Dumalugdog

We left on Friday to go to Dumalugdog. We left at 5 AM and traveled by van (a thirteen passenger van about the size of a mini van plus all of our bags, food supplies, our building supplies, and the other passengers baggage) for about two hours, followed by a 45 minute motorbike ride to Pagat, and then the 3.5 mile hike to Dumalugdog. It was a muddy trail, too muddy for Maia to ride a horse. Jackson decided he wanted to hike it. It was a very steep downhill hike, made harder by the muddy and slippery path. It eventually leveled off and we followed a river. We crossed the river 4 times. It was up to the top of my legs with a strong current. It made me nervous to be carrying a camera! We started at 9:30 and finished at 3:00 PM. To enter Dumalugdog you have to cross a bridge that looks like it should have been condemned years ago. It has wooden supports and a wooden walkway. The supports were half rotten and a lot of the wooden slats for the walkway were missing. I'm not exaggerating! We crossed one at a time because we weren't sure how much weight it could hold. I crossed with Jackson, there was no way I wanted him to go alone! It was a scary two minutes! There were spots we had to slide our feet along the cables because our legs weren't long enough to reach the next slat. You do a lot of praying in those two minutes and thankfully, God provided safety! Jackson hiked the whole thing and did an awesome job!

We stayed with Pastor Jun and his wife Linda. They have five children and live in a two bedroom hut. They gave up their bedrooms for the females on our team. The guys strung their hammocks next door in the church. (The church building looks like a pavilion.) We greatly enjoyed our bath in the river!

Our plans in Dumalugdog were to build a cabinet for their FLIC (Functional Literacy for Indigenous Children) school. We had brought all our supplies with us from Davao. From the village of Pagat, some were put on horses and some were hand carried. The cabinet supplies didn't make it until Saturday after lunch time. So, I went to plan B. I was the group leader for this trip. Plan B was fellowshipping with the pastor and his family. He also invited the tribal datus (chiefs) and the government datus. We all introduced ourselves and then divided into prayer groups. I had the opportunity to pray with Pastor Jun and another lady from the church. She was concerned with church unity because this is a busy time in the fields for everyone. Pastor June was concerned about getting nails to be able to do some repairs on the church and for the unsaved in the village. He thinks probable only half have come to a saving knowledge of Christ. He himself is a missionary. He and his family moved from another tribal village to Dumalugdog five years ago to reach the people there. Pray also for their acceptance into the community. At times their is a lot of jealousy and envy, particularly with his wife who teaches at the FLIC school.

One of the datu's arranged a dance for us. They have this neat percussion instrument. It is a log suspended horizontally. Six people have sticks and they rhythmically beat it. There's at least three different rhythms going at once. It has an awesome sound. While they played, an older man performed a traditional war dance. Then they were doing some other dances for us. We got chances to do both. The instrument playing is a lot harder than it looks! Well, the dancing isn't that easy, either! It was a great morning. So, although we go with a purpose to build a cabinet, it's more important to build relationships.

After they showed us their talents, we showed them ours. How to play four square! The men joined in and then the boys. It took a little bit before they caught one and understood all the rules. The boys caught on quicker. It seemed to be a big hit.

After lunch our building materials arrived! Except for the one side of the cupboard. We got to work sanding and staining. It took us the rest of the afternoon to get all the pieces done. After dinner that night we had a fellowship in the town hall (a small pavilion) with the people of the tribe. Everyone sang and then our team introduced ourselves. Pastor Jun had made up the order of service so I was a little surprised when the Jeffries family was called upon to sing a special number. We picked a children's song, Jesus Loves the Little Children. The rest of the team was surprised when they were each also asked to sing a special number. I'm pretty sure it was pushing them all right out of there comfort zones! I knew ahead of time that I would be sharing about salvation, through an interpreter, of course, so I wasn't surprised when called upon to share. Pastor Jun spoke a little and then had anyone who needed prayer for healing to stand on one side and those who had a vision for the community to stand on the other side. We divided up and prayed for each person individually. It was an awesome time.

