Ash Breeze

“Bah!  Only a weakling gives up when he’s becalmed!  A strong man sails by ash breeze!”

….

Nat asked, “How do you ‘sail by ash breeze’?”

Sam grinned.  “When a ship is becalmed-- the wind died down--she can’t move-- sometimes the sailors break out their oars.  They’ll row a boat ahead of the ship and tow her.  Or they’ll carry out anchors and heave them over, and the crew will lean on the capstan bars and drag the ship up to where the anchors are heaved over.  Oars are made of ash-white ash.  So-when you get ahead by your own get-up-and-get—that’s when you sail by ash breeze.”

page 47and 48 of Carry On, Mr. Bowditch! By Jean Lee Latham

Recently our family just finished reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch!  It had been a read-aloud before but it is such an inspiring biography that is worth reading again.  Although Nathaniel Bowditch was taken out of school at age 10, he still managed to win success with perseverant hard work. 

This idea of hard work has been reinforced by another book we have been reading.  Alexie and I finished reading Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington.  Booker T. Washington shared his task of teaching African-Americans that work was not a disgrace but a calling and teaching them how to do their work well.  While he realized that laws should apply equally to African-Americans and whites, he wanted to train African-Americans to strive for excellence and become people worthy of their neighbors respect.  He says “I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed.”  If laws allow uneducated whites to vote but not uneducated blacks, then the whites are the ones who suffer because they have no motivation to get educated.  Our circumstances do not determine who we are; it’s what we do with them.

Our assigned chapter of A Christian’s Secret to A Happy Life talked about circumstances as well.  Often, people think that accepting Jesus will clear away all their problems.  Many people believe a blessing gospel which says accept Jesus, and your mortgage will go away, you will be extremely fit, your boss will give you a raise, and everyone will like you.  They forget that God promised us persecution.  He told us to take up our cross and follow Him.  How can we relate to non-Christians if everything goes perfect for us?  Still, God promised He would be with us every step of the way.  He will never give us more than we can bear.  He won’t get rid of our bad circumstances but He will give us triumph over them.

My heart broke for a young lady at Sabangan but she also inspired me.  Her goal is to earn an education so she can help support her family.  She feels like her relatives look down on her family as if they were just a group of ants.  She is struggling with algebra.  Her parents never finished high school so they can’t help her.  One of her brothers has a talent for math but he chooses to work in the field instead of studying.  When she was little, she was told that the Philippines was a developing country.  Why has nothing changed?  But only the persistent hard work of such as her will ever change it.  When I left Sabangan, I determined that I, who have so much more with two home-schooling parents, would work harder and not give into my laziness.

So what are your dreams?  Your desires?  Your purpose in life?  I encourage you to first make sure they are right and good and then to fight through your difficulties to reach them.  Ask someone to pray for you and most importantly, don’t give up.  If the wind won’t blow the right way, break out your oars and sail by ash breeze.

If what you’re doing is good and right

Do not fear the enemies’ might

Just do your best

And God will do the rest.

Love,

Adriana

“Character, not circumstances, makes the man.”
Booker T. Washington

Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/booker_t_washington.html#ixzz1eDiJc0KL

          “Circumstances make men kings in the outer life, but in this hidden life men become kings over circumstances.”

~The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith

Adriana's a Godmother

On Thursday, October 20, Daddy called me to read a phone text he received.  Our friend’s daughter, Stevonnie was going to be dedicated in Saclit Sunday and they had chosen me as godparent.  Our whole family wanted to go but it was such short notice.  Daddy and Alayna were going with part of the team to Sadanga and someone had to stay behind and take care of the rest of the team.  I was very excited about the trip because it was my first village trip without a family member.  

