the nations

One of my favorite songs that our home church in Kansas City introduced us to was "You Said" by Hillsong. If you've never heard it, go find it, and give it a listen.

I had missed singing it when we came here, though, so I was surprised when we sang it in chapel last week. There I stood with my sisters and brothers, these who have become great friends, from places like Myanmar, China, Korea, Philippines, India, Russia, and Columbia, asking God for the nations. I don't know about the whole earth yet, but God's glory filled that place.

And there I stood with them--a privilege--declaring that the distant shores and islands would see God's light, which, from where we stood then, included North America as well. Praise God for His goodness, wisdom, and forever faithful love that is speaking to the nations.

Pictures from our trip to Baguio

This past weekend we went on a trip with some friends to a city in the Philippines called Baguio City. It is located, here:


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We took a lot of pictures which will mostly likely appear on fb, but here are just a few to whet your appetite :)

A Beautifully Foggy Day

Glen and His First Cup of Coffee

"Traditional" Pose

The Market

Dancing the Night Away with the Wii

From an Avacado

Just last week we found an avocado tree and we picked some avocados! For some reason I was very excited about all this. My wife thought I was way too excited--Avocados! (She knows that I'm really allergic to them.) Katie looked at me and smiled, wondering why I was this happy about avocados I could not eat.

For some reason, I think trees have property lines. People own property, and if the tree is in your property, then that tree is yours. If the tree has fruit, then the fruit is yours, but since the tree is not mine, the fruit cannot be mine either, unless I pay for it.

On campus, however, there are so many fruits--coconuts, mangos, avocados... And they are for anyone! Now, you cannot just pick all the fruit for yourself. That would just be selfish. But it is so exciting to pick fruit straight from a tree when walking down the path. Or sometime on a break from class, workers climb the coconut trees and pick the buko to share with anyone who is nearby.

I was so excited about this small avocado that we had in our apartment. In Eden you could just pick a fruit off the tree. We got to thinking--maybe this is what it must have been like there.

I told Katie that if I could paint (which I can't, really), but if I could, one of the paintings I would put together would be like that. In the foreground there is a grove or an orchard with two kids playing in them. One climbing the closest. All their leaves a verdant green, waving like an ocean of life in the wind. And in the background is a warm glow. Maybe it's the sun. Maybe it's not.

The girl is in the tree sitting with the boy. Quite content. Ya' know, a little bit Rockwell. And the girl is looking back over her shoulder with a smile, waving someone up. "Come on up here!" You know how little children are. And you can tell its a person by the way they cast a shadow, but maybe its not a shadow. Maybe its that warm glow from before, and its in the shape of a person. And maybe its God climbing a tree with them.

What a special time that must have been for God. The two kids, Adam and Eve, they had no Daddy but God (or mother for that matter). God was their only teacher. Can you see it? God teaching boy Adam how to name the animals, or how to name math? Teaching girl Eve how to name the sky blue or how to run through fields.

And it got ruined somehow. I asked Katie if she thought God remembered those times--those times with His children Adam and Eve. She thought he did. Maybe God reminisces, catches Himself thinking about them when He's not supposed to be--you know when He's supposed to be busy with work, busy running the Cosmos or something. Catches Himself looking out onto the land out there, at the oceans of trees and feels something small twitch, break.

And then I thought, maybe that's why He's been struggling all these years. He's been pushing, working, chasing to get back there--and not really back there as if all He does is dream after the past. But forging ahead a bright new world where He is once again their creator and they His children. And maybe that's why He struggled for me and for you. He wants to be there, in that place with us. Not really making us children again, but making us His children again.

I think it made sense at that point. Why Jesus marched Himself up a high hill bleeding all over Himself.

That's why He's making His way again, working around the clock. To get His family back. His second firstborn Son has started bringing them all back. And its not over yet :) But now, God has to make room for His grandchildren, and He has to make room for His great grandchildren, and their grandchildren, and their...

And there it will be again, learning from Him, and loving Him. There in groves of green avocado trees with an unfading light.

Anniversary, Year #3

Today Jeff and I have been married three years. I can honestly say that each time we come around to an anniversary it feels like we have been given a giant blessing. Thank God for each year we have together!

