YWAM Perth

Sorry for the delay in updating. The past week has been very busy as we have been preparing for and hosting an outreach team from YWAM Perth, Australia. (Ironically, none of them were Australian.) The team arrived Wednesday afternoon and left Monday morning.

We had a great time sharing with them and partnering with them in ministry. They brought energy and passion as they joined in the ministries of our local staff.

Our whole family was able to serve together throughout the week as we planned, marketed, cooked, prayed, and played. Now we are taking some time to rest, do laundry, sort through pictures, and catch up on communications.At our Welcome Dinner Thursday night, the team performed a powerful drama for our staff and the SSM students who are taking classes during the summer.Our local staff members and friends got out the gongs and soon everyone was dancing.

The video shows Kevin and Glenice teaching a couple of the team members (George and Becca) a courtship dance.

Friday morning, the team accompanied us to the Health Clinic. We had fun as we taught them to take blood pressures and glucose readings.

Saturday we headed to the village of Can-eo. But that is another post.

Tom

Home Sweet Home

Where we lived in the States until about a year ago

Where we currently live in the Philippines, the second floor apartment

"What home are you talking about?"

This was Alayna's question to her sister at supper tonight. The discussion centered around how long it would be before we went home. Alayna reminded us of something very important by asking that question. She went on to ask whether the home was in the States or our heavenly one. No matter what address is listed on our mail, no address in this world should be considered our home. The faith chapter, Hebrews 11, says:

¹⁴People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶Instead, 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.

Where do you call home?
Lisa

He's Back

Thomas arrived back to Bontoc about 10 last night. There were signs of recent slides on the mountain road but all were cleared before his bus went through. He had no problem getting the cash we needed and even managed to pick up a few items from the shopping list. We are looking forward to more homemade bread with the whole wheat flour he carried home in his backpack. There is disappointment that he did not bring home any cheese. However, when he looked, all of it was moldy so that item will just wait until the next trip.

Lisa

No Room at the Inn

No there is not any government official forcing us to make the pilgrimage to Baguio to pay taxes or even visa fees but yet go to Baguio we must. We are still unable to access any cash here in Bontoc. We had anticipated going to Baguio as a family so we could get the needed cash plus take care of some other things such as getting haircuts, glasses for Alexie since the ones she had broke about a week ago, picking up the usual items we are unable to get here and have some family fun. It seemed like the perfect time to make the trip. If we arrived the end of April and stayed until the beginning of May we could withdraw both months cash limits. We had no ministry commitments since Friday is a holiday and the health office will be closed so we will not be able to have our health clinic. We have not officially started the school year so there would not be any conflicts with that either. Our usual accommodations were not available but we thought we would just get a hotel room. But each one we contacted said the same, "Sorry there is no room." We thought we could just go ahead and go and attempt to live in the SM mall an idea we got from a book we have read, From the Mized-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, or maybe on the streets like another book we just read. (Rather than The Family Under the Bridge we would be The Family on Session Road.) Since we were unaware of any stables available and Annalise is a bit big to sleep in a manger. Think of the blog material we could have gathered! But alas we chose to not get our names in the newspapers for any such activity preferring the publicity of this week's Mountain Province Exponent regarding our missionary activities. As we still desperately needed the cash, Thomas is on his way to Baguio and will return late tonight.

Lisa

Who's Cooking?

Alexie has been showing an increased interest in cooking recently. She has really become an asset in the kitchen. She likes to help plan meals and cook. She is even becoming proficient enough that she can handle some meals on her own.

The other day, she sent Lisa and I on a walk to the market while she planned and prepared dinner. It was the first time she made bread on her own. She did all of the mixing, kneading, etc. When we walked in, the dough had risen in the loaf pans and was ready to go into the oven.
It turned out wonderfully. She was rightfully proud of her accomplishment. Everybody felt that her bread was even better than what I usually make. We devoured the first loaf and with a great amount of self-restraint, we put the other away for lunch the next day.
Alexie and I love bread, so it is great to have someone else who is interested in making it - and can do a great job of it.

Great job Alexie!

Daddy

Flowers

Psycho-analytic Shopping

Outside of the store where we do much of our grocery shopping, we noticed the following containers of biscuits (cookies).

We are not sure if your choice represents your mental status or not.