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Thanks for stopping by and God bless!

Char Lang!

I have a funny story to tell. It's about some stuff I said the other day, all in Visayan. I'll provide the translation in parentheses after the Visayan. So here goes...

Friday night I went to a youth fellowship gathering at a friend's house in Agdao. He works with YWAM and has helped out at the ministries I've been working with. He had asked me if I would share a word of encouragement to the kids. I agreed and went there this past Friday evening, for the first time. I don't think I had met many, if any, of these kids before.

Now that you know the setting, here's the story.

September and October 2011

So much to do...so little time. That is the flow of my days since coming back from break.

I have caught 10 babies in my time back here. I hear rumors that the month of October involves about 280 or so pregnant women who are due. :)

September and October have been stretching months for me, I have encountered tough experiences, but come face-to-face with life and death (that delicate balance), God and His sovereignty.

Some things I can check off my {100 interesting experiences before I die}

1. I experienced first-hand a bloody mess. And no I don't mean the British expression. I mean fully-soaked-front-of-my-scrubs with blood.
   {Visualize an exploding can of spaghetti sauce, close range paint gun shot...whatever helps you 'walk' in my shoes} :)
   Hence I learned CCT (controlled cord traction to help placenta out) + mom ALSO pushing = bloody mess

Happy Birthday!

Here's a photo dedicated to my mother, whose birthday is today.

(Taken yesterday at a beach-side party for the daughter of missionary friends)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Typhoon and Flooding

So it's been a while since we have said anything on here. Well, not much is happening (at least that feels worthy of a blog entry). We are back into the daily grind. Christina is busy with the clinic. She had a few busy days with a catch in two or three consecutive days. But it is going really well.

And now begins "Year 2"

Our return trip to the Philippines began with a hurricane named Irene. What's the relation? Well, let me tell you.

It began with the simple fact that our initial flight was to depart from the Newark airport in New Jersey around noon on Sunday, August 28. A few days prior to the flight, someone told me that there might be a hurricane off the New Jersey coast mid-day Sunday. I'll admit my first thoughts were, "Oh that's nice. Now we'll get wet going in and out of the vehicle." But after three or four people said something about it, we decided to check into it.

Thursday night we heard that some airlines were waiving the fees associated with changing flights for anyone going through airports in the potentially affected area. So on Friday we looked at what other options we would have. Long story short, we decided that a 6:00 am flight on Sunday from Harrisburg, PA would be a better choice. That meant getting up by 2:00 and an 8-hour layover in Detroit, but it seemed to be the best option available.

First impressions...Back in the US on break!

Waiting in Davao airport

I'd like to think that I was one of those people who successfully documents their life in a journal. But the truth is, I only sparingly journal in a lined paper notebook sometimes. And I have an odd tendency to skip pages, so it's not even in chronological order. My one effort to be disorganized. ;)

So, since I'm back in the land of my birth I thought I would post some thoughts and reflections I've had recently. The flights...from Davao to Manila (philippine's capital) we then flew to Nagoya, Japan & then to Detroit (our longest one at about 13 hours). Our last flight was from Detroit, Michigan to Philadelphia, PA. We were greeted by Josh's parents who drove us home. Josh was quite the talkative one at that point. I had only cat-napped in our 30+ flight hours home, so I was crashing. I mostly slept the car ride home from Philly to our cozy home in Stevens, PA. It was beyond delightful to slip between the covers of our bed (yeah, I'm odd I suppose, I've been dreaming of this mattress here for awhile...but it's SO cozy). You know, it's the 'little things in life' I am starting to appreciate most. :)

Countdown

Well, it's been a while now. We've been quite busy lately with various activities, not the least of which includes planning for our return visit to our homeland. That's right. And it's approaching rather quickly now. In 36 hours we'll be in the airport in Davao. Our flight leaves around 10:00 pm Sunday evening (which will be 10:00 am Sunday morning back home) for the 1 hour 45 minute flight to Manila. We stay there for about 6 hours, then leave on our 18 hour flight to Detroit (with one stop in Nagoya, Japan). After about 2 hours, we fly to Philadelphia, arriving a little after 3:30 in the afternoon (local time). In all, our travel time is about 30 hours. We're not really looking forward to all of that. But we are looking forward to being home for a visit.