We celebrated by watching a movie on Friday and bringing home a tiramisu cake from a glorious franchise bakery called Red Ribbon. Our friends helped us "appreciate" the cake on Saturday evening. Hooray for year #3!

Tiramisu is an anniversary tradition for Jeff and myself since we brought it home with us the night we got engaged. There's a great story in there about eating on the patio of Buca di Beppo, raindrops just starting as they delivered our dessert. Completely stuffed with pasta, we wrapped it up just in time to run through a DOWNPOUR to our car several blocks away. It was one of those scenes like from a movie where we just couldn't stop laughing as we slipped and splashed around. I was actually sad to see the car in view and said, dripping with sweetness, "You know you have to kiss me before we get in the car, right?" Anyone who knows Jeff can understand why I expected him to just laugh and say, "I don't HAVE to do anything," but he shocked me when he smiled and said, "Yup." Ha! So, completely soaked, we reached the car and made good on that kiss (though seriously, it was like buckets of water being thrown on our heads. kinda hard to even make contact) as he reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring and popped the question. Hehe, I'm just glad that ring didn't wash away.

So the cake isn't the traditional tiramisu we get every year, but it was pretty wonderful all on its own.

And I made Jeff an anniversary card. If you can't tell, Captain America is holding up 3 fingers in honor of our big day. Thanks, Cap!

It's summer here in the Philippines. That means a couple things: 1) IT'S HOT!! and 2) we finished our first semester here. And just to punctuate our halfway point we were blessed to have the most amazing visit from Jeff's parents and sister Jami during the first week of this month. I'm pretty sure it would be impossible to exaggerate how much we enjoyed spending time with them. We got to show off this place that has been home to us. They slept in our apartment building, explored our campus, went to our church, met a lot of our amazing friends (and ate their amazing cooking), experienced public transportation in all its glorious variety and saw a bit of the city as we fumbled our way through it. But on top of that we got the chance to travel outside the city with them. We hadn't had a chance to do that since we got here. We'd just stuck to the metro, the extent of our travel usually having something to do with immigration. So we set out on a mini vacation to Mindoro. That's where I fell in love. I'd never seen a beach like that. I'd never seen a mountain covered with a palm tree forest. I'd never seen a coral reef. I would love to indulge in a lengthy poeticism about the natural beauty exploding from the place, but instead I will share some pictures. You can find more on my (Katie's) facebook.

ferry ride

Caribou cart ride

skipping rocks on a gorgeous wave

so clear you can see all the rocks

... and even Jami's feet

I've never thought about a dense wood of palm trees.

I have seen sunsets, but they never get old.

That's a really wonderful family (but missed you Belchers!)

Of course the saddest part was not leaving island, not by a long shot. It was so hard to say goodbye to the Anglins! The parting was all muffled up with Jeff having a revisit of his digestion troubles which kept him stuck at home (and me back and forth at the hospital) instead of taking full advantage of our last day together. I was really grief-stricken, but a lot of prayers went up on our behalf that day and Jeff was able to spend some good moments with them afterall. And I got some unexpected quality time with my mother-in-law who volunteered to brave the rain with me and wait around an hour getting test results. (Since then, Jeff has been getting better and better, by the way. We really thank God and believe He heard all the prayers!!)

And then they were gone. It happened right at our 6-month mark. People have told us this is the time it gets really difficult. Maybe less so for us because we know we only plan to stay a year, but we are feeling it. But let me tell you a secret: God didn't leave us without a fall-back for the homesickness. Even that first night our friends were at our apartment, lifting our spirits with the usual Filipino flair. We continue to rely on them a lot! Another unexpected spirit-lifter was a set of videos Robin gave us from a prayer conference. Seems we don't get to wallow too much because we are being challenged to pray (and prayer is not for the lazy). More on that soon!

Love, Katie.

Believe it or not, those costumed soldiers are about to nail a man up on a cross. Here in the Philippines there is a city called San Fernando; and every year since the 1950's there has been a group here that reenacts the crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday. I got to go and see it two days ago--it was super hot, and I have the sunburn to prove it.

