I just wanted to let you all know that we were granted a two month extension for our visa renewal process. This was a big relief. It does create still a bit of a snag, for Andy. He is taking drivers education this semester in hopes of getting his license when we get to the states at Christmas time. However, we need the visa to get his driving permit. Of course, add in the abdominal surgery, and we have quite a quandary for our now 17 year old learning to drive. It was hard on him last year on his birthday to not be getting his license. Yesterday was his 17 th birthday and the cold hard facts are settling in that he might not get to drive still. I keep telling him that I would really rather he learned how to drive in the states, not hear. I just can't imagine the difficulty trying to relearn everything once in the states. God knows and we are resting in that. Andy, by the way is doing really well. He will return to school tomorrow.
Our remaining 6 1/2 weeks here will be full of adventure! Eric just left last night on an IT missions trip down to the Bible College in Cebu. There are six of them. They will be working on the computer system at the college for three days. They have been planning on this trip for several months now and we are excited that it worked for them to all go. Eric will fly from there to Singapore for some meetings.
Next week, we have three medical mission teams coming into the area for the week. There will be one team on the APNTS campus and the other two will go outside of the city. It will be fun having them here. Please be praying for the members of these teams as they come and offer their knowledge and help. Teaming up with them will be several local Filipino doctors and students who want to be involved.
After that, we will try and get everything boxed up and put into storage so that it can be high and dry while we are gone :)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
More Drama...but Resting in Powerful Arms and Strong Hands
First….you need an update on how things are going, then on to more drama in our lives.
Last week on Wed, we got clearance to move into an apartment on the APNTS campus! We will be there through the end of our term! It is a furnished apartment so we are able to pack up our things at our other house to prepare for home assignment. There was a time last week when we were actually “living” in three houses at the same time. Hmmm…I find that a bit awkward considering there are many people who have no home at all right now. Actually, we were (and still are) trying to get our belongings out of our flooded home, getting our clothes, etc., from our directors home, and moving into our temporary apartment…talk about confusing J
The clean-up is still on-going at the house, but making great progress. Yesterday, the contractor came in to begin with the necessary repairs. The neighborhood is coming along well…the garbage has finally been picked up and/or burned and things are beginning to take on the look that we grew accustomed to. The wall that fell into our driveway is cleaned up and being re-built. Some of our neighbors are still working to clean things up, and some of our neighbors are gone, either for good, or for the duration of the rainy season. On one hand there is a strong overtone of new beginnings and conquering the devastation of the flood. People are just moving on and getting on with life. However, there is still a stench that remains. It is the stench of the mud, but it represents so much loss and fear.
As we watched the pictures of the repeated events up in the Northern Part of the Philippines, we watched with a much greater understanding. When we first arrived here, we spent our first week up in Baguio at the Luzon Nazarene Bible College, and we were oriented by Pastor Galino and his wife Melinda. We attended their church and shared meals with many of their church members. Their church suffered great loss from the landslides last weekend. They lost 16 church members to the landslides. On Wednesday Morning they held a funeral service for all 16 members. Five of those members were one entire family. This is such a difficult time for our friends all over the Philippines. These last two storms have stolen almost 1000 lives due to the actual storm, or the diseases that are pursuing them.
Thursday as we were trying to move into the apartment, Andy began feeling very sick. He was suspicious of what he ate for lunch. As the evening progressed, it looked as though maybe it was something that he ate. However, the next day he did not improve and started having localized pain in his right lower quadrant of his abdomen. At about 5 in the afternoon, I ran him down to the Hospital close by and requested some blood work (you can do that here), and discovered that his white blood cell count was very high. I called Eric and told him that we needed to get Andy to the emergency room (not the one we drew blood at). The long and short of it is that by 1130 that night, Andy was having surgery to remove his appendix. We are giving praise to the Lord for pushing me to get him in because it wasn’t too bad. If I had waited another day, it would have been much worse. Praise the Lord! He came home on Sunday and is doing remarkably well. He is a bit discouraged about the fact that there will be no rugby for him this season.
Last bit of drama….we have been working on getting our Visa’s renewed. They are to expire October 22. Two weeks ago, we got word that there would be an extension of time given to renew our visas because they don’t have them finished yet. However, yesterday we just got word that we might not get the extension. What does that mean? I do not know! Please pray that we don’t have to deal with visa drama on top of everything. I believe we might have to take a trip out of country and come back in as visitors, but having a child who just had abdominal surgery, I don’t really see that as a good option.
Yesterday as I was reading the Word, I came upon this verse….Psalm 89:8 “O Lord God Almighty! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, LORD? Faithfulness is your very character.” We have truly felt Gods faithfulness throughout these crazy, chaotic days, and trust him entirely. Later on verses 10-13 say “You are the one who crushed the great sea monster (in Hebrew this represents chaos). You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours: everything in the world is yours—you created it all. You created north and south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name. Powerful is your arm! Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength!”
We praise the Lord for the way he is daily sustaining us and holding us in His powerful arms and strong hands J
We pray that you are feeling His powerful arms and strong hands today! They are always there!!!
I added more pictures to the flood album. If you want to see them, go to this address...
http://picasaweb.google.com/zaneyconnections/2009CamdenFloodAlbum
Last week on Wed, we got clearance to move into an apartment on the APNTS campus! We will be there through the end of our term! It is a furnished apartment so we are able to pack up our things at our other house to prepare for home assignment. There was a time last week when we were actually “living” in three houses at the same time. Hmmm…I find that a bit awkward considering there are many people who have no home at all right now. Actually, we were (and still are) trying to get our belongings out of our flooded home, getting our clothes, etc., from our directors home, and moving into our temporary apartment…talk about confusing J
The clean-up is still on-going at the house, but making great progress. Yesterday, the contractor came in to begin with the necessary repairs. The neighborhood is coming along well…the garbage has finally been picked up and/or burned and things are beginning to take on the look that we grew accustomed to. The wall that fell into our driveway is cleaned up and being re-built. Some of our neighbors are still working to clean things up, and some of our neighbors are gone, either for good, or for the duration of the rainy season. On one hand there is a strong overtone of new beginnings and conquering the devastation of the flood. People are just moving on and getting on with life. However, there is still a stench that remains. It is the stench of the mud, but it represents so much loss and fear.
