind. We then proceeded down the mountain to a national park were we went for a short hike and were blessed to see the beautiful scenery come into view as the fog and rain gradually cleared. We spent the afternoon enjoying the shops and lunch at an outdoor café. Here the Albertos treated us to much of the island’s most popular foods with fruits, shrimp, snails, chicken and pork all served in traditional Filipino formats.
After that we enjoyed a trip back down the mountain to the Alberto’s house in Cabuyao. Here most everyone enjoyed a quick Siesta then Pastor Noel and I headed out to the hospital to pray for the sick with the other pastors. As we headed down the rains began to get stronger and stronger. We pretty much waded to the Hospital. Arriving there we were stopped by the guards and not allowed to enter. This was an interesting experience to me, for prior to this we had not experienced obstruction in any of our other ministries. After leaving the hospital it was explained to me that we were not allowed to enter because there were a couple cases of a highly contagious disease. I had been praying as we went for the Lord’s protection so I guess this was His way of protecting me. Since that did not work out we went back to the school and prayed anyways. It is amazing to me how the Holy Spirit can cause unity in prayer even when we are praying in different languages.
After prayer we went back home for dinner, and then Pastor Noel told us to go to the front yard so his congregation could serenade us. We then went to the porch and sat in two chairs as a large part of the Church body gathered around us and sang to us. They then thanked us for the work we had done and prayed for us. After this we ate some more. Then with full belies, and even fuller spirits, we went to bed.
The next morning we woke to a typhoon. What this means for those who have not experienced it, is that torrential rain is combined with extremely high winds to produce an awesome display of God’s power. The only way this really affected us was that we did not have electricity or running water to prepare for church. Also, we did not have electricity at the church. So we had a somewhat soggy dark service. Nonetheless, this did not dampen the spirits of the Filipinos who love to sing praise whether they have electricity or not. The poring rains did limit the number of people who could make it to the service, but I am fully convinced that God brought the people whose hearts He had prepared to hear the message I had delivered. During the service I spoke through a translator which was not the original plan. Pastor Noel told me that his parishioners understood English and I would not need an interpreter (I wrote my sermon with this in mind). However, on Sunday morning Pastor Noel went to speak at a different church, so Pastor Alan was in charge and he realized I would need a translator. Though this drastically changed the amount of time I had prepared to speak it gave me time to whittle my sermon down as my translator was speaking. I was once again convinced that this forced me into a new kind of reliance upon the Spirit that I had not experienced before. As I spoke the congregation grew and the electricity came on. At the end of the service there was more excited singing and sharing and the Filipinos sang to us one more time (did I mention that they love to sing). After Church there were still torrents of rain coming down so Leah, Sophie, Aubrey and I all rode in a motorcycle side car to stay out of the rain (the first time I saw these in the Filipines I thought that there was no way I would ever take my family in one of those…however experiences change your proclivities). Back at the Albertos we ate lunch and waited for Pastor Noel to return so that we could say goodbye. Upon his return we loaded one last time into the Church Jeepney and were then chaperoned to our bus with Ambet and Ariel. As we rode back to Manila in the FX I reflected on the work god had allowed us to do.
We came to Cabuyao to observe the ministry and to encourage the ministers, but instead the Lord increased our ministry beyond anything we could have ever imagined. I spent most of my time preparing for this trip in putting together the trip to Bagabag and had viewed my visit to Cabuyao as an afterthought. Perhaps it was because of this that I was more reliant on the Spirit and was able to minister to so many people in various ways. Altogether I believe that this ministry gave a more rounded perspective of what God is doing in the Philippines. I had witnessed much of the international ministry in my interactions with the SIL missionaries, but in Cabuyao I was able to see how nationals are ministering to their own people. Both ministries are vital and effective, and within both of them I can see how I could add to the ministry. However, the Lord has not specifically called me to either of these ministries at this point.
It may have been coincidental, or spirit led, that as I was doing this trip I was reading George Muller Biography. I had picked it up sometime ago, and had not yet been able to read it. One of the things that stood out to me as I read was that George Muller felt called to the mission field from early in his Christian life. He pursued several avenues to make this happen, but none of them ever worked out. As it played out God had plans for him to stay where he was and create an amazing ministry to orphans. During all this time he maintained his passion for missions and was quite effective in raising word about missions work in the East Indies. Altogether he raised millions of pounds to finance the ministry there primarily through his faithful prayer life.
