PART 2: Team Ministry Journal
June 27, 2000
Let me describe the beach. The beach had light cream coloured sand with a few nice palm trees bending slightly. It is a little cove, so it is mostly enclosed. The water is as blue as blue can be, and it is warm like bath-water. I forgot to bring my bathing suit, so I just waded in the water. The only thing are the sand fleas. If you sit in the dry sand for a little while, they'll come for you. So the solution is not to sit in the sand. I climbed a palm tree while I was there. It wasn't too hard, and it was fun. I didn't go all the way to the top, though. On the way home I rode on the back of Randy Phanestiel's motorcycle. We were almost home, where he stopped, and everyone stopped. There by the side of the road was a small crowd of people. They were all looking at something. I pushed through and saw a giant fish, a whale shark to be exact. He was cut up into big pieces. The fisherman had been fishing and the whale shark got caught in their net. They were selling it very very cheap, because there was so much of it and it goes bad fast. The skin on the thing was more than an inch thick, and the fin was taller than my hand. I have never seen such a big fish in my life, and they said it was only a small one! I guess were having fish for supper. by Sara June 28, 2000
The rest of the day I spent visiting people and just going around town seeing things, like the basketball court and stuff like that. Everyone waves to me: they know I'm American and they like that. I gave some kids a piece of my hair that fell out. They laughed and giggled. It was fun, and somehow, all the kids in town know my name even though I never met them. Just goes to show that news travels fast in a small town, eh? Well, i'd better go now. by Sara June 29, 2000 This morning I went to the public highschool that is here in town. It is really amazing, but Randy Phanestiel, one of the missionaries here, was asked to teach the Bible to the students there. The school wanted to be sure the children had good morals, so they asked a missionary to teach. It was an answer to prayer. There is no church in Cabugao yet, the missionaries prayed for a door to open so they could teach the people about God, and now he's teaching school! I sat in a lesson today. It was about God, and how He is Lord of all, He created everything, exists forever and does not change. The high school students were very attentive and took notes diligently. I pray that this ministry will really reach the people of this town. After school, I went back to visiting, and doing a puzzle at the Wasell's house. I love puzzles and so I just had to work on it. Tonight is a prayer meeting, a missionary prayer meeting. The electricity was off, but that doesn't matter. We prayed for various things: for health, for ministry, for people in the town. I know that God was in that place. Now the prayer meting is over and I have a nice kerosene lamp to write this by. So if my writing's messy, I hope you understand why. Anyway, I'm tired and it's time for bed. by Sara June 30, 2000 Today something very interesting happened while I was at the market. I learned a lesson: never get off a motorcycle on the side where the exhaust pipe is. I go burned, just a little on my leg as I got off and now I have a mark to prove I was in the Philippines! When I got back to the house the Wassels wanted to put ice on it, but it was too late for that because I had burned it hours before, so at this point, ice would make no difference. I did however put some cream on it. I went visiting today and showed off my burn. It always makes a nice conversation, and what everyone tells me is that no one ever rode a motorcycle without getting burned once. I guess that's true! Anyway, I'd better go. Sara July 1, 2000
Today I went to a nice Bible study. It's really nice that the Bible studies are all following the same lesson plan, so that the people are all learning the same things at the same time. It is really amazing. Each group is leaning about the Israelites and Moses. I am impressed because usually Bible studies are all different, each teacher teaches whatever they want, and the believers are not unified in that way. But when they all learn the same thing (here they are following "Firm Foundations") and so each believer can talk to the other believers about what they are thinking, and the other believer will understand because they are all on the same line. I think that all churches should have Bible studies like this. Actually, come to think of it, it looks like a cell church, with the church being the Bible studies, they are all unified, but in houses. Really great. Anyway, I guess you can see I like the Bible studies and the methods they use. I could go on and on about it, but that would get boring, so by Sara July 2, 2000 Tonight after church, I got to teach the youth of the town. We had a Bible study. I learned some new songs in Tagálog. It's only been a few hours and I still can't remember them, but that's because I can't understand them. I did learn a new word though. I learned "paginaoon" which means "Lord." That is a good word to know. The Bible study went very well, I taught the teenagers and kids how to make bracelets. They were very good at it, even though it is a very hard thing to do. Now I know that Filipinos are good with their hands. The bracelet had the colours of the wordless Bible, but all woven together. Everyone liked it, and we had a nice snack after. It is fun to talk to people here. I love they way they ask questions and want to know more about the States and my family. I also want to know about them and their family. I gave my testimony, but I really don't think it is much, but one girl afterwards told me that hearing about me and how my family is Christian gave her hope and if made her glad to know that there are others who are Christian even far, far away. It connects us together, like the church I went to this morning. I didn't understand what was going on, but I could understand prayer, and worship. I knew they loved and worshiped the same Jesus as I do. I understand that now and I see how Jesus links me to all Christians across the world whether they can speak my language or not, we are the body of Christ. It's just a nice thought... Well, Id' better go because I'm going to Viga tomorrow: a place I've heard all about and can't wait to see. by Sara July 3, 2000
