Some Puppy Love

Last Thursday my roommates and I heard some major puppy whining going on somewhere near our house. Eventually it was getting so bad that my roommates went to go check it out. They found two adorable little dirty, flea covered puppies. With one look at my roommates' faces, I could tell that we might be keeping these little guys. We bought some food, bathed them, removed their ticks, and have been treating them and pulling fleas off them ever since.  It took a little more time for me to get used to the idea but they sure warmed their way in to my heart.

Meg and Nicole with our first two findings

Friday night rolled around and my roommate, Nicole, and I got a text from my other roommate, Meg. Meg informed us that she found ANOTHER puppy in our garden! 3 puppies for 3 girls... GREAT! Or so it seemed. Although we have loved these puppies and all their cuddling and puppy kisses, we have found that they are a BIG responsibility.  After cleaning up some accidents in our home, stepping in a chocolate delight left by one of the puppies, and all the other things that go with puppy raising (x3) we have decided that we might need to return the puppies to where ever they came from. Sadly, tonight is our last night with these little cutie patooties.

A Talented Little Class

My roommate and I rewrote the lyrics to "Party in the USA" for the second grade David and Goliath chapel yesterday.  My kiddos did such a great job singing. I felt like one proud mama.  Here is a little glimpse of my second graders.  We were outside practicing and so my students were very distracted (and embarrassed) by a few passing students and parents.  :)

Happy New Years

I have never quite seen a New Years Eve show like the one Manila just put on. It was an amazing way to go in to the new year.  Tons of families from Faith Academy headed up to school (as it is on a hill) to join together in basketball games and in fireworks viewing.  People sat and stood on a ledge that over looks a good chunk of the city, to watch the already polluted Manila fill the sky with explosions of fireworks as far as the eye can see ~ we were even warned to make sure our windows were closed to avoid all the smog that would enter our homes. It was incredible! I love being part of a community that comes together like this to celebrate a new year.

I was excited to see some kids from Gentle Hands, a orphanage that I have recently been visiting, also up at Faith for the firework show. It was neat to sit with those kids and silently pray for them and for the year to come, dedicating it to the Lord.


This break has been good. On top of having an adventure with friends up north to some filipino rice terraces and caves, I spent some time reflecting.

This year has been crazy.  I graduated from college with many tears, celebrated the beautiful wedding of my brother and sister in-law, said my goodbyes, and then moved to the Philippines for my first year of teaching. Although this year has been filled with the unknown, it has been an awesome journey ~ especially since I know I'm not alone.  I couldn't be happier than where I am now. I truly feel the Lord's pleasure right now and hope that you might feel that too.

Blessings on this new year 2013!

Fireworks across the city

Rice terraces in Sagada

Lord, Make Us Your Hands and Feet

Three of my girlfriends and I jumped on a bus and headed up to the mountain city of Baguio. The city was beautiful and the filipinos were friendly. It was nice to have a break from the crazy traffic, pollution, and chaos of Manila.  We enjoyed the fresh mountain air, the cooler temperatures, the city market, and kind taxi drivers, but I think what we enjoyed most was our last night in Baguio.

On the first night we discovered that children come caroling (in return for money) in the city park.  We had lots of fun chatting to them about Jesus and singing with them. We decided to come back another night with candy so that we could have more of these sweet conversations.

On our last night we set off to the city park with candy in hand.  After waiting a few minutes, a little 5th grade girl came straight up to us with her hand stretched out asking for money.  We asked her to sing with us but she got so embarrassed that she sat beside (instead of standing in front of us) and ended up staying with us for about an hour. We learned all about her story ~ she didn't know where her mother was, her father was in jail in Manila and went from wife to wife, she lived with her grandma who was sick with TB, and her grandfather didn't look after them.  Jarael (the little girl) was out asking for money to buy medication for her grandmother. It scared us that she was out so late by herself. So much could happen to her.

More young children began to come over to talk.  Jarael had to interpret quite a bit for us but we loved this interaction.  She said they were from the slums.  Some of the kids were real feisty and began kicking each other and mocking us.  I wondered what kind of influence they had in their lives... where they live... what happens to them when the go home... do they have a home... I began praying for them as we chatted.  All of the sudden a whistle blew and the boys who were with us, Miguel and Milo, said the guards were coming and they scattered.  A few minutes later, some other boys who were with us earlier returned with bicycles.  Guards began chasing them and removed them from the bikes... stolen bikes. The boys got a scolding and went away.  We watched with wide eyes.  These children live lives that I cannot comprehend. Eventually Miguel and Milo came back to talk a little more until we were feeling like it was getting a little late and we were getting a little uncomfortable. We left and went home.