As I meditated on this I realized that there are many ways God can use a heart for missions. That said my passion for missions has only grown stronger through this trip, and I will be faithful to pursue whatever avenues the Lord leads me down. However, for now I know that my ministry (after my family) is to the Jr Highers at Faith Community Church and my students at Rosamond High School. However, I now have a new fervor for these ministries, and I think I can bring to both of them a more global perspective of what the Lord is doing…Paalam! (I found out upon leaving the Filipines that this word is actually not used to say goodbye. It means goodbye, but it is not common to say it. Instead different guttural abbreviations of other words that I can not remember are used. If you were wondering we survived the Typhoon, made our flight [barely], and are now home in the good old A.V. after enduring a 39 hour long Monday in which the sun rose and set twice.)
Living with Filipinos
Caleb preaches Sunday morning with Pastor Alan translating.
Aubrey wearing her traditional Rice Picking hat.
Pineapple fields reminded me of a story I read about a missionary when I was a little girl.
Close up of the Balut Aubrey and I ate.
Caleb, proving his mouth has been emptied of all balut.
Our family on the trail near the volcano at Tagaytay
The Alberto Family: (Clockwise) Pastor Noel, Rapture Noah (aka Noah), Great Blessing (aka Great), Amazing Xaris (aka Xaris), Gina and Faith
Xaris and Sophie: fast friends
The volcano at Tagaytay
Aubrey and Leah eating Balut (yes, we did eat partially developed duck embryos and Aubrey liked it) 
Caleb street preaching for the squatters with Pastor Alan translating
Caleb teaching at chapel at the Arise and Shine Academy
Pastor Noel, Caleb, Pastor Alan and Pastor Roger
Sophie playing with the Albertos puppy "Sparkley" (actually the puppies name is Barkley but I think Sophie likes the name "Sparkley" better)
Xaris, "Sparkley" and Sophie
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
On Filipino Travel (i.e. Travail)
On Filipino Travel (i.e. Travail)
June 19, 2008
We thought we were leaving the jungles of the Philippines behind when we left Bagabag last Saturday, but we were wrong. We were just going to a much different jungle, one of mechanical beasts and trails of pavement. I do not know if anything I have ever done before could have prepared me for the ministry that God has for me here in Manila. But, praise be to God, His resources are greater than our own, and He is faithful to give us access to grace we did not know at first was there. Though the past few days have been busy I have had time both to rest and to work during our stay here in Manila.
The Lord, knowing what would lie ahead, prompted us to take a day of rest on Sunday. We went to CCF (Christ Commission Fellowship…in the Philippines everything has either initials or an acronym) with the Bugbees for the morning service. This was quite an experience since this is the fastest growing church in all of the Asia area. They certainly had all of the bells and whistles that our western mega churches have, but the message was genuine and very biblically solid. The Pastor was addressing a major need in the Philippines for Fathers to be leaders in their homes. It was both a convicting and a compelling sermon.
Having finished the service we all went out for coffee at Starbucks (I was actually able to have cream in my coffee for the first time since getting here). Having assuaged this western craving we then decided to go see Prince Caspian which had just been released here. The Bugbees (Matt, Nathan and Luke) had not seen it yet, and it was a pleasant Father’s Day experience for all of us. We then had the opportunity to bless the Bugbees with a gift from a couple at Faith Community who gave us money to take the Bugbees out to dinner. We went to Outback and had quite a smorgasbord. We then went home to try to recover from having so much food without any rice (this was one of our first non-rice meals since getting here). Later that evening we went to a missionary doctor’s house for a pancake dinner. It was scrumptious, but these western pleasures would soon come to an end. I enjoyed chewing the fat with Dr. Scott Nelson and Matt Bugbee as we discussed the various missionary endeavors of their friends to the Filipinos. There is much that is being done, and yet much still to do.
