21 Days Later

It's been 21 days. The water is still 4 feet high in the worst areas, and that water is there to stay until January. It's been 21 days. Only 2,000 out of 130,000 families have received some form of aid. It's been 21 days. The stagnant, rotting sewage water is breeding disease and releasing a horrific stench.

It's been 21 days. And people are still smiling. There is this phenomenon here in the Philippines in which people have what I call the 'smiling disease'. It's contagious and mind-baffling. People swimming out of their houses with the clothes on their back and nothing else still smile. People waiting in 4-6 feet of water in the pouring rain for 6 hours to get some rice and a gallon of water still smile. Maybe we could learn something?

And there we are on the roof (not because of flooding) with the breathtaking scape of Manila's beauty behind us, sinking into the sunset. Haha, don't we all just love the city?

Here's some of the pictures of the flooding here in Metro Manila from people at and around school. The largest storm in 40 years hit, unleashing mass devastation in the form of mud slides and flooding. Fortunately, our house was uneffected, but the majority of my friends spent their weekend swimming around their first floor and trying to drain water and salvage items. Almost 100 staff, students, and faculty as our school lost absolutely EVERYTHING. We are coordinating widespread relief efforts through our school in association with PCF, ECo, and the ACC. They are looking for people to open up their homes for the workers in our school with no where to go, so I'm gonna try and volunteer for that. Over 2 months worth of rain fell in 6 hours and in some places, deposited over 9 feet of mud. Another typhoon is headed this way at the end of the week, so let's pray and cross our fingers!
Mom and Dad are still gone. I survived a natural disaster with my sisters. What a big girl I am now. :)

Extrordinarily delayed - I know - but here is the a short video on our Bohol trip several weeks ago. The scuba diving was great! Also, an update on the floods - Laura was just down in Pasig today where people are still up to their knees - and in some places, their chests - in water, so in many places, the flooding is still a daily hardship. The standing sewage water is a breeding ground for disease and infection as the children play in it and the adult have to wade through it to and from work. Volunteers are pouring in even more abundantly than needed, and the military has been a MAJOR help in donating their man power and vehicles, but money is an issue for all the organizations we've been with so far.

Day in the Dumps

This weekend has been one of the most amazing, incredible, exhausting experiences I've ever had. Saturday, I had the extrordinary privelage of joining our school's Eco-friendly Council on an expedition into the largest slum in Asia- Baseco/Tondo. We went with the intention of scouting the terrian for future field/mission trips and also with the intention of getting film footage to show our school. So, valiantly equipped with a video camera, a microphone, and all the annoying cords and gadgets that go with filming, I set out to exploring the dumps. Literally. The heartbreaking, horrific conditions I witnessed were completely unreal and beyond disturbing. I witnessed a real life version of a horror film...

Entire cities built on trash. Children covered in ash and soot from being forced into child-labor making coal. Infants hacking and coughing from the suffocating smoke. Entire rivers and bays covered with so much trash, that the kids floated ON the trash instead of IN the water. A community shrouded in white and black smoke from smoldering waste. Hundreds of stories of those who have fallen through the trash and burned alive beneath our feet. Kids diving into the backs of dump trucks, risking being crushed just to get the chance to pick out of the trash. OUR trash. Women hand sorting OUR trash without gloves or masks because we are too lazy to put glass and plastic in something called a recycle bin. Adults and children alike with massive, oozing sores and cuts on their bodies. Cities built on top of cemetaries where the bodies and bones have been scattered on the ground. Skulls and bones and hands and feet mixed in with the rubbish I walked through.

It was a horrificly jolting day. A serious wakeup call. Our whole group came away so sobered and different than the care-free group of laughting teenagers that rode into Tondo that morning. It aged us all greatly. I plan to be doing much more work down there this coming year with my film and stuff. There is a great, GREAT, great need for support and helping hands willing to wade through rubbish and help these people. In some places, because of the illegal child labor and stuff, cameras were prohibited, so I missed some great shots, but I will post a video on Tuesday or Wednesday of some of the footage I got.