Today I rode motorcycles most of the day: all morning riding on the back of Kathy or Chris Wasell's motorbike. We arrived for lunch in Viga. It is a very small town, just as I was told. The houses are small bamboo or wood houses with nice thatched roofs. Many have no running water or electricity. I, however, am staying with the pastor and his wife, Teng and Edna. They have two children: a boy and a girl. I don't know their names. Mee-Ann is also staying there. She helps teach the Christian kindergarten there. The kindergarten was just started one year ago. It began with 17 kids and this year it has almost thirty, and more are still coming. Before, the only kinder in town was the one run by the local animist group. They did not teach the children about God or Jesus. But this kindergarten, which I will be going to, is a Christian one that does teach the Bible to the children. Edna cooks such good Filipino food. I love it. I don't know how she does it, but it is really good. There is always rice, because Filipinos always have rice for every meal, even breakfast. I like that, because I like rice too. Hmm, that reminds me, I think it's time for supper. I'll go see what going on in the kitchen. by Sara July 4, 2000
I learned a few new words today! "Ako" and "tapos na". When the students want something they reach out their hands and say "ako, ako". This, Mee-ann told me, means "me, me". That makes sense. The other one, "tapos na" means "I'm done" which is good to know. The kids would repeat this to me and hold out their assignment. Now I know what they were saying. They were trying to tell me they were finished. Anyway, I love the school. I'm going to have to get a picture of it before I leave. This evening we are going to have a prayer meeting. Edna told me that prayer is one of the most important thing a Christian does. I smiled and said yes, because I know that prayers are very important, and it does more that I will ever know. Time for supper again. Oh I love the suppers here! by Sara July 5, 2000 Today we were supposed to have a prayer meeting, but everyone was out of town or sick. So instead, I went visiting on motorcycle. I went to a "bagubuy", which means "small town". San Tolin, I think, is the name of the town. There was a lady there. She is 72 years old and she has had no food for two months. She was nothing but skin and bones, and she made strange noises when she breathed. Her name is Luma. Even as she is very sick, her family washed her feet and rubbed her legs trying to keep her comfortable.
After visiting, we went to the beach. This is a beach where a lot of fishing is done. Teng and Edna hired a fisherman to row us out to the fishing dock and back to the beach. They took my picture while I was in the boat. The wind was cool and salty. When the boat stopped, everyone was thirsty, so we bought eight pineapples, ate two, and took the rest back home on a motorcycle. I am very tired from the boat so I'm going to bed early tonight instead of staying up with everyone. So, good night. by Sara July 6, 2000 Today I taught kinder again. I forgot to tell you, but I did yesterday too. I discovered they have a nice bag of colored chalk. So while I told the story of Cain and Abel, I drew pictures on the board that corresponded to what I was saying. The children loved it. For playtime in kinder today, we played Barrel of Monkeys. We are practicing for a demonstration for the kinder induction at the end of the week on Sunday. I went to a ladies prayer meeting today. All of us sat in a circle on the floor and read the Bible, then we prayed. After the prayer meeting we had snacks. They consisted of cookies and strange black berries. The black berries are very black on the outside, and white on the inside with a small pit in the center. The way you tell if they are bad is you bite them in half, then, if you can't see a worm, it's good. No one told me this until after I had eaten five or six berries, but that's okay. At least I knew the rest of them were good, and with or without bugs, they tasted delicious and turned everyone's fingers purple. Tonight I should be going to another Bible study. It should be great. But for now, I'm going to go talk to Mee-Ann about the States and computers. by Sara July 7, 2000 Today I got to teach Noah and the ark in kinder. I used colored chalk again and drew lots and lots of animals all over the chalkboard. Then I took the blue chalk and gradually made the water get higher and higher until you couldn't see anything but the ark. Actually, all this happened yesterday, because it's after midnight now. Tonight we went to the public elementary school induction. The mayor showed up and gave a speech, but I didn't pay any attention. I just sat there and drew cartoons for all the neighborhood children who were sitting behind me putting leaves down my shirt. I knew that they were teasing me because they liked me. So I drew cartoons for them and they fought over them. Meanwhile, the lady beside me kept offering me a swig of some nasty alcoholic beverage that was being passed around. I had to refuse several times. After the speech they started to play very loud music, dance, and pass around more alcoholic beverage. I did however shake the mayor's hand before I left. This experience, I learned, was a typical Filipino event, and I did not enjoy it, because I do not yet understand the culture. Drinking is part of the Filipino culture. It is something the church here has a hard time dealing with. Good night. I'm tired, and my ears are still ringing from the loud music. by Sara July 8, 2000 Today, all day was spent preparing for the kinder's induction which will take place after church tomorrow. There are no photocopiers in town, so Mee-Ann typed all the bulletins while I traced and coloured the same picture on to each one. This took all day. This evening I went to a youth fellowship meeting where I told my testimony and taught the youth how to make bracelets like I did in Cabougao. Mee-Ann is very good at making bracelets and joked that she could make them for a living. Many of the youth are Christians, but their parents are not. This makes it very hard for them to live as a believer. Pray for them, that they can remain firm; and their families, that they will soon see that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Tomorrow, we have to get up early for the 7:00am worship service so I'm going to bed right now. by Sara July 9, 2000 Today was very good. After the service, in which I taught the children how to make snowflakes out of paper, we waited around until everyone arrived for the kinder induction we had prepared for so much. When the trucks arrived, everyone piled in and we rode to the Buenavista Resort where the induction would take place. At the induction, we played games and had a potluck (yum!). I got to try a "pili" fruit, which is purple and tastes a little bitter. The seed inside is very big and when cracked open, produces a nut which can also be eaten. In fact, those "pili nuts" are very good after being roasted in honey.
