SonQuest Rainforest Camp - April 15-18

As I have continued my search to find places to serve, imagine my thrill when there was an announcement in the bulletin at church about the summer kids camp coming up.  Four days of SonQuest Rainforest, a vacation Bible school (VBS) program that would be a whole lot of fun.  I thought, hey, I love VBS, I can help at that for a couple of hours a day. I emailed the children's director and volunteered my service.  When I went into meet with the children's director, Len, she seemed very surprised and pleased that I was volunteering...and more appreciative than I thought was necessary.  Must be a cultural thing I thought.

I went to the meeting a few weeks later with the other leaders, and as I opened my file and looked at the schedule, I realized this was a 4 day SLEEP over camp a few hours away, not a morning-only VBS as I was expecting!  No wonder Len was so appreciative!! (I can hear you all chuckling AT me right now!)  Okay, so it was going to be a whole lot more work than I thought it was going to be, but still a whole lot of fun.  My years at camp (since 6 months old) were going to be very helpful, and I knew I was going to have fun. The camp was in Laguna, a few hour drive away.  Have a look  http://www.re-creationcenter.com/.  The air was fresh, less humid and clear of smog. 

So at 6:30 am April 15th my wonderful husband took me to church by taxi, and reassured me I would have fun and make friends, even though I did not know anyone yet.  And he was right!  I was in a cabin with a cabin leader (Sharon) and 8 girls age 12-13.  I was the counsellor for the oldest group - 16 girls and boys 12-14 years old.  It will be hard to explain just how much fun I had!  The four days included 5 sessions around the SonQuest Rainforest material, water balloon fights, swimming in a pool with a great slide, devotions, skits, songs, really good food, campfire with smores and much more.    Camp is pretty much camp everywhere.

The kids were a fascinating mix of nationalities - Filipino, American, Norwegian, French, Chinese, Malaysian, and from Hong Kong.  Along with that, there were some kids that obviously came from wealth and had never cleaned a cabin before, and there were others who were sponsored to come to camp and lived in various projects in the shanty areas.  Many were eager to learn the parables and how much God loved them.  I will never forget the look in some of their eyes as they hungered for more.  Others had the attitude of many 13 year olds, and were more concerned about what they looked like....but that is what being 12-14 years old is all about for some.

Some highlights I want to share with you:

• it is amazing to watch kids who have never experienced a camp fire and smores to just stand in awe of the flames and heat, and to drool over the food - it really is the simple things in life and I pray I never loose the enthusiasm and joy in the simple things that we so often think we have seen often enough.
• you can get to know adults while filling hundreds of water balloons - take every opportunity to do the little things and chat with those around you.  Everyone has a fascinating story.
• you teach very well by your actions, not just your words - through saying grace before each meal as a cabin (holding hands Post family style) and pouring water into the girls glasses before I sat down, it was a joy to see the girls starting to pour water (serve) each other, and being willing to pray by the last few days. 
• 100 kids can learn five Bible verses in 4 days - ah, a personal challenge I felt and will remember when I think memorizing God's word is just too hard.
• always sponsor a child or two or three to go to camp - having watched the impact of camp on those who were sponsored, it is money that multiplies and multiplies and I will not hold back.
• do not be afraid to share from my heart - this I learned two ways - one, when I did share from my heart it opened the door for girls in my cabin to share more deeply, and two, from one sponsored boy who shared out of his diary in front of the whole camp.  He read the part a few days before camp when he and his family were praying that a sponsor would come and give so that he could go to camp.  They had almost given up hope when three days prior to camp he found out he had a sponsor and could go!  Then he shared how God has used camp to touch him and change his life.  His sharing impacted me because I saw the power of faith and prayer, and sponsorship and how his sharing impacted the other kids around that campfire.  
• at 46 years old, four days of camp is probably all I can handle!  

I have many more stories, but that is probably enough.  Here are a few pictures of these wonderful kids as we rode back on the bus (before they all fell asleep!)

And to answer your question, YES, I am ready for next year!!


P.S.  The fire in the shanty town in Quezon City is not near us (this is an immense city), but many are homeless and now in emergency shelters set up in schools (schools are now on summer break). We will share more as we hear more..... keep these people in your prayers - they have lost the little that they have.

A Taste of Manila......The Grocery Store

Many have asked whether there are "different" things for sale in our grocery store. The area we live in certainly does cater to the western shopper and has specific shelving where you will find high priced reminders of homelands around the world such as the US, Canada, England, France, Japan, etc. Aside from that there are certainly many different items to choose from and different ways of approaching the sale of food. I thought this may provide a little bit of entertainment to your week.......