I believe that God gave me Sunday so that I would be rested enough for what lay ahead. On Monday morning the real fun began. It all started with a text to Pastor Noel. I told him that we were here in Manila and would like to meet with him to both encourage him and witness his ministry. He promptly called us back on the cell phone, and let me tell you if you think it is hard to understand someone who has a thick accent try talking to them over a bad cell phone connection. I finished that conversation with no idea what I was supposed to do. Then, after a series of missed calls and text messages, I figured out that he wanted me to meet him for lunch at the Mega Mall in South Metro Manila (if you are wondering about my reference to texting it is the primary means of communication here in the Philippines, this is actually the texting capital of the world). I then found out that I could take a Taxi, Jeepney, or FX to the Mega Mall, but my best option was to use a combination of Jeepney and FX (if this confuses you, you are not alone). Also I would have to find my way despite the fact that there are next to no street signs (traffic here is very Darwinian in its survival of the fittest/fastest mentality). Sensing my confusion Uncle Matt brought me down to the main FX Depot to catch an FX into Manila. It was here that I discovered what an FX is (this was done primarily through the waving of hands, nervous gesticulating, short guttural coughs, and a brief interpretive dance), so what is it you ask…it is sort of a taxi/bus thingy for people who have no sense of personal space. Most are small SUV’s or minivans that have the regular front two benches and then two retrofitted sideways benches in the back compartment (that would, obviously, make an FX a 16 seater 4 in the front, 4 in the middle, and 8 in the back, that does not include children under 18 years old who are expected to sit on your lap). Now this may all sound like an unpleasant experience except that the Filipinos are the best smelling people you will ever meet. They all bathe and press their clothes before every outing. In their supermarkets there are no less than 8 aisles dedicated to personal hygiene. There are posters all over their malls advertising these products with pictures of people taking deep rapturous whiffs of each other with looks of sheer ecstasy on their faces. That said my trip to the Mega Mall, despite my lack of personal space, was like being transported in a hamper of fresh clean laundry straight out of the drier. Having arrived at the Mega Mall (at least that’s where I guessed we were there were no signs, the driver did not announce the stops, and I was buried under a pile of fragrantly smelling Filipinos) I spent 40 minutes texting and trying to find Pastor Noel. After finally realizing I probably needed to ask God for some help I found Pastor Noel sitting in front of a Krispy Kream Donut Shop. We then discussed my week, and it was agreed that I would come down the next day to see his K-12 Christian School, Arise and Shine Academy. I would spend the night and then speak at Chapel the next morning. I would come back again on Friday and spend the weekend at his home with my whole family this time and I would preach at his Sunday service (though that all sounds very nice and concise it took us an hour to figure it out and it we still had to text several times to get the details ironed out). Having finished the conversation it was time for me to find my way back to the Bugbees. This was even more of an adventure than my trip here. I took several minutes to find a way out of the mall and then I was at the wrong bus station. A taxi driver agreed to take me to the right bus station (however I thought he was saying he would bring me home). Having been a bit fleeced I found the right FX and some friendly companions. A Filipino named Hercules struck up a conversation with me and when he discovered I was doing mission work he paid my fare. An old woman sitting next to (i.e. on top of) me also joined our conversation and she found out where I was going and kept the driver posted of when we needed to stop (I do not know what here name was because everyone just calls the older women “mum”). Having arrived home I began to plan for my adventure the next day.
That night I wrote a message for the Chapel on Wednesday and we went over to the Lander’s for dinner. The Lander’s are a family involved in teaching at Faith Academy, so while we talked to them about the school our girls played with their boys. The next morning I finished my message and packed for my upcoming journey. This time I was a pro at catching the FX, and had no trouble getting to the Mega Mall were the supposed bus depot for Balibago would be (if you wonder why I was taking the bus to Balibago when I wanted to go to Laguna then you are almost just as confused as I am). However, there are several bus depots at the mall and none of them say Balibago on the destinations (once again this is one of those things that the “fittest” Filipinos know instinctively). So, utilizing my non-verbal interpretive dancing skills, I discovered, after an hour and a half, that there was no such bus (but there is…I know it is confusing). So I took the FX to Balibago. This time I found no friendly Filipinos and got off at the wrong depot (I think). I then found a “friendly” trike taxi who said he would get me back on the right path for a price. The price was 200 pesos and a thorough gasoline dousing when he tried to put gas in his tank…but missed. After this I decided I was better off on my own and asked him to drop me off to catch a Jeepney. He decided to only charge me 50 pesos and found the right Jeepney for me to take (Filipinos are always more friendly after they douse you in gasoline…just in case you ever need to make a Filipino more friendly). The Jeepney then brought me into Cabayou were Pastor Noel lives. I met up with Pastor Noel at MacDo (everything here is abbreviated to further subjugate the westerners to their gasoline dousing whims). We then went to the school where I met every teacher, staff member, and student. Every class stopped everything they were doing and in unison welcomed me and thanked me for coming. After making these rounds I then went to Pastor Noel’s office for merienda (i.e. afternoon snack…these people are on an eating schedule that would make a Hobbit jealous) while meeting with the pastors of the church: Pastor Mark, Pastor Alan and Pastor Noel. We then went over the history of the church, the goals of the church, the work of the church and the work of the school in Filipino non-linear fashion. I also met with Mum Gina who showed me the curriculum (A.C.E.) that they use for their school.
