Archive for June, 2012

Update of Last Couple Weeks…

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Hello all!

I am sorry I have not been as active as I had planned! Things are busier and when I have some free time I want to relax so this has not been my priority and I apologize for that!

Students have arrived now and the hustle and bustle of school and classes has begun.  Many new faces to get to know and many old friends to reconnect with! Everyone here is so caring and loving and wants to chat or laugh or whatever! It has been great! Everyone is teaching me words in Cebuano and always saying things to get me to respond in Cebuano.  Since I love learning languages, it has been a blast to be starting to speak in a new language!

School for me has been better. My teachers are understanding of my situation and I have been able to not worry too much about my homework and focus on relationships here and doing God’s work.

Wednesday, June 13, I did evangelism with some people at the school.  We went and visited a lady and her family that used to attend the church but had stopped so we were checking up on her.  She lives in a slum area so it was very interesting to see a different area and a different way of living.  We talked to her and discovered that she decided to go to the Mormon church instead.  I did not get everything she was saying since it was in a different language so I was relying on the others to translate some of what she said.  It was very heart pulling to just see the expressions on her face and see that there was real pain there.  I have been thinking about her often since then and all I can do now is to pray for her and her situation and that she comes to know the truth of Christ Jesus.  Her daughter, I think, was very sick with abdominal pains so we prayed for her and for healing of that pain; she was planning to go to the doctor the following day.

Sunday, June 17, I was a back-up singer for church.  I really enjoyed the people I was singing with and we had a interesting time learning a new song, haha.  It was more challenging than I would have expected but we got it and I think we lead it pretty well.  The two girls I sang with, Pie (alto singer) and Judylou (song leader) are amazing and beautiful women and I will always remember them and their hearts.  I will miss them a lot.

Me with the two ladies I sang with on Sunday

Monday, June 18, I went back up to the mountain but this time all the way to the top to Top Hill.  It was gorgeous and a great view of the whole city! It also is a great temperature up there and a nice change from the heat and humidity in the city.

One part of the view from Top Hill

Tuesday, June 19, the Pyle family arrived here in Cebu all safe and sound! It is great to have them back and I am enjoying many long and interesting talks with Loida.  It is always a pleasure to learn more about the culture here and about her life =)

Friday, June 22 was youth group in the evening.  I was the “in charge” person and prepared the lesson.  It was my first time doing that and it was fun and I think and hope everyone enjoyed themselves and learned a bit about praising God too.  It is so much fun to just have a time to learn together and play games and worship as youth and young people.

I also ended up deciding to get my hair “rebonded” here too.  After weeks of people telling me all about it and that I would love it, I finally gave in and got it done! It is a way of permanently straightening your hair and I do love it so far! (minus the three days of not being able to get my hair wet at all… it is hot so only washing part of your body everyday just wasn’t enough for me).  But my three days are over and it is wonderful to just let my hair dry and it is straight; very easy maintenance!

Sunday the 24th was the 13th City Church Anniversary! Great time of fellowship and worship! I was even asked to sing a special number. I introduced a new song to them, “You Are Love” by Laura Story.  I have fallen in love with that song and so it was a pleasure to be able to share it with the congregation.

Singing "You Are Love" by Laura Story

I also ended up getting my first minor “purple” eye. After church I was changing to go to the store and I had my belt hanging over the door and it got stuck a bit when I was pulling it down, then whipped me right below the eye… quite painful and it was a little purple the next day and now there is just a tiny brown bruise right where it hit.  So not too bad, but I can now add black eye to my list of injuries.

Today, we had chapel and the 2nd year students received their study Bibles that people from Minnesota had sent to them.  They are all so thankful for the Bibles and the support they are receiving!

This week has been a great week of shopping and seeing other shops.  I have also been able to get to know the students better and reconnect with students from last year! I have truly enjoyed it here and cannot believe I can count on one hand how many days I have left here in Cebu! I feel like I just got here last week.  But I have been blessed by the people here and my time here so far.  The people here have great hearts for God and are passionate about what they do.  I have learned a lot about myself and about missions while I have been here.  God has shown me a lot about who He is and who I am in Him. And there are still a few days left to keep learning =)

Coming up this week, there is a march tomorrow, Thurday, for saying “no” to drugs and CPBC is joining with some other college in the march.  I am excited about this because I have seen several marches here and now I have an opportunity to be in one! Then, on Friday I will have the opportunity to experience teaching in a classroom setting.  I will be teaching Algebra, my favorite (really it is!) to the 3rd year students! I needed some refreshers but I think I am ready to go and to practice teaching older students.  I sat in on the class today and the students are great and so it will be enjoyable =) Then also on Friday there was some discussion about open, spontaneous worship time for youth group. I love that type of worship and am excited to see if it happens and to see God work in that.

Please keep praying for me and for God’s work in me and through me as I am here in Cebu.  Also, pray for the upcoming events.  There are also students still arriving, the 4th years, as they are finishing up their internships this week. Please pray for safe travels for them.  Two people accepted the Lord this last Sunday at church, please pray for their growing walk with the Lord and that they continue to learn about him.  Also, I mentioned  at the beginning of this post about the lady who left the church, please pray for her and her family.  Lastly, please pray for my last couple days here that I continue to do God’s will and follow Him in these coming days.