The Grocery Store and Pharmacy - Observations and Oddities

1. The general rule we live by is "if you see it and would like to have it at any time in the future it is best to buy it immediately as you will likely never see it again"
2. When you purchase fresh vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, beans, etc you must take your produce to a central area where a nice young girl weighs it and places it in a bag with a barcode attached. This adds a lot of time as there is only one girl and a line of people with armfuls of fruit and veggies patiently waiting.
3. The people of the Philippines love corned beef hash..... seriously.... an entire row is devoted to this.... 20 or more brands and types.
4. Ice cream is another favourite item and is consumed in large quantities (it is hot here). A somewhat related item is the amount of TV advertising devoted to ice cream. I think every second commercial but Linda reminds me that I do tend to exaggerate things. It just seems like every second one. One of the local favourites is Ube flavoured and is a bright purple colour. Ube is a purple yam... I have not yet tried it but will soon enough.
5. There is a large sign above the small hand carry baskets that asks that you "do not place your dog in the baskets". No kidding
6. There are normal shopping carts but all four of the wheels rotate in any direction as opposed to the rear two being fixed. This is brilliant and makes the shopping experience enormously more fun as the cart can be spun in a circle (albeit with Linda yelling "stop that".... still fun)
7. There are small shopping carts that are roughly a third of the size... I thought cute little carts for the kids. The adults use them! The first time I saw it in action I thought it was a joke as you really have to bend over just to get to the handle. It is quite common and still a little funny.
8. This week the cereal aisle had interesting selections. For some reason there was a real "chocolate theme". Cereal is not as popular as it is in Canada and is relatively expense. This week they had Chocolate Frosted Flakes, Chocolate Chex, Chocolate Corn Pops, Chocolate Pebbles, Chocolate Lucky Charms, Chocolate Koko Crunch and Chocolate Cheerios.
9. There are many flavours of potato chips that even Linda is not excited about. The three most popular Pringles flavours are Grilled Shrimp, Seaweed and Soft-Shell Crab
10. Most things are behind the counter in the Pharmacy..... simple things like Claritin that you would expect to choose from a shelf and be on your way.... not here... you must line up and request them from the nice young girl who will ask "how many would you like". The first time this happened I was unclear how to answer the question. It became clear as I composed myself and responded "Ummmm I don't know... ten?". She takes that information and returns with the number of pills in the tinfoil and plastic enclosures and hands them to you in a bag.... no packaging or instructions.

Hong Kong March 21-25

One of the great things about living in Asia and Jeff having to travel and Linda not working is that Linda gets to travel with Jeff sometimes (NOTE: for all Manulife employees viewing this, all travel conforms with global travel policy).  Recently we headed to big, busy, organized, clean, easy-to-get around, modern city of Hong Kong.  Here are some highlights:

Monday
Jeff - went to work
Linda - played

Here are some shots of the Man Mo Temple, Hong Kong's oldest (1830s) and most important Taoist temple.The temple is named after two gods - Man, the god of literature (all you english majors take note) and Mo, the god of war (not Springfield taverns). 

This picture is of the inside ceiling where you can buy an incense coil that will burn for up to 3 weeks and will bring about the fulfilment of your wishes.  With all of the altars, candles, incense, offerings of fruit, flower, and more, it was an experience that encompassed all of my senses.

I then  wandered the city, and took the ferry over to Kowloon. 

This is a shot across the harbour back to Hong Kong.  It was very cloudy the days we were there so I will hope for better pictures next time.

I love the contrast of the two boats in this picture.....the old and the new....THAT is what Hong Kong is

Tuesday........Jeff - went to work....Linda - played

Rode the ferry for 45 minutes to Lantau Island to visit the Giant Buddha and Po Lin Monastery.  These are shots of Hong Kong from the ferry.  After the ferry ride, there was a 40 minute bus trip over hills like Bolivia but with greenery.

The Giant Buddha is the world's largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha, and though it looks old, it was built in 1993.  Very impressive......

After a walk up the stairs, a look around, and a walk back down the 260 steps, I walked to the Po Lin ("precious lotus") Monastery.  Established more than 100 years ago, its main temple in the following pictures holds three buddhas representing the past, present and future.With the many gardens surrounding the temples, it was a very peaceful place to spend a few hours.

This shot was for Jeff, and all who have played guitar with him over the years!  After a delicious vegetarian meal at the monastary, eaten family style with people from all over the world,  I headed back to Hong Kong by gondala and ferry.  It was a wonderful day! 

