Category: Announcements

* I’ve lost all sense of time. Had to ask Monika what day it was. It’s truly “go with the flow” here. Lots of meet and greets and waiting around. everytime you meet someone, you have to eat. I’m slowly going crazy. ..
* We’re in Santiago City. Much better than Manila. Less crowded. We’re gathering supplies before w head up for our final mission day in the rice terraces of banaue. We’re reaching out to the tribal people. We were instructed that they speak very good English, but few speak Tagolag. We also have to be careful about offending them. We’ll have to taste any food they offer us. . . We’ll see how this goes with my tummy.

* We’re having space problems. Buying rice up in Banaue is very expensive. Didn’t realize that rice is imported in that area. Even though it’s the rice terraces, they don’t produce enough rice for consumption. We may rent a truck to help carry rice up to this area. I have offered to ride on top to stay cool.

* Yesterday, there was a brownout all day and then the water shut off. It was a long day. . . I have gotten used to pouring cold water on myself for showers. That’s one thing good about the warm weather.

* Kind of stunned at the pay for different folks around here – most of all, the pastors. Many only make US$50/month. Yikes. You need at least one year of college to work at the shopping mall. You need a college degree to work at Jollibee. Life is tough here, for the college educated as well as those without a college education.

* On a lighter note, we visited the seminary to pick up a missionary who’s joining us for the mission trip to Banaue. I have to say that the beautiful, single, American nurse, Monika Bautista, drew quite a bit of attention from the students, but Pastor Anne and I were like a steel curtain around her . . . :). The mission leader’s daughter, single and a doctor here, has joined us. Monika is relieved.

* I cannot believe how dogs, chickens, cows, water buffalo’s get along with each others. . .

Anyhow, time to go. ..

prayers for a successful mission in Banaue!

Lance

Hi all,
I have left the blogging to Lance and Monika since as you have now heard our internet access is spotty. I am usually too tired to jump in.

For some reason I thought mission would be more physically demanding and I would lose weight but we seem to eat large meals and snacks between that are close in size to the meals. One day we had food on the table for breakfast as our appetizer and then cooked food came in addition as our real breakfast! I am better at pacing myself now. We are enjoying the fruit in the provinces and picking up things at the stands on the side of the road. There is always another local treat to have.

As Monika said, we have more been a presence than needed for doing things. Maybe it is an American attitude and it is very humbling. We pray that God will use our presence to encourage and inspire people to know the love of God- that people would come so far to extend care.
We have had many conversations about how people end up in squatters areas, what kinds of work they do, how much they can make, and what life is like.
Though unemployment is a challenge in the US, it will be hard for me to see it the same when people need 1 year of college to work as clerks at the mall and nurses have to volunteer and pay for their training before getting a job.
Last Sunday I was privileged to preach at Kamuning UMC in their English service, former church of Pastor Dave and many others. I am really humbled to hear how many UMC sponsor Mission pastors who start churches in poor areas. They sponsor a woman who has started and leads 2 churches in 5 years. We have a lot to learn about being in mission.
We have also been talking about what does ministry to the poor look like in the US? The economic differences feel wider here and more visible. We went to an SM mall (huge malls here and not the hugest of them all) and could not imagine the people from the slums being here. Things can cost closer to American prices.
It is nice being in the province with cleaner air and less traffic. Manila traffic was definitely making us crazy. Not just the wild driving (have not seen an accident yet though seems like they should be) but also the quantity of traffic (taking so long to get anywhere).
It has been hot and humid and cool to the locals. Feeling damp often. glad we came now and not when it is hot!

Monika mentioned our conversation with Pastor Paul about how important our presence is. We also see it as education about the Philippines and the poor so that we might advocate and support and extend the love of Jesus to them. We are surely making disciples and being made into disciples.
When talking about our presence, he reminded us that one young man came to a mission and said that he received a toy when he was a child. because of that care and experience of others, he became a doctor to care for people. Never know what God’s spirit will do. It sure is not us!
I think too of Jesus coming so far from heaven to be with us and the difference that his physical and spiritual presence makes to us. Humbled. Use us O Lord.

Blessings, Anne

Hello everyone!
It’s been a while since we could post anything because internet is surprisingly difficult to find here. We are now in Santiago City, Isabela
View Larger Map and found an internet cafe close to Pastor Paul’s house. So we are taking advantage. Some of my observations about the mission so far (Lance-style):

*As missionaries, we don’t really DO that much. We mostly stand around and look good! There were lots of volunteer helpers at the 2 mission sites we went to. But Pastor Paul reminded us that it’s our presence that is most inspiring to the people that live and work in these poor communities. It gives them hope that someone out there is trying to help. I think we all thought that we would come and DO all this great work and help all these people. But the church members are really the ones doing the footwork throughout the year. It’s a pretty humbling realization.

*In Tatalon and Kaunlaran, we were able to visit some church members’ houses in the slum areas (pictures to come later). It was crazy to think that 8-10 people could live in such a small space. And that small groups of 8-15 meet in those same rooms! And the leaders have such joy about how their ministry is growing! Just goes to show that God is in their midst, despite the conditions.

*We got to meet the scholarship recipients at Kaunlaran UMC. There are a few students sponsored by members at our church! It doesn’t take much to give these students a good education and hope to get out of the cycle of poverty. Our dollars can go far here!

*The scholarship recipients are encouraged to pick a degree that will get them a good job once they get out of school. I think I was saddened by the fact that they are not able to choose a field of study they are passionate about… Yet another thing we take for granted in the US. It’s a privilege that our parents let us study whatever we want!

And some observations about lighter things and our trip in general!

*We eat ALL the time. Rice with every meal. Delicious food I haven’t eaten much of since I moved out of my mom’s house. I’ve been enjoying the sinigang, tinola, adobo, tocino, pancit malabon, and fresh fruits like guava, mango, bananas, pineapple, and star apples! My stomach can barely go 2 hours without feeling like it needs to eat again!

*The toilets here have been interesting. Enough said. 🙂

*Mosquitos love me. Must be something about American blood. They can sense it!

*I pictured the province to be very rural, but the “downtown” area is alive with businesses and traffic, much like Manila, though not as congested. I expected to be staying in a place with no toilets that flush and chickens running everywhere. But Pastor Paul’s house is right near the downtown area and is fully equipped with everything you could want! Air conditioning, powerful toilets, and beautifully tiled floors. I think it’s fancier than my house in Hayward! It was a pleasant surprise. 🙂

*Now that we’re in the province, we’re experiencing brown outs and periods of time with no running water. It’s been interesting! After a long day hanging out on the farm and eating dinner by flashlight (because the main lights went out), we headed back to the apartment to find no running water. In frustration, Lance exclaimed “It’s just not fair!” I have to agree, haha, but I guess that’s just how it is.

*In response to Lance’s last paragraph of his last post… my “single blessedness” has become a running joke. So much so, that even the District Superintendents and the Bishop joke about it too! I am introduced as a “nurse from the states, single, available, and negotiable.” I just laugh about it because there’s nothing else I can do. They have also found some other “single” women to tease, so the pressure is off me a little. One of the other missionaries is a widow, and Pastor Paul’s daughter is older than I am and still single. So I think we should go in order of seniority, don’t you? Don’t worry mom, they are taking good care of me, especially Pastor Anne!

I hope you are all well back home. I hope to post pictures soon. Thank you all for your prayers!