Kuya Steve picked me up.  (Kuya and Ate are titles of respect for people older than you.  Kuya means “big brother” and Ate means “big sister”.)  He was texting my Dad to ask if we liked guavas but hadn't got an answer.  I told him that Daddy was in Anabel and so he was surprised.  We went to the jeepney and got to ride all the road to Saclit, without changing tires or slipping down mountains.  We only stopped to let people on or off and to get water for the engine.   Kuya Steve had forgotten to get something for supper.  There was an old lady with two squash on the jeepney and she gave us one.  Later, Ate Mindel confessed that she had been thinking: those are very nice squash, I want one, Please, God, give me a squash.  An example of answered prayer and God's provision!

We hiked up the stairs and stepped over fences on our way to the church.  Most villages don't have fences, but Saclit doesn't have pigpens.  Ate Mindel would stop to talk with people.  Frequently, I heard the word Americano.  We went to the parsonage (an empty room below church where Kuya Steve stays when he comes to preach) and I played with Stevonnie as they washed dishes and prepared supper.  I wanted to help with decorations but there was a drunk man and so Kuya Steve didn't think I should go up and I agreed with him.  Kuya Steve had been going to ask our former host if I could stay there at their house because he didn't think I should stay at the parsonage but it was 10 p.m. already so I just slept with Ate MIndel and Stevonne while Kuya Steve slept upstairs.  The parsonage has no CR (bathroom or comfort room) so if it was day, you went to the neighbor's house and if not, you went outside.  It was a little uncomfortable for me because I didn't know the neighbor and she didn't seem to know English and the CR had no door.  The biggest thing was the church has rats because it is "so prosperous".  I wouldn't have been so scared if Ate Mindel hadn't said "Let's pray they don't bite us." I was ashamed because I woke her up.  I thought I heard the clicking of many toenails on wood next to me and it was too dark for me to find my flashlight.  It was just a moth in a cellophane bag.

     The next day, we all bathed and went up to church.  Ate Mindel sat next to me and translated.  She is very good about that and I deeply appreciate it.  The visiting pastor said, "Oh, I see you have a white Saclit," and hoped this would not be my last visit.  He preached about thanksgiving and blessing.  Then it was time for the dedication service.  The parents and children sat on a bench in the front and the sponsors stood behind them.  The pastor explained how dedication was different than baptism and he and the parents laid hands on their child and prayed for them.  Then he asked the sponsor (godparent) to hold the baby and pray for him/her.  Then the sponsors were asked:  Whether we would help the parents nurture their child, physically, mentally, and spiritually?  Whether we were willing to take this vow before the congregation?  Then the sponsors came and signed the dedication certificate.  The visiting pastor invited me to a homecoming service at his church 80 km from Saclit.  There was a lot of food.  Later, I learned it is okay to say no, I am full, but then I over-ate because they served me so much and I thought if I didn't eat it all, they would think their food wasn't good enough for me and I would offend their hospitality.  After the service, Stevonnie got to open her present.

We also got to do ministry.  Every morning, Kuya Steve and Ate Mindel have been reading a chapter of the Bible and discussing it.  They are now in Psalms and invited me to join them.  After church, we walked around and prayed for people such as a feverish baby named Julian.  We also prayed with the mother of Lazaro.  One man said he knew me.  He was one of the builders of the nepa huts for the restaurant below our Bontoc apartment.  It amazes me how many people know us.  We visited our former hosts.  They wanted me to stay there but all my stuff was back at the church.  We stayed for dinner, though.  Kuya Alex (our former host) wants a team to go to Saclit because he tries to share the gospel but it doesn't seem like the people listen to him.  They sent us a backpack full of blankets so I wouldn't be cold and let us borrow our flashlights.  Kuya Steve said we would have to get up early because the jeepney left at 8 or 9.  I woke Ate Mindel up again because there was a squeaky scream.  She said it was outside and then she told me that rats only bite if you smell like food and not if you wash.  In the morning, she said that a rat had probably fallen from the church.  I hope I didn't shame myself too much but the scream woke Kuya Steve up too.  

