place of refuge

it's hard to believe that this month is nearly over. i've seen so much, walked on the ground of some of the hardest realities. i do not know where to bring. i am reluctant on what to share with you. these past few weeks we visited several churches planted in strategic slums scattered throughout the area. each site has a team of two or three MMP pastors living among the people partnering with nearby churches. i answered one pastor when he asked me what was different among the sites we've visited, i said it was the way each one was composed structurally, based on its surrounding environment. for the houses closest to the water source, one community (or village) built their houses on stilts so that when it flooded they had a place of refuge, however, poor sanitation is exacerabated when the flood comes so really no home escapes the flood. another difference among the sites were needs. one site needing electricity to run their water system, another needing the second floor and roof for the preschool building. as i walked and listened to the pastors and other servants at each site, my heart becomes so heavy. their needs are overwhelming, their opposition seems impentratable. yet, these pastors know and walk with the lord in way that i can not fathom, but truly desire. i can see that they too have weaved their lives, their hearts to the community that the lord has placed them, adapting to the environments, building & structuring their hearts to that of the lords in these forgotten places. they are not forgotten, i am learning that they are the ones that have captured the heart of god.

Me & Andrei

I mentioned earlier that my family here has been such a blessing to me and the rest of the team. They have helped us in so many ways. It is a gift to be part of such a wonderful family. This is me & Andrei, he is my cousin, MaryJoy, only son. He warmed up to me after a while and a handful of tickles. Each member of my family here is so unique & special, I am excited to get to know them better.

We’re nearing the end of our 2nd week at our new home. It’s Saturday early afternoon, the air is crisp and clear from the morning rain, it’s a treat this morning since it has usually rained in the afternoon. As I look back on these past two weeks, I am reminded of a whirlpool. Everything that defined me, my life was pulled & sucked in the middle of this giant whirlpool and 34 hours later…I was spit out on the other side of the world! Now, I am joining life as it is here on the other side of the world. I am at ease with my community beside me.

Wonderful news came to me via email last Thursday, November 8. One of my sisters, Joyce, gave birth to Nadia Simone. She was born at 8:30am, 6lbs 4oz, healthy and terribly cute! As you know, we are 12 hours ahead of US time. Isn’t she beautiful?! She has her mother’s lips & cute lil’ nose. We were on our way home from my Tito (uncle) Peter’s birthday party during this time (here, it was 8:30pm) and we were talking wondering how Joyce was doing, I knew that Nadia would be coming anytime, can you imagine my surprise when I got the news the next morning that Joyce was in the labor that exact time?! She joins my family of five, fabulous sisters. I’ve saved her picture as wallpaper on my laptop. I catch myself just staring at her, still in awe of her.

One of the things I’ve valued in Pilipino culture is how respect is given to elders. For instance, the title Kuya & Ate are used to address women and men that are older than you. Kuya for the men and Ate for the women. This is another thread that weaves the familial nature of this culture. Just by the way you address people you are put in a closer place, in other words, you’re not a stranger, you’re family. I felt this way when Joyce, a young girl that lives across the street, brought her young” niece over and struck up a conversation with me. She was urging her niece to say, “Hello Ate JoAnn” instantly, I felt close to her, yet I had just met her. What a beautiful thing.

Kuya Jonathan, of Samaritana, blessed us last week by allowing us to sit in a Master of Divinity class that was held at the Asian Theology Seminary. Melba Padilla Maggay lead the lecture, “Understanding Filipino Culture: Tools and Themes.” I am familiar with Dr. Melba’s work, so to sit under her for a session was such a treat! We were excited since she was teaching from anthological and theological perspectives. One example she gave of how Filipinos differ from Americans is how they are inclusive of others. She said that Filipinos are like fried eggs, many yolks but one egg white and Americans are like hard boiled eggs, one individual egg with a hard shell. This resonated with all of us in the room, we laughed because it was true. For me, I can see both traits as equal. I am both. This is one of the things that I will try to discover about myself; what about me is uniquely Filipino, or American and what is both. So far, I have already been in touch with a few of these things. I laugh when I catch myself doing something I thought was just me & not because I’m Filipino, for instance. So now I am beginning to see why I do the things I do. To me, culture is such a powerful thing. It has been a gift getting reacquainted to “home.”