Having finished our merienda, sweet bread and coffee, we walked to Pastor Noel’s house. Here I met his family apart from the formality of their school garb, and trust me all formalities were dropped. His children loved having me in their home. The youngest two, Great Blessing and Amazing Xaris, dragged me all over the house by the hand and taught me Tagalog. Within 30 minutes we had covered 50% of the entire vocabulary. Though this did not add anything to my fluency, it did prompt constant giggles and laugher on the part of Xaris (Noel’s 6 years old girl) and Blessing (his 8 year old boy). Having completed my language training it was time to do some street evangelism. We took the Church’s Jeepney (a more dilapidated vehicle I have not viewed since arriving here) along with a car battery wired to a speaker and a microphone and an amp all mounted to metal dolly (this was quite an exciting setup since it was raining). After wiring and rewiring the speaker several times (yes in the rain) we got it working and the preaching began. I was expecting one of the Pastors to grab the microphone and go for it but instead 13 year old Argie led us off. He told of how he lived on the streets his entire life because his parents were drug addicts and felons. He got by through stealing what he needed to survive. One crime led to another till he found himself in prison. Here he heard the gospel was saved and the Lord has turned his life around. Such passion for Jesus Christ I have never seen from someone so young. Though it surprised me when Argie preached it surprised me even more when they asked me to preach (I thought I was just there to look good). However, when we are weak then the Lord is strong inside of us. I spoke and Pastor Alan translated. After I finished Pastor Roger encouraged me. Since he could not speak English clearly enough for me to understand he simply would say a reference I would look it up and read it, then he would wink at me with a knowing smile and promptly quote another reference for me to look up. Having finished with this ministry we went back to the Alberto’s (Pastor Noel’s last name is Alberto). We had dinner and young coconut salad for desert. Pastor Noel and I then talked till late at night.
The next morning I woke at 5:30 to find that the entire family had already had their breakfast. I ate with Pastor Noel then we all walked over to the school. At 7:30 we had the Chapel Service for the High School. This was the first service of the year (school just started on this side of the world). It was exciting to see the passion and fervor that these people have in their praise for their Savior. I then delivered my message to the largest, most attentive, least interactive group of High Schoolers I have ever spoken to. I spoke on “What is your Purpose” and I shared with the students that true joy only comes from glorifying God. After I shared several students shared testimonies in which they thanked the Lord for their sponsors (these kids are mainly children of squatters and have to raise the $35 a month to go to school from sponsors), their salvation and for my message. Pastor Noel then encouraged the students to seek the Lord with all their hearts he told them that they are the future leaders of this nation and they need to rise to that calling. We then ended this Chapel time with prayer for the pastors and the principal of the school.