We missed the jeepney.  You can't walk very fast on gravel.  Kuya Steve was wondering if the road from Saclit to the highway was the longest village road I had traveled.  He couldn't believe that I had gone to Chapyosen.  We caught a surveying van.  It would stop and go backwards but it was very comfortable.  Then we finally caught the bus.  Ate Mindel and Kuya Steve were worried that my parents might be worried about me.  We had lunch together at Bontoc and the rest of my family joined us. Mommy got a slight surprise when she saw me wearing Ate Mindel’s shirt.  Ate Mindel would not hear of me re-wearing one of mine.  I was given a squash and peanuts.  Later, Kuya Steve brought us a lot of guavas.

I really enjoyed my time at Saclit.  It was good to talk with Ate Mindel and Kuya Steve.  I loved seeing Stevonnie’s smiles and getting to hold her.  I certainly enjoyed the adventure.

The very happy Ninang (godparent) of Stevonnie Bless,

Adriana

Poems and Thoughts by Alexie

I have written two poems lately that can really express what I felt and have learned lately. So here they are:

Friends

Friends come,

They fill my heart,

With abundant joy.

Friends go,

My heart bursts

With troubled grief.

That is why

I hope for no good-byes

Only hi’s and sunny skies

To fill my world of friends.

Words cannot express

The pain it bears

To say bye to a friend so dear

That I may never see again.

That is why

I hope for no good-byes

Only hi’s and sunny skies

To fill my world of friends.

I wrote that poem because we have a team here but they are leaving very soon. I will really miss them especially Ate Krista who has been a real encouragement and friend to me.

In My Mind

In my mind,

I try to work it out.

In my mind,

I try to make it fine.

In my mind,

I try to figure it out.

In my mind,

I try to make it all paradise.

In my mind,

I try to make it all right.

In my mind,

Sometimes I succeed.

In my mind,

Sometimes I fail.

Out of my mind,

Many times I fail.

Just because I am trying too hard

To do it on my own

Not leaving room

For any help

From Him.

I really like to plan and work out problems. However I have been learning a lot about trusting God for everything and so that is what I think that I should do. 

Alexie

Am-Among, I Danced and the Mayor Played the Gongs!

As I have said I enjoy the Lang-ay and Am-among festivals of Mountain Province. This Am-among, we had a team here from the U.S. so I was really excited. I love learning and I love sharing what I have learned. I am a legend lover and collector of fun facts. Annalise can testify because she likes my stories and I like a listener. I especially like learning about the Igorot culture I am surrounded with.

We started early in the morning. I was anxious to get going. After breakfast and sunscreen, we hurried to see the street dancing. Already, the best spots were taken but we found a place where we could see. As a dancer passed by, I took her picture. I didn’t recognize her at first because she was so very serious focused on her dancing. Then she winked at me. It was laughing, smiling Cassey! I gave her thumbs up. Cassey used to be one of our SSM (student sponsorship ministry) students but I was really sad when we came back from furlough and she had moved back to her village so I couldn’t see her anymore.

Cassey Seriously Focused On Dancing on the Right

Cassey as Her Normal Smiling Self and Adriana

It was difficult to see the dancing from the street so we headed to the municipal plaza where we were ushered to front-row seats. There was a cute little girl sitting with her Mama behind us. Nanu was a perfect example of Filipino open friendliness as she sat on my lap and accepted a water bottle from Zach. Ate Arielle was also making friends with a little boy.

Zack and Nanu Making Friends

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”-Matthew 10:42

We learned that the cultural presentations would be held after lunch. We hurried home for our HAM sandwichs. I tend to get a bit excited about meat. No cheese, though, that would be way too expensive for thirty some people.

Unfortunately, lunch is not a definite time. Some people eat faster than others. We thought that lunch meant a hour or two later but we ended up arriving near the end of cultural presentations. People who eat fast do not like to wait for the people who don’t. Of course to be fair to fast-eaters, there is the fact that I stopped to say good-bye to Cassey as she boarded the jeepney home. But that was important. Very, very important. I just hope that I will be able to see her again soon sometime when she isn’t going somewhere, unless it would be our house.

The cultural presentations were good though. I always learn something new. This time it was about the sacrifices of rice planting. Unfortunately, the sacrifices are still real here as I have seen some of the symbols of the sacrifice in rice fields today.

