The Americans are Here

Where to begin?

-We had a group of Americans (yes- I have now reffered to them as Americans and don't include myself. I call the filipinos the filipinos and the kenneys the kenneys. Where does that leave me? I'm not sure :)) come from Oregon this week...13 of them actually. I was so thoroughly excited to not be the newbie anymore and to get to watch other people react to things that I reacted to as well! Seeing them come into this place that I have fallen in love with made me realize the growth that God has given me from being here. For instance, Rachel (one of the girls here) asked me tons of questions:

1. Do you miss home and your family like crazy?
Answer: Yes, I miss my friends and family but it does not sadden me for a minute because I am in love with the people who surround me and I know that this is where my Father wants me to be. I have not questioned that for one minute. I actually have not had the big roller coaster of emotions of highs and lows. I know I have hit moments that are harder than others, but I love where I am and I love the thought of seeing God look down on me and smiling for trusting in His will and not my own- because me being here was totally by His doing and not mine.

2. What's your favorite part about being here so far?

Answer: I simply couldn't answer it. I love building the relationships by just living life with the filipinos. They are so amazing, full of laughter, hard work, singing all the time, never in too big of a hurry to talk- why wouldn't i love that? I love basketball practice everyday and beach time because I have gotten to know the guys who take part in it and I can goof around with them like only athletes can do together ;) I love the sense of community- i know that any of those people in Pandan will have my back or are looking out for me- heck- they bless me all the time with helping me with laundry, rides to places, delicious fruit, hinna tattoos :) Funny story that goes with this: I finished bball practice the other day and I was so so hot... it's at noon in the dead heat of the tropic day on a black sand court with no covering. Anyways, we got done scrimmaging for over an hour so I went to the fresh water spring to cool off. People bathe in there all the time. I jump in the freezing cold water and one of the old men in there doing his laundry said "no no no no! you are destroying your body!!" I asked what in the heck he was talking about... apparently, they think that if you go from really hot to really cold you will like die. The next day I promise yall I had about 15 people ask if I was okay and told me they were all so worried because I got in cold water ;)) I seriously feel so loved... I try not to scare them by doing that anymore even though I know that my body fully rejoices in the cold relief :)

3. What is your ministry here?
The awesome part about being here for 3 months is that I am not doing a to-do list at all. I am simply living with people and when i see a need, i can respond. In the meantime, I just hang out with them and make sure that my head and heart is on God so that I can be a light for them through my attitude and actions. I wake up in the morning, have my quiet time with God, then go to the waiting shed to hang out with the town while everyone helps bring the boats in and waits for all the fishermen to return with the tamban (fish). Then I just live the day with them :) and pray continuously of course...

Anyways- I am rambling on now- so here are some pictures to catch yall up on the rest :)

Sign for a Jeepney stop. I drive a jeep but now I think I will always think of these honkin' steel machines instead :) 

One of the local owner's of a fishing boat. NOTICE: He is wearing an Iowa Cyclones shirt :) 

Everyone helping pulling a boat up in the morning.

My fingerprinting process at the National Bureau of Investigation for my nursing school application. It was so ghetto... This is where the prisoners get fingerprinting because everyone else does it digital. I am so surprised I got accepted into nursing school with those janky prints :) 

My fingerprinter in the corner of a rainy, nasty corner of the NBI office

my fingerprints- What a joke!

This is from when i was at nehemiah house. but these are all the wonderful women of the nehemiah house staff! :) 

Baptism in the Ocean at Sunrise.. why not?

16 Filipinos made a public statement of joining the family of Christ through baptism on Monday morning! 16! It was the most beautiful way to start a week! We woke up at sunrise- grabbed a few blankets, guitars, coffee, eggs & bread and headed down to the beach.  Picture it: the sun is rising over the mountains, fishermen are slowly coming back in to the beach from the night’s work, the water is so still, the breeze is making the beach perfect weather, and we are walking on the sand with a dozen Filipinos following.

