For the holidays, my brother, sister and I drove down to my uncle's house to spend time with family for the holidays. The car was full! Along with our personal items were 2 dogs and their kennels and necessities AND all of the things that I was sending to Davao in a balikbayan box. I'm so used to traveling by public transportation where I need to put all my stuff in an enclosed container where volume and weight matter. It's so weird for me to be able to access to the stuff I've packed, have room to stretch out and sleep, and cuddle with Rachel's dogs along the way.
Today, I saw a post with with video and laughed out loud at the host's view of traffic in Manila! I'm looking forward to driving my motorcycle in this kind of traffic again!
The lovely, REAL Christmas tree we
decorated this year.
Give PRAISE:
God has provided new monthly financial partners so that my ministry budget goal is reached! I will be able to return to support Bible translation through educating missionary kids living in Davao in time to start second semester!
I am looking forward to taking time to enjoy Christmas with friends and family. It's been many years since I've enjoyed a cold, and possibly white Christmas.
Many of my former students have just finished their first semester of college and survived their first college finals. Thank God for his faithfulness in their lives!
Please PRAY:
For elementary teachers to fill the critical need in four classrooms next school year at Faith Academy Mindanao. (see more in this video)
My return ticket is a standby ticket - so pray there will be openings on the flights I want to travel, even during the busy holiday season.
I will arrive in Davao just a few days before second semester starts. Pray for health - physical, mental, and spiritual - as I hit the ground running!
I’m giving you this commission in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearance and his kingdom. Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction.
Paul's charge to Timothy found in 2 Timothy 4:1-2
You can also listen to the sermon that Pastor Tom gave, reminding everyone why Jesus really is the only one qualified to tell us about God.
A couple of months ago, Pastor Tom also shared a great good message about why people like my parents and I serve.
Just a few reasons why I love and appreciate this church!
The other day, I went to visit some long time friends expecting to pull out my pictures from the Philippines to show them. Instead, they asked me if I would like to see the pictures that they had taken when they had traveled with a group from church to visit my family and my aunt and uncle's family in Indonesia in 1995. I enthusiastically said "YES!" and the fun began. Seeing my childhood through my adult eyes and through my friend's eyes helped me remember all those little things that you forget, like the carpet in our living room that mom hated because it was so hard to clean without a vacuum cleaner. All of the pictures where on slides that we viewed with a slide projector and a screen. After we had the best time reminiscing, sharing stories, and commenting on little details, I asked if I could get copies of some of my favorites to share with my family and others. "Sure!" was the answer, and so I took pictures of the screen while my friend patiently clicked through the slides again.
Here's Dad waiting at the bottom of the stairs off the plane to greet our visitors. I *love* the big grin on his face. He was so excited to have people come visit.
My dad's desk in the math room. His desk is WAY more organized than I ever keep mine. Those plastic folding chairs bring back memories from many of my high school classes.
Here's my mom and aunt in front of my families house. When I first saw this, the first thing I thought was "Mom's motorcycle looks so old! Especially compared to the one I drive in Davao." I also remember trying to dust those silly decorative blocks in the front, painting the fence, and planting those bushes in front. We planted them by cutting branches off of our neighbors' bushes and then sticking them in the ground. The saying was, "If you plant a pencil, it will grow!"
This is our living room, with the great picture window that we added, the not-so-fun-to-clean carpet, and the broken aquarium hidden behind the bookshelf. Notice the feast of snacks, fruit, and other refreshments that mom has set out on the coffee table. It wouldn't be my mom's house without those!
And here's the dining room and kitchen! I love the retro lamp!
Downtown Sentani - I remember searching the stores here for a shoe that would fit my size 42 or 43 foot (size 10 in the US). I learned to ask what types of shoes they had in my size and then choose one from there rather than ask, "Do you have something like this in my size?"
We took the visiting group to one of my favorite beaches, Tanah Merah. If you look closely enough you can find my mom, dad, sister, brother, and extended family. I love the mountains in the background!
My favorite thing about Tanah Merah was the fresh water pond where you could rinse off the salt water so you didn't feel so sticky. Yes...that is me in the pool!
My mom and dad made friends with Pak Triyono and Ibu Bustomi who worked for a local airline carrying freight to Wamena, a city in the interior of the island of Papua. Ibu Bustomi loved to put on dinners for people and she decided to put on a feast in honor of our visiting guests. Check out my 80's pants!
My parents and my aunt and uncle took the group to a trip interior. Pak Triyono provided cheap airfare to Wamena in the back of his cargo plane. Wamena is the largest city in the world that is only accessible by air. Our visitors got to ride in a plane with rice. A different time our family got to ride in a plane full of kerosene. When Pak Triyono invited us to stand up front and watch the plane land, Dad said to Mom, "Go ahead and let them do it! If we are gonna crash, we are all going up in flames, so why not let the kids enjoy the experience!"
My friend got to go along on a trip with my uncle who is a Yajasi pilot, flying small aircraft to serve the needs of villages and missionaries living in the interior of Papua. My friend said that this opportunity was the highlight of his trip and one of the highlights of his whole life. The rich, pure, jungle is so inviting to me!
This is a traditional hut that most villagers live in TO THIS DAY! If you look closely, you can see my mom.
A traditional village - however this one was constructed recently, as evidenced by the organized walkways and landscaping.
A picture of my adventurous parents taken in Wamena. The large poinsettia bush (tree?) in the background was one of my mom's favorites. She commented on it multiple times and often said, "We need to get a picture in front of that bush to send to Grandma Farlin because she loves poinsettias."