I just love the sense of action and motion in this photo.

Igorot Leap-Frog

The best part for me seemed to be impromptu. The mayor and other officials began playing on the gongs. Then a general invitation to join the dance was issued from the loudspeaker. I wanted to so much. As Kuya Patrick and Ate Rufina had recently noticed that I generally dance when they get the gongs out at YWAM parties. Not the courtship dance though, I try to avoid that because I am still too young!) However, I didn’t want to intrude. I didn’t want to be thought of a big white American who comes barging in where she isn’t wanted and I know they would never tell me that I was doing. However the doctora came over and personally invited. Alayna, Ariana, and I eagerly accepted though Ate Bridget didn’t, even though she was from this area. She preferred to sit and watch us under the shade of her elegant umbrella. I enjoyed the dance. I was only told to stop watching my feet and to make my arms like carabao horns. I had never heard it described that way. Later, I thanked the doctora for inviting us because I wanted to dance but I didn’t want to intrude. She said I didn’t have to worry about that because I was “part of us”. That meant so much to me.

This is where the past and the present collide.
 The Mayor, Government Officials, Indigenous Dancers, and Police Officers All Playing the Gongs.

Sorry about it being so late,

 Love,

Adriana

Missionaries Gone Military

The title has nothing to do with any kind of violence but our water situation. I have nothing against the military. I respect them for being brave enough to risk their lives for what they think is right. However, the adjective military is rarely used with the synonyms: comfortable, relaxing, and luxurious. Military showers may be good for the environment and possibly for our health. However, they are not comfortable let alone luxurious. Here’s the description. You turn the shower on and get completely wet and wet your washcloth. Generally, the water is cold at the beginning and deliciously warm when you have to turn it off and soap your body and shampoo your hair. After you are all soaped up, which you try to do as quickly as possible so you’re not cold, you rinse, turn the shower off, and dry off. That is what you call a military shower. We have been forced to have military showers because a landslide destroyed our original water source and so we now only get one hour of water every other day. Hopefully, that will be fixed. But for now, I can be thankful:

1.Because of the water stored in our tank, we have running water most of the time.

2.We have water heaters on our showers.

P.S. When I am back in the U.S., I will have hot showers! Every day! Maybe even a bath! But I don’t think I will ever have a dipper and bucket shower there.

Love,

Adriana

Teaching Time

This week God has really taught me about prayer and how important it is. It all started with when we watched Letters to God. It is a really good movie about a little boy who has brain cancer and writes a letter to God every day. It is especially powerful because it is based on a true story.

This lesson was taught to me even more by reading the book Out of the Far Corners. It also talks about a true story of an orphaned Russian boy who felt that God as His best friend and it portrays the faithfulness of God. I learned that prayer is very important and is very powerful. God is always there even if no else is!!!!!!

Alexie

Questions for Alayna

Alayna’s twelfth birthday is coming up on August 29 so we will be posting a birthday interview. All questions would be greatly appreciated. Please comment and we will post her answers later.

Thanks!

Fang-orao

Last Sunday, we went to Fang-orao. Fang-orao is a part of Malicong we girls hadn’t seen yet. We wanted to go earlier but they were having a t-er which is a Pied Piper of Hamelin sort of ritual. So we were very excited.

We started off by missing the jeepney. When the trike dropped us off, we at first thought we had directed him to the wrong place. We found out that the jeepney we had been hoping to catch at 8 had left at 7:30 and there was no other jeepney in the morning. Dad was upset because he hates being late and he was scheduled to preach. So, I sat and waited while he texted the pastor and Mom asked trike drivers how much it would cost to go to Malicong.

