Ironic Dolphins

A dolphin comes dancing around the food court, and the little children at our table are captivated by this lovable plush bank mascot. Cause what represents a bank better than a teal, plush dolphin??
Well, amidst the delight of a 2 year old, and the ensuing pictures, we weren't paying enough attention to our surroundings and a man slipped behind my chair and nabbed my wallet from the purse hung over the side. Right in broad daylight, people all around, me in the chair. And once I realized it was gone we even knew exactly who had taken it! But by then it was too late, dolphin gone, man gone, disappeared into the other 18million people in town. Lame, eh?
Ultimately he only got maybe 1000p ($20-25), my cards and ID, and a really great wallet! And neither myself or my friends were harmed in any way. And maybe the guy needed those 1000p a lot more than me. What I find ironic is that I traverse this city daily, alone, up and down, and I'm regularly in the "bad" neighbourhoods, but it was in a classy, shiny mall with a group of friends. That's when it happened. Ironic!
So the moral of the story is, when a bank-endorsing dolphin comes dancing past you, grab your valuables and don't trust the guy with the kid who looks like he's looking at the dolphin. (Clever plan though!)

Wrestling

Life is an interesting mix of totally wonderful and enjoyable experiences; treats, time with friends and new adventures. And loneliness, discomfort, hard questions and suffering. I suppose I'm incredibly lucky to have so much of the good!
Lately amidst fun and chances to minister, my heart has been wrestling with some difficult questions. Every day I work here I meet and serve alongside families who do not eat 3 meals a day, their homes teeter on stilts over filthy water, or rise as shacks over years of garbage. I test the vision of children who don't even have clothes, and are instead covered in black dirt I don't want to touch and have sores oozing from their faces. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or to paint for you a sort of World Vision commercial, I'm simply laying out the honest truth I see day by day. And the thing is I'm only the one seeing it. I'm not the mother, daughter, father, son living that life. I'm not them and I can't imagine being them. But being among these children of God brings so many questions to which I have no answers.
How now do I live? Is it okay, that people live like this and I go to Starbucks? And how should I respond to the child begging at my taxi window? And is it okay that my heart really longs to live a certain kind of comfortable life at home? And what does the Bible say, what did Jesus do, how has He called us to live?
My mind is swirling with these, wondering about the financial choices I make each day, wondering how I am to live after this year. Wondering if I can't handle facing the poverty, who will? And there aren't easy answers, there might not be any answers. There's just this entangled web of questions, one leads to the next and then back again. I don't think that it's either/or, black and white. Instead it's just a mess.
I encourage you to ask these questions too. Sorry, I'm encouraging you to enter a confusing and worrisome state! But I think it's important, and I think it's essential to being a disciple. And it's tough. If you have any wisdom on the subject, or if you've asked similar questions, then let's chat about it, cause I'm looking for wisdom and Godly answers.

Latest Fun

As some of you will remember I received a package a month or two back including mini eggs, that arrived in slightly less than prime condition. I was actually surprised they didn't melt, my mother wasn't. Well she tried again, and this time not only did they go through the blender, but the summer sun apparently had an effect!

Just to assure anyone who worries that if they sent me something and it melted I wouldn't use it. I did, I mean, I would!

I went on a date this week! It was pretty great, dinner at the Pancake House, Spiderman 3 and a sleepover. I had the privilege of two sweet companions, Dorothy and Diane, daughters of my Ate Doris. It was great fun taking them to their first ever theatre movie!

May 22

Today, May 22, marks four months here in the Phils! I would say on the day that I arrived I could never, ever have guessed where I would be today or what would have all happened in between, but I guess I could barely remember my name after all the travel that got me here in January! In some ways the months have flown past, in other ways I can't believe it's only been four months.
I marked the date today with vision screening on the dumpsite, which was remarkably cooler than our previous location, being on the ocean will do that for you! But the breeze also reminds you that you are indeed on a dump, (and a quick look reminds you that people are living there). I don't know if you can imagine the scene that is here. I don't think you probably want to! But if ANYONE reading this is thinking "gee, I have money (or) time to pray just floating around waiting for some direction", well if you are thinking that you MUST comment or email me and I will be sure to tell you how you could use those gifts to give to some of the poorest people the world has ever known! If you contact me I can tell you about the opportunities to help.
Well, four months in - friends, 7 more to go!

