Crazy Adventures in the Life of a Redhead

I have a lot of pictures to share with all of you. It is amazing how many pictures you can take when you are with two other girls who also love taking pictures. (I mean, I have never seen girls who love pictures as much as these two I was traveling with. It was hilarious. I felt like I was their personal photographer.) This was my last week in Baguio, and I spent most of it cooking and typing outlines that I was entering into the computer for the school. I cannot say that I completed the job, but I did my best. It is tougher than you think and more tedious to type into the computer already composed material. I can blab on my blog for hours, but trying to type out a copy of an already typed outline is like poking myself with needles. Another reason why I was not as productive as I would have liked was because I cooked a lot. Yes, cooking was much more attractive. That is why I would choose chef over administrative assistant any day. Give me a whisk and wooden spoon and keep your keyboar...

Graduation I loved getting ready for graduation. Well, maybe love is not the right word because that implies that it went off without a hitch, which is definitely not true. I had my fair share of humbling, especially in the preparation process. I was given few assignments as usual, but I knew that I was the automatic fill-in when someone was unable to do something, the token support girl. I put on my cheery face, which is kind of a permanent sight around here because I am so full of joy these days and just want to help, and I set myself to being as available as possible. I kept myself out of people’s hair for the most part, but as people were doing their respective tasks, I would pop my head in and ask if anyone needed any help. I got a few bites, which made me smile. When the staff met together to go over all the details for graduation, they paid me a great compliment that sure made me feel good. They said that whenever I am in the area, they sure would love to have me help them out a...

As a final adventure for the students, we decided that after our mission trip, we would make a short detour on the return trip to two very famous places in the Philippines—Banaue and Sagada—that few Filipinos ever visit. It is surprising how close most Filipinos remain to their hometowns throughout their lives. I would say that 90 % of the students saw more things in these last nine months than they have seen in their past however many years. It was exciting to see them experience these new sights, and I learned to put their desires and their excitement ahead of my own. It was liberating to travel with such a large group of people and to just be okay doing whatever we had the time to do. This event was much different from anything else I have ever experienced in that I was the chaperon but also the tourist. I embraced my role and appreciated some nuances about sightseeing I had never considered beforehand. For instance, usually I am a voracious traveler in that I go every which way I f...

Nueva Vizcaya: A place of rice fields and mountains I think that Nueva Vizcaya is the closest place to paradise that I have seen since coming to the Philippines because of the pristine landscape of rice fields and mountain peaks. As we drove along, I was immersed in reading my Bible and a great memoir when all of a sudden I looked up and saw such grandeur that it almost took my breath away. I am continually amazed at the diversity one can find in this small island nation about the size of Arizona when compacted together. The best type of rice is grown in the mountain areas, in my opinion. It is much heartier than the plain white rice found elsewhere. It is red in hue and much more expensive than the white. That is why few people eat it regularly, or they will mix it with the white rice, which creates a ruddy color that is pleasing to the eye. I could eat the red rice until the day I die, but I must say that I weary a little in eating the white stuff. I miss grains such as couscous, qui...

I have decided to make this part 17 into two chapters because I want to post something right away and need some time to consider how to write about our mission trip to Nueva Vizcaya, which was very thought provoking and lesson engendering. I need to carefully construct my thoughts and reflections in order to make them clear for all of you and give a proper rendition of the two-day experience. We are nearing the end of this Filipino adventure. I have five weeks left, but only one and a half weeks remaining with the students. They have become like family and it will be sad to see them go although I am confident that they will do great things. I feel strong and centered on my purpose of serving the Lord Jesus Christ and get excited everyday for what I must do and for what is coming. I have a whole basket full of great books to be read, but with graduation coming, they are lying dormant, waiting for the right time to enter into my life. Glad to have a full schedule again, reminding me of m...

My Foray into the Philippines, Pt. 16 San Jose, Nueva Ecija Welcomes Me In October 2009, I went on a mission trip to Nueva Ecija with the students and staff. It was the first weekend of being in the Philippines; so needless to say, it was quite a memorable experience. I really admired the pastors who welcomed us into their church and sponsored the outreaches our group facilitated. I met those pastors again at Come to the River 2010 and they invited me to come back to their church for a visit. As my remaining weekends started to fill up with activities and trips, I was left with this past weekend as my only free weekend to visit these precious pastors and their church. When I asked the director of the Bible school if it was okay to make a weekend trip out of my visit, she told me I should have a companion because the area is not too safe for lonely foreign travelers. A rebel group called the New People’s Army hides out in the mountains surrounding the area, and these brigands have appre...