I thought a great many random things in that time. I watched a cute three-year-old girl playing with her grandmother and a pair of yellow sunglasses. Mom found out that both her parents are working abroad in the Middle East. We didn’t take pictures because we didn’t want to seem like tourists. Someone had died nearby because they had a tarp shade and chairs out and many people had gathered. They were singing a funeral hymn or chant. I wondered what the words meant, whether it had a Christian or pagan meaning. The music was beautiful, sad and peaceful. A troop of boy scouts jogged by us, wearing white shirts and green bandanas. I then admired some wooden houses across the street. It is so rare to see wood instead of concrete due to termites. I wonder when they were built. I would like to have wood in my house. When it is polished, it feels good on your feet and is never so cold as tile. It has such a warm, welcoming color. I looked up and thought about how very blue the sky was.

The pastor replied that he was on his way to pick us up. We rode in his comfortable car along a beautiful road. I think that the road is one of the most beautiful in Mountain Province. It is lined with trees and greenery which I love.

Because we were so late, the pastor asked whether we would be willing to take the narrow shortcut. It was about four-inches wide and ran through a peaceful and beautiful part of Malicong I hadn’t seen. I much prefer the balance-beam path compared to steep stairs. At the end of the path, it was covered with slippery orange clay. Then we used our hands and feet to climb up the stairs cut in the clay hillside.

We girls taught the kids and then went back to the church to listen to the rest of Dad’s Bible overview. At the end, an old woman named Rita asked Jesus to be her lord and was bold enough to come to the front of the church and say so with the help of a friend.

Who knows what will happen this Sunday?

Love,

Adriana

Annalise's Birthday

Annalise's thoughts about her birthday.

Before:	During:
Excitement	Excitment
Joy	Happiness
Wanting to Dance	Joy
It is twindlish	We made hats.
and windlyishus	Made pizza.
It is the most wonderful thing	Open gifts
I played	Made cupcakes
I am having a spa	Ate

My Place

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever find,

The groove that was supposed to be mine.

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get to,

The link in the chain that is supposed to be me.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever locate

My piece in the puzzle.

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever find,

My place in the play.

I wonder when I’ll find out whom to be.

I’ve tried to be like someone else.

But I have to come to understand,

That it is not really me.

So I guess the secret is

To find who I am.

Then I will figure out what is my groove.

I’ll reach my link in the chain.

I’ll find my piece in the puzzle

And my place in the play

Because I will be

ME.

Alexie

The Bamboo and the Butterfly

Recently, I have been inspired musically. It began when we met Kuya Eryk (“kuya” means “big brother” in Tagolog and is used as a title of respect). Kuya Eryk has the God-given talent of making instruments out of bamboo. He showed us a bamboo saxophone and flutes he had made. He also can PLAY by ear!! His flutes sound like Mr. Tumnus’ in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. However, I can’t make a sound out of the standard flutes so Dad bought us a clarinet. Maybe later, after practice, I will be able to play one of the flutes.

He told us the story of how he made the one of the instruments. Three times he passed the dirty bamboo root on the garbage pile. He felt God told him to pick it up. He cleaned it and felt as he was working on it, God was working on him. It hurt when he made the holes. Sometimes, he wanted to quit, crying “God, it hurts!” But over and over again, he heard God say “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” Finally, he carved it with scrimshaw and the stars of the Philippine flag and polished it so it shone. He felt such satisfaction and knew it wasn’t him that did it but God working through him.

When we were in Baguio, we went to see our friend, Arabelle, perform in the Musar School of Music recital at the mall. There was a black swallowtail butterfly fluttering around overhead the entire time like an elusive muse. It flew around the entire time, landing on instruments and hovering around one of the singers’ hands. Hurray for Arabelle! You did such a wonderful job singing!

I have to go practice my clarinet,

Love,

Adriana

Our bamboo clarinet with the case Alayna crocheted

Three Years...

On Saturday, May 28, 2011, we celebrated three years of living in the Philippines. We also went to Baguio, but that was not my choice, and because nobody likes to hear complaining, I am not going to talk about that. This post is about the three-year anniversary not Baguio as anyone can tell by the title. So anyways, as I am trying to focus, I think it would be a good idea for us to say three things we have learned from living in the Philippines.

