Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday events
Saturday morning we had worship at the center at 10am with the youth...another outstanding couple of hours of praise. Adam and Mariel did a fabulous job presenting the message. They spoke about forgiveness. Adam told about the Amish massacre and how the Amish families not only forgave the murderer but then blessed his family. It made a very big point with the group. Mariel and Adam tag teamed and I was so impressed with their maturity and wisdom. They have really connected with the youth here and have become great friends with many.
Afterward we started setting up for "Couples Date Night" and had at least 20 youth there at our "beckon call" to set up. I was so cute to see how so many of the older singles in the group were so excited about this date night for the married's of the church. WHY? Because the couples of the church rarely, rarely ever get to "go out" and have an evening alone much less a special evening.
We had 8 tables set up in hopes of 20 couples attending. We used fresh flowers that someone had collected from around the town, votive candles and some Hershey kisses that I sprinkled on the tables. It was pretty cute, I would scatter the kisses and one of the young girls would be right behind me setting the kisses upright...I knocked them over and next thing I knew, they were upright again....OK, they look just fine upright! After awhile, it was obvious the team had it all under control so we left to go home, shower and get ready for the evening.
Jake and I spent some time going over what we wanted to present to the couples which was a bit of our history and then some communication skills. We decided to teach them the technique of speaking one at a time and then repeating back to the other what they said and so on until you have your problem worked out. We illustrated it with a scenario of Jake doing the lawn and then coming into the house tracking grass and mud after I had just cleaned the house....I think we made a good point and Jake now knows that this is an issue I hope we have truly resolved!!
We arrived at the center about 1 hour before the date night should start and everything was all done and the kids had done a beautiful job setting up lights and a photo spot. The couples starting arriving just as the skies opened up with the daily downpour! Unfortunately, the rain kept several couples from being able to get out but the ones that arrived were SO cute and SO excited! We had long-stem roses for the husbands to give their wives and then they had their photos done.
After that we played a trivia game that Jim ran and 2 couples won a prize of coffee and sugar for the most answers. Jake and I then gave our talk (thank you God that I didn't get too nervous!) and then we had dinner, prepared by the church chef, JR, who cooked mushroom soup, curry chicken and rice and then dessert of Ube cake. After dinner, the band started playing "You look wonderful tonight" and all of the couples got up and danced....it was precious!!! You should of seen the smiles on all of their faces. This was a rare treat for them indeed. I will treasure this for a long time and, hopefully, will not take for granted the time that Jake & I get to spend together. God really blessed all of efforts and the couples see that they need to make a priority of their marriages. Tim gave everyone in there a couple of the"Fireproof" DVD and then Jake & I prayed over all the couples and thus ended the night. Thank you God for the blessing of this night for these precious couples!
Afterward we started setting up for "Couples Date Night" and had at least 20 youth there at our "beckon call" to set up. I was so cute to see how so many of the older singles in the group were so excited about this date night for the married's of the church. WHY? Because the couples of the church rarely, rarely ever get to "go out" and have an evening alone much less a special evening.
We had 8 tables set up in hopes of 20 couples attending. We used fresh flowers that someone had collected from around the town, votive candles and some Hershey kisses that I sprinkled on the tables. It was pretty cute, I would scatter the kisses and one of the young girls would be right behind me setting the kisses upright...I knocked them over and next thing I knew, they were upright again....OK, they look just fine upright! After awhile, it was obvious the team had it all under control so we left to go home, shower and get ready for the evening.
Jake and I spent some time going over what we wanted to present to the couples which was a bit of our history and then some communication skills. We decided to teach them the technique of speaking one at a time and then repeating back to the other what they said and so on until you have your problem worked out. We illustrated it with a scenario of Jake doing the lawn and then coming into the house tracking grass and mud after I had just cleaned the house....I think we made a good point and Jake now knows that this is an issue I hope we have truly resolved!!
We arrived at the center about 1 hour before the date night should start and everything was all done and the kids had done a beautiful job setting up lights and a photo spot. The couples starting arriving just as the skies opened up with the daily downpour! Unfortunately, the rain kept several couples from being able to get out but the ones that arrived were SO cute and SO excited! We had long-stem roses for the husbands to give their wives and then they had their photos done.