As we watched the pictures of the repeated events up in the Northern Part of the Philippines, we watched with a much greater understanding. When we first arrived here, we spent our first week up in Baguio at the Luzon Nazarene Bible College, and we were oriented by Pastor Galino and his wife Melinda. We attended their church and shared meals with many of their church members. Their church suffered great loss from the landslides last weekend. They lost 16 church members to the landslides. On Wednesday Morning they held a funeral service for all 16 members. Five of those members were one entire family. This is such a difficult time for our friends all over the Philippines. These last two storms have stolen almost 1000 lives due to the actual storm, or the diseases that are pursuing them.
Thursday as we were trying to move into the apartment, Andy began feeling very sick. He was suspicious of what he ate for lunch. As the evening progressed, it looked as though maybe it was something that he ate. However, the next day he did not improve and started having localized pain in his right lower quadrant of his abdomen. At about 5 in the afternoon, I ran him down to the Hospital close by and requested some blood work (you can do that here), and discovered that his white blood cell count was very high. I called Eric and told him that we needed to get Andy to the emergency room (not the one we drew blood at). The long and short of it is that by 1130 that night, Andy was having surgery to remove his appendix. We are giving praise to the Lord for pushing me to get him in because it wasn’t too bad. If I had waited another day, it would have been much worse. Praise the Lord! He came home on Sunday and is doing remarkably well. He is a bit discouraged about the fact that there will be no rugby for him this season.
Last bit of drama….we have been working on getting our Visa’s renewed. They are to expire October 22. Two weeks ago, we got word that there would be an extension of time given to renew our visas because they don’t have them finished yet. However, yesterday we just got word that we might not get the extension. What does that mean? I do not know! Please pray that we don’t have to deal with visa drama on top of everything. I believe we might have to take a trip out of country and come back in as visitors, but having a child who just had abdominal surgery, I don’t really see that as a good option.
Yesterday as I was reading the Word, I came upon this verse….Psalm 89:8 “O Lord God Almighty! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, LORD? Faithfulness is your very character.” We have truly felt Gods faithfulness throughout these crazy, chaotic days, and trust him entirely. Later on verses 10-13 say “You are the one who crushed the great sea monster (in Hebrew this represents chaos). You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours: everything in the world is yours—you created it all. You created north and south. Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name. Powerful is your arm! Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength!”
We praise the Lord for the way he is daily sustaining us and holding us in His powerful arms and strong hands J
We pray that you are feeling His powerful arms and strong hands today! They are always there!!!
I added more pictures to the flood album. If you want to see them, go to this address...
http://picasaweb.google.com/zaneyconnections/2009CamdenFloodAlbum
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Flood Update
Our dear friends and family,
We are feeling the loving arms of our heavenly father through this crazy time!!! It is such a challenge being the recipient of ministry rather than being the ones ministering. However, it has been an amazing journey watching the body of Christ rise up and take care of the whole situation.
We have had incredible amounts of help in our home! There are no words that can truly express how grateful we are to those who have come in and gotten muddy and even possibly sick while helping us through this huge mess. The most of the mud is gone!!! YEAH!!! There are still tell tale signs of mud everywhere, but they too are slowly disappearing.
We got our car back yesterday and it is running!!!! Our dear friend Nanding jumped right on it and we have it back. The external damage from the wall falling on it was really minor! It’s almost as though the LORD had his hand on it as it gently lay down on our car. There are some dents and scratches, but very, very minor. The seats are clean but drying and we are trying to expedite the process with some light bulbs inside the car. We won’t be driving it for a few days in order to give it time to dry.
We have three young boys coming to help break up the wall and start getting that cleaned up. We are paying them to do the work, and it is so awesome to be able to help them provide an honest wage for their family.
We have an electrician coming today to check our appliances (washer, dryer, freezer, stove and ref) and then we will know more what we have to deal with there. All of our small appliances have been taken in to the shop for cleaning and hopefully repair. Of course, there are multitudes of small appliances in all the shops, so it could be a while.
We have new couch cushions and mattress on order and they will be done in a few weeks. The wood furniture has all been scrubbed and dried. The cloth couch has been scrubbed and washed, not sure what the outcome of that one will be, but we gave it a good attempt.
The blisters on the walls have subsided some, but a lot of those blisters popped. It is really amazing thinking about the simplicity of cleaning up a cement wall as compared to a sheet rock wall! The walls will all need to be re-painted.
We pulled the pantry out from under the stairs because it was all press-board that expanded and stunk REALLY bad! BLECK! We also had to rip out some of the uprises on the stairs. All the doors are ruined and will need to be replaced.
We think the kitchen cabinets will need to be pulled out also because they have been through four floods, but have never soaked for 36 hours before.
We have decided that we will not go back in the house. We do not yet know what we will do. We will have some sort of temporary housing during the remaining 10 weeks of this term, and then make decisions when we return here in May of next year. We will have to pack up our stuff and figure out what to do with it in the mean time. Please pray for very clear direction in this.
It is amazing to watch other people respond to the flood. Just in our neighborhood as I drive back to our house, I see piles and piles of garbage. All stuff that used to be something assumed as necessary. Some places I see it just tossed into a heap. Some places I see it stacked orderly. Some places I see children rummaging through it to find something they could sell, or use themselves. Some places I see old men or women collecting wood pieces, either for firewood or for re-building. Some houses are meticulously washing and cleaning everything. Other places are discarding everything and starting over. Most everyone has gotten their car running, at least to a certain degree.
The grocery stores are settling down, and the lines are not quite so long. There isn’t the panic in the air that there was last week. The stores are still low on some foods. I noticed yesterday that the cheap food is completely picked over and there is none left. However, there is plenty of the imported stuff. No one can afford it now.
The kids have all gone back to school. The people have all gone back to work, and it’s almost like nothing happened. But you look around and it’s obvious that something happened. I saw a lady walking down the street yesterday wrapped in a sheet.