For anyone who is interested, we have scheduled two times for sharing our stories from the past year. On August 7 we will be sharing at our home church, Blainsport Mennonite Church, during the 10:00 am service. Also, on August 24 we will be sharing at my parents' church, Ephrata United Zion Church, during their Prayer & Praise service at 6:30 pm. We are interested in sharing more, so please let us know if you have a group interested in hearing our stories.

Well, I'll try to find some time in an airport to update about our travels, but I can't promise that I'll remember, have the time or find a free wireless connection. But we'll try to keep you posted on our whereabouts.

Now, it's time to start packing! See you soon!

Bukid outreach June 20, 2011

This long overdue series of posts is about my time in the Bukid.

June 20^th Bukid outreach

Team members:

Ate Mary Jean (midwife for many years, appointed in overseeing prenatals & child immunizations in about 5 villages scattered in the mountains)

Genivive & her baby (wife to Ronie, village midwife; responsible for the 2 villages we visited; Patel & Langan)

Christina -me :)

Ronie (wife to Genivive; one of our drivers & cook during the trip)

Mary (midwife & volunteer at Mercy, also a very close friend)

Jordan & Sarah (2 summer interns; wonderful ladies)

Kuya Jennie (motorbike driver & cook for the trip)

Goals:
-Travel to the village of Langan and other village Patel.
-Conduct prenatal exams
-Provide tetanus immunizations to the pregnant moms
-Provide a health teaching (topics this time: Sanitation/Hand washing & Danger signs of Pregnancy
-Infant/Child immunizations (for example MMR)

Random facts:

*Genivive is from the same village as some of the other Filipina Mercy midwives; she also worked there for about 2 years.

*Kuya Jennie is an older brother of Willa (one of Mercy's midwives)

*Midwives Ate Mary Jean & Genivive are from the Manobo tribe reaching out to their own tribe located in more rural areas in the mountains thru midwifery.

*The villages we visited spoke Manobo as their primary language & then Visayan.

The further you travel into the mountains, the less the different tribal people groups understand Visayan, the 'national' language of Tagalog is also not understood.

You can click on the word Manobo to read about this people group profile, quite a fascinating read!

Trip begins with us leaving on a non-aircon bus around 10:30 on June 20^th.

Sarah, Jordan, Mary and I traveled 1.5 hours to Tagum. First stop of the trip, at this bus terminal we stopped to get some lunch. Then went on a crowded jeepney headed to Kapalong (ka-POL-ong). At Kapalong we were to meet Ate Mary Jean, but it just so happened she was riding in the same jeepney there as we were! Quite random.
Once reaching Kapalong, our motorobike drivers (Kuya Ronie & Jennie) took us to Ate Mary Jean's village of Tagpopo-ot.
We arrived there around 2:30pm.
Mary really wanted to reconnect with her Filipina friend Ate Maribel (she had met her during her previous visits to this village & on another outreach). We got to check out Ate Maribel's house and eat some merienda (snack...homemade fried plantain chips...so yummy). While Mary and Ate Maribel caught up, Jordan, Sarah and I watched a evangelistic movie in Manobo. Produced by Vernacular Media Network, the film company's ministry is to “proclaim the Gospel to under-evangelized indigenous people groups in Asia beginning with the Manobo tribes in Central Mindanao.” Also to “evangelize, edify, equip & exalt God through media ministry.” How exciting!!

We had a simple, but delicious supper of rice, fish/vegetable stew/soup and sweet/tangy cucumbers. Us girls did some planning for our prenatal health teachings that we would present the next day. Then we settled in for a comfy sleep under our blue mosquito netting. :)

Bukid outreach June 2011

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Back from the Bukid

Let me start by saying, THANK-YOU to all those who have kept up on reading our blog and updates and emails. We are so blessed by a community of caring people.

Ever hear the term: boondocks?

Wikipedia defines it as: a remote, usually brushy rural area

I learned that this term is actually from the Visayan word: bukid.

This past week I and 3 other missionary volunteers here in Davao went to the bukid (pronounced BOO-kid), Visayan word for mountains.