On a happier note, I spent Saturday evening and Sunday in an incredible village that is just overflowing with love and joy, and is completely on fire for God. I went home with one of our guards, Lito. He and I aren't very close, but his daughter and son and wife have been texting back and fourth with me for the last few months. I took three buses, a jeepney, a trike, and a scooter to get to his remote village where I enjoyed the company of incredible people. This morning I was blessed to be able to attend their church which was founded by a Korean missionary family. I enjoyed amazing worship and a three hour service after which the whole youthgroup came over to Lito's house to sing, eat, talk, karaoke, play games, laugh, and get to know eachother. Today was the most refreshing day I've had in a long time, but after Saturday, my long commute Saturday night, very little sleep Saturday night, a 5 o'clock wakeup and jog this morning, a full day of exertion and fun, and a veeeerrrry long commute back home (which consisted of a scooter, a trike, a jeepney, 2 buses, and a taxi), I am nodding myself to sleep as I type.

All in all, I couldn't be more thankful for a shower that has running water (and hot water at that!), a toilet that flushes, toilet paper, towels, pillows, blankets, my own room, and air conditioning.

There is a big world out there, and it's not very pretty. No, it's more like a heap of rubbish with skeletons of people 'living' on it.

50% of the world lives on $2 or less a day. Something to chew on when we feel like complaining, eh?

Another Year

Late evening sun filtered through the trees and shimmered off the watery rice fields, dazzling the eye and creating a surreal moment of happiness. A small hush of wind played gently through the rice grass, creating a soothing rustling sound. Birds filled the heavy air with colors and sound as they snapped up mosquitoes for a bed-time snack before disappearing into the jungle. Bats slowly began appearing, flittering to the sound of the beautiful melody being sung by the lone silhouette on the edge of the fields.
I regret to say that I do not live there. I live in the chaoticly jumbled mess they call the city of Manila. Late evening sun reflects off of skyscraper's windows and slips away behind stacks of structures they call buildings. There are no birds that are able to survive the thick, syrupy diesel-filled air. There are no fish in the oozing, black, trash-filled waters that they call rivers. There is no such thing as 25 MPH on the crowded areas of pavement that they call roads. And there is no relief for the thousands of bodies laying on sidewalks whom we call 'the poor.'
This year has already proven to be an incredible reality check for me. It's amazing how fast I can lose perspective! After just two months in the states, coming back here was a shock that was not easy for me. I grumbled and groaned and cried over the traffic and my airconditioning and my school and my drivers and my laundry and my food and that I had to go grocery shopping since I had no mom around to do it for me - and then Girlie came along.
Girlie is a dear friend of mine who has babysat my sisters and I in the past. She has nothing. Literally. Her three children, husband, and her desperately struggle to meet their basic needs. The moment she stepped out of the car and into my arms, she was sobbing with thanks. I was taken aback as she began to tell me what had happened in her life while I was gone. She is unemployed. Her husband had lost his job and shortly thereafter discovered he had expensive health problems. Her in-laws were unable to support her any longer. The village was struggling too much as a whole to give her money. Her children had to walk 2 miles to school since she couldn't afford the 16 cent transportation. And worst of all, she had been depriving herself of food so that her kids could have full bellies for school. She wasn't sure how much longer she was going to make it. At her lowest point of despair, she heard God tell her that he pulled through worse in the past and wouldn't let her down.
The next day, she got the call from my father offering her to watch me while my family is in the states and then to assist my mother in homeschooling my siblings when they returned. A true godsend. That night Girlie and I sat in the air-conditioned study eating chocolate that I had bought for her. She cannot afford chocolate, so it's a real treat. She looked at me, completely radiant, and said with confidence, "Today, I feel I am so rich!"
I felt so ashamed that I ever even dared to grumble about my food and school and transportation! I had lost sight of how amazingly excessively I am blessed! It's important that we as Americans remember that things we take for granted every day of our lives are the highest luxuries to the most of the world. Just think - 70% of the world's population has never heard a dial tone. And we complain about bad signal.
I want this blog to be something where my heart can be revealed as I discover the riches and lessons the world has to give. Hopefully, aside from you finding out about my life, it will give you insight into the world outside America and prompt your hearts into action. Our house is always open for those of you who wish to come and minister!

Now, on a lighter note, I tried to get my household help to tell me what they were thankful for, but it was a bit harder than I thought it would be.... you see, my one guard, Nester, speaks a different dialect of Tagalog than I and the rest of us do, so we have communication difficulties. Enjoy my frustration. :) Mom, I know you can appreciate this....