Remember the old saying about Timex watches? “It takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin!’” That’s what Philippi no people are like. The majority of the people in this area were affected by the flooding, and everyone is just doing their part, getting things put back together. I know so many people are really hurting because of lost loved ones. I have heard many heart breaking stories. But, I have also heard a lot of great stories about people helping others, and of people calling out to God and finding Him. I’ve seen people reach out and help. I’ve seen people offer themselves and their money. AMAZING! There are a lot of people/organizations giving food donations. It is fun to drive somewhere and see a mob of people and realize that someone is passing out food. It can be dangerous, but it is happening.
One of the things I see myself and many others battling is discouragement. I know that Satan is having a great time discouraging people. 1 Peter 5:8 says “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” BUT, Eric read to me another verse Monday morning that has really encouraged me and given me a great boost…Jer 20:11 “But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before Him my persecutors will stumble.” Satan is my persecutor, and I am watching him stumble and fall.
Please pray for all of us to remember that our LORD does stand right beside us like the great warrior. That is awesome! Unfortunately, there are a lot of folks who don’t know that.
We are feeling the loving arms of our heavenly father through this crazy time!!! It is such a challenge being the recipient of ministry rather than being the ones ministering. However, it has been an amazing journey watching the body of Christ rise up and take care of the whole situation.
We have had incredible amounts of help in our home! There are no words that can truly express how grateful we are to those who have come in and gotten muddy and even possibly sick while helping us through this huge mess. The most of the mud is gone!!! YEAH!!! There are still tell tale signs of mud everywhere, but they too are slowly disappearing.
We got our car back yesterday and it is running!!!! Our dear friend Nanding jumped right on it and we have it back. The external damage from the wall falling on it was really minor! It’s almost as though the LORD had his hand on it as it gently lay down on our car. There are some dents and scratches, but very, very minor. The seats are clean but drying and we are trying to expedite the process with some light bulbs inside the car. We won’t be driving it for a few days in order to give it time to dry.
We have three young boys coming to help break up the wall and start getting that cleaned up. We are paying them to do the work, and it is so awesome to be able to help them provide an honest wage for their family.
We have an electrician coming today to check our appliances (washer, dryer, freezer, stove and ref) and then we will know more what we have to deal with there. All of our small appliances have been taken in to the shop for cleaning and hopefully repair. Of course, there are multitudes of small appliances in all the shops, so it could be a while.
We have new couch cushions and mattress on order and they will be done in a few weeks. The wood furniture has all been scrubbed and dried. The cloth couch has been scrubbed and washed, not sure what the outcome of that one will be, but we gave it a good attempt.
The blisters on the walls have subsided some, but a lot of those blisters popped. It is really amazing thinking about the simplicity of cleaning up a cement wall as compared to a sheet rock wall! The walls will all need to be re-painted.
We pulled the pantry out from under the stairs because it was all press-board that expanded and stunk REALLY bad! BLECK! We also had to rip out some of the uprises on the stairs. All the doors are ruined and will need to be replaced.
We think the kitchen cabinets will need to be pulled out also because they have been through four floods, but have never soaked for 36 hours before.
We have decided that we will not go back in the house. We do not yet know what we will do. We will have some sort of temporary housing during the remaining 10 weeks of this term, and then make decisions when we return here in May of next year. We will have to pack up our stuff and figure out what to do with it in the mean time. Please pray for very clear direction in this.
It is amazing to watch other people respond to the flood. Just in our neighborhood as I drive back to our house, I see piles and piles of garbage. All stuff that used to be something assumed as necessary. Some places I see it just tossed into a heap. Some places I see it stacked orderly. Some places I see children rummaging through it to find something they could sell, or use themselves. Some places I see old men or women collecting wood pieces, either for firewood or for re-building. Some houses are meticulously washing and cleaning everything. Other places are discarding everything and starting over. Most everyone has gotten their car running, at least to a certain degree.
The grocery stores are settling down, and the lines are not quite so long. There isn’t the panic in the air that there was last week. The stores are still low on some foods. I noticed yesterday that the cheap food is completely picked over and there is none left. However, there is plenty of the imported stuff. No one can afford it now.
The kids have all gone back to school. The people have all gone back to work, and it’s almost like nothing happened. But you look around and it’s obvious that something happened. I saw a lady walking down the street yesterday wrapped in a sheet.
Remember the old saying about Timex watches? “It takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin!’” That’s what Philippi no people are like. The majority of the people in this area were affected by the flooding, and everyone is just doing their part, getting things put back together. I know so many people are really hurting because of lost loved ones. I have heard many heart breaking stories. But, I have also heard a lot of great stories about people helping others, and of people calling out to God and finding Him. I’ve seen people reach out and help. I’ve seen people offer themselves and their money. AMAZING! There are a lot of people/organizations giving food donations. It is fun to drive somewhere and see a mob of people and realize that someone is passing out food. It can be dangerous, but it is happening.
One of the things I see myself and many others battling is discouragement. I know that Satan is having a great time discouraging people. 1 Peter 5:8 says “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” BUT, Eric read to me another verse Monday morning that has really encouraged me and given me a great boost…Jer 20:11 “But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before Him my persecutors will stumble.” Satan is my persecutor, and I am watching him stumble and fall.
Please pray for all of us to remember that our LORD does stand right beside us like the great warrior. That is awesome! Unfortunately, there are a lot of folks who don’t know that.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sept 26, 2009 The Flood
Saturday, September 26 in my daily Bible, it reads,
“Save me O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck….But I keep right on praying to you, LORD, hoping this is the time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. Pull me out of the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper! … Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me.” Psalm 69:1,13-15
We knew there was a storm coming in, just a “tropical storm” and not a typhoon. No problem! What we didn’t know is the amount of rain that would accompany it. We have experienced knee deep water so many times in our driveway that we have gotten a bit relaxed with the possibilities of our home flooding. After a lot of rain during the night, I checked the driveway about 9:00 am and saw that the street our driveway connects to was already running with water. We decided we probably wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while. By 10:00, Eric went out to check a drain in the driveway and the water was already to his knees. The rain was not letting up at all and we decided the water might come inside the house. We directed the kids (praise GOD we were all home together!!!!) to start taking stuff upstairs to one of the bedrooms. We started with food and water and moved to electronics and books and whatever else we could salvage
At 10:45 the water took up residence in our home, waltzing through the front door. 11:06, the water came over the gate to the back yard and started filling up the yard inside our wall (that protects us from floods….all the other floods that is).
