Saturday, February 28, 2015

Beyond the Walls


As mentioned in my last post, there is a hidden oasis behind cinder block walls on a dusty street in Pozorrubio...a welcome haven dedicated to God. Here, in the courtyard, is where fellowship and meals take place.  Standing in the photo below are Marilyn Antonio and Kim Burdick. 

Courtyard of Faith Fellowship Pozorrubio

Marilyn is retired from her secular job and works full time now in the service of the Lord.  She was invaluable to us in many ways...acting as translator, tour guide, friend, prayer warrior, and worker bee.  What a powerhouse of faith and kindness!  Thank you, Marilyn.

One will sometimes find Pastora Connie to the left of this area. When she is not preaching and caring for her congregation, or taking care of Eliza, she is tending her beautiful birds:



Birdhouses (see upper right corner) are made of hollowed Coconut shells

Connie is a skilled carpenter.  Her handiwork is evident throughout the sanctuary.  Notice the beautiful fabric draped from the ceiling and the backlit cross:






Beautiful arrangement in front 


Here, Pastora Connie instructs the young ladies in charge of the overhead for the song lyrics, just prior to our Sunday morning worship service:






We had much anticipation over this Sunday service, as it was our first "official" time to lead any ministry on this journey.  Our travel here was for more than the formal ministry times, though.  We were privileged to encourage church leaders like Pastora Connie, who labor diligently and faithfully with little earthly reward. There is great joy in her countenance.  If she were asked, I think she would confirm that there is nothing else that she would rather be doing.  I hope that our presence was a physical reminder that God sees her and loves her. She is making a difference in His kingdom.


See what I mean by joy?

We started with singing, just like back home.


Can you tell I am enjoying this?

The remainder of the service was hearing words of encouragement  and truth from Cherie, Marsha, and Tina.

  
Charie 
Marsha (Go Roomie!)
Tina 

As each woman spoke and there was a scripture to be read, Marilyn also read the scripture from her Bible in Tagalog (language most commonly spoken here):


Marilyn reading from the Bible in Tagalog

Charie, Marsha, and Tina shared eloquently from their experiences and God's word.  It was a lovely service.  As it concluded, nearly the whole congregation came forward to pray and express their desire to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. What a wonderful morning, followed by a meal in the courtyard and an afternoon women's retreat...


Pastora Connie and Kim speaking with friends

Sweet tasting Rice and Delicious Meat Dish



Beautiful Smiles

Cherie, Diann, and Sonja


Janice and Marilyn

The children were captivated by our youngest team members.  Impromptu dancing ensued after lunch:



Danya (left) and Amber

During the church service, several members of our team had separated with the children to teach, sing, and play games. 

We were welcomed here in Pozorrubio with anticipation, excitement and love. It is humbling to have people waiting for us, people we had never met. They are hungry for more of Jesus.  Such beautiful, generous, and kind people. And I think, in a way, just showing up reminds them that they are seen by God.  They have not been forgotten.  No one is forgotten.  

You are not forgotten.

13 She (Hagar)gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
(Genesis 16:13-14)




How I Became an International Dynamic Woman

After forty-six hours of travel and a late dinner at Faith Fellowship Aurora, we arrived at the Send Guesthouse for just one night before embarking for Pozorrubio in two large vans.  The guesthouse was kind enough to allow us to leave the bulk of our luggage with them so that we could take smaller bags for our three nights in Hotel J'Adore in Pozorrubio.

Our first morning in the Philippines, we enjoyed a breakfast of eggs, bacon, Toast, and juice at the Send Guesthouse.



Cindy, Diann, Kim, and Janice
Sonja and Tina

Devri, Amber, Danya, and Charie


On the way to Pozorrubio, we had a three to four hour ride through the countryside.  


Hard at work...not unusual to see while traveling through the countryside

Lunch was at a very nice McDonald's, where the girls were thrilled to enjoy chicken and spaghetti.  I played it safe with a Filet-O-Fish sandwich. And yes, it was just like what we have in the USA.








