Posted in Ministry on Oct 30th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
So the other day I was outside when our neighbors came out and started talking to each other. It is always helpful, when you are learning a new language, to simply hear the sounds of the language and let your brain absorb and get familiar with them. So I pretended to be doing something and fiddled around so that I could stay within listening distance. My goal was not to comprehend, just soak in the sounds.
And then it happened. I recognized a word! A whole word!! Something stood out to me from all the foreign babble and I knew what they were talking about! Here is what it sounded like to me:
“Kslkdjokj lkjoiu, lkhjoiuhdskweois qouizkhjdi, DOOR dlkuowkzakjsdu sdkjuk.”
I was so excited! It was a very triumphant moment to recognize your first word. Pretty sure I strutted back home.
PS: By the way, I’ve added the option for you to comment on each article, if you’d like. We are listening!
Posted in News Article on Oct 26th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
NTM just released their new video which tells the story of God’s amazing salvation message coming to the Moi people. It is definitely worth seeing. (Parents – please preview to make sure it’s appropriate for your kids.)
Posted in Family on Oct 24th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
Joy holding red rice
We tried another new food this week and we’re totally hooked.
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Tags: gesture, helper, red rice
Posted in PI Impressions on Oct 23rd, 2009 | Discuss This Post
As many of you know, I’m a total health nut. We strictly eat whole foods not only because they are good for us but also because we have really come to prefer it. These ingredients are abundant in Southern California, but we wondered how available they’d be here in the Philippines? Would they have raw sugar, sea salt, fruit sweetened jelly… and most important of all, my whole wheat flour? The few people we’d talked to said to not hold our breath. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in PI Impressions on Oct 14th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
It is a strange thing that happened to us when we set foot in the Philippines. We saw it only partially that day, but every day since it has become more and more clear that 17 hours on a plane changed a whole lot. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Family, Ministry on Oct 5th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
Really? Have we been here a month already? In some ways it seems way longer, as we’ve been so busy since the day we came. In other ways it seems like we were just packing to leave.
The busy schedule has been good I think. It has kept us preoccupied which helps to distract and dull the sadness of leaving family, friends, and everything familiar. Right now Caleb is off at a meeting so I’m here alone with Daniel. He is tucked away in bed, all my chores are done, so I decided to treat myself to a song on itunes. Knowing that my emotions are raw just below the surface should have prompted me to buy a happy, upbeat song. But no. I went for a melancholy one about leaving someone you love. You know the one by Peter, Paul & Mary, “Leavin on a Jet Plane”? Well, many of the words hit just a little too close to home. I played that thing over and over and just sat on the floor crying. Pitiful, right? I guess it’s good to finally have time to process.
It is times like that when I ask the Lord to remind me why we are here. He is gentle and faithful to do so. After I had my good cry and turned that song off, I remembered that it is indeed a privilege to serve God in this way. Thank you Lord for the renewed strength and prospective. Just the same, I think I’ll steer clear of that song for awhile!
Posted in News Article, Prayer Request on Sep 29th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
FLOOD UPDATE: Thank you all for praying for Caleb & the guys as they’ve been out helping in the community. They have come back safely and went out again today to help. Caleb came home and told me what he had seen and it was pretty unbelievable. Those are the kind of things you see on TV, but not in person. So sad.
Caleb was helping in some of the areas that were totally devastated. Nothing left except debris, mud and dirty, hungry people. People kept asking them, “Do you have any water? Do you have any food? Please help us! My family needs help!” Caleb spoke quietly as he told me of their desperation. These people who already had so little now have nothing at all. I think it was hard for Caleb to come back home to a hot meal and a dry place to sleep that night.
BELOW: Everything is soaked and filthy. Notice the debris on the power lines! The water was so deep.
ABOVE: The squatters who live right on the river were hit especially hard. Much is still underwater.
BELOW: Behind this collapsed wall were many poor people’s homes. There is simply no trace of them now.
Today, Caleb and a bunch of other missionaries went to two houses and helped with the massive cleaning effort. Besides the water, mud, trash and dead things, there was an oily film everywhere. I guess this black oil was from all the cars that were underwater and some tanker trucks that had tipped nearby. Well you can imagine how difficult this all was to clean, and how little was able to be salvaged.
The missionaries who live here had spent two days on their roof, along with about 100 other people who’s houses had totally washed away.
BELOW: One home after tons of cleaning. You can see the water level mark on the door.
There are two more storms, of this same magnitude, that are brewing as I write. We pray that they do not come here. Thank you all for your concern and prayers and we’ll keep you posted.
Tags: flood, help, mud, pray, water
Posted in News Article, Prayer Request on Sep 27th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
Just wanted to let you all know that we are safe from the flooding. It is really bad all around us though. Some of our fellow missionaries are still stranded on their roofs and many people have no where to go and no clean water. Caleb is out now helping with the relief and rescue effort. Please pray for his safety, that he can be a blessing to those who are suffering and that doors would be opened for the Gospel & God’s glory. Thank you!
Tags: flood, pray, rescue
Posted in Family, PI Impressions on Sep 25th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
What happens when you cram two tall Americans and a baby into a trike sidecar made for Filipinos? You get one cozy crammed ride! (Sorry for the bad picture quality, it was REALLY bumpy!)
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Posted in News Article, PI Impressions on Sep 20th, 2009 | Discuss This Post
You know that saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side”? Well, this is a phrase that keeps running through my mind as we are here in the Philippines. Read the rest of this entry »
Caleb and Rachel Kurianski Tribal Church Planting in the Philippines