11:11 Most of us were upstairs, but Andy was in his bedroom on the landing trying to get a few thing up, just in case it got in there (none of us thought it could possible get that high). At 11:12 there was an eerie rumble and very loud crack followed by the sound of rushing, turbulent water. Our neighbor’s wall that we park next to had broken and all the water behind it burst into our yard, forcing a wall of water over our protective wall and into our house.
The water level reached it’s highest at about 3:00. We praise the Lord that it didn’t get any higher, because about this time, we started noticing there was a current going through our house and out our back gate. We rejoiced as we noticed the level dropping about an inch, then four inches, and we were beginning to feel a sense of relief that the water would soon run off. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that all the waterways in this entire area were flooded, the water had no where to go. We went to bed(earlier than normal because we only had one candle upstairs) knowing that all of our belongings were floating around below us. I kept trying to talk myself into thinking about all those times as a kid that I slept on the lake J No matter how I tried, it just wasn’t the same.
The sun rose and the water was still 3 or 4 feet deep. We thought we would just wait out the day, knowing that eventually the water would recede. The boys decided that it would be fun to try fishing off the roof. We watched from the windows and from the roof as underwater life rose to the surface of the water leaving its tell-tale rings. There are a lot of fish and fresh water eels that end up in this type of flood. One of our neighbors was seen tossing a one foot long fish out of his belongings J
We had no idea what was happening all around us. It is a strange feeling knowing that so many people’s lives are being completely altered all at the same time. I was simply thinking about our immediate neighbors, not for a minute was I thinking this was such a wide spread disaster. We knew that there were probably people being swept away in currents, never to be seen again. We knew that the squatter houses along the water ways were being demolished. We knew that our neighbor was praying fervently for his sisters two boys who were missing. The water that yesterday seemed so hostile, today seemed so calm, almost soothing, but it was contributing to an eerie silence, a silence that was void of roosters, tricycles, jeepney horns, and other motors.
However, through the silence, began the chatter and laughter of our neighbors. Despite the horrors of the day before, I heard singing. I heard laughter. I heard conversation. I heard the hope of a new dawning. As the sun rose in the sky, I was so happy to have the light back! I was reminded of Isaiah 60:20 “The LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.”
As the boys were fishing, Tata (one of the employees in the Field Office) waded into our yard and told us he was here to fetch us. We gathered a few items and waded through thigh high water to dry ground. It was very devastating walking through the house and seeing the very thing I was imagining upstairs. The disaster of the home we have tried to establish over these two years was demolished. There was mud and muck on every surface.
We are staying with our Field Strategy Coordinator and his wife. We do not have any answers yet to all of those questions floating around just like all the rubbish on the water. We are just taking it a day at a time and letting the LORD guide and direct our paths.
There has been an incredible number of people coming in and helping us clean up. Every day I am just dumb founded when students from the kids school come in and spend the day helping. We have had meals brought in. We have had people taking laundry to clean. We have had people who have been there every single day. We had one guy who went without sleep for 36 hours so he could spend the day helping us. We have had some of our kids from the youth group come and help us. It has been overwhelming!
The kids have not been back to school. The whole area has taken the entire week off for clean up. The students from our school have been grouping together and going out to the myriad of families affected and helping with clean-up. It is an amazing, dirty job. Fortunately, most homes are made of cement walls and floors, therefore, the cleanup is much easier than in a wood home with dry-wall. We give praise to God for that!
We will keep trying to give you info. Please keep praying. There are still places that are waist deep in water. We love you all and are happy to tell you that your brothers and sisters in Christ here have been so gracious to us!
We are the body of Christ!!!!
“Save me O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck….But I keep right on praying to you, LORD, hoping this is the time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. Pull me out of the mud; don’t let me sink any deeper! … Don’t let the floods overwhelm me, or the deep waters swallow me, or the pit of death devour me.” Psalm 69:1,13-15
We knew there was a storm coming in, just a “tropical storm” and not a typhoon. No problem! What we didn’t know is the amount of rain that would accompany it. We have experienced knee deep water so many times in our driveway that we have gotten a bit relaxed with the possibilities of our home flooding. After a lot of rain during the night, I checked the driveway about 9:00 am and saw that the street our driveway connects to was already running with water. We decided we probably wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while. By 10:00, Eric went out to check a drain in the driveway and the water was already to his knees. The rain was not letting up at all and we decided the water might come inside the house. We directed the kids (praise GOD we were all home together!!!!) to start taking stuff upstairs to one of the bedrooms. We started with food and water and moved to electronics and books and whatever else we could salvage
At 10:45 the water took up residence in our home, waltzing through the front door. 11:06, the water came over the gate to the back yard and started filling up the yard inside our wall (that protects us from floods….all the other floods that is).
11:11 Most of us were upstairs, but Andy was in his bedroom on the landing trying to get a few thing up, just in case it got in there (none of us thought it could possible get that high). At 11:12 there was an eerie rumble and very loud crack followed by the sound of rushing, turbulent water. Our neighbor’s wall that we park next to had broken and all the water behind it burst into our yard, forcing a wall of water over our protective wall and into our house.
The water level reached it’s highest at about 3:00. We praise the Lord that it didn’t get any higher, because about this time, we started noticing there was a current going through our house and out our back gate. We rejoiced as we noticed the level dropping about an inch, then four inches, and we were beginning to feel a sense of relief that the water would soon run off. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that all the waterways in this entire area were flooded, the water had no where to go. We went to bed(earlier than normal because we only had one candle upstairs) knowing that all of our belongings were floating around below us. I kept trying to talk myself into thinking about all those times as a kid that I slept on the lake J No matter how I tried, it just wasn’t the same.