Having finished Chapel we went directly to the Cabayou City Jail. Here we were locked in with the prisoners and we set up a speaker an electric guitar and a microphone. We then proceeded to sing to them and lead them in worship in Tagalog (during this time I felt much like the Grinch singing Christmas carols with the Who’s). I was surprised to see such passion for worship among these criminals. Next the men who got saved in prison shared their testimonies and the inmates cried openly as they heard of God’s grace and love. Lastly, I was asked to bring the word. So, once again, I preached while Pastor Alan translated. I shared with them my testimony. How the Lord has blessed me as I have been faithful. How I have found true joy in Him. I told them that they know the things of this world do not produce true and lasting joy, this can only be found in Christ Jesus. I told them the story of the woman caught in adultery, and of the both the Lord’s forgiveness and His admonition. I told them the story of Paul in a Philippian jail cell and his message of salvation. After our testimonies, and some more singing, we left. Pastor Noel then shared his Lunch with me. Then, after a time of prayer, I was off on the back of Pastor Alan’s Motorcycle (which is actually a moped …but I’m not going to tell him). My travel back was nearly as adventurous on the way back as it was on the way out, because when you change directions all the arrival and departure depots change again. However, I made it back to the Bugbee’s place in Beverly Hills and I look forward to doing the same journey again tomorrow with my Leah, Sophie and Aubrey and a bit of luggage. These adventures will be documented further in a later post…should the Lord continue to preserve us through our Filipino pilgrimage…Paalam! (This now being one of 3 words I can remember in Tagalog. The others, of which, I could find no appropriate place for inserting. Except, of course, that is to say here at the end where most readers have given up on finding anything interesting anyways. That is to say if they have in fact made it this far without falling asleep. So to stop an FX so you can get out at the wrong place (or the right place if you are lucky) you say “parra” which means stop. Then to thank the driver for dropping you in the middle of nowhere you say “salamat po” which means thanks…I think)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Yes or No? (June17th Update-Leah's version)
The Landers' Family
Sunday was Father's day and it was also a nice day of rest after the busy week at conference and the long day of travel on Saturday. We went to the first of 5 morning services (they have more on Sunday evening) at CCF which is the Bugbee's church. A little bit of research this evening taught me that CCF is a congregation in Metro Manila of 25,000. It is the fastest growing church in S.E. Asia. I personally had never been to such a large church in my life. It seemed very close to what a church of that size in the states would be like. Upbeat, is the word that comes to mind. Not just because of the music, the sermon, the people, the atmosphere was all upbeat. Their pastor spoke on learning to be a good father from the example of our heavenly Father. I think his main points were that father's should protect, discipline, and love their children.After making our way down the 8 or 10 flights of stairs involved to get to church we stopped by Starbucks for a nice much cheaper version of our favorite drinks. Starbucks drinks cost between 20 and 100 pesos, only 50 cents $2.50. After Starbucks we went to the Mega Mall where we watched Prince Caspian (again for less than $3) and finally we finished off the afternoon with lunch at the Outback. One of the Bugbee's supporters gave us money specifically designated to take the Bugbee's out to a nice dinner. Matt said they only go to the Outback once every three or four years and that was confirmed when Nathan, who wanted steak, had to ask us all how to order his steak.
We had also been invited by the Nelson family over to dinner at their home. They were having breakfast for dinner. After our big lunch a light dinner was perfect so we went to the Nelson's for a nice visit and dinner together.
Here Aubrey is checking out the worms in Scott's worm bins.
Some of the baby bunnies Scott raises who were born only a week ago.
Scott Nelson is a Doctor missionary who has a little clinic where he treats squatters. He says much of the time he doesn't even know how to diagnose the problems he sees because there are so many different strange ways they are manifested. There is one patient he has who was diagnosed by another Doctor with leprosy but is not responding to the appropriate medications. It is a difficult job for Dr. Nelson but it is obvious he loves the people to whom he is ministering and enjoys the challenge. It is clear, also, that Dr Nelson is brilliant. He picked up Tagalog without going to any type of language school and dabbles in many different types of sustainable agriculture experiments which is one of the things that endears him to Matt Bugbee.
I don't think it is the sustainable agriculture that endears Matt's son Nathan to the family. Bethany, the Nelson's youngest daughter is a very kind, sweet girl and I enjoyed getting to know her a little bit. She goes to Faith Academy and will be a Senior in high school this next school year. She plans to become a nurse and is working in her father's clinic in a capacity sort of like a nurses aid.
Cindy, the mother, was a wonderfully hospitable lady. She works very happily alongside her husband in his ministry thinking of sweet little details like a children's library in their clinic as well as little bracelets and things to give to the children. She left for Colorado on Monday to be with her sister who is suffering with severe breast cancer.
We really enjoyed the Nelson family and they eagerly shared their food, family and faith with us. Dr Nelson gave us a wonderful tour of their backyard which he has terraced as an example to the Filipino people of how much more efficient plant growth is when you terrace. He also eagerly showed us his rabbits which he raises and sells to pet stores for only 10 pesos a piece (only about 25 cents). I think his hope is that Filipinos may someday see that rabbits could be a very good meat source. They take very little space, multiply quickly, and taste a great deal like chicken, which Filipinos love. Finally, he showed us his verma composting bins. He uses worms to compost the rabbit droppings and food scraps from his family. The compost then helps fertilize the plants he grows to help feed the rabbits, and the plants keep the soil on the hillside behind his house from eroding. I admire Dr. Nelson's willingness to work really hard as an example to the Filipino people of how their lives could be better with a little organization.