H-T-O, O-V-T-H

Another sweaty day has brought me to my internet home, a cafe called "Netopia," my daily stop to connect with you. I'm sure the man next to me wishes that I stopped for a shower before I ventured here, that is unfortunate for him...
Today we finished our vision screening project in the cemetary community and tomorrow we will finish up on the dumpsite. For the last 2 weeks I have been standing at a chalkboard, pointing out letters and hearing "H-T-O, O-V-T-H," and watching fingers point and little voices say "ta-ass", "baba"(sorry, that's my phonetical Tagalog!).
Children who have vision trouble or eye abnormalities will see a doctor on Friday, and then be given glasses or surgery as needed. But even though this testing and treatment is completely free it has been remarkably hard to round up children for the quick, (painless) test! Today in a final push we managed to see almost 40 kids, putting us at about 120 in this community.
Although I'm sure you know and understand that Manila is hot, you may wonder just why such a task as standing at a chalkboard has got me so sweaty! Well you see, this particular community has been without electricity for several months now! I can be quite comfortable without air con, but life without electric fans is a different thing altogether! I do give my co-workers (all Filipinas) a good laugh as I soak through the back of my shirts, and last less than a minute without dabbing my forehead! They seem to think I'm going to catch a cold from being so damp!
So if you're praying for me, pray maybe that I'd sweat less, or that I would continue to have polite seatmates at the internet cafe!

The Commute

In a mega-city where I am daily told to be careful I feel ridiculously safe living and travelling here alone. Today as I was in a jeep this possey of young men appeared out of nowhere swerving and running through traffic, running from something. I don't know if they were the good guys or the bad guys, but I suddenly thought, maybe this isn't the best place to be right now, in a jeep between them and whoever they're running from. Especially since the papers reported a couple weeks ago that a group of suspected car theives were shot and killed in the street. But seriously I don't feel in danger, ever!
These days my work takes me clear across the city and I'm becoming increasingly Filipino as I partake in a daily 1.5hr commute. I must say I'm not a fan! My mornings start out at 7:30 with a cab to a jeepney to a pedicab...not bad. But on the way home we get the expanded version, walk to a jeep, walk to the train, walk to the next train, stop and do internet and finally hail a cab. Here are some of my travel "adventures" and thoughts...
- As I was in between 2 trains today I walked past a bus station that was announcing the destination of its next bus. And I know my Tagalog and my Filipino geography aren't great but I don't think it's a good sign when your driver tells you you're going to "Bagio-blah-blah-blah"! I listened for a long time, that's what he was saying, I swear! If you can show me "Blah-blah-blah" on a map - I'll take that bus!
- As one of my trains today was passed over a graveyard I saw a sign for the "Honey Moon Hotel", let me just say that if that is where honeymoons happen, I'll stay single!
- Yesterday the jeep I was in died in traffic, and a dead vehicle is a bad deal on any street (believe me, the Lumina and I know this!), but in Manila... But amazingly with only a few minutes of honking the problem was solved. The jeep behind us simply drove into us and got us moving again, at which point our driver started our engine and we were off!
- Now I will collage for you my daily ordeal with cab drivers; first I tell my whole life story, then I explain my height, then I thank them for telling me I'm beautiful, then I tell them their meter is going fast, then I tell them I don't know Julia Campbell, then they ask if I'm single, then I tell them I can't give them my number or my picture, then my driver (a Muslim) says "Praise Jesus, you are so beautiful, you look like mother Mary", then we get lost, then I give them directions in Tagalog and then I'm home. Did I mention I do this every day, (okay the Muslim driver was only one night and I laughed out loud at him)!
I've been encouraged by a friend to consider the daily commutes as "adventures" and so I thought I would share them with you and hope you might enjoy them too, adventures are better when they're shared!

Mom

Well it's Mother's Day and by all rights I should be writing a big midwifey post about motherhood. I am sorry this isn't that post! But several of my friends have written their own, check em out on the side, I know Mia and Alex had good ones.
This post is basically to say that I love my mama, and I miss her a lot and I'm so blessed to be her daughter! She is my example in godliness, courage, and womanhood. And I'm calling her later, so I can tell her all this in real time. So this is all I'm going to say here. But just so you know, I have the best mom of them all!