Wednesday.....Jeff - went to work.....Linda....played, including riding the subways once again.  Hong Kong has a fantastic subway system that made it so easy to get around this immense city of many islands

This shot is from the top of Victoria Peak (392 m, 1286 ft), which is best reached by the tram built in 1888.  The rails go up a 45 degree angle and shortened the past 3-hour trip by cart to a 8-minute trip.  I spent a few hours exploring up there and enjoying the view.  After the tram ride down, I walked back to our hotel to explore more of this amazing, diverse city.

Wednesday night

Jeff - got to play!!!!!!

Linda - continued to play

At last Jeff was free to explore Hong Kong with Linda......

We hope you enjoy these evening shots as much as we enjoyed the night together.....

Thanks for listening to our travels....or we should say Linda's travels....oh, and yes, Jeff got lots of important work done!  Happy to Easter to all...we miss you all  very much, especially during this time of year.

Saw the Hands and Feet of God (March 24 update)

Thought I would share about two places I have visited recently in my quest to find what God wants me to do here in Manila (now that most of the waiting for people and things to set up our home is FINALLY done!)

Let me introduce you to Jen Chrystman (who Louise Bell and Faith Holwyn know).  She is a Canadian who has been here since the early '90s.  Currently she works with Dawn for the Poor, an amazing holistic organization.  Click http://www.dawnforthepoor.org/ for their information.  On this day I tagged along as she brought a STM from Waterloo, Iowa (seriously!) through Welfareville (seriously, that is the official name of this neighbourhood)

During this walk, we stopped at a daycare center that is run by Lisa (in this picture).  She has four children of her own, and her husband is the care taker of six different places of ministry for Dawn for the Poor.    The pictures below are of Edna who helps in a livelihood center.  They were bundling up an order fo 300 bookmarks that were heading to Winnipeg, Canada.  If you need any gifts, go to their website!

In this center they also do healthcare, mentoring for home church leaders and much more.  For all our friends who are in the medical field, have a look at their medicine cabinet...that is it for thousands of people.

Oh, and here is the view out the window so that you get an idea of the area. (and I thought you would enjoy the electrical, Bill!)  So many people in so little space.....

I have also gone with our church on Thursdays for Others to a work done by Youth With a Mission called the Balut Project.  Go to their website http://www.ywambalut.org/ to see what wonderful work they are doing. We brought lunch to a daycare in the Smokey Mountain area (given that name because the area is literally dump and always smokey) Here is the daycare center, and some shots of the neighbourhood around it.

As soon as we arrived, the kids started coming with plate in hand - a few had a spoon too.  We sang songs with them, and then dished out the pasta soup and juice and cookies.  The little ones had mothers with them, and as you will see in these picture, these moms care deeply for their children.  I think I will let these pictures speak for themselves....

After the meal, they all headed back to their homes....down these streets.....

Yes, my heart has been broken again by what God has revealed to me in these two places...I know there are countless pockets like this in Manila.  And yes, the words of God through Micah 6:8, James 2:14-16, Matthew 25:31-40 (plus many others) is calling me.  Pray that I will hear God clearly when he starts to reveal where he want me to serve and how.  I will keep you up on the journey my friends.

Life in Manila....March 13

Some have asked about how I am, as Linda appears to be the Chief Editor on this Blog. I can assure you that we view this as a joint venture that generally works best with Linda controlling the keyboard and mouse and me rambling on about the world around me. For a change of pace I thought that I would contribute a solo update on this beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon.

Big update.... it actually rained this week. Not a lot and not for very long but it actually did. I'm sure that my perspective will change when the rainy season arrives, but for now it was a very pleasant change. Once the rain stopped it instantly contributed to the humidity. The Filipino store owners instantly start sweeping the water off the sidewalks with their large straw brooms (they love to sweep here... a lot). This is the real first rain I have seen since arriving and was welcomed to an increasingly dry Manila.


Linda and I have now completed our Scuba Certification and are officially able to dive anywhere on the planet. The test was a combination of demonstrated skills such as removing your mask under water, replacing it and clearing the water out. We also studied hard and passed the 50 question exam with flying colours. Here is a picture of our latest Scuba adventure. We promise to send some pictures from under the ocean as well in future postings.