Sunday morning we attended church and Skip was the preacher. I think he enjoys it. It was funny after church how many people wanted their pictures taken with the kids! The leaders wanted their pictures taken and requested that we give them a copy. Jackson and Maia each received gifts. Jackson got a beaded cell phone holder and Maia got necklaces. I think they're getting used to the attention! As we finished up, our missing cabinet piece arrived!

After lunch, the guys went to finish off the cabinet. They recruited Pastor Jun and another guy to help. It gave them an opportunity to talk. Ate' Lisa spent some time getting to know Linda, Pastor Jun's wife. Grace, the kids, and I played with all the kids. Jackson & I played four square while Maia and Grace played the bouncy ball game. It's a very technical game that we made up last year in Botoy. You take a handful of bouncy balls, throw them into the air, and watch all the chaos ensues as the kids try to catch them. They collect the balls and give them back. You keep repeating this until you get tired. They have a game similar to duck, duck, goose that we played. They taught us a new game, the snake. All the kids get in a line, similar to a congo line, and "head" of the snake tries to tag the "tail" of the snake. It's a pretty wild game. We also taught them, stop go (i.e. red light, green light in the US.) They seemed to love it. I think the kids could have gone on playing until dark, but by 5, Grace and I needed breaks!

Sunday night we packed up our things and tried to get to bed early. Our plan was to get up at 4 AM for the hike out. You may groan, but we wanted an early start. The last part of the hike is all uphill and very steep at that. We all managed to cross the bridge without falling through the holes. It was six o'clock by the time we got on our way. There weren't enough horses so some leaders in the village volunteered to carry our bags. Jackson wanted a horse but there wasn't one available. Maia got carried, again. It hadn't rained the whole time we were in Dumalugdog so the trail was mostly dried out. It is a tough hike. The river was a little lower this time. We hit the uphill part at 8 AM but it was still hot. Jackson was quite the trooper. He was tired but managed to make it the whole way. We were very proud of him.

The motorcycles took us to the highway. They were less scary going uphill verses downhill. Or maybe I was so tired from the hike that my gratitude over not having to walk anymore skewed my judgement. Either way, it was a relief to be riding. The rest of the trip was uneventful. We are welcome back to Dumalugdog and I hope they saw our actions as Christ love to them. It was well worth the trip.

Wrestling

We recently completed a 3 day staff retreat with TMFI. The subject matter was Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. Of the many lessons I learned during the sessions, the hardest was found during a activity dealing with solitude and hearing from God. After each of three readings of a passage in Numbers, we were asked to sit and be quiet before God for 2-3 minutes and listen for the answer to the question "What does God want me to do the next few days?" The words I was hearing from the Lord seemed to say "trust me". I preface the rest of this by saying that Kerry and I had been discussing our future plans, plans we did not want to give up. Later that day we were challenged about maintaining a Rhythm of Prayer and Action- Discerning and Doing the will of God. The first step in this was a prayer of indifference. This does not mean indifference to a situation , but after much prayer, indifference to the outcome because you trust God's will and goodness. A prayer of God's Will-nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Wow! I was really struggling. I sat by myself in solitude wrestling with God. In fact, I wished for an actual angel to wrestle, like Jacob, so that I may have a little chance of keeping MY plans. After a long struggle I finally conceded to God and prayed, I trust you God, whatever happens is OK. Kerry reminded me of Proverbs 16:9, a verse she had been given the day before, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." I am now at peace, regardless of how our future plans work out, I know it will be what God has planned for us. We will continue to serve Him however and wherever He calls, and hope to glorify Him in all we do.

top 10 things I miss about US hotels. (ie any lodging paid to stay in)

After staying in 4 different accommodations in the last week, we have come up with a list of our 10 things we miss most about US hotels. The order is by number, but these have changed depending on circumstances, and vary from Kerry to me.