I, Adriana, will go first:

1. Being with people is important. Before when I was in the U.S., I did not enjoy being with people because I felt so awkward. I’d rather sit and read a book. The awkwardness hasn’t completely disappeared. I still need alone time and will always love reading, but I now have a desire to spend time with people.

2. Courage. Face up to your fears. Before I came here, I was afraid of change and heights. I have grown more flexible.

3. The world is a big, amazing place with so many people who are not that different from me.

Alexie

1. I learned what a great thing it is to have sisters. When I first moved to the Philippines, I remember crying because I did not have any friends. But now I have 3 good friends that live with me. I know that I will know them for the rest of my life.

2.I have learned the reality of the spiritual realm.

3. I have learned the trouble with having customs that tie in to your beliefs.

Alayna

1. The value of generosity

2. The difference between friendliness and true friendship

3. Crocheting

Annalise

1. That if you eat a lot of candy and don’t brush your teeth, they rot

2. How coconuts and bananas grow

3. What a banana tree looks like

Whew! Wow! Yikes! Yay! Awwww!

In case, you didn’t understand the title, we had an extremely busy week. We finished school. (Whew!) We went to Baguio (Yikes!) on the same day we celebrated three years of living in the Philippines (Wow!). We heard our friend, Arabelle, sing in the mall, saw her new baby brother, Nathaniel, and went swimming (Wow! Wow! and Yay!). Mom and Dad celebrated their twentieth anniversary. (Awwww!) Now we are back in Bontoc (Yay!) and school started Monday (here we go again). Hopefully, we will able to post more details but I wanted to post this because it has been so long since we last posted.

Love,

Adriana

Mother's Day

I know this is a little late but oh well. I want to wish all the mothers (and those who someday wish to be a mother) HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!!!! J But the person who I want to thank the most is my Mom. Thank you so much Mom. Here are 7 reasons I love my mom:

1. The first and foremost reason I love my Mom is because she loves me no matter what I do or say. She still loves me even if I yell or stomp my feet.

2. Mommy likes us to spend time as a family. Sometimes after dinner we can play a game or watch a movie. In the afternoon we might go to the market together.

3. Mommy reads aloud to me, she just finished Homer Price.

4. Mommy has homeschooled me all my life. She taught me to read and now I love to read.

5. Mommy plans me wonderful birthday parties for me. Everything goes along with the theme. For example when I was 6, I had a duck party. We did a relay race with flippers on and other duck games. My birthday cake was in a shape of a duck. There was blue punch with ducks floating in it.

6. She is an awesome hair stylist. She can make any hair style imaginable and do it well.

7. She is always happy for a hug or kiss. Even when Mommy is very busy she will stop for a hug or a kiss.

These are only 7 of the many reasons I love my wonderful Mommy!

Love you Mommy,

Alayna

Lang-ay A Little (Okay, A Lot) Late

A girl wearing an abaca fiber shirt waits nervously for

her group's turn to compete in the street dancing contest.

It appears she's not the only one.

Other girls talk while they wait.

An Igorot Princess

(or Obing nga Babae nga Napintas, if my Ilocano is correct)

Street Dancing

Boys in g-strings watching the cultural presentations.

(Don't worry, these tattoos are just ink and will wash off. In the past, the thorns would be used to prick patterns in the skin and ash would be rubbed into the holes. Much more painful.)

The Same Boys After They Saw My Camera

I love Lang-ay! I always enjoy learning about different cultures and Lang-ay and Am-among Festivals with the street dancing and cultural presentations are the perfect opportunities. Unfortunately, we were too late to get a good place to watch the most of the street dancing presentation. Thus, I took many pictures of the spectators. This was good because they were focused on something else and after two and half years of living here I try really hard not to appear like a tourist.

However, having white skin makes that difficult. We were approached by many journalists and we heard that Mom was on TV Patrol. I don't mind so much because it's fun to answer questions.

Sorry, we did not have many street dancing pictures. You can see a video from a previous Lang-ay at my parents' blog or you could comment and ask for more pictures.

Love,

Adriana