It was a very interesting experience. I went with a professor, Dr. Fletcher Tink, and some of his students. We all noticed how different this crucifixion was to Christ's, but Dr. Tink also noted how similar it must have been. The day was a total spectical. There were vendors constantly walking up to me to ask if I wanted to buy a hat or a drink. After I bought a hat, some came up to ask if I wanted to buy another one. There were police in camo with M-16's standing guard--real ones this time, and I'm not sure why. It seemed rather extreme for scaring away pick-pockets. There were indeed pick pockets there, too. Many people, mostly those who were obviously tourists, came to the registration tent to report that their wallet or camera had gone missing. The news was present, and there was a special area for out of town guests. And after the two Jesus's were nailed to the cross, the people cleared out. Dr. Tink noted that for Jesus' crucifixion, there were soldiers, officials, and probably out-of-towners and messengers as well. He suspected there might have even been vendors.

We talked to a local about the events, and we asked if the actors and those who whipped themselves would still do it if tourists didn't come. He said they probably would. Even still, the event seemed to be a spectacle to me. I know for those who engaged in these forms of penitence, it was very real, and it was an important statement of faith and devotion to them. It still seemed unreal that there could be a salesperson selling Sponge-Bob and Dora the Explora balloons while two men are being nailed to a cross.

I realized that Jesus death was a spectacle when it happened. Only a handful of people present believed in who He really was. Everyone else present treated His death with little regard. His life was without value to them. He was just another nameless face, who would die just another nameless death. All the while, people were probably selling stuff in the background. He was just another nobody who was only worthwhile, because he provided a profitable venue.

One of the musicians that I have discovered later in my young life is Rich Mullins. He wrote one song called, "Man of No Reputation," and the lyrics of the chorus are:

He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise considered a fool
When He spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled "

Jesus, you lived and died, and rose again without seeing fame or worldly power. But your kingdom is not of this world, and your fame does not come the praise of humanity. On that day, with only a handful of people knowing what was going on, you were plunged into death, without being consumed, like five men in the fire, who did not even smell like smoke. You went to the land of the dead, and busted down its doors. Your death may have seemed meaningless spectacle at the time, but you have found it pleasing

to proclaim good news to the poor

to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19)

And you have risen again. In suffering an ignoble death, by lowering yourself to the pitiable level of humans, you have raised us up to the grace of God.

Lord, we thank you for your immeasurable gift, and we pray, teach us to live the love you have given us.

entamoeba histolytica

Sure, it looks friendly...

Apartment photos

I know that this has been way too long in coming. These are pictures of our Apt.


The Wardrobe (the item of furniture that single-handedly turns our "single bedroom with stove and sink" into a "single bedroom with KITCHEN")



You see here our counter-top, water jugs, refrigerator and dish shelf. At one point, and I am not making this up, ants were living IN the countertop. We have since had it sprayed and no ants.


Our table, chairs, shelf, and couch. And yes, that wooden panel is where an air conditioner could be, but we are going to persevere through the heat.


This window looks out on the Donald Owens building which used to house the library. Now the library is in the NCEE building.

Tomorrow, more pictures...

Balot/Balut

Yes, we ate it. If you do not know what it is, just wikipedia "balut (egg)".


Our Filipino friends say it is a night-time food. I think that's so you don't have to see it when you eat it. We had the 13 day old eggs. These are the younger eggs. The chick isn't as developed. Some of the pictures of balut on google show the more mature eggs that you can get. Ours did not have feathers and beaks so it was not too bad.

As for the taste, it was really a lot like a hard boiled egg. This makes sense, because they boil the egg. We ate them with salt and vinegar. Katie thought the inside tasted like chicken soup.

After my first try, I remain unsure. I will have to give it another go to make a decision one way or another.

Why are we here?

So now it's my turn to contribute a blog entry. There are at least a hundred things we've experienced in the last few weeks that could serve as material, but I think I'd like to start with trying to answer the question, "Why are we here?"

It's funny, because all through the stress of getting here, Jeff and I kept prepping ourselves for that question. We knew we'd face it in the moments Manila didn't feel like home. We had a variety of different answers stored up:

...to learn and experience another culture together for a whole year (in case you never received the memo, we want to do missions).
...to take classes in a non-western context.
...to have our first experience abroad be one in which we listen and learn rather than lead or direct (I personally like that one a lot. Oliver, don't you think that raises our Cultural Intelligence?).

