PART 1: Church Ministry Journal
June 10, 2000
I'm finally here in the Philippines! The trip, including lay-overs and stops took more 15 hours, which can really make you too tire to want to do a thing. I went from Detroit to Nagoya, Japan, and from there to metro Manila, Philippines. My headset on the plane didn't work, so I couldn't watch the movie on the plane (Stewart Little). The stewardess tried to find an empty seat so I could watch the movie from a seat where the earphones worked, but they couldn't find one, so I looked out the window instead and discovered that the Alaskan mountains looked really nice. I have never seen anything like them before. They were all white, with just a little black, almost like someone drawing mountains a white sheet of paper using charcoal. They went as far as the eye could see. Well, by Sara June 10, 2000
It's very hot and humid in the Philippines just as I expected, and had been told. I just met my supervisor, Bill Weibe. He has blond-brown hair and a short beard. He and his family are from Canada, and his slight accent is Canadian, thought I never realized it before. He has a nice family and a drawer full of candy in his office. That's what's really nice, because I like candy. The only thing about his office is that there is a nice big window, and right behind it is a nice grey cement wall. I think I'll volunteer to paint it. I don't really have any jet lag, but I still don't feel like running all over the place quite yet. So today I'm going to the "Mega Mall", the biggest mall in the Philippines. At the mall I'll see what the exchange rate really is by purchasing soda-pop. The people here (the other missionaries) think it's funny that I'm asking how much soda costs or how much taxis cost even though I'm not riding them, or drinking the soda... but asking helps me figure out the exchange rate better, because it is useless to compare money, because really, there is no comparison because the entire economy of each country is different from the other. It's interesting that they don't have "good" peanut butter here. It seems like each country makes their own style of peanut butter, and no two are alike. The Filipino peanut butter is really, really sweet, so the missionaries here like States peanut butter for Christmas. I can't understand anything in the language here (Tagálog). Everyone speaks a little English, but I don't want to speak English. I like to speak to people in their own language. Anyway, the taxi's here to take me to the mall, so I have to go now. by Sara June 11, 2000 Hello, I am the only World Team intern here in the Philippines from the States for this summer. Everyone else on my team never made it. So, I'm here, but not by myself becuase there are lots of people around. The missionaries always seem to be coming and going all the time. I'm staying in the World Team guest house in St. Ignasious Village, Manila, so I get meet all the missionaries from the jungle who are here to pick up supplies and from the city. I'm staying here (at the guest house) until July 17 or 18, and then I'll be going to the jungle to work with the church planting team there. Right now I'm doing language learning at the local language school on Tangdangsora Ave. I'm also doing visitaions with a local Filipino church, also helping with the youth group. Hmm, in about five minutes I'm going on visitations. Mabye I can type out my schedule on internet. That way everyone can see what I'm doing and so on. I might even be able to put pictures there, but not ones I've taken. I did get a camera, but since I'm not used to having one, I haven't taken many pictures yet.
When the Americans were here (from the Spanish American War until a little while ago), they left behind military jeeps. The Filipinos used these jeeps for public transportation. After time they started making jeepneys just for people to ride in, and so now they make up most of the public transportation. I'll see if I can get a picture of one. (Quickly, and behind a palm tree, so I won't look like a turist). When you get in to a jeepney you give the driver your money and say something, like bayed-ko (or something like that) and when you get off you say paray (or something like that in Tagálog). Anyway, have to go. by Sara June 12, 2000 Today is independance day here (I think). I wonder what I'll do today. I'm suposed to be reading a book on culture, but I already read it. There is a nice "Mega-Mall" and they sell lots of really nice Japanese and Chinese candy. The also have a place called the Mongolian restaurant, in which there is a buffet. You put whatever you want in your bowl, but then you don't eat it yet, because it's all raw. You give them (the waiters) your bowl, and then they stir-fry all your stuff. It's really good. (as long as you understand proportions and food mixing). Some people put tons and tons of soysause and it ends up terrible.