God's Leading Me

So the time has come for an announcement! God has really been paving the way for me, working in my heart and opening up opportunities and I will soon be able to continue my midwifery training and service!
Through the help of another midwife I came into contact with a clinic running in the city of Cebu (think central Philippines), with the same heart that you sent me out with. A heart to love and serve poor families and to provide women with excellent pregnancy care, all in the name of Christ! And I have been welcomed to move down south and join them in their work for six months! All the details have yet to fall into place but I hope to make the move in the middle-to end of June. I am so deeply happy, every buntis (pregnant woman) I see, makes me miss the personal and joyous work of midwifery - I can't wait to get my hands back to work!
It is hard to express what a journey I have been on these last few months, especially the last one - but I really want to openly rejoice because God is good in the midst of every circumstance! He has been teaching me about faith, obedience and about giving Him the glory. And He has really been awakening my hunger for Him.
For those of you who have been praying so faithfully for me I want to say a huge "Thanx", and I want to let you know that your prayers have been answered in my life!

Caving!!

CAVING PHOTOS ARE HERE! Okay, so this is just a start, and when I get a chance I'll touch them up make them a bit prettier, but alas I have no such software myself. So take a look at the raw, untouched versions...
Notice here just how small this little passage way is - be proud of me!

I think this formation is supposed to be an animal's jaw, ROAR! And I think Jen is more cold and less scared.

And if you squint you will see, we are swimming in a murky, cold water hole somewhere down in the center of the earth! I avoided the menacing center of the pool, preferring where I could touch!

And here we are in front of our cute little Traveller's Inn - home for a night.

the Cordilleras, cont'd

So, in no particular order I give you more pictures of my expedition, and a promise that the caving pictures really will come! I just have to find the man with the camera!

A woman works hard under the hot sun.

Translucent butterfly.

The amphitheater of terraces in Batad.

Collecting his crop.

The path is narrow.

Francis, myself and Jen following a good, sweaty hike. Notice none of us want to get too close to each other!

Layers of majestic mountains, bringing to mind the praises of our God!
To see the rest of the album, click HERE.

The Cordilleras

Three travellers set out from the Big City, in search of oxygen, beautiful sights and relaxation! And they found two of them, but the latter seemed to escape the trio! Instead they had adventures!

After a long, cold night bus we set out from Banoue for Batad, a tricy and jeepney ride away. For a bit of added adventure we enjoyed the jeep ride while perched on top! The jeep brought us up to the saddle of the mountain, and from there we hiked down to the village. Batad is famous for it's rice terraces, they are at least 2000 years old (think about it, that's the time of Christ!), and are said to be the most impressive in the world. They impressed me!

We hiked in, dropped off our stuff and headed out again to find a local waterfall. But I have failed to mention that my highly praised Chacos did not do the trick! Even the tame walk in, trashed my toesies, and my feet were in no condition to keep going. I ended up hiking in flip flops and barefeet - a winning combination!

This was the precious waterfall - and after the hike we had in, or rather the fear it instilled of the hike we would have OUT, well, the waterfall was a great place to be. We braved the chilly waters for a little dip.

On the way out we thought we'd made it through the worst as we topped one hill of straight climbing. But to our chagrin we still had to continue on to the green house you see in the top left!

Luckily the whole journey afforded us remarkable and gorgeous views, it was awe-inspiring. All around us were jagged green hills, and stacks of gardens cut into them. All of these hundreds of terraces were handmade - without the help of modern technology!

From Batad our travels continued as we gawked at terraces all the way out to Banoue, to Bontoc and Sagada. In Sagada we spent a night and took on what is currently my biggest accomplisment...I went CAVING! For those of you who are unaware, I am afraid of the dark, of small spaces, murky water, spiders, the center of the earth, and heights and I have a general disdain for bats. Well this trip respected none of those fears! I took them all on and have to say we beat the cave! The pictures of that expedition have yet to be unearthed... so stay tuned this weekend or next week and I will brag all over again!

Our trip ended with 2 whole days in Bagio City, about 7 hours north of Manila. What I have failed to mention earlier is that all of these mountains come complete with a cooler climate - what a treat! I shivered, I bought another sweater, and I loved it! We took it easy in Bagio but did manage to see the local attractions, including a butterfly sanctuary and Spiderman 3. And then Tuesday night we forced ourselves to make the trip back to the City.

(And while there has been recent slump in my posting efforts, I have much to say now, so keep checking this page next week and I will have lots of new pictures and news!)