Sadie Hawkins Mystery in the Library

We had a very busy Saturday this past weekend. Not only did we go to AJ's Birthday Party, but the MICA Student Council also had a Sadie Hawkins Banquet that evening. We came up with the idea of a mystery dinner. You know where everyone is a character and you get clues throughout the entire night to help you solve the mystery. In this mystery, all the characters from books in a library would come alive at night. And the King turned up missing one night. The mystery: who stole the King? So, each of the students and teachers were a different character. Their costumes were amazing! They did a great job. One of the things I have learned about MICA students: they LOVE to dress up! Although no one solved the mystery, it was a really good night. The students really seemed to enjoy themselves. Here are some pics:
Goldilocks and the 3 Bears!
Snow White and one of the dwarfs
The wolf, little red riding hood and the grandmother
The Genie, Aladdin, and Jasmine

Cleopatra and Dr. Watson
Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes

AJ's First Birthday

So, Rob and I have a househelper (I will tell you more about the culture in regards to the househelper thing in a later blog) whose name is GieGie! She has been so much help to us and we are so glad she is a part of our lives. GieGie is from "the mountains" an area about 2 hours south of here called Malungon. In fact there are some missionaries working on translating Scripture in this area in her native tongue! She is helping them translate! She has a son AJ, who just turned 1! In Phillippine culture, it is a very big deal when your child turns one because the infant death rate is very high here. So, they always have huge celebrations when a child turns 1! She invited us and two other couples to AJ's first birthday party at her parent's in the mountains!
Yes, it was our first opportunity to see what "rural" living in the Philippines is like amongst many other cultural lessons! Talk about the experience of a lifetime! Luckily, one of the couples had a car, so we drove there. Once we got to the town, Giegie came to meet us to show us how to get to her parents. We then had to drive on a VERY bumpy dirt road, where we got stuck a few times (Usually only motorcycles go on this road, thank the Lord it didn't rain, we would have NEVER made it!). Finally we came to a stopping point and had about a 10 minute walk to her parent's.
As we came down this hill, all I saw was about 100 Philippinos staring at us! There were so many people there! It was amazing! Talk about watching every move you make! Wow. She had all her family and friends there.
One of the first things they wanted us to do was ride the caribou. So, all the boys took their turns. Next was to see how the food was being cooked. They were cooking rice on the fire in bamboo. And no Philippino celebration is complete without a roasted pig (lechon). Rob and I even had the opportunity to roast it for a little bit. What is amazing is that they made all this food on a fire! There was no stove or electricity! In fact their house/hut had no doors and dirt floors. I'm not so sure what they do when it rains! Well, we were the honored guests! We were the first to eat, at a nice table with soda and everything. She even got buko juice for us! Buko juice is the juice from a young coconut. You drink it right out of the coconut! How fun! After our very Philippino meal, we went in their house/hut to relax a little. Next it was time for children's games! There were so many kids there, and they were having a great time! It was fun to watch them play. Giegie's brothers are really into boxing and boy do they start them at a young age! The next spectacle was a boxing match between two very young boys!
After all the games, it was time for ice cream and cake! They were all so excited, the man serving the ice cream just about got attacked! Being the "honored guests," we were served buko salad (the meat from the coconut, mixed with fruit and cream) and cake! After our desert, it was time for us to go. But not before taking some family pictures. One thing I have learned being here is that if you give someone pictures, it is considered a very nice gift. None of the Philippinos had a camera, so I was happy to take a ton of pictures! I'm not sure when Giegie's family ever had the opportunity to take a picture together. We waved goodbye as we heading on the path through the rice paddies back to the car!
On our way back, we had to go through the bumpy dirt road again, and of course we cannot do that without a little adventure. There were a few times the boys had to get out to push and once where we got in a very deep hole! Thankfully some Philippinos came to help us! (Philippinos are so nice!)
And so was our adventure. It was a day that I will never forget. An experience of a lifetime! I am so thankful to have the opportunity to experience other cultures. We Americans have no idea how luckly we are! That our bathroom is not a hole in the ground, we don't have to build a fire just to cook a meal, we can drink tap water, heck, we have running water, we have electricity, carpeted floor and aircon! All of which they had none! And yet they are happier, and more content than most Americans! Makes you think....