The sunrise over the mountains

Playing as we wait for everyone to arrive 

Once everyone got there, we joined hands in prayer and sang songs of worship. Then those being baptized joined hands and walked into the sea. One by one Pastor Ben dipped baptized them as Miss Patti prayed over each one. It was awesome! Over the past month I have gotten to know each and every one of these people through the Bible studies and oh my goodness- God has added some amazing people to His family! While everyone was being baptized those of us on the beach were led in worship songs by a couple of guitarists and held the babies of those in the baptism. It took about 30 minutes and I loved every minute! Once we were finished, they came back on the beach and we got to welcome each one to the family of Christ! We celebrated by having breakfast and coffee all together on the beach!

Praise the Lord O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. 

Praying before the baptism

Breakfast celebration after baptisms! 

ate Grace (aka my filipino sister ;))

On our walk out to the baptism, I found these boys sleeping on the beach 

My filipino birthday!

Sunset at the beach resort. 

WHOA! I thought I was supposed to come to the Philippines to bless the filipinos... I obviously did not realize what lengths they were going to go to on my birthday! I woke up this morning (my first morning back in Pandan in 3 weeks) and I hear people singing praise and worship. I thought to myself, "Wow, someone is getting a head start on their Sunday!" But it was so beautiful- people harmonizing and whatnot. Then I hear Miss Patti come upstairs and say, "Hey Whitney, are you up?," I tell her I am and she asks if I hear that music, I stretch and reply, "Yes, it's so nice isn't it" and she said, "It's for you!" I shot up with a "WHAT?!" Yep... it was for me. It's a filipino tradition to be serenaded on your birthday! I come downstairs, fling open the front door and there are about 15 of the sweetest Pandan friends singing songs to me, with one of them leading on the guitar! They probably sang 5 songs for me, then ended with happy birthday! (I have a video of this, but I couldn't figure out how to load it tonight, so maybe tomorrow!). After the songs, I invited them in for coffee where we crammed all 20 of us in the little bamboo living room to drink our instant coffee, eat the delicious rice dish ate Alma brought (it's sticky rice with brown sugar.. mmm), and then ate Evie and ate Neddy brought a "mango float" cake which is basically mangos with creme and graham cracker.... mmmm... needless to say, i had so many delicious sweets to start the day!!! This whole party lasted about 2 hours and was so fun!!!

The Kenneys had already bought my favorite Arbee's bread and fruit juice for birthday breakfast- so I had second breakfast about an hour later ;)

Then I went off to church where my birthday was announced and the whole congregation sang happy birthday to me! I came home from church, ready to help with Bekah's Bible clubs, only to find out I had another surprise--

A day at a beach resort!!!! 16 other Pandan friends joined us in a tiny truck (yes, we piled in the back, 10 in the back of this little truck) and drove 40 minutes down the road to a BEAUTIFUL white sand beach resort!!! We snorkeled, laid on the beach, ate birthday cake and fruit salad (one of my favorite dishes here!) and just relaxed. I learned about all the sea creatures ( I love how filipinos know how to utilize everything in nature for function or for food ;)). I also got to watch the sunset over the ocean and a huge volcanic island-breathtaking! Then we cleaned up for dinner and ate a wonderful meal at this unbelievably beautiful beach resort!!! It was soo fancy. I am pretty sure it was the fanciest place most of the filipinos with us had ever eaten at. They kept thanking me for having my birthday there so they could have that opportunity... like I had helped in any of it ;) It was all the Kenneys! So sweet!

The birthday group at the beach

The resort is up the stairs in the background

Bekah and ate Evie who I came to adore from the Nehemiah House in CDO. She works there full time! 

Getting to see the beautiful white sand bottom! 

A tall candle for the tall girl 

Starfish that they caught!! They were alive! It was so cool to see the feet moving

ate Alma (my filipino momma) and Elroy

Sweet momma Mimay and her newest son, Mark Joseph

Another starfish-different kind. super creepy to hold!

Another kind of starfish! 