They have "Milo" here, and they also have "Maggi" (You know, the bullion cube company). There are lots of clothes stores, and even poor people who live in shacks have nice clothes. So far, I only know a few words in Tagálog. It's such a confusing language, only because they use both English words and Spanish words for a lot of stuff. So far all the Tagálog words seem all blured together a bit. The word kaiyo meand "you" and taiyo (emphisis on the yo) means "stand". But táiyo (emphisis on the ta) means "us". Ba-hi means "house" or "home". The numbers usually are said in Tagálog, Spanish or English, depending on the context. Oh yeah, I saw a nice lizard yesterday. He climbed up a wall. He was really nice, and even sounded like a lizard should... you know with the soft thud sounds as he walks, and sticks to the wall. well, I'd better go now. by Sara June 13, 2000 Hi! Today was my first language lesson. It was fun. The teacher, Ate Dess, told me that I had very good prounuciation becuase the Spanish sounds are very close to the Tagálog sounds. The main things I have trouble on are the gutteral stops and the "ng" and "mng" sounds. Since the best way to learn a lanugage is to hear it over and over, I went to the Mega Mall again today and listened while I was walking around. I still can't understand much, but at least I can hear the seperations in words now. I'm supposed to practice what I know... but I haven't yet. I know that I will though. Well, by Sara June 14, 2000
Today I went visiting with the Crame Bible Church ministry team to "barrios" around town, where the poor people (squatters) live. What is interesting about Philipino culture is that everyone tries to look nice and have a clean, well decorated house even if they are living in cardbord shacks! Amazing really. The people are very nice.They always offer something to drink when you enter their home. With the ministry team from the Crame Church, I prayed for a lady and her daughter. I couldn't understand much, but it was great just seeing and hearing them pray. We are all still one Body of Christ even if the language and culture is diffrent. I had four hours of language class today, and I'm learning very very slowly. But learning never the less. I can only really say good morning (Magangdang umaga po), yes(O-O), no(hinDEE), and a few other words. Anyway, It's interesting. I also got to ride on the jeepneys again. by Sara June 15, 2000
It's great here! I've already ridden on lots of jeepneys and visited people in poor places of the city. I know I keep saying that it's hot here, but it is! But fourtunaly not so hot that one can't get used to it. The Filipinos think it's terrible I'm alone, and are determined to make sure I'm accepted. It's really nice. The culture here is a mix between the Latin american culture and Oriental culture. It is really very interesting and strange. Since Ecuador is of the Latin culture, and that is where I grew up, I understand a lot about the Latin culture. Knowing one of the cultures makes it a lot easer to pick out the other part. For example, the way people dress and have clean, decorated houses. The people always wear perfectly nice clothes. They will not even wear something if it is ripped in one tiny little place, becuase it makes them look like a low class. Even the lowest class people who have cardboard houses will glue old wall peper to the walls so the house looks better. This very nice tradition is not latin, so it is probably Oriental. Another thing is about money and riding public transportation with friends. If someone sees a friend who is about to get on to the same jeepney they are on, they will pay for the other person before the other person even gets on the jeepney. It is good to accept and give presents, but like in the oriental culture, all presents must be payed back with an equal value favor or present. People here also have zappers. I don't know how they spread so far. They are exactly the same as the one I have. They are even made from the barbeque starters. They also use the snake zapping thing here, or actually, in the jungle hospital more than here, because there aren't many snakes roaming around the city. Snakes would probably get killed in city traffic. By the way, Manila has about 14 million people, so the city traffic is really bad, and so is the pollution. Anyway, I suppose I'd better go now. by Sara June 16, 2000 Hello, I went to my language class again today, I really like it a lot. We even get culture discussion with other students and Filipinos. It is really a good way to learn. One thing that is interesting is the gift idea. Something is a gift even if it is not wrapped. In Ecuador it is the same way, but I just never realized that it was different in the States. Visitations today went well. We visited some people in town, and I am still shy, so I let the pastor do most of the talking. I can pray though, so that is part of how I am able to help the visitations. I was supposed to paint a mural yesterday, but Bill Weibe still hasn't bought the paint yet. The mural I'm painting is going to be being his office so he doesn't have to look at the grey wall all day. I hope he gets the paint soon because I can't wait to paint the mural. Maybe I'm just paint crazy. Every day I ask him about the paint, so he'll have to get it sooner or later just to make me quiet.. (ha ha) not really.. He'll get the paint as soon as he's done doing the other more important stuff like buying tickets to the jungle and so on. Anyway, I suppose I'd better go now. by Sara June 17, 2000
Today I went to see the world's smallest volcano with a small group from the World Team guest house. The volcano is called Taál. The volcano is very pretty. It is still active, and people are alowed to climb into it, but we didn't have time, so I just got to see it from the distance. I still think it's nice though. There is a little fishing village close to the volcano. It is said that the volcano somehow helps more fish grow or something like that. I wonder what the largest volcano in the world is? I really like volcanos becuase I grew up around them. Margaret, the short term secratary for World Team came with us. She is really nice and the more I talk to her, the more I like her. She is a great Christian woman, and a wonderful friend. My supervisor and his family also came. None of them had ever been to Taál before, which was surprising because the family had been there for more than ten years.
