May 22, 2010 VBS Graduation Day

Today we recognized all the hard work that the kids did by awarding them with trophies, certificates and medals for the highest points. They earned points for memory verses, participation, answering questions and bringing friends, etc. It was a long hard week with intese heat and 200 kids each day. But the fruit for our labor was worth it.

May 17-21, 2010 VBS

May 14, 2010 - Village outreach improvements

We all enjoyed being higher up at our meeting place since Ferd and the men worked so hard to lay the gravel. We no longer have to sit sideways to avoid mud puddles and cow dung everywhere! It was so nice. They hope to start the shelter in 2 weeks, after VBS is over. VBS takes ALL our time and energy so we cant plan on anything else next week

Today was a real good meeting. Of course, it is flaming hot, but the Lord sent such a cool breeze throughout the whole Bible study. I didnt have to use my hand fan once, which is amazing! The folks really listen and asked questions more today and even talked and responded to Ferd throughout the lesson. They are reading their Bibles that we gave them at home too as one lady was excited to share the story about the Rich man and Lazarus. She told it like it was our first time to hear it too..she was sooo excited.

That encouraged us so much to see that the Lord is working though sometimes I get blindsided by my tiredness, my health. I sometimes feel like " what's the point?" Satan has REALLY been discouraging me lately. It's been a huge attack, but after seeing their progress today, I am uplifted and the Lord knew just what I needed.

He also knows what the Bible study needs...a small van to pick up the people and a shelter. We are just waiting on Him..

May 13, 2010 - Working like crazy

Ferd and the men spent the whole day preparing the new village meeting area for the shelter they plan to build. The rains are starting and we have had to cancel the Bible Study once already, and know that if we keep cancelling, interest will fade and we need to strike while the iron is hot. Many of the attenders are not saved but are faithful to come and listen. We have worked too hard to stop now.
Ferd and the men hauled in several truck loads of gravel and hand shoveled it out and layed it all over the ground, elevating the ground about a foot or so, so that there will be no flooding and mud where we sit.
Next, we will start erecting the poles and are still trying to find some more affordable tin roofing. Our first church plant completely supports this effort by not only giving their time to help us go minister here but by paying for the xerox the worksheets and providing a snack which is courteous here. However, something big like a vehicle and shelter is way beyond their means and so we continue to wait on the Lord....

Meanwhile, back at the farm... (-; I was busy up to my eyeballs too. Of course I have homeschool with Sean now. He was so far behind in school ( about 6 months due to both our sicknesses) that I have to really fuel the homeschool train. It's not my favorite thing, but we finally found our niche. We are doing the Abeka video courses so I dont have to teach him, but he's here at home receiving a Christian education. I love it!
WHile helping Sean, I am also bouncing back and forth with the church helping prepare for VBS, which is HUGE here. There will be SO many kids, from all 6 vilages and we are trying to get ready.

I was so exhausted today I thought I'd curl up in hole somewhere and just die...seriously. We have to hand make all our propts and decorations. Above is Bro.JoJo making clouds. They hand painted all the background scenes for the actors to do their skits, etc. I am doing all the music and crafts, etc.. I'm already exhausted and VBS is still a few days away...

May 10-12, 2010 A new President

Since this is a public blog, I NEVER discuss political view as it can cost you your life here. So, I will just state the facts and not share my approval or disapprovals. Monday, the 1oth was the long awaited Election Day here. I have to admit, I was thrilled to see it come. It meant an end to the months of loud campaigning that we have been subjected to. Around January, they started running jeeps and vans decked with posters up and down all the roads and streets. On top of the jeeps were giant loud speakers that literally would shake our house when they passed by. No kidding. They screamed messages and played corny jingles..like they took the song LaBamba and made a little campaign song out of it. They did this will tons of songs, some I recognized..some I had no idea what they were from. But this I do know, THEY WERE LOUD!!! Oh my goodness! It can rake your last nerve..

they also plaster posters on every square inch of wall they could find. Every tree, post, building. Everything has a poster. And the ground is covered in debri. So, yes, i am so happy to see it all end.

After 2 days of counting the votes, we now have a new Prez here...Noy Noy Aquino. I hope he does a good job, and I will pray for him, and encourage the church folks to do so as well.

May 9, 2010 - Happy Mother's Day

Today was hard..not just because I miss my Mother and would like to take her out to eat or just sit and talk to her..but because I am sick!! I have been sick for about 4 days now, miserably sick, out of my mind sick. I cant go into details since this is a public blog, but it's been a rough few days.