A Tribute to Home

Mom: It's official -I am a big girl now! This is hard, solid proof that I am not as bad with directions as you think. I mean, I literally made it to the other side of the world without getting lost! Yes, I know, I've got skills. Mad skillz, baby, mad skillz...ninja skills. :) Just pretend like you don't see me buy the Pringles and coffee, k? I love all of you! This house is WAY too big and echoey without ya'll around, though I must say it's nice sometimes. Looking forward to your return!

Camping '09, Mohican

So this summer we went back to a place where we have camped for three generations called Mohican Wilderness. As a child, I spent my long summers there, running free and wild in the forests and mountains. It is my favorite place, pretty much, in the whole world. The video shows some of our highlights, and although the campground has remained unchanged, our tactics for camping have evolved; this year we got a cabin instead of just tents, and we only stayed for three days instead of weeks on end. A fun fact for those who don't know: my mom, Laura, was in a biking accident here when I was around three. She saved me, but smashed her face which now has metal on one side instead of bone, although you would never know. Hence, we believe is the reason she never gets any cell phone signal.Yes, some of the sound in the video is messed up, but I've tried for hours to fix it and finally gave up, so, it is what it is. Enjoy! :) Only seven days til' I return to the Philippines. Yes, I am excited in some respects, but this time I am going into it knowing what's ahead, and I know that what's ahead is another tough year emotionally, socially, and spiritually. But I am going to press through and be victorious!

MMMT 2009

MMMT, Mom and Me Missions Trip 2009, was hosted at our house where we had friends from the states bring themselves and their children or relatives/friends come to the Philippines with a vision to make a difference. We had good and rough times from praying and playing with the amazing children to Heidi puking her guts up in the car as well as several car-sick instances. We swam in an active volcano, hiked the hardest hike of our lives in a low-pressure monsoon, had bonding time in the evenings, formed new and lasting bonds, experienced another culture, survived Manila's pollution, fought our way through crowded streets, and crashed hard every night. We got the opportunity to do the drama to the song by Lifehouse called Everything. We came home late one evening, practiced it twice, and did it the next day. Unfortunately, the best part of the drama got cut off sooo... just imagine a grand ending. :) We are looking forward to an awesome MMMT next year!

My life '08 - '09

This is just a silly little summary video of the odds and ends and random stuff we have done since we have been here. It introduces you to the people with whom we live and shows little, cool things like our beds being hand made, etc. Yes, it has the same intro as many other of my videos. Lots of people are asking about that, but I have decided that the intro shots are sort of like my trademark. All my films for the moment being will being with this.

An update on myself: I am progressing very well with the language, Tagalog, and can text, understand, read, and write, although speaking is still challenging.

On another note, our MMMT missions trip has begun as of last Wednesday. So far we have been taking it slow and easy, and it is still extremely relieving and enlivening to have people that we know and love in our house. Starting Thursday, we kick it into full gear and start packing in full days of painting, building, teaching, and ministering.

I have had two amazing opportunities arise since I last posted, both involving film. The first came through my wonderfully talented dancing, artistic aunt, Jen. This summer, I will be filming her bringing and teaching cultural dance to African American children who pick cabbage for a living. It will be a short promotional documentary about the power that children possess when they are given the key to their culture.

The second, really cool opportunity came from me ending up at the wrong place at the right time and meeting the right people. On accident, I ended up at the Philippines' 25th star awards where I got connected with the movie press who now want me to direct a film for them. How cool is that? They won't give me details about the film over the phone or email, so I am going to try and meet with them sometime before I leave for the States. I also met the most famous documentary maker in the Philippines as well as other film and documentary makers and government officials and congressmen.

So, I'm not sure what is going to come out of these two films as well as one on Filipino Education that I am planning on filming and releasing next year, but whatever it is, I know that it will be to God's glory. He has given me so many opportunities to shine and be a light in such a dark, secular industry! I can make a difference. I can be the voice of the people.

'Dreamer' Update

For all four of you who actually read my blog :), I won first place in documentaries at our school with my short film, Dreamer. The film professors said that I should have got first overall, but that right is reserved only for seniors. O well, at least I can look forward to claiming best overall next year! Still, I am happy to say that I walked away with a sweet Indiana Jones hat, a great book, and something to work toward for next year.