After that we played a trivia game that Jim ran and 2 couples won a prize of coffee and sugar for the most answers. Jake and I then gave our talk (thank you God that I didn't get too nervous!) and then we had dinner, prepared by the church chef, JR, who cooked mushroom soup, curry chicken and rice and then dessert of Ube cake. After dinner, the band started playing "You look wonderful tonight" and all of the couples got up and danced....it was precious!!! You should of seen the smiles on all of their faces. This was a rare treat for them indeed. I will treasure this for a long time and, hopefully, will not take for granted the time that Jake & I get to spend together. God really blessed all of efforts and the couples see that they need to make a priority of their marriages. Tim gave everyone in there a couple of the"Fireproof" DVD and then Jake & I prayed over all the couples and thus ended the night. Thank you God for the blessing of this night for these precious couples!
And let all the people rejoice!
Sunday started early with worship intercessory prayer beginning at 6:30. I love this time of prayer coverage that targets specific prayer for the days worship! Jim spoke a powerful message on forgiveness and grace that truly touched my heart with conviction and repentance. Worship was uplifting, lively and amazingly God honoring. These people are extremely serious about worship and give it 100%. I will greatly miss this worship experience! Mariel gave her testimony at the teen service and touched the hearts of all with her honesty and passion. God was duly glorified through her!
Sunday at 1 p.m. was water baptism! There were 3 women desiring to be buried in baptism with our Lord Jesus, a mother and her two daughters. Our team, Tim, Bambi and several of the teen leaders piled into two vehicles with them and headed for the beach. I have never first hand witnessed a baptism in the ocean. It was awesome and we and the angels were rejoicing! Jim captured the moment on video which I am sure he will share.
We finished in time to get back to the Center for Mission's at 3 p.m. The team divided up and set out with various groups of teens and a few adults to conquer for Christ 17 barangay's (small villages). 70 missionaries were able to personally touch 593 people with the Good News and love of Jesus. What a win!!! :) I went with Tim and Bambi and two young boys (Larry and Russel) to a small mountain village (if you can call it that). I was honored to be the story teller and wowed (or horrified) the kids with my lively rendition of Daniel and his Babylonian capture. Having studied that with our Tuesday ladies group recently, I felt well prepared. The local kids were so sweet and loved to worship, praise and play. They are amazingly smart and were able to answer questions on a level of depth that astounded me. Once again, I am humbled and in awe of the genuine love and commitment to Christ that these people have no matter what age they are.
With the daily rain threatening us, we returned to the center for debriefing with the other teams and praise and worship to God for such an amazing win for God. Exhausted, yet filled with peace and joy that only comes through the touch of God, we returned to Tim and Bambi's for our last night there. Monday we would be checking in to the Sunset Bay Resort (a modest but comfortable local hotel on the beach) for our last two nights. Well, that's all folks! More to come I am sure...
With the daily rain threatening us, we returned to the center for debriefing with the other teams and praise and worship to God for such an amazing win for God. Exhausted, yet filled with peace and joy that only comes through the touch of God, we returned to Tim and Bambi's for our last night there. Monday we would be checking in to the Sunset Bay Resort (a modest but comfortable local hotel on the beach) for our last two nights. Well, that's all folks! More to come I am sure...
Love to all! Debbie
Monday, June 28, 2010
Not for the Faint of Heart
It's 06-28-2010. Jake and Adam get BALUT a try. Don't watch this if you have a weak stomach! Balut is a local delicacy - a fertile, boiled duck egg. You have been warned! :-) Here's the YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlX6ZPnO8iI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlX6ZPnO8iI
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
I am the Vine...
