A Rainy but Blessed Start in the Philippines



I am happy to be back in the Philippines with a family I love dearly (Happy Family Bible Training Center) although I miss Senegal and the African continent. The weather is much more agreeable and I love the fact that I am eating much more vegetables than in Senegal. I have to say, I am not pining for Ceb bu Jen (greasy rice and fish and overcooked vegetables but fairly tasty when eaten in small quantities). I have 17 students and am a part of a staff of three faithful colleagues and three novices who have joined within the last two years.
The Philippines has two seasons: rainy and dry; but the rainy can be really rainy—serious flooding and torrential downpour—or consistent rain—once a day for several hours. Thankfully, I have only experienced the latter because rain can become a bit tiring when clothing does not dry (the sun is the only dryer we have), books mildew, moldy smells stagnate and dampness never lifts from the air. I have yet to establish a period in which I get out and exercise, but I am sure that will happen once the rains become more sporadic with increasing sunshine.
While here at the Bible school, I am going to share a weekly verse from the Bible. I hope you will have the chance to contemplate the words. May God give you grace and understanding.
(Luke 18: 7-8) “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Going Bald So I finally went through the shaving of my head, which I have wanted to do for a long time. It was a really interesting experience: I did it while I was in Bicol because I wanted the staff to see me without any hair, as I had been discussing it with them for the past month. They are so great! No one said that I would look bad without hair or that I would be a disgrace or something, but they had some practical questions I needed to consider. One said: “You shouldn’t shave your head because the mosquitos will get you even worse!” And another said, “Are you sure you want to shave your head? You are going to need a lot of extra sunscreen!” Both of these comments are certainly true. Without hair, one loses her natural protection against the elements, but I was too set on shaving that I simply laughed and had a good time with their comments. I cut my hair short in stages, which you can see from the pictures. (The first was taken in May 2009 at my college’s research symposium. The...
Read more

Glimpse of Beautiful Ecuador

Image
In Cotopaxi National Park --> Since arriving at the end of September, I had been almost exclusively on the farm in Ibarra, in northern Ecuador. Although I have loved being on the farm, dedicating my efforts and time to the activities of this peaceful milieu, I was happy to be able to explore some fantastic parts of Ecuador. My boyfriend, Alex, joined me for a nine-day adventure around central and eastern Ecuador. We traveled to Cotopaxi National Park, where the second highest peak in Ecuador is located, to Tena and La Selva Vida (the rainforest) and to Ba ñ os, a breath-taking area of waterfalls and green-gilded mountains. I found this snow-capped peak quite mesmerizing, as it appeared from and disappeared behind the clouds. Cotopaxi National Park is about one and a half hours from Quito, the capital, so it was our first stop. We stayed at a fabulous hostel in the middle of nowhere at 11,000 feet, where all our meals were provided. Even though we did not summit t...
Read more

College Friends in China and Los Angeles

Image
Starting the walk up and down the Great Wall at Mutianyu Dinner potluck party at Esther's home My friends from high school and college are all around the country and the globe, so I was blessed to see three college friends this past February before starting a new vocation on Raspberry Hill Farm in Sullivan, WI. I started the month with a two-week trip to southern China to pay a visit to my friend, Esther, who works for the State Department at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, a city of 18 million people. She will be there for two years, starting back in November, so I was glad to have the opportunity to see her in her new realm of work and society. While she worked most days, I took my time to read and do CrossFit work outs, knowing that once I returned to WI, I would have a lot of items on my plate, transitioning into a new career. I enjoyed seeing her home, meeting her friends and eating and cooking together. She even hosted one of my friends from high school, who happen...
Read more