#10 Rooster free(this usually vaults to #1 about 4;30 every morning)

#9 Drinkable water

#8 A toilet seat....yea really

#7 Free soap with a working faucet

#6 A Shower

#5 24 hour electric(some have been 4PM to 6AM only)

#4 Ant free

#3 Roach free(these are probably #1 for Kerry)

#2 Toilet paper......again yeah really

#1 Hot running water ( this is Kerry only)

These are all true, however this is all in fun. Most of the places we stayed in were filled and run by great people and we really enjoyed most of of the places we visited. It's great to be able to laugh at the lack of things we take for granted in the US, and makes you appreciate what some some consider luxuries.

Thats all for now, Skip

Palawan

As I sit back and remember El Nido, I don't know which was worse, the flight in on the Suburban with wings, or the 7 hour van drive through a tropical depression to leave. The most lasting memory however was the most spectacular scenery I have seen in my life. Never have I seen God's majesty displayed in such a awesome way. Turquoise water lapping against 500 ft cliffs bordered by white sand beaches with a few idyllic coconut trees waving in the breeze. Slip on a mask and snorkel and see Hawksbill turtles gliding over the coral, while fish in every color of the rainbow dart around the ledges and rocks. I had to continuously thank God for his creation and the opportunity to see it, and Him in it.

El Nido is a very small town located on the northern tip of Palawan, Philippines. It was a great time of R&R, following our 44.5 hour door to door trip to the Philippines. One of the quaint things of rural Palawan is the unique experience of having electricity only from 4PM-6AM. The worst thing about this however was the fact that these times were when our jet-lagged bodies were craving sleep.

From El Nido we traveled South with our friends Beng and Lilet to visit the Philippine Underground River, one of the heritage sites in the Philippines and reputed to be the longest in the world. More to my liking was the canoe ride into a Mangrove forest to see snakes, monitor lizards and monkeys.

Finally we ended up in Puerto Princesa and met some new friends and toured some other sites. Most important was the bonding time with Beng and Lilet. It never grows old hearing stories and growing a deeper friendship with godly women and missionaries.

Now the work will begin.

Meeting John Mark, our Compassion Child

After eight years, we got to me the boy that we had been sponsoring! We went with three compassion staff to his school to pick him up for the day. His mom met us at his school. They had arranged ahead of time for him to be able to leave school. At first he was very shy, just tipping his head up for yes, a typical Filipino gesture.

When asked what he'd like to do first, he wanted to take us to his house. So off we went. He lives in a squatter's settlement in a house similar to a hut in the mountains. We were probably quite a sight walking to his house. It was our family, Pio and his sister, Joanne, Katrin, a volunteer from Germany, and 3 compassion staff workers. Skip, the kids, and I were given chairs to sit on in the kitchen. I was giving out presents when the floor dropped a couple of inches. Skip thought it was a good time for him to step outside! Apparently, the floor isn't used to so much weight! We took a group picture with our family and his and then left.

We took John Mark, his mom, dad, and younger brother out for lunch at a buffet restaurant. They looked like they might need a good meal. As soon as we finished eating my kids had the Uno cards out. It was one of the gifts we had given John Mark. As we started playing, John Mark began to relax and feel more comfortable with us. We played several rounds and were having fun.

While I was playing cards, Joanne starting asking his parents some questions to get to know them. She is a formal social worker and has previously worked with World Vision. She seemed to know what questions to ask to get them to start to talk. Emma, his mom, shared how they had met. Before they were married, her husband used to stalk her. Emma's mom was afraid he would rape her so she insisted that Emma marry him. A decision I'm not quite sure I understand. Emma cried through the wedding ceremony, knowing that she was marrying an alcoholic drug addict. Their life together was very rocky. Emma is a construction worker and very strong. At times she had to literally carry her drunk husband home. She would get angry at him and beat him. One time, she almost strangled him to death but someone intervened. Two years ago he developed asthma. It forced him to get off of drugs. Emma currently works as a construction worker making 170 pesos a day. His dad is unemployed. They spend 60 pesos a day on rice. John Mark and his 11 year old brother each receive 30 pesos a day for food while at school. The remaining 50 pesos is used for food to go with the rice. Not much to live on!

