More pics...

My students again. Check the hair... sweet!

Time to eat soon!

Traffic.

Barbara checking out the kids.

View from the back of a Jeep-ne.

Adventure or What!

Well the last few days have been awesome. Been spending time teaching math, working on the website and helping out wherever I can. Definitely where I am supposed to be right now. Sunday service was awesome. Although a lot of it was not in English, still pretty easy to understand what was going on. So cool to see people so happy with so little. I am in a coffee shop sort of thing right now. Pretty weird being the only white guy most of the places that I go. Went to a gym to lift weights the past couple of days... can definitely feel the eyes on me... they are just curious though, I am quite stunning you know ;)

What I enjoy most is just interacting with the kids. They are so much fun. I was talking with a little girl the last few days named Giselle. She has already memorized my birthday and I now know hers, January 26th. Some of the older guys think I am huge (as if I spend all my time in the gym)... wait I am huge.

It is easy to get busy with stuff and loose focus. The focus should be the people and seeing change in their lives. I just pray that I would be given the opportunities and abilities to be able to make a difference. I feel like I have been given an awesome opportunity and I would like to make the most of my time here. As my Dad said I want to make a difference!! Maybe it is premature, but I think a couple years would be more appropriate. Here are a couple more pics for you. Just some neat shots.















The fruit is amazing. Mangos, Mangansteins (the nectar of the gods), and all things teeming with fruity goodness. The heat is not that bad... it is just hot all the time. The cold showers were a shock at first, but now they are welcomed.

Please pray that I would be given the opportunities to make a difference and the strength and opportunity and annointing to do so. Been struck by the verses 1 Peter 1:17-19. We have been bought with something so precious. Surely we have a purpose and a calling that matches that price. I want to grab hold of that purpose.

Pictures

My buddy Gary.











Some of my students.










A Jeep-ne. These things are everywhere!














The little girl with the camera is Lana.

Becky

Taught math again today and spent lots of time just hanging out with the little kids. Hilight from today was a little girl who we will call Becky (I'd prefer not to use her real name). Love and compassion for her just poured out of my heart. She is not able to go to school... or rather her parents don't want to put forth the effort to get her through school even though she has been given support to do so. She was intrigued to just count my fingers... got up 21 or something. She is really smart and deserves a lot more. Her english is limited, so I just told her that Jesus loves her. I wish that I could take her away from here.

Hard to say but I don't think six months is long enough. I just pray that God would give me the strength and abilities to serve. Feels like a part of me is dissappearing and other parts of my character and giftings are coming alive... guess you call that spiritual growth. I am going to start taking pictures and stuff soon so hopefully you will be able to see what I am talking about.

Feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear from you.

Busy Day

Today was a really cool day getting to know some of the little guys as well as the people I will be teaching and tutoring math. There was this tiny little kid (unbelievable amount of energy) hanging off me all day, he is maybe 5 years old and he is just hungry for attention and interaction with people. Hard for me to see what he has when we have so much, but amazing to see the joy in his eyes. We also visited a family today and the older sister who is 19 was telling us how she did really well in school, got a scholarship, and then was not able to take it because her mom got sick. We felt really bad for her but she looked at us and said don't worry that is the "spice of life." Amazing!

The students are very behind in math and they will have a lot of work to do to catch up. Anyway, I am still feeling the jet-lag a bit and combined with the heat you start to feel pretty tired, so I better get to bed. Sorry there are not more pictures, the internet is slow here and I am not really comfortable snapping pics of some stuff. Kind of feel like a mindless tourist if I do so.

Day One

Arriving in Davao last night was pretty cool. It was really stormy and there were lightning flashes as the plane was landing. Believe it not the music playing over my headphones on the airplane radio was "Riders on the Storm" by the Doors. As everyone warned me it is very hot here, but not as hot as I expected... maybe the real heat has not arrived yet. Spent today resting and just relaxing. The jet lag is not near as bad as I thought it would be, but I guess it helped that I was able to sleep about 10 hours of the flight. Geckos on walls, Jeep-nees (sp? I'll post a picture of this soon), and movie style rain, I guess I am in the Philippines.
Patrick and Inneke and Kezia and Teah are all doing well. It was really cool to see them. I am looking forward to what God has planned and what I will be involved in. It is wonderful to know that I have friends, a family and a church who love and support me.

Enroute

7 am in an internet cafe in Taiwan. Strange rap music playing in the background... quite hilarious. The english signs here are hilarious. "Ever Rich Duty Free" for example. Better get to the gate.

The Bags are Packed

I just finished packing the bags for my trip. The reality of it is starting to kick in. I am excited and a little bit nervous... but mostly just excited.

I have been visiting family and old friends the last couple of weeks and it has been really relaxing. It is hard not to relax at least a little bit when you are out in the middle of nowhere on the prairies. I have also had some great quiet times and have experienced God's presence. Apparently, G.S. Mclean used to get his inspiration for his sermons from long walks on the prairies and in the river hills near Eston. I can see why.

Tomorrow I fly to Vancouver and then I fly out to the Philippines on the 18th. I can't wait to get back to North Vancouver for a few more days. I miss my friends, my church, and the trees and mountains. Well, this is my last night with mom and dad for a while, so I better get back to them.

Hello World!

The first post. Just to make sure this thing works!