The sun rose and the water was still 3 or 4 feet deep. We thought we would just wait out the day, knowing that eventually the water would recede. The boys decided that it would be fun to try fishing off the roof. We watched from the windows and from the roof as underwater life rose to the surface of the water leaving its tell-tale rings. There are a lot of fish and fresh water eels that end up in this type of flood. One of our neighbors was seen tossing a one foot long fish out of his belongings J
We had no idea what was happening all around us. It is a strange feeling knowing that so many people’s lives are being completely altered all at the same time. I was simply thinking about our immediate neighbors, not for a minute was I thinking this was such a wide spread disaster. We knew that there were probably people being swept away in currents, never to be seen again. We knew that the squatter houses along the water ways were being demolished. We knew that our neighbor was praying fervently for his sisters two boys who were missing. The water that yesterday seemed so hostile, today seemed so calm, almost soothing, but it was contributing to an eerie silence, a silence that was void of roosters, tricycles, jeepney horns, and other motors.
However, through the silence, began the chatter and laughter of our neighbors. Despite the horrors of the day before, I heard singing. I heard laughter. I heard conversation. I heard the hope of a new dawning. As the sun rose in the sky, I was so happy to have the light back! I was reminded of Isaiah 60:20 “The LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.”
As the boys were fishing, Tata (one of the employees in the Field Office) waded into our yard and told us he was here to fetch us. We gathered a few items and waded through thigh high water to dry ground. It was very devastating walking through the house and seeing the very thing I was imagining upstairs. The disaster of the home we have tried to establish over these two years was demolished. There was mud and muck on every surface.
We are staying with our Field Strategy Coordinator and his wife. We do not have any answers yet to all of those questions floating around just like all the rubbish on the water. We are just taking it a day at a time and letting the LORD guide and direct our paths.
There has been an incredible number of people coming in and helping us clean up. Every day I am just dumb founded when students from the kids school come in and spend the day helping. We have had meals brought in. We have had people taking laundry to clean. We have had people who have been there every single day. We had one guy who went without sleep for 36 hours so he could spend the day helping us. We have had some of our kids from the youth group come and help us. It has been overwhelming!
The kids have not been back to school. The whole area has taken the entire week off for clean up. The students from our school have been grouping together and going out to the myriad of families affected and helping with clean-up. It is an amazing, dirty job. Fortunately, most homes are made of cement walls and floors, therefore, the cleanup is much easier than in a wood home with dry-wall. We give praise to God for that!
We will keep trying to give you info. Please keep praying. There are still places that are waist deep in water. We love you all and are happy to tell you that your brothers and sisters in Christ here have been so gracious to us!
We are the body of Christ!!!!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ramon
Ramon is one of the boys that regularly comes to the youth fellowship in our backyard on Sundays. He has grown very dear to our hearts. He speaks no English and we do our best to get by with our limited Tagalog. He comes from a very large and very poor family. Between one and two years ago, his mother passed away. He currently lives with his grandmother because his father left many years ago, and hasn't come back.
Ramon does not get to go to school. He is about 15 years old. He doesn't read. When we were doing a special program for the kids to earn a Bible, he was actively doing what was required, with the help of his peers, to earn his very own Bible. It was very important to him to earn his own Bible. I first met Ramon outside our gate when he was selling fried bananas, known as "banana-que." It was his source of employment to contribute to their meager income. Since then, he has had a couple other jobs, but nothing that has lasted.
Last week, Ramon's brother, Edward, died of pneumonia.
Please pray for Ramon. This is the second death in his immediate family in the last two years. Edward died on Tuesday and Ramon was in our backyard on Sunday. He had his usual smile on his face and interacted with the group. But when we sang the song "God will make a way, where there seems to be no way," in Tagalog, he began weeping. Edward was very close in age to Ramon. We never saw Edward in our back yard.
For some people here in Manila, this is just a normal way of life.
Eric was able to go one evening to visit Ramon and his Grandmother. Although life is very difficult for them, they are a very gracious family.
Please pray for Ramon and his family as they mourn the loss of this young life. Please pray for Ramon's health. His health has slowly been deteriorating as we have been with him. Please pray for us as we have opportunity to minister to Ramon and extend the arms of Jesus to him. We love him dearly!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Summer
Summer has held a lot of activities for us. The kids finished school on the 29th of May. They went back to school last Thursday, Aug. 6. They are feeling a bit like it's been a short summer :) Andy is now in his Junior year. Luke is a Freshman in High school, Jon is in 4th grade and Mari has just started a one day per week pre-school. We had a great summer.
We were able to take a crazy drive to the beach in June to go snorkeling/diving with another family and with one of the teachers from the school. We had a good time exploring the underwater creation :) We have found that under the water is one place there is not quite so many people. It is always fun to go exploring God's creation. We are blessed to be in a country where the underwater display is fabulous!!!
We were blessed to have spent the first year in this country quite healthy. Unfortunately, our second year has not been quite so healthy. We have spent several months this year fighting intestinal bugs, colds, sinuses., etc. Aside from the miserable intestinal bugs, they are quite similar to what we experience in the states. It seems we get close to being all well and someone else gets a bout of sickness. It is really making me more aware of how grateful I am for the times I am feeling healthy. It has also heightened my awareness to pray for encouragement to those who fight chronic illness.
Four years ago the global NYI voted to have their meetings done via video conference. We were blessed to be part of this here at the Manila site. That meant that Eric and his team were responsible for orchestrating the Internet capabilities. We were connected via video conference with Orlando, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, India, Africa, Europe, and India. It was as though we were all in the same meeting. We could talk to the folks in each place and make decisions as a truly global church! It was wonderful to be a part of the GA, and it was really exciting to be a part of history in the making. We were at the site for 10 days and it was a fun get-a-way, although not a relaxing vacation. What a blessing it was!!! The theme for the week was "Up all night!" In order to be involved in the meetings, we had to adjust to Orlando's schedule. We are just the opposite time schedule as Orlando. So, we had to stay "up all night."
We came home from the 10 days working with the GA to jump straight into registration for the students of APNTS. This year, because of the flu pandemic, we made all students go through the clinic for screening. It was a busy few days to see 80+ people, but it was so much fun to meet all the new students and to see all the returning students. I am blessed to be involved in their lives.