Oh, by the way, on the way back from Taál we passed field after field of pineapples. None of them were ripe yet, but they were very pretty. I never knew pineapples were pink before they turned brown. They were so pretty I just had to take a picture of them. I know I was probably acting like a turist, becuase the man who owned the field was standing nearby, and he smiled and laughed when he saw me taking pictures. To him the field of pineapples was the most common thing in the world, but of course to me, it was diffrent and worth taking pictures of. He asked me if I wanted to buy some pineapples, because I seemed so interested, but I didn't get any. Tonight I was supposed to on visitations with the pastor, and then stay overnight at one of the church member's houses. But she said that it would be better if I stayed at her house next week instead of this week. I think the visitations were cancelled becuase the pastor is sick. I hope he gets better soon. Anyway, it's been a long long day, and I'm tired out and want to go to my nice soft bed. so by Sara June 18, 2000 Today is Sunday, and if you think that means it's a day of rest for missionaries, you've never been one. This morning I went to the 8:30 service at Crame Bible Church, which is all in Tagálog. I couldn't understand anything, but it was fun just sitting there. After the service ended at 11:00, I was invited to youth group which started at 3:00. Fernando's daughter said she would pick me up at 2:30 and we could ride jeepneys together to the church. I rode a jeepney home. (That is always fun.) I had a fast lunch, and about one hour to rest and change clothes. Then at 2:30, I was back out the door. I just got home a little while ago becuase when I got back from youth group, I immediatly went to a Bible study. It's about 10:00 at night now. What a busy day. All I really want to do is go to bed, so by Sara June 19, 2000
My fingers are still a little speckled with paint, but oh well. After language class today, I finally got to do what I've wanted to do for a long long time. I got to start painting the mural on the wall behind Bill Weibe's office. I painted mountains and a river, but the river looks all wrong, so after it's dry I'm going to fix it. then maybe I'll put trees and I know I'll put waterfalls where the pipes are.. but it will all have to wait until the background paint dries a little more. The girls here, the (Filipino workers) kept comming outside to look at the painting I was doing. They all smiled and said it looked nice. I like them a lot. They are nice, and they are all Christians. Hmm, I think I should turn one of the mountains into a volcano.. I don't know... anyway, I'd better go before I write all my thoughts about what I should do to the mural.. by Sara June 20, 2000 Hi! Today I did language study, which I will be doing for a little while. I'm also learning culture, and figuring out how to catch a taxi and ride home by myself.