All four of us went back to our hotel and prayed for the children and people we met.  It made our stomachs turn because it seemed like the kids we had been with kept looking around... were they being watched or controlled by someone?  Maybe, may not.  There is so much injustice in the world.  I have so many questions and am saddened by the things I have seen.  I'm grateful that I have Jesus to walk this journey with.  He is teaching me so much and showing me that we can't do the impossible... we need to leave it to God.  We can be willing vessels for Him to use though.  

Caroling in the park

Market time

Baguio City Market

Lights in the park

Baguio... reminds me a little of home

Beyond My Doorstep

I realized that many of you probably have no idea what my life is like here, and what my surroundings are. So this blog will paint a picture for you.

I have two amazing roommates and we are presently house-sitting for a missionary family while they are on furlough. Come January, we will move to another missionary home as the people whose home we are staying in return.  Currently, we live about half a mile down the hill from Faith Academy and are very blessed with our home.  We have an amazing porch that looks down into a jungle of greenery with a river passing through it.  We sure spend an awful lot of time sitting and taking in our view.

As you follow the road around a corner it goes over a bridge. We always see squatters filling up buckets to carry home. The people in the area are constantly swimming in the river and the ladies wash their clothes there.  It is definitely a "happening" place.  I love to pause while passing the bridge to see what is happening along the river banks.  Many squatter homes are found further down from the road.

A road full of pot holes leads up to Faith Academy.  The school is on a beautiful campus; it has been very blessed by the Lord by donors who have seen the vision of Faith Academy and have invested in it.  Friendly guards welcome us to school each morning with enthusiastic waves.

Just down the hill from Faith Academy is a squatter village (still about half a mile from my home).  It is buzzing with life with people chatting on the road, walking to and from, children chasing dogs, and others just sitting around chatting.  They have a basketball court there and each day there is a group of men who are faithful in playing a basketball game between 4-6.

Right next door to this squatter community, is an area where people raise roosters for cock fights. These are quite common in the Philippines. We used to hear these roosters EVERY morning but as time has gone on, we hardly notice them anymore. 

The other day I was on a run and was running past the little community when a 7 year old, who was on her way to get safe drinkable water from Faith Academy, ran up to me saying "Ate Ate" (This is a respectful way to address an older female), and gave me a huge hug. This little one is part of the Sunday ministry to squatter kids that I get to be a part of.  It was so neat to have my worlds meet!

There are also many nice homes in my community as we are near a golf course.  These homes are more western styled homes and vary in size.  It can seem strange that the "haves" live so close to the "have nots" (Although there was a lot of this in South Africa too).

There is so much more to say but I think I will leave it at that for now! :) I hope you enjoyed a little larger glimpse in to my life.

The view from our porch

The river around the corner

Squatter community with a basketball court. (I was too embarrassed to go back and take another picture so this one is blurry!)

Faith Academy

The guards at the Faith Academy gate

Some Sunday Fun

My roommate and I were so excited today as one of our filipino friends, who we have been inviting to church for the past few months, finally agreed to come with us! It was so fun to watch as God orchestrated this, and to see her eagerly take notes during the sermon.  We were thrilled when she told us that she wants to come again next week. Praise the Lord!

When we dropped her off at her house, we were very humbled to meet her family and get a tour of her simple home.  We walked up very steep steps to enter in to a very small living room, kitchen, and shared family bedroom.  Her packed narrow street was buzzing with filipino life - venders selling vegetables, children running around, trikes transporting people here and there, and clothes hanging all over windows to dry.  It was neat to see a different side of her and to step in to her world.  

  

We love the culture we are getting to taste and the beauty we are able to see here. 

Learning is more Fun in the Tropics :P

Just over a week ago my class was learning about the Philippines.  To make learning come alive, I took my second graders out to a coconut palm tree and organized some harvesting.  We got to watch as one of the groundsmen swiftly scaled the long trunk, disappeared in to the leaves, whipped out his machete and hacked down enough coconuts for my entire class! It sure put my classroom management to the test as I tried to keep my overly excited boys away from the machetes as the groundsmen chopped open the coconuts for us to eat. :) What an experience to sit around holding coconuts, sipping on milk, and eating the meat as we talked about each part of the coconut!