Hips don’t lie, pigs do

June 5, 2008

I woke up this morning with pain throbbing in both of my hips. Apparently the 6 hour drive over questionable terrain doesn’t hit you till the next morning. So I decided to do what any sensible Schroeder would do and I went out for a brisk jog. It was refreshing to see the backcountry of the Philippines up close. The rice patties which seem to go on forever, the rivers and streams full of rushing water from the constant monsoons, the friendly locals with their easy smiles, the countless dogs, and the pig on its way to market in a motorcycle side car. The last site was also an obvious opportunity for a quick race (man on foot verses pig on machine), the pig won but it was a close race and earned friendly smiles from all those who witnessed it.

After such a glorious beginning I then proceeded to do what any sensible son of a Cattermole would do and sought to relieve my aching hips with some Egoscues. This was relaxing but the pain continued. Perhaps God was reminding me “not by strength nor by might…” Have completed this task I sat down to my breakfast and devotions with the peaceful sound of my daughters bathing in the background with no warm water (actually Sophie begged to go home through the whole ordeal). But do not feel bad for them, with the constant heat and humidity a cold shower is more refreshing than uncomfortable. Having finished such a morning the real fun could now begin.

I went down to meet my crew of Middle Schoolers and found them to be quite affable. It wasn’t long before they were pushing my around, trying to drown me, chasing me through poisonous worm infested jungle grasses, and trying to tie me up in a tree…just kidding they didn’t try to tie me up. All joking aside though they are a lovely bunch of kids and I already know that it will be hard to leave them in a weeks time. After some quick icebreakers we began the morning with a devotional on Second Peter chapter three. I was impressed that at the end of our devotional time every middle schooler present had shared a thought about the passage (though some more than others). We finished our devotions and began to work on the skit of Pilgrim’s Progress and I quickly realized why I am not a drama teacher. How do you tell somebody they are not good enough to have a lead part or even just a minor supporting role? You don’t, in my case. You let them act to their little hearts desire and you only laugh at the appropriate times (or you try really hard to).

Having finished the skit (or leaving it in beautiful disarray until the middle schoolers could get even more wild ad out of control in order to make it truly interesting), we went out to play games in the wild jungle grasses (or mud cleverly disguised as grass in order to cloak the poisonous fuzzy worms). The game we played involved running through the aforementioned grasses with no shoes on in order to affirm your authentic “jungle kid” mk status, trying to evade Uncle Matt in such a way as to cause him great gluteus pain for the rest of the day, and sweating enough to water a garden back home in the AV. Having completed this game we went inside to play a chair decimating game known as drop the keys. All of the games met the standard youth group criteria of making me laugh hysterically repeatedly.

Having finished game time I had whipped the middle schoolers into the kind of wild frenzy the will not end until their children reach middle school. I could now begin my lesson. Though we were all about as hyper as a bunch of rabid monkeys tripped out on several Venti Starbucks coffees, teaching time when pretty well. The students seemed to understand what I was saying. I believe that some of my excitement for Heaven rubbed off on them (I at least know that my sweat did). It is convicting and compelling to teach kids who are living lives that are completely sold out to the Lord. The Lord is allowing me both to encourage them in what they are already doing, and exhort them to do it even more for His glory.

After completed the lesson we took an hour and a half lunch break (during which time the kids got to return to their parents home to burn off some more of the hyperactivity I motivated inside of them). I took a nap (and did more Egoscues…but my hips still throb…and hips don’t lie). I then ate rice (which is all there is to eat in the Philippines…or mostly, sort of, maybe) After Lunch (a.k.a. “nap time for old people”) we sat in on a team report. In two 15 minute presentations we heard of more work being done for the Kingdom than I could hope to do in a lifetime. The Lord is truly blessing the endeavors of the Missionaries over here. His word is being translated, people are being reached, and needs are being met in such a way that the workers can move on and leave nationals in charge of all three aforementioned tasks.

Having received this refreshing news we all promptly got up and jumped in the pool (though it was hard to tell when you left the air and entered the water…you are basically in a constant state of swim here…yes, swim is a state of being). Pool time basically consisted of a one hour battle over the only beach ball in the pool (though I was dunked several times, I did manage to put my fair share of middle school girls under the water for a goodly amount of time… there are 6 girls and 3 boys in the group, and boys are harder to catch). When we finished the pool we got out and dried off, then dried off again, and again, and again, and then we realized it was futile because it was pouring rain. So we all went inside and folded and organized t-shirts for the fundraiser our group is doing to raise money for the national Filipino missionaries.

After the t-shirts were folded and properly packaged I decided that we could return to working on the skit. We quickly set up and I recorded a video of their first try. I then called it a day and “checked the gate” as they day in the biz. Because it probably wouldn’t get much better than that (or I don’t have the patience to let it…I am not sure which). We then rapped up the day with a brief game of Mafia in which I taught the missionary kid 10 ways to kill a man (a very useful skill I must say so myself). We then went to the main conference (were the adults hang out), and sold t-shirt for the rest of the day. Altogether it has been a very full day, and tomorrow it we will do it again, and then the next day, and the next day, and the next day, and …

I doubt that I will have the energy (or be able to find good enough coffee) to write in such detail again, but I will do my best to keep you all posted of my many shenanigans…Paalam (that means goodbye in the Philippines, not that I can speak that language, however it is the prerogative of every “missionary in the field” to use the language of the people they are associated with).