The bell rang, so it's time for supper. by Sara June 21, 2000 Today I met some new people at language class. They gave me a ride halfway home. They are new missionaries with Assemblies of God. They are a nice couple. Inside their car they have this funny dog thing that looks like it's alive because it's head waggles when the car moves. I've never seen anything like it before. They had to stop at a bus rental place, but I didn't mind. It was fun just talking to them. I love to meet missionaries, and I love to meet anyone. I will pray that their ministry goes well, and that they can easily adust to the culture. Tonight I went on visitation with Fernando in Libis, a town not far away from where I am in the guest house. We visited people who are squatters, that is, they own no land so they live on other people's land. Fernando took me to his home, which is only one room. One room and he has eight children! I wonder how they all fit. So many people here have so little but are still happy. The houses are bare, they floors have no carpet. There are no piles of things on the floors. The houses are empty of material things, but are full of people. Even the streets are always full of people. Some playing, some talking, and other praying. Anyone is welcome to join in. It is a place for people and by people. But the people are still so poor. So many people here are ready to accept the gospel, and become Christians. This is truly a open field. by Sara June 22, 2000 I'm starting to take taxis home from language study myself now. It's not really too hard. I think it would be really hard to find my way home on a jeepney, though. I bought a new umbrella in the market today. Ate Dess, one of my language/culture teachers helped me pick it out. It's silver and blue, so it will reflect the sun and keep rain off. I painted more on my mural today. I don't get to work on it all the time, but I work on it when I can. I hope I can finish it before I go to Virac. When I paint the mural, it reminds me that God created the world like I'm creating a mural. He did it with only words; I'm using paint and water. by Sara June 23, 2000 It's great fun going to a Filipino birthday. Today, I was originally supposed to go visiting to people around the neighborhood, but then the pastor told me it's Ate Lema's birthday today. She is 43. She was happy about it. No one brought her many presents, but she said that is okay. It's the people that count-- not the objects-- and she did get lots of visitors. Then, she invited me to stay for supper and worship team practice. I got to help her make the traditional birthday meal called "Pancit." Pancit is a Filipino noodle made from rice. The Filipinos cook it sort of like spaghetti. First, you fry vegetables, chicken, and spices all together and then cook the noodles in chicken soup for extra flavour. The noodles absorb all the liquid and then it is ready to mix all the ingredients together. I help Ate Lema chop vegetables and stir (she has 4 kids who also helped). When you make Pancit for your birthday, you make it for the entire neighborhood-- and that's exactly what we did. We brought some to church practice and to all the neighbors and to anyone around who happened to be hungry. Pancit is now my favourite Filipino dish; I even got the recipe. by Sara June 24, 2000
Sometime I wonder why people are always fighting, but I guess I know the answer, it's because of sin. It is good to remember what happened and for people to see the destruction caused by war. That way, they might not be so quick to start another one. Corregidor was worth seeing, and it was a good experience for me. I loved looking a the big canons there too. I never knew that the canons were big enough for me to stand in. There is one activity on Corregidor that is very fun. Everyone gets into a fort, or actually it's more like a tunnel. Then the tunnel is sealed off and there is a tape that plays. Down each side tunnel there are wax dummies that show what happened on the island. After a little while, they actually explode something and fill the place with smoke, so that the tourists understand a little better what it felt like to be in a WWII bombing. I thought it was a good idea of them to do that, and it was fun too. For lunch there we ate rice and barbequed meat. After lunch everyone was escorted back to the boat, and that was the end of the tour. I spent the day there with the Weibe's. I picked up some nice pink and while rocks there too. Anyway, I'd better go now. by Sara June 25, 2000
Anyway, after youth group I got home and went to a cell group where I played a game and helped with a Bible study. Then all of us in the group prayed for each other. It was a good Bible study and prayer meeting. If there is one thing I learned from going to the cell groups here, it is that prayer is very important. We spend more than half the time in every group I've been to praying. I think that is the way it should be in all Bible studies. by Sara June 26, 2000
The plane ride from Manila to the island of Cantanduanes went very well. I rode with Margaret and Kathy Wasell, and her son Brogan. Margaret want to see the beach, and I'm here to see how church planting is done. The Phanistels and the Wasells live here in Cabugao, which is a little ways from the town of Virac. No one in Cabugao has phones, except cell phones of course. There aren't may cars here, but lots and lots of Tricycles. Tricycles or "Tricies" as some people call them, are motercycles with a side car. They are fun to ride in, unless you are a very tall person. Because tall people would be very squashed inside one. I'll be staying at the Wasells. So far though, I've been visiting the Phanestiels more than the Wassels. But the Phanestiels are going on vacation soon, so I want to spend time with them before they go. Tommorow I get to go to the beach. We are all going to have a picnic there. I hope it's fun. by Sara Continue on to Part 2 >>> |
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