Thank you everyone for your prayer support so far! I have really felt God’s presence here and have been thankful to everyone lifting me up in prayer!

Time is flying!

Monday, June 11th, 2012

I want to first thank everyone for their prayers! God truly answers them and is protecting me because almost as soon as I posted the last post and asking people to pray for me, I started feeling better.  That night was the first time here that I have slept through the night and I woke up feeling great!  So salamat (thank you in Cebuano)!

This week I have been busy finishing up a class for school.  It has been nice because there has not been too much planned, so I was able to get a lot done! Now, I am able to spend more time with people. I have been learning the language here and it has been really fun! I think I am learning a combination of two languages but not entirely sure and everyone here has been able to understand me when I say things, so that is good! I will try to put some words in my posts here and there =).

I have been getting more comfortable here and not feeling so overwhelmed.  I am learning to enjoy the things I have a tendency to take for granted in the states and realizing how blessed we are there!

A few days ago we went to go visit the house of the friend whose father died.  We also went to the chapel where his coffin is.  It was really sad to see everything and understand what had happened more.  The family is having a hard time, so please keep them in your prayers.

On our walk home from there I marveled at God’s creation because they live up higher and so we were able to see the mountains and the city a bit and it was really gorgeous!

Walking back and admiring God’s creation

Here there are a lot of mosquitoes and they really like to bite me even when I put bug spray on several times a day… I do not know why they like me but they really enjoy biting me.  I was joking with my parents that it kinda looks like I have the Chicken Pox on my legs and itches like it too. Haha I think at this point all I can do is joke about it to make it not seem quite as bad.

My mosquito bitten legs =(

I cannot believe I have been here for over a week! Time is flying by and I feel like I just got here! Wow!

I am so thankful to be here and to have all of you supporting me and keeping me in your prayers! Everyone of you are important for making this all come together and making this possible for me.

Salamat very much!

The Awesomeness has Begun

Thursday, June 7th, 2012

This week has been tough in the mornings.  I have been experiencing some homesickness and for some reason it is worse in the mornings. But then during the day I have been fine, so that is good!

Yesterday was an awesome day! In the morning, I spent some time at the school.  Then in the afternoon we went out to the elementary school in the area and talked with some people, like the little boy selling some jewelry but he was pretty shy and didn’t really want to talk to me, just the other girls with me.  After that we went to prepare for the birthday celebration of a couple people at the school.  We had a barbecue for dinner to celebrate and it was really good! =)

Cooking the BBQ for dinner =) It was tasty!

The girls hanging out before dinner =)

In the evening, we went to a basketball game of a team near the school.  It was really fun to joke around with everyone and have a fun time watching the game and cheering really loud!  The team near the school won by a lot! =)

Watching the basketball game!

At the end of the game, we asked to get a picture with the team and they accepted so a few of us jumped in to get a picture with the winning team!

 

Some of us with the winning team!

Today, however has not been so amazing.  I have not felt the best today.  I am hoping it is just the heat and that I am really tired and not a sickness coming on or anything like that.  It has been good, though, that I cannot do much today because it has given me the opportunity to work on some of my homework and try to get caught up on things and get back on track with school so I do not get farther behind and more overwhelmed.

I also found out that one of the girls living at the house lost her father last night.  She was up all night last night crying and went to the hospital early this morning.  Some of the people from the school are going over to her house later today to see her and her family.

There are many things going on here and much to be prayed for.  Please pray for Marisol and her family during this time of loss.  Also, if you could pray for my health, that I will feel better soon.  Also that I can get my schoolwork done and get back on track and not fall farther behind.

I will hopefully post more soon!

 

I am here!

Monday, June 4th, 2012

Hello everyone!

I have arrived here safely after about 29 hours of travelling! I have been here for a couple days now and it is so great to be back here! I missed all the people here and so seeing them and getting a warm welcome was great!

This last weekend was busy with staying at the school for a couple days, then moving to the house.  One of the kids at the church had his recital on Sunday, he was great! And just overall getting used to everything that is different, like the heat.

The heat is something that I’ve been struggling with because it is so hot here compared to Minnesota.  But I know I will get used to it and fans have been a great help!

This evening was nice because I went up to a mountain with some people on a motorcycle. It was really similar temperatures to Minnesota, so it was nice and refreshing. Plus while we were up there a party set off paper lanterns and it was very cool to see those in person! It reminded of the movie “Tangled” because there were so many of them!

View from the sitting area up on the mountain!

I got in contact with one of my friends relatives who is a missionary here in Cebu City and I may get the opportunity to do some evangelism with him and his team either Wednesday or Thursday! I am hoping it works out because that would be really exciting!

Here are some other pictures of things so far!

These are quail eggs. They are like hard boiled eggs but smaller. Yummy!
My favorite drink, C2, in all sorts of flavors!

Prayer requests would be that plans get worked out for the evangelism and for the heat and the weather difference that my body can tolerate it better because it is really wearing me out!

Blessings!