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)