One year ago I was diligently searching for a close place (less than two hours drive) that was equipped to give Mari the therapy that she needs. I kept hitting road blocks and after a time, I just stopped searching. I told the Lord that I knew we were here because he wanted us here, so he needed to help me find the right place for Mari. One year later I received a call from my friend who said there was an opening in a close therapy center that is good. She suggested I call them right away. Within 5 minutes Mari was set up for weekly speech therapy! We went in for our first session and when it was over, we were also set up for weekly occupational therapy. Just this week we have been able to avail of another weekly session with a one-on-one pre-school teacher, who is specialized in special education! God has really opened up this door for Mari and we are truly rejoicing! The center is only 30-45 minutes away!!! We have met many new people there, and it is a doorway into a very hidden society here in this country. We are praising God for his provision for our precious daughter! She is also beginning one morning per week pre-school class at the same school the boys go to. This will give her the opportunity to socialize with other kids, rather than just being one-on-one with teachers. She has to have a parent in attendance in all these meetings, which has greatly impacted scheduling, but it's just part of life :)
We helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of our local churches by hosting a concert in our backyard. It was a fun afternoon. We had over 80 people in our backyard celebrating through praise and worship, and through the Word of God.
Our Sunday afternoon group had a donation of some medicine and so the leaders decided it would be great to do a medical outreach to the kids and their families and friends. Unfortunately the first day we had planned to do the medical outreach we were rained out, so we just postponed it a week. We had most of our regular kids and some of their family members, and some of their neighbors. It was a fun time. We just checked heart and lungs, weight, blood pressure, temperature and distributed the donated medicine.
We are now experiencing our third rainy season here. When we had our first flood, it was so exciting! It was about 14 inches deep and we were just in amazement of it. The first season was rather dry. Last year was a bit more rainy, and so far, this year is even more still. We have a special place where we can park our car to avoid flood damage to our car, and a special wall around the house so that we remain safe inside the house. After a certain amount of rain, the neighborhood transforms into a place similar to Venice, where all our streets are just rivers. However, we don't have the boats to traverse the rivers. This doesn't pose too big of a problem, just give it about one hour and it will run off. A couple weeks ago, we made the mistake of sleeping through a rain storm. It is such a nice lullaby :) While we were pleasantly sleeping, our car was getting bathed by waters contaminated by...I don't even want to think about it. So, four days later, we have our car back and it is sparkling clean and doesn't even stink. Needless to say, we might not be so lulled to sleep in the next rain.
I have been officially indoctrinated into the world of "motherhood." I know...you are thinking that we have four kids and our oldest is almost 17....what have I missed out all these years? Here is a really bad play on words to give you the only hint you need....it has been a "louse-y" time :) You have to figure it out!!! Welcome to motherhood in the tropics!
The time has come for us to begin the process of heading back to the States for Home Assignment. If you would like to schedule us to speak at your church, please go through the deputation secretary at headquarters. Our current schedule is on our blog. I have also posted some new pictures on the blog.
We love you all and are looking forward to seeing you all in person!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Oops!!
It is always funny to me the mistakes we can make with our words. Unfortunately, sometimes they can get you into trouble, but other times it's just funny.
I noticed in my last post I wrote "We also went and visited a home for malnourished our unwanted babies." Two things, first, our babies (the four that aren't really babies anymore) are quite well nourished, and second, no matter how ornery they might get, they are always wanted :) Forgive me for my editing oversight. It was supposed to be "or."
So, here is another funny word mistake, only it involves two languages. Eric was riding home in a tricycle today (public transportation) and was chatting with the driver. Eric tried to ask the driver if he worked six or seven days per week. He tried first in Tagalog, then switched to a combination of Tagalog and English. The driver seemed to be thinking for a few minutes and then replied to Eric, "fried chicken, home fried!" Hmm...good thing we are still getting Tagalog lessons :) Eric simply went with it and told the driver, in Tagalog, that his (Eric's) grandmother made the best fried chicken. Nice recovery Eric!!! Maybe next time he will try again to ask how many days per week the driver works.
Andy and his classmates performed "Ruddigore," by Gilbert and Sullivan, this past weekend. It was a wonderful play, and they all did so well! We were proud of the kids. The cast was entirely made up of the High School students, and there was even a full orchestra, comprised of students and faculty. Here is a picture of Andy in his picture frame. He stood here for most of Act II.
We are working on trying to schedule our deputation services during our home assignment, January 1, 2010 through April 30, 2010. If you want to schedule a service, please contact us. We will keep our service schedule posted on our blog.
We love you all!
I noticed in my last post I wrote "We also went and visited a home for malnourished our unwanted babies." Two things, first, our babies (the four that aren't really babies anymore) are quite well nourished, and second, no matter how ornery they might get, they are always wanted :) Forgive me for my editing oversight. It was supposed to be "or."
So, here is another funny word mistake, only it involves two languages. Eric was riding home in a tricycle today (public transportation) and was chatting with the driver. Eric tried to ask the driver if he worked six or seven days per week. He tried first in Tagalog, then switched to a combination of Tagalog and English. The driver seemed to be thinking for a few minutes and then replied to Eric, "fried chicken, home fried!" Hmm...good thing we are still getting Tagalog lessons :) Eric simply went with it and told the driver, in Tagalog, that his (Eric's) grandmother made the best fried chicken. Nice recovery Eric!!! Maybe next time he will try again to ask how many days per week the driver works.
Andy and his classmates performed "Ruddigore," by Gilbert and Sullivan, this past weekend. It was a wonderful play, and they all did so well! We were proud of the kids. The cast was entirely made up of the High School students, and there was even a full orchestra, comprised of students and faculty. Here is a picture of Andy in his picture frame. He stood here for most of Act II.