Dreamer

Just a short video called 'Dreamer' that I made for the International Film Festival being held here this week. Next year, I will submit the full length movie, but this year, the time limit for submissions was 5 minutes, grrr.... I went up to Pampanga to my absolute favorite place in the world - San Pablo - just to see what kind of footage I could get, and low and behold, it actually became something. It's a really short film about the dreams of the simple and poor (my second family and favorite people). My aim was to show all the rich children at my school that they are no different that the poor people, and they have no right to sub-humanize them and treat them the way they do. The sound was rough because I had only three days to write, film, and edit, but - hey! - that's what subtitles are for, right?? :) The intro and credit music is by a group of amazingly passionate,sold-out, God-loving guys in a band named Still. The music is from their album 'The Spilling of My Heart.' Check them out at www.myspace.com/themusicofstill. Enjoy! :)

Broken Hearts

As I look around the room my heart is crushed with a guilt and sadness beyond any other. Why me? Why was I born American? Why was I born, destined to be wealthy and to have every thing I need? Why am I guarunteed to have a great future? Why do I have everything going for me? Why do I have all this excess?? Why do I have food on my table at every meal? Why do I have the opportunity to get an education? Why can I eat anything I want any time I want? Why do I have so many shirts and pants and shoes? Why? Why do I have a camera, a cell phone, iPods, a laptop? Why do I have my own room? Why do I have aircon? Why do I have running water? Why do I have electricity? Why do I have excess of everything? Why are both of my parents alive and well? WHY?!
This week I have heard the stories of 5 people - all who have lost fathers and mothers in the last year, some of them have also lost aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters as well. They don't know where their money is going to come from. They aren't guarunteed food tomorrow. They can't get an education because of financial shortages. No education means they can't get a job - a vicious cycle that leaves them stranded with nothing. 11 People in a 8x8 room. No air. No blankets. No beds. No water. No electricity. Nothing but eachother and a dream for a brighter future for their children. They are not greedy. They don't want an excess of money or to live in a mansion. They only want a stable enough amount to send their children to school and put food on the table at each meal and maybe have a few different outfits. Nothing more. But they always have less.
And they are real people. Sometimes we sub-humanize them and think, 'well, they are probably used to it and it's just a way of life, so it must not bother them. They don't have dreams or passions like us.' But I have discovered that these people dream bigger than I have even ever dared. They have more passion and feeling and hope than I could ever imagine having. They are unashamed, unafraid, undaunted by life. They let their tears fall and laughter flow freely.
I think I am beginning to understand Solomon; I despise my wealth. It has showed me the pointlessness of life. I wish I could throw it all away and go live in a box in order to find the happiness that these people have. Money means nothing - it brings nothing. Money is meant to be given away - what joy is it to have it all to myself? I'm sick of feeling sorry for people and then going and sitting in my palace of a room. I'm sick of pitying them while listening to music on my iPod or playing one of my guitars. I've got to do something! I've got to break out of this bubble! Life is so shallow and pointless if all our goal is is to gain wealth and think it will give us something. Wealth brings nothing. Nothing. True happiness can only be found in things eternal and in what you make of what you have right now. Life is so short. Stop striving for pointless, material things. Make the moment count. Do something. Love unfraid, unashamed, undaunted by the lies that the world tells us.
My heart is broken. Crushed. Because I have far more than I need, and that is the worst feeling in the world. What can I do about it?

So it's spring break and we went down to Sorsogon in Donsol in Bicol to swim with the Butanding, or Whalesharks. It was abosolutely INCREDIBLE these huge, massive creatures were so gentle and non-schalant about us humans being all around them. The water was really cloudy becaue of all the planton and krill in the water, but it added to the suspense, because the whalesharks would just appear out of nowhere a few feet away. I followed them down 20 or 30 feet a few times before they disappeared. It was crazy. The next two days we just chilled out at the beach with the local children who were crazy over Bayli and Hope. They romanced them with flowers, dancing, tricks, chocolate, gum, and singing. It was precious. There were 12 boys and 1 girl hanging out with us. The one evening we went on a river boat ride to see the most amazingly magical thing I have ever seen, but it was too dark and my camera didn't pick it up. We got on a little native boat and went down this river - no other tourists but us - and saw these trees that were swarmed with lazily dancing fireflies that illuminated the entire tree and looked like a hive of pixie fairies or something. The stars were bright and clear and the water glowed! There is so much plankton in the water that when you move the water, it glows. So there we were, in magical glowing waters with firefly trees as lanterns and a sky full of stars. It was breathtaking. So unreal. So surreal. I promise, magic in the mind is alive in this world and manifested through the spectacular creation of God. Some people would try to analyze and logically figure out why the fireflies swarm only certain trees, why the water glows, and why the stars move instead of seeing it simply as a miraculously captivating magic. As for me, I do believe in fairies. :)