Tabernacle Project

More school fun. In Rob's Old Testament class he had them build a tabernacle for a project. The students really got into it! They built some amazing tabernacles! He then made them present them in class! Here are the pics:

Mr. Johnson inspecting the project as the student presents!


Two of the students pointing out their impressive features to their teacher!


It was fun to see the students' creativity!

Orphanage

This past Saturday, the student council organized an outreach at an orphange. We had about half the student body show up. Not only were we there to love on the kids, but we were also there to help them move some furniture and take care of some needs! We had a great time. The kids were adorable and the students were so great with them. There were some students that really surprized me! It was great. Here are some pics:

Here I am reading to an adorable little boy. He was pretty timid at first, but quickly warmed up to us!

Two of our students loving on the kids

He's so cute!


The Philippine lawn mower! Notice the shirt? This is the exact outfit Rob use to wear to work at Davie Shoring. It was a little weird when we got home and I glance at my husband looking sweaty in his Davie Shoring outfit. Talk about flashbacks!

More cuteness!

I think we wore them out!

A Part of the Bigger Picture

As most of you know, our missions agency focuses on Bible translation! As teachers, we are here to teach missionary kids. There are some of our students whose parents are Bible translators. On Friday, a couple who does translation invited people over to their house to learn more about the process of Bible translation. It was a very informative night. There is so much that goes into translating Scripture. One of the things I most appreciate about the agency we work with is their dedication to accurate Biblical translation. It's not, go into a village, learn their language and then just translate. There is a whole process that involves locals, translators, checkers, and a lot of resources to translate. It is amazing. Even after they have translated a passage, they have locals read it and answer comprehension questions to make sure they convey the passage correctly! Wow. It is times like this when I realize that we are a part of the bigger picture. That picture being: to have at least one accurate New Testament in every heart language. Rob and I are here to support Bible Translation. We are here to teach missionary kids! What a neat calling.
This couple has been working for many years (I think almost 20) to translate the New Testament for a people group whose population is about 6,000. Yeah, 6,000 people does not sound like a lot, right? That's like a small town in Nebraska that you have never heard of. But each one of those 6,000 people are loved by God. Each person is so important to Him. Can you imagine not having any access to a Bible that you can understand? How would you learn about God? How would you come to know Him intimately? Can you imagine? I know, it's hard considering you probably have at least 3 bibles sitting on your shelf, all different versions. Imagine not having one! Wow, that blows my mind. Well, this couple is planning on having the entire New Testament and Genesis completely by 2010! How exciting! I love being a part of this ministry. I love supporting these missionaries! It is amazing to work beside people who have committed their whole lives to translating Scripture!

Passover

So, I realized that a lot of my posts are about the culture and fun we have been having here. I haven't really been able to post about the reason we are here. We are teaching high schoolers at Mindanao International Chistian Academy (MICA). Which is a great joy, and some days, an even greater challenge. I am teaching 2 math classes and one yearbook class. Rob is teaching 9th grade Old Testament, 3rd/4th grade and 7th/8th grade PE. Can I brag on my husband for a little bit? I am so proud of him. This is his first time teaching and he is doing a great job. The students love him! It is so neat as a wife to sit back and just watch your husband grow. I know that we have only been married for 2 years now, but I can see how God had continued to mold my husband into a man of God. I love him so much and am so thankful that I get to experience this year with my best friend and the love of my life. Wow, that just came bubbling out.
He has done some fun things with his OT class and a couple days ago was one of them. He lead a passover meal for them. Fortunately, I do not have a class during the period his OT class is, so I was able to sit in, help out, and (of course) take pictures. He did a great job and the kids really seemed to enjoy it, although it was a little rushed. It is hard to fit a whole passover meal in a 45 min. class period. Well, here are some pics:







One of the students enjoying the bitter herbs

the hand washing

Our prayer is that these students would come to know the Lord in a more intimate way. Please pray that we can show each of these students the amazing love of Christ. We know that the Lord has brought us here to the Philippines for a reason. We hope that God might use us to minister to those we come incontact with, whether it be the students we teach, or the little kids we meet at the market. Wherever we are, we want to live a life that honors and glorifies our Lord and Savior. He is the One our lives are about and for. To Him be the glory now and forever. Amen!