However, in the midst of it all, I praise the Lord that I can even call myself a Mother. My health will not allow me to have any more kids ( inless the Lord performs a miracle), so I praise Him for the miracle I have in Sean...I love him soooo much!!

I tried my best to go to church so that I could stand with the ladies and have my son acknowledge me like all the other mothers, but I had to slip out after the announcements and go home. I nearly passed out. Plus, it is unbearably hot right now which makes me even more sick.

We did, however, recognize all the mothers today. Sean took this picture for me since I had to sneak out of the sevice...

May 4-5, 2010 - Ocean Fun

On the way home from Manila, we swung by Subic Bay ( which is our favorite relaxing place). They have clean oceans, unlike in Dagupan where we live. It is filthy there. You can feel tons of garbage hitting your legs while you swim in the ocean in Dagupan. One time, I got something squishy and heavy wrapped on my foot and when I raised it up, it was an old dirty diaper! GROSS! That, along with Sean's ordeal with the school of jellyfish that landed us in the ER, have sort of turned me against the oceans in our area. So, we love the beautiful, clean waters in Subic.

The ocean life there is also outstanding. We always bring our snorkles and dive and see the most beautiful fish. They are tropical, like something you would see in an aquarium. Just gorgeous! Sean also got to swim with a dolphin on Tuesday, which he loved! Oh, and for the first time in our lives, we went kayaking. We have never done that, and it was amazing... TIRING, but amazing!

May 2-3, 2010 - Clarke/Manila

I had a Dr's appointment on Monday, so we left Sunday after the morning service and drove half way to relax a bit at Clark, where the old airforce base was located. We like staying at Clark because of the awesome import stores they have. Since there used to be mulitudes of American soldiers and families, they built import stores there full of products from the US. Even though the airforce has been gone for a while, the import stores still remain...I LOVE EM'! But, it's funny how that even though they sometimes have US style products, they have an Asian twist...notice the Pringles flavors above (-; It is totally killing me!

April 30-May1 - Bangus Festival

Here in Dagupan, we celebrate the Bangus every year. The bangus is our livelihood here and we depend on it for our survival. It is a fish, for those of you who are not Dagupanians. We even have 4 bangus ponds around our house where our neighbors raise them.

Every year, the whole town celebrates this special fish by having native dances and setting up tables and exhibits throughout the town. Some teens in our church also participated in the dances. They would practice up till 3am sometimes. Each high school participates for prize money for their school.

They also set up a long grill that stretches around the whole city with bangus grilling on it. Ferd has gone the last few years and it is pure chaos. He and the church men decided to have their own Bangus festival here at the church. They grilled bangus and fellowshipped here nearly all night.

April 30, 2010 - TEENS

We have successfully separated the teen group from the college group. Something I wanted to do for a LONG time. Because I just can't teach on certain things that I want to in front of the little 13 year olds, and yet the older college kids need to learn these important truths. Tonight, we started the TEENS only group and they had a great time. More age appropriate, more games and fellowship that was geared toward their mind set. Fridays 6-8 are our official teen night and Sunday 4-6 is for the college level. We will tackling the fun topic of dating for the College group and I am excited to share some fun things with them.

April 30,2010 - Rains!!!!

Welp, the rains are back. Of course, it isn't full fledge rainy season yet so we aren't boading up our windows or anything drastic yet. But, it rained hard today. We had to cancel our Bible Study in the village of Lanas due to not having anywhere to meet )-; We hope that soon we can start building a small shelter. Ferd plans to start rounding up supplies as he can, and try to get a cheap grass/bamboo one up until we can afford an real metal sheet roof.

April 29,2010 - A trip to the past

Today I had ALOT of office work. I had to write and print out/mail a new prayer letter which takes literally a whole day. It also requires a very quiet house for me to think...so, Ferd said that he would take Sean out for some Father & son time and let me have the whole house to myself.

They brought their sling shots and packed some lunches and headed out for a nice day. They didn't come home till nearly supper time! I was starting to get worried. But, they had the best day. First, they shot random things way up in the mountain with their slingshots and then, Ferd decided to take Sean to see how and where he grew up. This is something that they have never done. They drove way up to the place where the road ends, and then they walked way up into the jungle to the hut where Ferd grew up. It has been abandoned and Ferd's parents live a little more closer to civilization now. But, Sean just had no idea what Ferd went through as a child and it meant alot for him to see it. It made a big impression on Sean.

They then went and swam in the ocean ( in the rain) for about 2 hours. they had a blast!