My House

Quite a few of yall wanted to see my house, so here it is! Note: *Our house is not finished!!*

Weekend Nasa Paraiso

I just had the ultimate, best, most amazing, refreshing, wonderful, incredible weekend ever! I went up to Pampanga with my Lolo Fort to his village, San Pablo where every person in the entire village is related! It's pretty crazy, actually, to have 2000 people all closely related and mostly with the same two last names. Anyways, I got up there on a Friday evening and immediately began singing karaoke for FOREVER! Filipinos love karaoke! Then I met a bunch of awesome people my age in the empty playing court behind my Lolo's house where they were preparing things for a huge 18th birthday debut party. We talked and sang and chilled late until the night, makin decorations and food and stuff for the party. They next morning we rose early and went out to my Lolo's little farm in the wide-open rice fields where the men caught fresh fish that we grilled. We had an incredible lunch of fish, rice, and fresh-picked vegetables all served on beautiful banana leaves. Then Lolo and his son and I went back into town at eleven to watch a cock fight which was, well.... Anyways, the whole rest of the afternoon I played with the kids, hung out with my friends, decorated and stuff, and got fancied up for the party. Oh, and sometime in between there I took an interesting shower. Never realized how hard it is to shower without running water - things we take for granted. That night the party was so much fun! It was the grandest birthday party I have ever been to and the debutant was dressed up so beautifully! She looked like a Filipina Cinderella. The whole ceremony was beautiful. After the ceremony was over us kids stayed out and jammed and talked and laughed and jamme and talke and laughed until, like, 3:00 or something. Wake up the next morning was at the ungodly hour of six, again, and I spent my morning talking with relatives and jamming with Lolo's super-talented nephew, Alex. Then, his adorable granddaughter, Kayla Mae was a flower girl in a wedding so I went and watched her. The Filipino weddings are a lot different than ours in the states. After that I went back to Lolo's house where some friends invited me to go swimming with them which was a blast and then, *sniffle, tear* it was time to go home. I sadly packed up, feeling as though my heart had never been so free and happy and at home than when I was there, and drove back to my house. But now, and I hope for always, Lolo's village is my home. There I have geniune friends that are so wonderful and well-behaved. The teenagers have fun without having to do bad stuff. Going there was what I needed to pick my spirits up. Next time I go, I am going to teach the American Football, which they have never played! But they don't sell footballs over here...grrr....

I am a simple person. I love living in a hut with no running water. I long to go back there were my heart can sing. I long to go home.

Simplicity is Happiness

Never have I finally discovered something so profound for myself as this: simpliciy is happiness. The world tells us different. The world tells us that happiness is more money and stuff and possessions and riches and wealth and a bigger house and a better car and more expensive clothes and name brand purses and top-of-the-line education and diamond watches and drawers of pearls and the best phones and newest technology and what not. I have always been aware that money doesnt bring happiness necessarily, but what I never realized is how it actually brings sadness in many ways, even if you don't love it.
Since we have been here, we have lived the life. We have a nice house, nice cars, top-notch schooling, and dad has got a great job that keeps him home more often. Yet, somehow, when accessories are added into our lives it brings sadness. When I come home from school, usually very sad and frustrated about the day, I go straight to my Lolo. I know in my heart that I have nothing to be sad about - I have a wonderful life materialistically! - but I can't help it! So I go talk to Lolo Fort and every day - every single day - he gives me a reality check. He, not being the wealthiest of people, has more joy than anybody I have ever known. He is always smiling and joyful with a genuine, from-the-heart happiness because he has a family, food, a job, shelter, and only one life to live. He takes what he has and loves his simplicity! He is so proud of being a simple person, and frankly, I would trade places with him any day! To be able to give up all these accessories and all this crap that I don't need and be able to genuinely enjoy life and its bare necessities. It is so true that when you start getting stuff, even if you don't love money, you become attatched. Now, after living for six months with just one suitcase and my guitar, I am back in a house with all of my stuff from the states. At first I was distraught at having so much stuff again, but now I'm attatched. It's true. Money doesnt just not bring happiness; it can make you miserable. The happiest people in the world I know are the ones who have nothing. We have got it so wrong in the American dream; don't they know? Simplicity is truly true happiness.