John Mark was such a sweet, polite boy. He had a ready smile and seemed quite bright. He does well in school, especially in math and science. It's hard to believe that he has been growing up in such a rough home life. His parents seemed to have reconciled and were amicable to each other. John Mark and his mom know Christ but his dad does not. It is required by Compassion that the mothers of sponsored children attend a weekly mom's group. Emma is trying to get her husband to attend since she is working and he is not. Please pray that the influence of his family and that of Compassion will help bring his father to the Lord. Only Christ can really make a difference in this family.

We ended our trip with a stop at the mall to get John Mark a basketball. I had brought an air pump with me but the basketball didn't fit in our already overloaded suitcases! I saw a court nearby his house that he'll be able to play on. We also gave money to Joann for her to take Emma grocery shopping. She was able to buy enough rice for three weeks and vitamins for the kids. She was overwhelmed by the gesture.

I'm very thankful for the chance to meet the Valores'. I learned a lot about his life in a very short amount of time. His house was nicer than I had imagined but the home life was much worse than I thought. That had never come through in the letters. It was such a gift to get to meet them and I now know how to better pray for him. By the time we left, the kids and John Mark were playing together and enjoying each other. I hope this becomes an annual event.

Hong Kong

Our spur of the moment trip to Hong Kong to avoid paying the renewal fees for our visas, worked. We came back into the Philippines yesterday and were granted another 59 days! Who would of thought that flying round trip to another country would cost less than renewing our visas? But, God worked it out wonderfully and we got to meet new friends.

Hong Kong is small in land mass but large in population. As a result, it is all tall buildings wherever you look. It's a very clean city with a great, easy to use public transportation system. We were able to navigate the city by ourselves if it was needed. The most confusing part is after you get off of the MTR, the train that goes both underground and above ground. The most congested parts of Hong Kong are underground. When you get off its like an underground city! There are restaurants, shops, and malls. It was really cool! You can walk blocks and cross streets all underground and in air conditioning! There were escalators everywhere. Hong Kong is very mountainous, which makes for a beautiful backdrop to the city skyline. So there where even escalators outside. It's definitely a very modern city. Skip said he felt like a country bumpkin gawking at all the tall buildings

Helen, who was part of our team last year, met us at the airport. She took us to where we were staying and took as to dinner. It was a traditional Chinese meal, served family style. Unlike the US, chopsticks are not optional, they are the only thing available. Its either learn or starve. I don't think I'll be switching to the Chinese menu anytime soon! (skip enjoyed it)We had 11 courses and dessert. The first course was a platter of pig's feet, cow tongue, pork in jello, and jellyfish. It got a little better after that. Maia liked the dumplings and ate half of them. Jackson didn't like any of it so we stopped at McDonald's on the way home. Thank God for MickeyD's! The kids may not have survived without it!

We stayed with Agnes, a friend of TMFI. She has previously been to the Philippines on a missions trip. She has a 3 bedroom flat on the 28th floor. The kids kept calling it a hotel. They seemed to think any tall building you stay in is a hotel, not a home! We took a bus from the airport to Lam Tin, the section of Hong Kong where Agnes lives. Jackson loved the ride on a double decker bus! We sat up on top, of course. We went across a bridge over the ship yards. Again, Jackson was loving it. He's always loved ships. From the window at Agnes', we over looked the water and could see Hong Kong Island. Jackson spent lots of time looking at the cruise ships, ferries, and cargo ships. The city skyline looked beautiful at night.

Sunday was our first full day. Agnes took us to church at St. James, an English speaking church. The pastor sounded like he was from the UK. It definitely had the British influence with its formal service and conservative singing style, very un-Asian. Another friend of TMFI, Courtney, met us at church. We all went to lunch afterward. This was also Chinese but very good. Next we were off to see take a tram up to "The Peak," a great spot above the city. To get there we crossed to Hong Kong Island by ferry, a highlight for Jackson, of course. The Peak is a building shaped like a boat on a short tower. It has a great view of the city. From there we took the MTR under the water to get back to Agnes' flat, another exciting adventure for the kids. Helen, Juliet, and Ada met us there. Helen had cooked for us. I can't remember the name of what I really enjoyed but it was similar to a corn fritter with shrimp inside. Dipped in banana ketchup, it was delicious! Afterward we got to know everyone and Skip shared a mini Bible study. Thankfully, the kids were able to get to bed after dinner. It was a fun night but the party didn't end till 11. Helen had an hour trip home and then work in the morning, yuck!