We had the opportunity to serve alongside 2 Filipina midwives from the Manobo tribe, who serve people in the rural mountain villages here.

I will post way more details later, but here's a few pictures to peak your interest!

Just a glimpse of God's beautiful handiwork in these lush, thriving mountains.

Me in front of the swelling river (full from the recent rains).

View from Ate Mary Jean's home (in Tagpopoot)

Thanks for reading...

A coming deadline...

Thank you family, friends and caring people (I've yet to meet in person), our hearts are overflowing with gratefulness at the generous gifts of time, money and prayers on our behalf.

This post is a recap of where Josh and I have come in this journey in the Philippines, what our current needs are and more so what's pressing on our hearts right now.

Pull up a chair, grab a glass of meadow tea and sit a spell with me...oh and maybe grab some tissues.

My inspiration today...

A missed lunch.

My time spent labor watching and supporting an active first-time mom.

Momma tired from a long night of no sleep the day before and vomiting.

Simple words and gestures given...

Rubbing her back during a contraction, giving her water, telling her "you are strong...you are amazing".

From 4 cm dilated to 8 cm in seven hours.

Amazing strength and pain tolerance despite her exhaustion.

But wait, it gets better.

Side note: I love my 'job'...yes being 'with a woman' throughout her pregnancy, labor and delivery pulls & tugs at me on all levels (physically, emotionally, spiritually)...I feel so privileged to be attaining this knowledge. And more times than not, my pregnant momma is the teacher. :)

So, how could the strength of a momma in labor get better?

And now, introducing...

new blog content!

That's right. Long ago we started preparing a new section to our blog. You may have noticed the links above that say "Recipes Home" and "Recipes Search". If you checked them out before, you saw that it would be coming soon. Well, the time has arrived!

Clicking on the recipes links above will now take you to the recipe section of our blog. There you will find local recipes we have learned (Tinolang Manok), breads we have learned to make (Honey & Oats Bread) as well as old favorites (Vietnam Fried Rice).

Almost all of the recipes have pictures! We hope to be adding more recipes as we learn more or find new favorites. So check it out now and check back often!

Just found out

All I can say is God is:

Source

Mortgage payment + adequate income = no worries :)

Now, factor in quitting your job to travel many miles overseas and renting your house to cover the mortgage. A good remedy until you need to find new renters. Right?!

'tis the season

Hmm, the title sounds like it should be around Christmas.

Filipino summertime (school summer break of April & May) has just ended and a new school year is starting. At the same time, US schools are winding down their school year and our summer is upon us.

Summer = volunteer breaks.

Summer + volunteer breaks = influx of summer intern volunteers.

The opportunity to meet a whole lotta people from around the world (well this time mainly the US), it's exciting but also involves a lot of talking/teaching/sharing. And yes, overcoming my shyness. I don't particularly jump at the chance to meet a bunch of people I don't know. Actually, I kinda get nervous, dread it etc. But, in encountering Filipino women in prenatals and the birthroom it's different. I feel I have a purpose, we can small talk but I am striving to relate to them & help with their well-being & their baby.

So, if you're chuckling (that's understandable) because many people may think me as outgoing and a people person...But it's true I have these 'discomforts'. Once I know you and feel comfortable, well it's a little different.

Anniversary Celebration

So last month we celebrated three years of marriage. To celebrate, we took a trip to a resort on Samal Island. We had visited Ilihan Beach Resort, and we decided it would be worth the difficulties of getting there. Overall, it was not very difficult, but it definitely was a new experience for us. And generally speaking, I do not like "new" experiences when I am in charge, yet at the mercy of others (or dependent on them). So it was challenging and stretching, but absolutely worth it!

Interesting Tidbits from Today

Today I ate lunch with some of the volunteers from the Wednesday night ministry. We ate at a Filipino restaurant named Penong's. You can get unlimited rice with many meal options. Today we had barbecue chicken with rice and some kind of soup. You can get a similar meal at several other local restaurants.