But I've got to tell you... ever since we got here, my mission has been of one driving, single-minded purpose: ...to get acclimated.

Adjustment is the name of the game. I keep telling Jeff it will be better when we start to feel comfortable in our own room, for starters. and so we've been to the nearby shopping mall almost everyday buying cleaning supplies, a mirror, hangers, linens, kitchen stuff, you name it... And we've scrubbed and swept, arranged furniture, unpacked. I set my darling Richard on the end table to welcome visitors. Sure enough, in spite of heat and the critters and the one million unknowns, it is starting to look and feel somewhat like home.


So I was a little flustered the other day as I was preparing for a Bible placement exam I probably didn't really have to take. The study guide recommended re-familiarizing myself with the Hebrews 11 Super-Bible-Star FAITH CHAPTER (I hope you read those last two words with reverb because that's how I wrote them). Don't get me wrong, this is an undoubtedly wonderful chapter, but please, if you will, re-live the gut-punch with me.

"By faith Abraham... made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a a foreign country; he lived in tents... For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God... [Abraham and others] admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead they were longing for a better country -a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."

Did you feel the collapsing of my all-consuming goal to "feel at home"? I wasn't so surprised after thinking about it a little more. Since when has getting comfortable ever been on the same plane with seeking the Kingdom of God? Well, it may be Christianity 101, but it is not easy. Here's to a new goal that requires a lifetime of "living by faith." Lord help me.

Katie

Flight of the Phillies

Last week, before we left for the Philippines, we were waiting for our visas to arrive by a postal carrier that will remain nameless. The visas were supposed to arrive in Kokomo (we were staying at Katie's parents' house) by way of overnight shipping. It should have arrived on Thursday. What we found out by email on Thursday was that the package arrived in Kokomo, IN, but the carrier thought the address didn't match anywhere in Indiana, so they shipped it off to Pennsylvania where an address matched it more closely. They decided to only email us... I wish they would have called us to make sure it was the right address. Either way, we found out on Thursday and after asking nicely in every way possible we found out that our overnight shipment to Indiana which became an overnight shipment to Pennsylvania could not become an overnight shipment back to Indiana.

In the end, we decided the best way to get our package before our flight (6:30 Monday morning) was for me to fly to Philadelphia that day and go out to the customer center and pick it up in person. I went on an adventure, flew to Philadelphia, got the rental car with my google directions in hand and drove to the customer center. And here is where the wheels came off the kart. Right after the clerk punches in my tracking number, the power goes out. She can't use the computer or find my package. After some time and a number of cell phone calls, they miraculously found the package. Long story short, people were praying and God delivered the visas back into our hands. It turns out God must want us here after all.

I am not sure if there is one specific reason or many, but it seems to me that there is a purpose for which God has allowed us to come halfway around the world to learn. Thanks be to God.

Packed and Moved

Last Friday, Katie and I threw all of our earthly possessions into a trailer, a GMC Yukon, and Mercury Sable. We drove back to Fort Wayne, IN where we unloaded everything. The week leading up to the move was so stressful, it is still a blur to me.

I had a manager from our apartment complex coming at 4:00 to check out our apartment. I was not sure that I was going to make the 4:00 deadline. In each room, I pushed all of the boxes to one side, cleaned half of the room, then moved all of them to the other side and cleaned that. As for the kitchen, there was still food left in the fridge and in the cabinets. God must have heard those prayers said under my breath, because I was done cleaning and moving things out at 3:55pm. My parents got there and we loaded everything up into the cars. We celebrated by eating some RJ's Barbecue. We decided that our last meal in KC should be some true KC food.

I ordered these two items:


It was pretty good. My advice, go check it out for yourself and have some of the best barbecue in KC. After a good meal we got in the cars and headed off to Fort Wayne.


Next Time on the Adventures of Jeff and Katie, Jeff goes on the epic-est side-quest of his life as he tracks down their lost artifacts in, "Raiders of the Lost Visas."