Monday was the highlight for the kids. It was off to Disneyland Hong Kong! We took the MTR, meeting Courtney along the way, switching lines, and eventually getting onto the Disney MTR. The Disney experience began here. This one was above ground and the windows were shaped like Mickey's head & ears. Inside it had Mickey handles and Disney sculptures. Courtney had taken off work to go with us. She had a Disney employee for a friend who gave us three tickets to get in! After we went through the gates, I was approached by another employee. She wanted to know if we'd be the Grand Marshal for the parade! Of course, we agreed. It was in the afternoon and we all got monogrammed Mickey hats to keep. It was fun! (Jackson & Maia's favorite line of the day was, "Grandma will be so jealous!") When asked what their favorite rides was, the kids can't couldn't come up with just one. Every time we got off a ride, they wanted to ride it again! They liked Buzz Light Year, It's a Small World, and Space Mountain. Maia was just tall enough to ride Space Mountain and we rode it twice. I was surprised she enjoyed it! Skip, Lilet, and Courtney got tired but the kids and I kept going! We ended the day by watching a great fireworks show over the castle.

Tuesday we went to Helen's house for breakfast. She lives in the "country" on the 31st floor of her building. Obviously, countryside means something different in HK than in the US! I defined it as having some space between the buildings! Actually, here it was less crowded and there was a bike rack outside of the MTR station. Some of the buildings were only 4 stories high. This is the edge of HK and we could see across the border into China. On a side note, we had hoped to go "underground" in China but it didn't work out. While at Helen's, we met her 76 year old mother. She just recently had nasal surgery and suffers from depression. Se even came out of her room to see us. Before we left, we prayed for her. I think she enjoyed seeing kids.

Helen took went with us on the MTR to meet with two ladies from the Cedar Fund, an organization that has been supporting TMFI's FLIC projects. They took us to lunch, which lasted most of the afternoon. They have not been to the Philippines yet to see what they have been funding. We took the opportunity to share about our experiences this summer. They had lots of questions. It was enjoyable afternoon.

We had about two hours before we met Ada, so we took the MTR to get to some street markets. We love hitting the outdoor markets! They are like fleas markets but selling new items. I enjoyed the ladies market and the kids liked the goldfish markets. It was two blocks of fish, lizards and turtles. (While there, we found Nemo! He was with Dori! Soooo, glad that's solved.) We went to dinner with Agnes, Courtney, and Ada and then off to more markets. I made a purchase at a little grocery store and then the man, who I think was the owner, came with me to make two additional purchases on the street. He was my negotiator! Between Agnes and I, earlier in the day, and the store owner later, I got some good deals! It was quite fun but tiring! We didn't get back to the flat until midnight. Fortunately, the kids were troopers and didn't even complain! Maia did fall asleep in my arms as we were shopping.

After staying up till 2 AM trying to figure out how we were going to get it all packed and most importantly, distribute the weight in our bags to meet the airline requirements of 30 pounds, we were off to the bus stop at 7 AM. That completed our whirlwind tour of Hong Kong. We had a great time but more importantly, made some great new friends. They were incredible hosts and we're hoping they'll visit us some day so we can return the favor!

Pastor Robert

Please pray for Pastor Robert. Pastor Robert has been hospitalized with malaria. He is the pastor who has the heart to plant a church in Botoy. Two months before our team arrived his infant son died of complications from a hole in his heart. While we were in Botoy, he took his six year old daughter to the hospital. She died later that week from malaria. Please pray for his recovery, that his wife and two remaining children stay healthy, and that he will not become discouraged. Satan is trying to stop the church in Botoy. Please pray that he won't succeed.