After the games and the food, everyone went swimming in the ocean behind the resort. It was there I found a very pretty rock. I think it's the prettiest rock I've picked up yet, and I've picked up quite a few. Everyone was tired on the way home, and there's still a Bible study tonight too. I hope it goes well. by Sara July 10, 2000 Today I have to go back to Cabougau. Mee-Ann is going to be my "kasama" or travelling companion. We are going to take the jeepney down the dirt road to Cabougau. We should be there by lunch. I hope I get to go to the beach again because that is fun. by Sara July 11, 2000 Yesterday I went to the local swimming hole in Cabougau. It is fed by a small waterfall. The water was very cold, but it was fun swimming in it, and it's deep enough that you can even jump in, which was surprising because it's so small. Today we went to the beach. I rode on a boat with the Wassels all the way out to the coral reef in the ocean. The water there was so clear you could see all the big fish swimming around underneat the boat. Tomorrow I head for Naga city to meed Koleen and the COOL Team. I'll be taking a boat and a bus, and probably a motorcycle. by Sara July 12, 2000
The COOL Team comes tomorrow. I guess I got here a day early. But that's okay, because it's really fun playing with the "French fries", as Koleen sometimes calls her kids. Koleen is very organized and gave me a notebook full of culture questions, maps, and a calendar saying when everything will happen. I'm impressed. She made one for every member of the COOL Team, and there are eight, not counting leaders, in the COOL Team. It must have taken her a long time. by Sara July 13, 2000 I'm at Nanay Nina's house. It's above a re-starting church in Poro, which is near Naga City. Nanay Nina is poor. She has no running water, and no tiles on the floor. There are no screens on the windows but there is a smile on her face. For some reason, (probably a status thing), she made me eat first and then she and her son ate later. The person we went to visit today was not home, so we went to the market to buy some fish, which Nanay Nina cooked wonderfully. I'm starting to understand the bone structure in a fish, so it's getting easier to eat without getting bones in my mouth.
The green mosquito net around me is very green. Here's some new Tagálog words I've been learning. olán means rain, as it seems to be doing a lot of that lately. Saging is banana, and there are those growing all over the place. Tubig is water which you drink. Gatas is milk, my favourite drink, in any form, even powdered like it is here. Hmm, let me see, what else had been happening.... Well, the COOL team has arrived safely. And we all have a place to live and cultural questions to ask. All thanks to Koleen French who did a wonderful job. July 14, 2000 Hello, it's already late, so this will have to be quick. Hmm, went visiting and told the people I was visiting all about why Americans are the way they are and why they seem to get more pay, but actually, according to economy, they don't. Because in the States, the cost of living is higher than it is in a Third World country. Today I was able to participate in a funeral procession. The casket was loaded onto a car, and all the people walked behind it, with a band playing a dirge all the way to the Catholic Church, and then to the cemetery. I taught a little girl cat's cradle and met the Grey family and eight of their children. One of the girls told me the entire Disney movie of Hercules because she had seen it so much she had it memorized. An equipping meeting is being taught downstairs by Até Dess and Heather (from UK and Australia), Heather has been here 18 years! July 15, 2000 The very first VBS led by the COOL Team was today. It went well, and I did the crafts. I taught the children how to make an origami fish. VBS went well, I mean the kids loved it! So other than that and preparation for the next one, nothing much happened today. July 16, 2000 Yesterday I wrote my prayer letter and sent it via email to my brother. Hopefully it will work out nicely. Today in church I was downstairs in church, and had to share my testimony. I did, but my translator hardly knew English, so I kept my testimony short. There's a cockroach in my luggage. Squid for supper tonight. I've finally learned how to eat fish. Tonight is Bob French's meeting. His idea on the Church re-start sounds really good. Time to go. by Sara Continue on to Part 3 >>> |
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