Connie and I began our day by experiencing grocery shopping Filipino style. We walked to the grocery store and waded through the crowded isles in search of items needed to prepare an appetizer for Saturday night's couples dinner. I must say that this course is not a standard part of a Philippine dinner function. After much brain storming, we decided upon a delicacy of Ritz type crackers with Velveeta type cheddar cheese mixed with an herb packet on top. Not fancy, but hopefully liked. We shall see! :/
We met with the principle of the school and her staff at 11:00 for lunch at Pizza Hut. I bonded quickly with the head of the Science dept. and the head of the Value's dept. (Yes, they teach values in the school here! USA could stand to adopt this curriculum.), being fellow grandmothers and all we became fast friends. Connie will fill you in on those details. After lunch we had the opportunity to attend a Catholic Mass being held at the school's opening ceremony. We were given front row seats of honor and an electric fan to assist in keeping us cool. Treated like royalty!
Spent after being in dress clothing in all the heat, we returned to Tim's to change and rest before afternoon cell groups. Connie and I were privileged to attend the same ladies cell group that we attended last week. It gave us great opportunity to further bond with the women of last week and also to get to know the new ladies. Our group was 17 strong with many new women that were a harvest of our follow up visits of the prior day. Connie and I both shared our testimony with the group. I was moved by a young woman named Chereez who connected greatly with my struggles in my marriage. She tearfully shared her pain and to God's glory was encouraged by the grace and healing that I shared from my own experience. I prayed over her and Connie prayed over the rest of the group. There is no greater good than for us to use our own struggles and pain to encourage and help others. It truly takes the victory away from Satan! I pray that God will change the heart of her husband and that she too will one day have the wonderful, Christian man that Bert is in her husband Jose Marie.
One thing I have realized to be true is that women are all the same and share the same fears and trials no matter what race, culture or status. However, we are all daughter's of the King and greatly loved and cherished. Our value comes only through our place in Christ which supersedes all barriers. Praise be to Jesus!
One thing I have realized to be true is that women are all the same and share the same fears and trials no matter what race, culture or status. However, we are all daughter's of the King and greatly loved and cherished. Our value comes only through our place in Christ which supersedes all barriers. Praise be to Jesus!
Love and miss you all! Debbie
Unexpected Grace
Today started with a little breakfast and then Debbie & I off to the "drygoods" store and the local market to get a few supplies for "date night". We stopped at the "drygoods" store to buy JR, the church cook, a large pot for cooking tomorrow night. He typically whips out an incredible meal with 2 woks and 2 burners in a very small narrow kitchen...but we thought since we were asking him to make a soup for tomorrow night that we would buy him a stock pot. We gave it to him this evening and he was amazed and thrilled! Then we went to the market and after much deliberating went with a "ritz" cracker that we will spread some "american cheese spread" mixed with some herbs. They did not have any fresh cheese and we were told that it is hard to find and very expensive...so kraft in a box it is!!! Who knows, we might be next on "Americas top chef"!!
We then went to Pizza Hut where the team along with Tim & Bambi had a set meeting time for lunch with the High School Principal and 8 of her department heads. We really enjoyed getting to talk with them all and share why we are here. I know that Adam really connected with the PE dept. head and I with the math dept. head. Jake sat next to the principal and had a great visit with her. All in all, it was a very good meeting and Tim was very pleased. There is a protocol that typically must be followed at the school but this meeting allowed some of that to be bypassed which will be very good for future meetings. After lunch, we all went to the High School to watch the school's opening ceremony/mass. Many of the youth from the church were singing in the program and it was good to see them and encourage them by being there. We were honored with a front row seat and an introduction as the Principal's friends from Maryland USA!
After being out in the hot and humid day we went back to the apartment for a little rest....Jake went on to the center to give his auto shop boys a test on what he had been teaching them the last 2 days. We then left for cell groups...Mariel & Adam to a youth cell group; Debbie, Bambi & I to the women's and Tim, Jake & Jim to the men's. I think Debbie is going to blog about the cell group so I will end for now except to say that as we were leaving, Janalyn showed up! (The 10 year old girl I told you about last night) She got big hugs from Debbie & I and then I introduced her to "Tito Jake" (Uncle Jake) . He gave her a BIG huge which you could tell she really liked! God is working....and I should not be surprised when his grace is given again and again...
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