We are working on trying to schedule our deputation services during our home assignment, January 1, 2010 through April 30, 2010. If you want to schedule a service, please contact us. We will keep our service schedule posted on our blog.We love you all!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
March and April
We had the wonderful opportunity of having my (Linda's) parent's here for a 2 week plus visit! It was such a great time! We drug them all over Manila and introduced them to the life we live here. They especially loved the traffic :) We were very thorough and (accidentally) took them down one of the busiest streets on a Friday night! We wanted to make sure they had proper introduction to "traffic!" We took them on a tour of the APNTS campus, which included the Communications department, and the APRC department. We got to show them how we do technical support for all of the regions of the world. We got to show them where the phone calls are made for NCM and any other Call Campaigns we have done. We got to take them to the beach. We got to go to Corregidore Island which was so amazing!!! 
We also went and visited a home for malnourished our unwanted babies. If you would like to read about it, here is a link to the website. http://gentlehands.typepad.com/news/index.html I cannot begin to write all the amazing stories we heard there. Go look for yourself. You will get your heart tugged!!! Then we went to visit an orphanage and a birthing home. This is one of the few places here in Manila where the father can be involved in the birth of his child. It is an experience a lot of fathers here don't get to experience. I made sure to introduce Mom and Dad to one of the most amazing aspects of Manila, the sub-culture of the malls! For all of you shoppers reading this, really there is no greater place to go shopping :) Most of those clothes you buy in the US are made right here :) If you come for a visit, I would be happy to introduce you to the sub-culture of the malls too :) Mom and Dad got to meet the youth group that meets in our back-yard. We just had a wonderful visit. It was really a boost to our moral to have them come and see what we do and who we work with. Of course, the boys loved playing games with Papa!
Mari celebrated her 4Th birthday while my parents were here. That was really fun! We are so blessed to have her in our family :) 
Her vocabulary in continually expanding, and thanks to Barney, the purple dinosaur, she is really learning some great stuff :) Please be praying with us about good direction as to how to go about educating her in the future. She probably could go to the same school that her brothers go to IF we get the proper teachers. BUT, we serve Jehovah Jireh, the Provider, and I know he will provide for her needs. While you are praying, could you tag on a request for a speech pathologist at the school? Not only does Mari need one, there are a lot of kids at our school that need one :) There are good speech pathologists here in Manila, but getting an appointment, getting TO them (through traffic...could be a two hour drive one way), and affording them are sometimes things we cannot do . The last time I wrote, I shared with you the story about EJ dying from Diphtheria. We had to give 53 people antibiotics, then we were supposed to give them all an injection. Unfortunately, the Philippines has a very limited supply of these shots. But, once again, I serve Jehovah Jireh, and within not too much time, we were able to get the necessary injections. I have been in the process of making sure all of those people are getting their shots. It has kept me a bit busy. Thank you for your prayers for getting the needed shots.
We also have been blessed to have yet another WW team here on campus. This team was made up of two separate groups who joined together at the same time. Half of the group was from the east coast and the other half was from the west coast. It is so much fun to get to know more of our brothers and sisters from across the United States. It is also really fun to watch the team members fall in love with the people they get to meet. The timing of this team was especially helpful to me because one of the members on the team was a MD. When I found out, I recruited him to help me give the shots in the clinic. I think he enjoyed himself. I enjoyed allowing him the opportunity :)
We also have been blessed to have yet another WW team here on campus. This team was made up of two separate groups who joined together at the same time. Half of the group was from the east coast and the other half was from the west coast. It is so much fun to get to know more of our brothers and sisters from across the United States. It is also really fun to watch the team members fall in love with the people they get to meet. The timing of this team was especially helpful to me because one of the members on the team was a MD. When I found out, I recruited him to help me give the shots in the clinic. I think he enjoyed himself. I enjoyed allowing him the opportunity :)
Easter here in the Philippines is a very important holiday. This is a predominantly Catholic country, and there is a very large emphasis put on Holy Week. There are lots of activities that happen during this time. I got to really look and learn a little about one of the traditions on Palm Sunday. Available to purchase beginning Saturday night are "palms." The young coconut palm leaf is taken and woven into beautiful designs. They are then purchased either Saturday night, or Palm Sunday morning. They are carried to the churches where they are dipped in Holy Water and then brought home to bless the house. 
The day before Easter, we had the other missionary families over to our house for coloring eggs and we had a BBQ together. It was a fun time. The kids also had their annual egg hunt, and they enjoyed that :)
April brought yet another birthday. I was the one receiving the blessing of yet another year on earth. My husband and some angels from home put their heads together and sent me to the symphony for my birthday. It was such a wonderful evening!!! It was like I was lifted up to a cloud and the breeze of heaven just blew right over me giving me a kiss on the forehead. Thanks to those of you involved :)When we got home at 1130, we were handed the baton and took over the 40 people that were having a sleep-over in our back yard. The youth group that meets on Sunday's had their annual overnight. Unfortunately for them, about the time we arrived back to our house, so did the rain. They quickly scampered under cover, but couldn't do anything to keep their sleeping places dry. We made some quick modifications and soon enough, they all were under cover and dry. The following morning, Eric rose up at 4:30 and whipped up enough pancakes for all of them. God gave Eric the passage in John where the resurrected Jesus invited the fishing disciples to "come to breakfast." He got to share with the kids that Jesus always wants them to join Him.
After filling their bellies with breakfast, and filling their hearts with the word of God, they headed home. They were on their way even before the sun was completely off the horizon. We sure love those kids!!! They have succeeded in worming their ways right into our hearts :)
These kids also had been spending the whole week helping in VBS. They are on summer vacation right now, and rather than participating, they got to learn how to be the leaders. There was a special graduation ceremony Sunday where the kids got to show off their memorization skills and the things they learned. The parents come out and see what they have done all week. As I looked around at all the younger kids, my heart swelled with the thought that some of those kids might be showing up in the youth group soon. Even if they don't, Jehovah Jireh provided them with His word, and they hid it in their hearts, and God promises to never let His word come back void! I hold on to that!!!
We also got to go to a small Bible study while there at the ceremony with the adults. Pastora Jahil took us back into the village, through lots of houses, up and over, in and out, and we stopped at a house with a big lot where they meet every Sunday. There were only two other ladies there. The home owner's name is Niyrbus. She is still seeking. Please pray for her and her family. The other gal's name was Haydee. She said she also has a study on Mondays she attends. We all got to share a verse and talk a bit. Very low-key, comfortable study :) Please pray for Pastora Jahil as she works in that village to bring Jesus into their homes.
