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.)

Philippines 2014: Forty-Six Hours of Travel, Oh My!

Posing for this picture at 11:00 am on Wednesday, July 9th, we look so fresh!  I, for one, am glad that I didn’t know some of what lay ahead.  

July 9th, 2014

Not that anything was particularly disappointing; it’s more that it would have been so daunting.  In fact, at the end of almost every day on this trip, I said to my roomie, Marsha, “I am so glad that I did not know ahead of time all that this day would hold!”  I would have not believed that I could do it all! Exhausting!  But--oh, so satisfying.  That’s the only way to describe it.

Shortly after the picture, we were on our way to the Charlotte Douglas Airport. After stops in Chicago and Qatar (more about that later), we landed in Manila on Friday, July 11th around 4:00 pm.  The Philippines is 12 hours ahead, so for us, it was 4:00 am.  By the time we collected our bags, met our ride, and arrived at our destination of Faith Fellowship Aurora, it was 9 pm.  That translates into 46 hours total from the time of the initial picture to reaching our destination.

Lots of bags--Lots of people, Manila airport

Manila traffic on a Friday night is something to behold.  We really didn’t have far to go in miles, but it took over 3 hours to maneuver through the traffic. No words to describe how it works there…no order, no sense of staying in a lane; really, I have never seen anything like it.  God bless our drivers!

What happened in the 46 hours between July 9th and July 11th? 

We flew to Chicago first.  It was there that we met Bethany.  She saw all eleven of us in our purple shirts and suspected that we must be on a mission trip.  She approached us and introduced herself. Bethany was on her way to Madagascar for a month, in preparation for a longer mission commitment beginning in 2015.  We loved her!  In fact, when we arrived in Qatar, Kim invited her to be our guest at the airport lounge.  We had eight hours to wait and she had seven.  

What a lovely young woman and what a great place of respite for us.  The airport and the lounge are new.  In fact, the lounge was not listed as being open yet but we prayed hard that it would be and we were happy to find it so.  I can’t decide whether the best part was the shower or the fabulous food…it’s a toss-up!  It felt wonderful to have a shower.  The food was fantastic.  

Marsha, Kim, Janice, and Sonja

Delicious!

Now is probably the time I should confess my faux pas…the one that made some of my team members want to remove their purple shirts for fear of being associated with me.  I really have my ankles to blame, first and foremost. Here is a picture of the instigators:

I have Cankles!

My skin stung from being stretched so much.  The flight from Chicago to Qatar was almost 13 hours.  All of the food was prepared in accordance with Islamic standards (announced to us before each meal and snack).  Translation:  spicy and salty.   I am one who rarely turns down a meal, but this was not appealing to me at all.  Who wants chicken and rice for breakfast?  Spicy chicken and rice, at that. 

So…after a wonderfully satisfying meal in the airport lounge I began to wish I could elevate my feet.  I felt I needed to get them above my heart.  When Devri said to me, “Just put them up on the wall,” I thought that sounded like a great idea.  I truly didn’t understand that she was joking.  (Since then, the girls decided that I am kindred spirits to Amelia Bedelia).

I am told that I created a spectacle.  Yes, I had a skirt on but I tried to cover with a blanket (apparently unsuccessfully).  It wasn’t the peek of my thighs that brought the attendant running, though, it was the sight of my feet.  The team had talked me into taking them off the wall but then, I put them up on a chair (facing the glass windows) while still lying on the floor.  I had achieved the height (or low) of offense at this point, as the bottoms of my feet were in view for all to see.  Not a good idea in Qatar.  Especially during the month of Ramadan.  

We have talked since then as to whether my team would have stayed in Qatar had I been arrested.  I have been assured by our leader, Kim, that we would have stayed together, no matter what.  I am SO glad that the consequences were no more than embarrassment.  My poor team. 

No more pictures of my feet, but here is one that touched my heart:  prayers for Bethany.  

Kim, Bethany, Amber, Danya, and Devri

Our encounter wasn’t by chance but by Divine direction.  It was so great to hear her story and in some small way, be an encouragement to her. 

We took this picture with Bethany before departing for our flights:

Kim, Diann, Tina, Devri, Cindy, Janice, Danya, Bethany, Marsha, Cherie, Amber, Sonja

If you would like to follow Bethany in Madagascar, you may do so here.  She is making a difference…I am so proud to call her my new friend.

As far as Qatar Air, the food was not so great but the planes and the staff were impressive.  Beautiful attendants, fashionable uniforms (the nicest I have seen), and very interesting bassinets for babies which hung on the wall. I wish I would have snapped a picture.  We had two babies hanging on the wall on our flight from Qatar to Manila.  Relieved that neither fell out!  I did fine some stock photos:

Don't they look cozy?

Cindy is comfy, too

Landing in Qatar

It's a Biggin!

When we arrived at the church in Manila, it was so great to meet more of Kim’s friends (especially Marilyn, whom I had corresponded with quite a bit in the process of writing and printing a devotional in the Philippines.  Marilyn was key in getting information to Benette, who graciously and generously formatted the book for me. Thanks Marilyn!).  

We were warmly welcomed with home-made soup, KFC, and gifts. 

Delicious Welcome!

Should the hand fans and sweat towels have been an indication of what was to come?  Silly me, I thought it was a washcloth.  I soon appreciated the custom of wearing a towel under the back of my shirt with a small portion folded over the neck.  Yes, it was that hot and humid.  I will tell you all about it soon.