As I look at these pictures again, I am reminded how much more my parents had to give up, deal with, and adapt to in order to serve there in Indonesia. In comparison, my life in Davao is a cake walk with Starbucks, easy communication with family in the US, consistent electricity, and convenient grocery stores. I miss the simplicity of life in those days and I am SO grateful to have had the chance to experience it and grow up in Sentani.
I can't count the number of people who have asked me about the super typhoon! It's encouraging to see all the people who show concern and care for the people in the Philippines.
Here's the wise words of a friend who experienced and barely survived a typhoon that hit northern Mindanao in 2011 said.
There is not enough words to describe the pain, anguish and hurt of the people who are suffering. Facebook posts will not suffice to make people understand it. Only those who have been through and going through the same or even more can, in some measure, understand them. Not many of us can truly do that. Not minimizing what the people of Cagayan de Oro went through two years ago, many of us cannot truly understand what the people of Tacloban and other places are going through.
Jesus can. Jesus will. Because He suffered. He suffered even more. He was reviled by his enemies, abandoned by his friends, and left alone by His Father. He suffered worse than any human will ever experience in this side of eternity. He suffered what every person is destined to suffer in the other side of eternity. He suffered hell on the cross. That is why the cross is good news. Good news because everyone who will put their trust in the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and salvation will no longer suffer hell.
Davao is far enough south that no one that I know directly was affected by the storm. However, there are friends of friends who were affected or are involved in the relief effort. Please continue to keep them in your prayers!
Here are some links to some great articles and videos that are meaningful to me:
Alumni of Faith Academy (located in Manila) and Faith Academy Mindanao (located in Davao):
Paul Varberg, a graduate of Faith Academy in Manila years ago, wrote a letter about their experiences.
John Uy, a Filipino student who attended Faith Academy Mindanao, put together a compilation video. John graduated a couple of years ago and he was a joy to teach!
From News Organizations:
I'm proud to say that I live in the Philippines and this video from Anderson Cooper does a good job of explaining why.
For a clear internet connection which has allowed meaningful and effective communication during my AP Calculus classes.
For an Interim Head of School, who arrived in October, to provide leadership for Faith Academy Mindanao.
For the beauty of creation and the chance to enjoy the crisp fall colors, cooler weather, and enjoyable traditions.
Please PRAY:
That God would lead additional prayer and financial partners to join my partnership team in the next month so I will be permitted to return to the Philippines for the start of the 2nd semester on Jan. 8, 2014.
For God to provide great opportunities to share of my role in supporting missionary families’ educational goals for their children with people here in the US.
For elementary teachers to fill the critical need in four classrooms next school year at Faith Academy Mindanao. (see more in this video)
If you are interested in partnering with me in ministry, visit wycliffe.org.
This morning I had the chance to help demolish the kitchen in the parsonage for my local church. I'm not a skilled worker, but deconstruction doesn't require skill.
Here's the before and after pictures:
The new cabinets were sitting in the garage when I left. They didn't need (want?) my help to put the place back together.
It's nice to have the chance to help my pastor and the church after all they have done for me!
Today I was looking through facebook photos with another purpose in mind...and I kept running into pictures of me with my students. I miss them so SO much while here in the US!
So here is a pictorial ode to my awesome students!
This week, I was on my way out the door, my mind on what I was headed to, when I opened the car door and thought,
"Wait! Why is the car a mess? The center console is open...and the glove compartment...and there's stuff strewn across the passenger's seat. What!?!"
And then I realized the car had a visitor in the night who was probably looking for something valuable. There wasn't anything for them to find and the mess was easy to clean up.
Later, while I was gone, Rachel called the police to let them know of the situation, and the officer came over to look at the situation. In his inspection, he noticed that the tag on the plates was expired - something I had totally forgotten to do even though I had been reminded multiple times and the DMV is only 3 blocks away.
I'm SO glad that God used the visitor to remind me to get the registration done before I headed out on my long road trip to visit friends, family, and former students in KS, MO, MN, and IA. If I hadn't gotten that done, I would could been pulled over multiple times and it would have been a hassle to get it done and get the tags to me.
God does work in WEIRD (or is that mysterious) ways!
TWC stands for The Wycliffe Connection. Its a time for Wycliffe missionaries who are back in the US to reconnect with the bigger picture of Wycliffe USA, meet with mentors and resource people, and debrief from their time on the field. Here's some of the things that we did while I was at TWC in Orlando, FL this past week (Sept 9-13).
Welcome to Wycliffe USA Headquarters
Good food and good conversations with colleagues
Worshiping together
Attending Entermission, the weekly chapel on the Wycliffe USA headquarters.
Learning from US based member about stress management, retirement, career planning, partnership development, Wycliffe USA ministries, staff resources, and SO much more!
Ever felt like this?
Getting some rest and relaxation playing volleyball
that my remote class is going well! So far the tech side of things has gone well and having the connection with my students is rewarding.
for the opportunity to go to Orlando in September to visit the Wycliffe Center and attend the Wycliffe Connection, a retreat and connection time for furloughing missionaries.
Please PRAY ...
that God will bring financial and prayer partners to join with me in ministering to MK's and that God will provide great opportunities to interact with people here in the US.
for provision of a Head of School for Faith Academy Mindanao and grace for those who are filling the gap in the meantime.
For the holidays, my brother, sister and I drove down to my uncle's house to spend time with family for the holidays. The car was full! Along with our personal items were 2 dogs and their kennels and necessities AND all of the things that I was sending to Davao in a balikbayan box. I'm so used to traveling by public transportation where I need to put all my stuff in an enclosed container where volume and weight matter. It's so weird for me to be able to access to the stuff I've packed, have room to stretch out and sleep, and cuddle with Rachel's dogs along the way.