Monday our plan was to plan our week, hopefully making contact with Pastor Noel, and get ourselves slightly more organized. Caleb texted Pastor Noel in the morning. Texting, if I have not mentioned this previously, is the preferred method of communication here even for business matters and such. So, Pastor Noel immediately called Caleb back and arranged for the two of them to meet at the Mega Mall later that day. Caleb figured out public transportation down there, which was very impressive to me and soon texted saying Pastor Noel had invited him to speak at chapel on Wednesday morning and on Sunday morning at his church. Eventually, it was worked out that Caleb would go spend one night down in Laguna with Pastor Noel and family while the girls and I stayed here at the Bugbee's and then we will all go down for the weekend. I was amazed at how quickly the plan materialized and I'm pretty sure the Lord was doing some work beforehand for everything to fall so quickly into place.
Caleb returned safely last night from the Mega Mall in time for us to go to the second of our dinner engagements with missionary friends of the Bugbee's. The Landers were the second family we met and we felt a real connection with them right off. Toby is a chemistry teacher at Faith Academy as well as the head of the Science department and the Basketball coach. Crystal is now a stay-at-home mom but she met Toby because they both taught at Faith Academy. She was a geometry teacher there and it was obvious that she not only had a mathematical mind but also a very creative and organized mind. I was thoroughly impressed with her home and how organized and nicely she cared for it; especially because she has two young sons 4 year old Micah and 2 year old Benjamin and she is pregnant as well.
First, it was wonderful to see a young family, like us, on the mission field and making it work! I really enjoyed some of the common points of interest that Crystal and I had and I could tell Caleb and Toby had a very similar experience. Crystal enjoys cooking and she does a little preschool homeschool time with their older son. She also just seemed like someone who was really genuine. She shared that she was looking forward to a little family getaway they were leaving for the next day because her husband is a hard worker and they have not had much time alone as a family. I could really understand her desire and was thankful that she would share her feelings about the issue so soon after meeting me.
Sophie and Aubrey also really enjoyed the time at the Landers because there were toys, bikes, and kids. Another interesting connection we had with the Landers was the issue of peanut allergies (my niece Mckenna is also highly allergic to peanuts). After a great deal of prayer the Landers are planning to leave the field after this next year because their older son Micah is highly allergic to peanuts. He will be school-aged after this next year and after a lot of prayer, they do not feel it would be appropriate to send him to any school in the Philippines, even Faith Academy because the people here are so laid back it would not be possible to stress the issue of peanut butter enough to keep him safe. I have to admit that I did drop quite a few hints about continuing to home school but Crystal shared that they feel Micah needs to learn from people other than themselves because of his personality. We had a great evening with the Landers and hope that maybe someday we can see them again.
Today, Tuesday, Caleb was able to get down to Laguna (it is equivalent to traveling down to Anaheim from the AV in a bus) on an FX for only 65 pesos, which is about $1.50. He thought if he got lost he may need to take a taxi which would be much more expensive but he was able to take the FX and the Lord had obviously made the way for Caleb. He texted me to tell me he made it safely and tell me about what a great deal he got and later again told me he and Pastor Noel were out preaching on the street. Please pray for his opportunity tomorrow to preach in Chapel at the high school. Pastor Noel said that 80% of the students are unsaved. Caleb rarely preaches to unsaved youth, and even more seldom does he speak to students who do not speak English as their first language so please pray for him. Especially, that his fervor for the Lord and his word would show through in spite of communication challenges.
Another communication challenge we are having here is that Filipinos, even Christians, will answer yes or no questions, most of the time, in the affirmative. It isn't that they want to lie but I guess they think that if they answer "no" they will betray friendship somehow and they do not want to do that. So, even in simple daily interaction Caleb and I are having to remember not to ask yes or no questions. As Americans, especially when we're out in public trying to find places and take care of business, it is very easy to ask direct questions but they are less productive in Filipino culture so please pray that we will have wisdom to know how to ask questions.
Well, here is my update for the week so far and I hope Caleb can get online tomorrow night to post his version. Please continue to pray for us and we thank you for your faithful prayers up until now.
More pictures
Here we are in the province area at Lita's house with all of the Filipino children who have never seen white people before.You can even see the Pomelo tree in the background.
Caleb is balancing on the beam that holds the terrace up at the Rice Terraces in Banaue.
Sophie and Aubrey keep each other entertained on the front porch of the little place we stayed at in Bagabag.
Trikes are the main mode of transportation for Filipinos.
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