Work has been going well but I certainly have had to make some adjustments in the way I work. Asia, in general, starts the day later and ends the day later. This is due to the interaction with North America that tends to drift into the evenings when the west is waking up and getting into the office. I have spent many years getting into the office at the crack of dawn and getting home for family supper and sports events..... that does not work well here. Contributing to the change I have been given an office on the 3rd floor of our building.... the 3rd floor is very busy and full in the middle of the night (servicing Canada and US Daytime) but is dark and empty during the Philippine day. Over the past years I have worked in offices where there is generally a queue of people outside my office wanting to talk with me. Today, other than a few Canadian or US Expats, I am fortunate to have a visitor at all and they are usually terrified that I have asked them to my office to talk. This will get better over time as the local staff get to know me a bit and can relax. Things all move slowly.... still waiting for my real furniture to arrive and I am promised that the air conditioning will be on in my office this week. As long as the blinds are closed it is only 28 degrees....


A few more oddities and interesting observations.....

1. Licorice (Red and Black) is non-existent in the Philippines - When I asked my Filipino friend about it her response was "what is that"... this leads to number 2
   
2. It is really hard to describe what licorice is to someone that has never seen it (try it!)
   
3. We discovered that heating up frozen corn in the microwave was not a good idea.... when it started to pop. We have moved to heating it in boiling water.... It was an exciting few minutes!
   
4. They have Musical ATMs here. As I approached an ATM today it blasted out a groovy tune that said something about shopping.... I was too surprised and shocked to really get the full gist of the song. It was really loud!
   
5. Our neighbourhood is so safe that we even have crossing guards.... seriously... grown men with stop signs that will halt approaching traffic so we can cross at our leisure. They are armed which makes it even more silly... I suppose they could shoot the people that don't yield to the awesome signs.
   
6. Rooster Update: We have discovered what happens to Roosters that do not fair well in the fighting... As you travel along the streets of Manila there are people walking between the cars selling anything you can possibly imagine... including Feather Dusters (you guessed it) made from Rooster Feathers. A little disturbing....

Bye for now... Jeff

Tuesdays Away - Feb 15, 23 and more to come

Let me introduce you to a few of the Aeta people.  This is a group of indigenous people who for many years were forgotten by the Filipino government.  In 1991 Mt Pinatubo erupted, destroying the homes, livelihood and way of life of many of the Aeta.  They had no homes and no way to live as they always had - hunting, gathering and agriculture.  In the midst of their devastation came EVACF, started by Jenny Wallum.  Click here to read more info on their website. 

She recognized the need the people had to find a way of life that would sustain them while their land recovered.  These mothers and children are at a seminar on health for their families, one of the many programs for the Aeta people.  They were healthy before, but with their land destroyed, all of their traditional methods, foods and medicines were destroyed.  EVACF has introduced livelihood training, micro credits for businesses, has built schools and centers of traditional training to retain their culture. 

I have been fortunate to join Jenny on visits to the area the past two Tuesdays.  We have visited one of the schools in Bangkal, Abusay, Bataan, and distributed some school supplies that had been donated.  Here are some pictures from that visit.  we also visited one of the traditional training centers.

Kids are the same everywhere, so I hope you enjoy these pictures...I don't really have to say much about them other than - do you notice any difference between many of the Aeta children and what you would expect in the Philippines?

If you noticed how curly some of the hair is, and that they are a darker colour, you are very observant! This has kept them separate and forgotten for many years. EVACF has built over 40 schools, and only then has the government taken responsibility for the education.  They send certified teachers and a few books for the teachers, but school supplies for the children are all from donations.  The people here do not have the means to buy their own pencils and notebooks.

and yes, for those of you who know me, I had a WONDERFUL time! 

So wonderful in fact that I sat in gum while I was chatting and laughing with the children.....which made us all laugh even harder.  This is me in the midst of them when we were about to leave.

I cannot say enough good things about this organization.  On the left is Dr. Catherine Ramos (who is a dentist by profession) who is the link for EVACF for the NCIP (National Coalition for Indigenous People) in this area.  On the right is my friend Jenny Wallum (we sing low alto together in a small choir called Asia Minor).  She stared this organization and is still the leader of it.  They are holding up school uniforms that have been donated by a group in Hong Kong for the students who may need some clothes to wear.

This is the area of the school - beautiful, remote and a hard life.  The land is slowly recovering from the volcano, and so are the people.  The struggle is to ensure they recover in a manner that blends their traditional way of life with the environment they have been thrust into.  I encourage you to have a look at the EVACF website by clicking here and remember the Aeta people in your prayers. 

Enough for now....many more stories to share including pictures from Bacolor which was covered by 7 feet of lahar (lava) flow from the volcano...but I will leave you wanting more.  Love you all, Linda