Beginning tonight, Andy will be in the high school musical/drama. The school is doing Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore. We will be taking the group from APRC and the Communications department tonight for the opening night. Then our whole family will go again on Saturday. Andy has really enjoyed being involved in this. I am happy to see him branching out in his education/experience circle.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Lord Will Be Your Everlasting Light
Dear Friends and Family,
Isaiah 60:19-20 “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light and your days of sorrow will end.” Praise the Lord!!!
We have had a really tough month here at APNTS. If you have been prompted to hold us up in prayer, we thank you so very much. There were times when I simply asked the Lord, “Please just put us on someone’s heart, to stand beside us in prayer.” I trust more in the Holy Spirit placing us on your heart that I do my email. J God is so faithful and we know that we are always in his hands. I recently heard someone say that all things that happen have been filtered through the loving fingers of our Heavenly Father. He loves us more than we can ever ask or imagine. Despite difficult times, God is our Savior J Despite difficult times, we learn more about his love and grace. Despite difficult times he refines us so that he can see His reflection in us J
EJ was the son of two of our employees who came to campus daily with his parents because he had no one at home to care for him and he wasn’t in school yet. EJ died of diphtheria. He was well one day and dead two weeks later. Because of the contagiousness of diphtheria, 53 people on our campus have had to be treated for prevention of the disease. We are currently trying to locate enough immunizations to give to these individuals also, but the country is having a shortage of diphtheria immunizations and they are very difficult to acquire.
Michael was one of our long time staff who had a rich heritage in the Nazarene church of the Philippines. His faith was a wonderful testimony to all who knew him. He was always smiling despite the fact that he had no functioning kidneys. He was always encouraging others to “fight the good fight.” Michael had been on dialysis for 4 ½ years. The Lord called him Home.
We have been walking through a dark valley with a friend who has needed help on her journey.
We know that our trials now are really fleeting, and that one day the Lord will be our everlasting light and there will be no more sorrow! We praise God for his faithfulness!
Blessings on each one of you!
Isaiah 60:19-20 “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light and your days of sorrow will end.” Praise the Lord!!!
We have had a really tough month here at APNTS. If you have been prompted to hold us up in prayer, we thank you so very much. There were times when I simply asked the Lord, “Please just put us on someone’s heart, to stand beside us in prayer.” I trust more in the Holy Spirit placing us on your heart that I do my email. J God is so faithful and we know that we are always in his hands. I recently heard someone say that all things that happen have been filtered through the loving fingers of our Heavenly Father. He loves us more than we can ever ask or imagine. Despite difficult times, God is our Savior J Despite difficult times, we learn more about his love and grace. Despite difficult times he refines us so that he can see His reflection in us J
EJ was the son of two of our employees who came to campus daily with his parents because he had no one at home to care for him and he wasn’t in school yet. EJ died of diphtheria. He was well one day and dead two weeks later. Because of the contagiousness of diphtheria, 53 people on our campus have had to be treated for prevention of the disease. We are currently trying to locate enough immunizations to give to these individuals also, but the country is having a shortage of diphtheria immunizations and they are very difficult to acquire.
Michael was one of our long time staff who had a rich heritage in the Nazarene church of the Philippines. His faith was a wonderful testimony to all who knew him. He was always smiling despite the fact that he had no functioning kidneys. He was always encouraging others to “fight the good fight.” Michael had been on dialysis for 4 ½ years. The Lord called him Home.
We have been walking through a dark valley with a friend who has needed help on her journey.
We know that our trials now are really fleeting, and that one day the Lord will be our everlasting light and there will be no more sorrow! We praise God for his faithfulness!
Blessings on each one of you!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Poverty
Every day we are confronted with extremes here in this country. Being in the city, we see a lot of financial extremes. There are the very, very rich people, and of course, there are the very poor. I have never in my life seen poverty like is here in Manila. I thought I saw poverty in PNG, but it was very different. Yes, the people had no money, but it seemed they could always survive off the land. Here, the land seems to swallow it's people.
I was driving downtown yesterday and saw a mother and three children. Because I have been processing this poverty a bit more than usual, I really watched them. The mother was probably late 20's. She had three kids with her, guessing ages 4, 2, and under 6 months. They were seeking shelter under the overpass. I was stopped at a stoplight preparing to turn left. The place they were seeking refuge was between the lane I would be driving on to merge into the street I was turning onto. They were resting on a cement divider that was in the shape of a triangle with the wide part of the triangle up against the cement pole supporting the overpass. The triangle of cement stretched out like a bed for them to rest on. The mother was fussing over the three. The eldest seemed to be fighting taking a nap. She had the other two lying very systematically next to him. Arranged from eldest (next to the post) out to youngest, at the edge of the cement. She was watching over them as they took their afternoon nap. I just looked at her and wondered what or where she dreamed she would be at this stage of her life. She was dutifully caring for her kids, even though in the States she would have been turned in for neglect. I couldn't understand why she had chosen that place to rest, but as I thought about it, I realized that it was raining. There they had a dry place to rest their heads.
I have recently been introduced (not in person) to a painter from the Philippines, Joey Velasco. He has painted a picture called "Jesus and the Street Children." It is a picture of Jesus and what appears to be the "Last Supper," but instead of the 12 apostles, it is 12 street children. I have given you a link http://www.metacafe.com/w/yt-bzYgSJCPEtYwhere you can see the picture and watch a video about the painting and how it came to be.
I hope you have a few minutes to go watch this video. It is broken into 13 segments...quick ones. These are the children that come knocking on my window when I am stopped at an intersection, asking me for food. These are the children who have grown up and come to my gate asking me for money. These are the kids that come into my back yard on Sunday afternoon for church. These are the little girls that come to my gate every Monday morning collecting plastic containers for recycling.
If you can't watch the entire video, it's OK.
My prayer is that God will just give me a heart like his and that I will always look at every possible encounter with another soul as a divine appointment, made by Jesus himself.
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