Some of my favorite people from Pandan

Relaxing on the beach. Pandan is a beach too but it's a working, fishing beach. this one is so peaceful and quiet! no fish smell! :) 

the mommys on the trip

this picture wasn't even enhanced! 

Beautiful dinner setup at the resort

Walking back to the hut at the end of an amazing birthday, I thought my day was wrapping up... BUT as i walked down the main street of Pandan, a group of the basketball guys from practice were sitting around. They were waiting for me! when i walked up, one of them started playing the guitar and they all sang me happy birthday!!! :)) My cheeks hurt from smiling so much!!!

I thought I had heard the happy birthday song for the most times in my entire life today.. then i got on facebook and saw such a precious video post from my Nehemiah girls in Cagayan of them singing me happy birthday.. I have to admit that I teared up. I have been blessed beyond measure here. I have been here for a month and a half and there has been a constant language barrier, yet God has let me connect with so many people that have each taken a little piece of my heart. They went so out of their way for me today and made me feel so loved, cared for, adored and welcome today!!!!!!

I LOVE THE PHILIPPINES!!!

P.S-yes, I do miss you America and all of my precious precious friends and family there!!! You all are absolutely amazing. Who am I that God would bless me with so much?!

Family Day- Come & Gone

Today was Family Day at the Nehemiah House. All three centers gathered in Cagayan de Oro (29 girls in total) with an invitation to all their families. We woke up this morning at 4 am (the normal- yeah, I'm living the good life) and made breakfast for all the girls. After clean up we went straight to the hair, makeup and beautifying of the girls before the big day. Yesterday I challenged the girls to memorize 1 Peter 3:3-4 which says that our beauty should not come from outward adorning but from the quiet and gentle spirit within which is precious in God's eyes. I offered a reward if they memorized it and most did!! I wanted to remind them even with Family Day coming that outward beauty was not the goal. But anyways- it didn't stop us from spending 2.5 hours on braids and curling the hair and makeup. I think I maybe braided 22 girls' hair this morning-it was like prom but for little people! :)

This one melted my heart. She ran to her brother, fell to her knees and held him and wept.

The little girls clinging to their mommas

Another emotional greeting to her momma! 

Parents started arriving around 9 am and from there they sprinkled in the rest of the day. It was so heart warming and wrenching all at the same time. I have grown to love these girls over the last few weeks so my heart waited in anticipated along with them as they stared at the gate to see if their parents would come or not. The ones whose parents did come would cling to them and weep along with the parents. I had the official duty of the photographer so I was to catch some of these moments which I felt pretty awkward doing. BUT they love pictures here in the Philippines! At the same time- the little girls whose parents never came were so upset. I held some of them, sang to some (pitch and tune are not high on the priority list here- everyone sings and i love it), and just tried to comfort them. I would by lying if I said I wasn't hating their parents at that minute. I don't understand why you wouldn't come visit your daughter for one day out of the entire year! GR!

Anyways- each of the separate centers presented a dance or drama, the girls gave their testimonies and some parents did as well. Then we ate a ton of delicious food, played games with lots of chocolate eating, and called it a day!

In total I think my day looked like this:

-Braid hair for 3 hours
-do dishes for 3 hours
-Take pictures for 4 hours
-Prepare food for 2 hours
-Play and love on girls

Fitting her little brother for a pair of free Toms shoes :) 

One of my daughters for the day :) 

Good ole American weenie roast- Daddy michael had to teach them how to do this 

It's the end of the long day and my feet are aching and my heart is emotionally spent. I leave Nehemiah tomorrow to go back to Pandan in Gingoog. It is so bittersweet. I am excited to be back with the people of Pandan that I grew to love my first few weeks here, but I also will miss each and every one of these girls. They kept coming up to me tonight and telling me they were going to miss ate Whitney... I will have to come back as soon as possible!! I just kept thinking how unfair it was that I let them develop a connection with me only to leave them just like they have been pulled away from their families. I am already praying for God's peace and comfort and love to overwhelm them from today's events and from me leaving them tomorrow.

YWAM Nehemiah House staff & girls 2012