The Hotel J'Adore (new) boasts of being the first and only hotel in town and is quite nice.  The staff aims to please; they were gracious and kind to us. When we arrived, you can imagine our disappointment to find that there was a brown-out (electricity was off) and the interior was sweltering.  The towels we were given on our first night (to wear down the back of our shirts) were going to come in handy. 








Another disappointment for some of us was that not only were we to share a room (which we expected), but we were also sharing a bed.  Not a big deal in many parts of the world but I must admit, we Americans tend to be spoiled in regards to not sharing beds.  I grew up sharing a double bed with my sister, but since that time have had a queen-sized all to myself.  And my roommate, Marsha, is married and accustomed to sharing with her man.  We looked at each other with laughter and dismay when we saw this:


Hotel J'Adore





I know, I know.  Some missionaries are in huts in the jungle and this is lovely and luxurious.  Nothing to complain about here.  But we laughed about this a lot.  And it was especially funny the evening we partook of our complimentary massage. One massage was included as part of our hotel stay and it was a welcomed treat after a long, hot day.  

We were laying side by side on this bed while two lady masseuses worked on us. Mine massaged one arm and hand and then I felt her holding my other hand and I thought it strange that she was "just" holding it.  Until I realized that she was actually now down by my feet and I was holding my roomie's hand!  This was our Lucy and Ethel moment.  We laughed about it later.  I don't know if Marsha even noticed at the time (I think she was in a massage trance), but I was embarrassed. Especially because we were unable to communicate with the masseuses in English. When I first spoke to the lady before she started, she said to me, "I am getting a nose bleed."  I said, "Oh no, do you need a tissue?" and she shook her head side to side.  I found out later that the phrase "I'm getting a nose bleed" is used when one is unable to speak English or tired of trying.


My wonderful, patient, gracious roomie, Marsha

After leaving our belongings at the hotel, we walked down the dusty street to check out the church where we would be ministering the next day.




Bawal Umhi Dito translates to "You can't pee here."
This picture was taken through a van window as we were departing on Tuesday. Apologies for the lack of clarity. The official church sign (white sign by the door) says "Pozorrubio Faith Fellowship."  

Beyond these walls is a little church that serves as a beautiful haven on this dusty road in a precious little town typical of provinces in the Philippines. There are many economically impoverished living in the area.  Pastora Connie Ragado lives and serves behind these walls and out in the community.  


Pastora Connie and her niece, Eliza

She is a beautiful lady inside and out!  Precious Shepherd of her congregation and lover of God's children (and impressive carpenter by hobby), Pastora Connie felt called to start this church under the umbrella of Faith Fellowship.  There were many times early on that she preached to just one person.  She continued to be faithful and now regular attenders on Sunday morning number from fifty to sixty people.

Imagine our surprise when we walked beyond the cinder block walls to find this sign greeting us:
Sign in the courtyard of Faith Fellowship Pozorrubio
OMS stands for One Mission Society, which is the organization that sent the Burdick's to the Philippines for their 20-years of service.   Brent was the Pastor at Faith Fellowship in Aurora for many years. Throughout our travels, it was clearly evident that there is a deep love and appreciation for Brent and Kim and their family here.  Kim, Brent's wife (and one of my dear friends), was the leader of our team.  Kim and Brent's daughters, Danya and Devri, were also members of our team.  We were sent by OMS Dynamic Women In Ministries  and our home church, Good Shepherd UMC, and not to be forgotten, by the generous donations of friends, relatives, and co-workers. You know who you are.  I pray that God will richly bless you for giving so that our team could have this opportunity and so that many could (hopefully) be encouraged by the Lord through us during our travels. What a privilege we've had!  Your investment is greatly appreciated more than you can ever know.  Thank You.


Breakfast outdoors at Hotel J'Adore with sweet girls and dear friends Amber, Danya, and Devri



So, that is, in a nutshell, is how I became an International Dynamic Woman, not to be confused with international man of mystery!  My roomie and I enjoyed calling each other International Dynamic Woman.  Hear us roar!  :)

Stay tuned for part two and more on our time at Pozorrubio Faith Fellowship.  (I promise not to wait so long to tell you the rest of the story.)