The guys took a jeepney to get there while the girls all rode in a car and had arrived first. A few minutes after the guys arrived, four girls got up together and left the table. I thought, "Wow. I guess it's not just American women who go to the bathroom in groups." Now in all fairness, they may have just gone to wash their hands, which is common as many Filipinos are accustomed to eating with their hands. But still, they went in a group. And I'm not saying anything is wrong. I simply noticed that a common practice in the US also occurred here in Davao. What I do not know is if it is common here too, or if today was just a kind of coincidence.

Update

So what's going on? Well, it's late. I'll be awake again in about 6 hours. So I'll keep this brief, but I wanted to write something.

Last week on Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to share. Well, Ezekiel 33:11 had been on my mind for a little bit. And the verses that follow are a very close parallel to Ezekiel 18. So I ended up sharing from chapter 18, about how each person is accountable for his own choices. It was a little difficult, first because someone had to translate for me, but secondly because I was just developing a cold and it was a little hard to speak clearly. But it worked out okay. I tried hard not to let my own words get in the way of anything God wanted to say through His spirit.

And now tomorrow I will be spending the day with some of these boys and leaders at Hagimit Falls. I'll be up early to see Christina off to day shift, and then I'll pack my stuff. I'm looking forward to spending time with these boys, but I fear the whole language barrier thing is going to be a bit of a problem. But I won't let it dampen my spirits. It will be a good day!

Let us not forget~

A Mother's Job Description

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the Motor Registration office, was asked by the

counter clerk to state her occupation.

She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

"What I mean is," explained the counter clerk, "do you have a job or are you just a ...?"

"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. "I'm a Mum."

"We don't list 'Mum' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it," said the clerk emphatically. I

forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our

own Medicare office.

On my mind- when life isn't rosy

Living in a foreign country or place changes you—or at least it should.

I know it changed me before and is changing me now. My farming community suburbia of Lancaster, PA has rudely shifted to the gray shades of cement, homes behinds walls/barbed with the bustle & noise of an almost sleepless city.

~(a few times) I came home from a clinic shift at 6:30 am to encounter a man sleeping on our apartment steps. It had rained quite hard during the night, and I'm sure the covered open garage-like structure of the apartment complex kept the rain off him. Did I wake him up, invite him in for a meal or wake him up and tell him to leave? Well, neither...I actually didn't quite know what to do, I turned the key quietly, glanced nervously at him, gently stepped over him and closed the door.~

The Price is Right

So let's play a game. Shall we?

Yesterday I went to the local market to buy a few things (pictured below). How much money do you think it all cost, in approximate dollars? Your guess should include the cost of a motorbike ride to the market and a trysikad ride home from the market, which is probably about a mile away (about a 5 minute ride).

¼ watermelon, 2 avocado, 3 oranges, 10 tomatoes, 1 papaya

Update

So what's new with us? Well, for starters, we have been happily married for three years now! Last week we celebrated our anniversary by spending two nights at a resort on Samal Island. After I process my many pictures from the trip, I'll post some of them and talk a little about the resort. It was really nice. It reminded us of camping more than being at a resort, which suited us just fine. It was nice to see some greenery and hear some animals again.

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Where has time gone?

Wow 7 months into this journey of following the passion God has placed in my hearts~to help pregnant moms birth healthy babies. Valuing the vulnerable and underserved women and babies because they are precious!

(Click on the image to see a closer view)

The above photo mosaic is courtesy of http://bighugelabs.com/. It's free and fun for picture arranging. :)

Not in any specific order I have posted Baby catches #8 through 15. Even though getting to assist the mom as she pushes her little one into the world is crazy thrilling...I still enjoy more the 'ooo and awww' of enjoying the little bundle after they're out. At some point I hope to include short snippets of their birth stories...each one is unique and stand out in their own special way.

You've got Spring. We've got Summer!

So spring has sprung in the US. I hope you are all looking forward to warmer days. You can put away the snow tires and get ready for spring cleaning. The windows will soon be open. New life will arise from the previously frozen soil. And I really don't know where I am going with this line of thought. Other than I really miss that last part. Yes there is green plant life here all year, but I miss spring. I miss the freshness and newness of flowers growing in gardens. The only greenery we see on a regular basis is large trees. Yes, the trees are tropical (lots of palm, coconut and banana trees), but there is not much change to them. I want to see and smell flowers. Earlier this month when we stopped at a resort while on Samal Island, I actually made the comment, "Wow! Grass!" I never thought that I'd miss grass so much. I don't think I'd be too surprised if I actually hug a lawn when we come home. Yeah, that's a weird mental picture.

Just to let you know...

A few people have asked how we are doing following last week's earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We have had no effects here in Davao City that I am aware of. I read from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology that the largest unusual wave recorded on Friday was only 70cm. So as far as I can tell there wasn't much impact on the Philippines. The city here is very protected. The mountains protect it from bad typhoons (usually only affected by lots of rain, not the fierce winds). Samal and Talikud Islands protect the waterfront from significant waves and such. There is some flooding with any heavy rains, but not anything like what has happened in Japan.

So here's a quote I heard at church on Sunday that defines love, from the senior pastor of the church (I believe he is in Manila):

"Love is a commitment directed towards imperfect people to seek their highest good which often requires sacrifice."

Random Photos, and a video

Here are some more random photos that I've taken from around the city (with my phone, so the quality is not that great).

Gifts on display for Chinese New Year (arguably as big, if not bigger, than Christmas here)

Work in progress

Chorus:

He's still working on me
To make me what I need to be
It took him just a week to make the moon and stars
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be
'Cause He's still workin' on me

Repeat Chorus

There really ought to be a sign upon my heart
Don't judge him yet, there's an unfinished part
But I'll be better just according to His plan
Fashioned by the Master's loving hands

Repeat Chorus

In the mirror of His word
Reflections that I see
Makes me wonder why He never gave up on me
But He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray
Remember He's the potter; I'm the clay

Do you know this song?!?...well right now it could be my life motto...

God's faithfulness..& Baby # 17,000 born at Mercy!

February 4, 2011 baby #17,000 was born at Mercy Maternity Center!

Baby girl Samantha is shown below with her momma and the midwives/volunteers on shift.

I got to take care of this momma and baby during their continued postpartum period.

First handle of 2011!

Handle #7

Baby girl Ahleyha

01/09/2011 at 2:57 pm

The happy foursome at a baby check!

It's fun for them to get a family photo taken, I print them a copy and I love seeing them all together.

Babies, What a Blessing!

This is a long time in coming... but here's an update on some new babies that have entered this crazy, amazing world. Enjoy!

She was born 'in caul' meaning her water didn't break, we opened it right after her head was out. That was a first for me, fun and exciting!

Handle #6 12/29/10 at 5:06 am

Marylie

Random Photos

Here are some random photos that I took using my cell phone. Some are from a few months ago. Today I finally transferred them to the computer. Enjoy!

Here is a bird's-eye view of the Agdao Market. The aisles are quite narrow in places.

Wednesday Evenings

So it's time I tell you what I've been doing on Wednesday evenings. I've connected with a missionary couple also supported through the Second Tunic and I've been going to an outreach Bible study in Agdao, a poor section of the city. There are some other young leaders who volunteer as well. The kids are almost all teenage boys who live in Agdao and are also into sniffing glue. This is where I've been going since early October.

Interesting Experience

So yesterday I had a very interesting experience. Christina and I needed some supplies, so we headed to a local mall. Christina went into the department store looking for supplies for a project she was working on. I went searching for printer ink. First store- out of stock. Second store- out of stock. I walked around looking for other stores that might sell ink. Could not find our brand. An ink store did not have what I needed. So I kept walking, looking for other computer stores. It was at this point that I had my interesting experience.

Thanksgiving at Paradise (Long overdue)

So this posting is long overdue. In celebration of Thanksgiving and our birthdays, we spent two days and one night at a nearby resort named Paradise Island. We were taken there soon after arriving here when we had some orientation meetings. We are told that of all the resorts here, Paradise is the best for the money. 

So this is where we chose to go.

What's your love language?

So not sure if you've read the book: 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

If not, I think you should; it's helps you discover what 'language' love can best be expressed/shown to you and in what ways you naturally extend your love to others.

P. S. I even found they have a website...http://www.5lovelanguages.com (you can even take a free quiz to find what your love language is!)

Brief description of the love languages below:

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We hope your start to 2011 is filled with blessings from God!