Last weekend we went down to a resort in Batangas and went scuba diving. Papa got certified and was able to dive with us! We had a wonderful refreshing time! I got stung by something and it's still giving me issues - not really sure what it was. We feed hundreds and hundreds of fish, some enormous that let us touch them, and others small and skittish. Dad and I got nibbled on - ouch!

Baseco Visit

We had the wonderful privelage of visiting our amazing children down at the ING Learning Center in Baseco where we have previously ministered. My grandmother captivated the children with her reading of 'You are Special' and I got to rev the kids up with 'Big God O,' 'Jumping Up and Down,' and 'Jesus Loves Me' as well as one of their native Tagalog songs. Last weekend we went to Pagsanjon Falls which was absolutley beautiful! We rode these tiny boats into the jungle and saw these gorgeous waterfalls. Also, this past week, two AWESOME gals from the states, Kayla and Nicole, were here with their father who was preaching at a Maxwell conference. The last night they were here, we rocked the Library - hence the video which is purely for our own enjoyment and memories...

Christmas '08

Egypt Jordan Israel : Christmas '08

Me at the Dead Sea!

Me in Petra!

Mom on a Camel!

Me in a Bedouin headress!

My family along with my grandparents spent an incredible, once in a life time Christmas in the Holy Land. We had the amazing privelege of walking Old Jerusalem and Bethlehem on Christmas day! Walking those ancient streets made the Bible come alive in a whole new light as we were able to envision first-hand what the terrain and cities looked like in Jesus' time and even before that in Abraham's, David's, and Solomon's. The places we went on the trip were:

Egypt
The Great Pyramids
The Sphinx
Haifa
Capernumn
Eilat
Nazareth
Sinai
Mount Moses
The Citadel
Old Cairo
Old Jerusalem
New Jerusalem
Bethlehem
The Suez Canal
The Red Sea
The Dead Sea
The Sea of Gallilee
Megiddo (Site of Armageddon)
Mount Caramel
Golgotha/ Dome of the Rock
The Temple Mount
Memphis
Sakkara
The Cairo Bazaar
Jordan
Petra
Tel Aviv
Caesarea
Acre
Israel
Kuwait
Persian Gardens
Marah
Tiberius
Banias
Beit Shean
The Egyptian Museum
An INFINITE number of Churches and Shrines
The Colossus of Ramses II
Passed Jericho
Massada
Qumran (Site of Dead Sea Scrolls)

We saw and learned A LOT! I will post a video of our trip as soon as I can so you, too, can see all of those places and more. :)The video is REALLY LONG, so I had to post it in a VERY LOW quality, but the original plays crystal clear on a high-def TV. ENJOY! :)

World Vision Christmas Party

World Vision November 2008

These children watched their friends enjoy a Christmas Party put on by World Vision. They quietly crowded the gates, trying to glimpse the performers and enjoying the music. Only the children who attended World Vision's Learning Center School were allowed to attend. There were about 150 children inside having the party of their lifetime. Afterwards, they proudly walked home loaded with gifts and food.

Insist upon Sacrifice

Sacrifice. What comes to mind when you first hear that word? I don't know about you, but it usually brings a negative picture to mind. Nobody really wants to sacrifice. Or maybe you see something else. Maybe you picture Jesus,the ultimate sacrifice. Whatever you think about the word "sacrifice," I think we can all agree that insisting upon personal sacrifice brings an even more negative picture. Actually, it's absurd! Who would insist on personal sacrifice? Well, I have learned something profound that has changed the picture I had for that.
We pulled up to our favorite Italian restaurant, C's, and mom ran in to order some exquisite pizza to go. When she got back in the car she told Fort that it wouldnt be ready for 15 minutes and that he and Nester could go get some food wherever they wanted. (Remember that due to their servant's heart, they don't even eat without us telling them.) We buckled up and were ready to go when we realized that Fort was parking at C's. "Wait! No, no, no." We said, "Go get some food for you." But time and time again they insisted upon us getting our food and them eating later when we got home around 7 pm. Finally, we talked /ordered them into getting some food, but they refused to eat until after we had our food. Fort insisted upon waiting for us, despite our pleas that he eat before he had to continue driving.
Similarly, yesterday I wanted some rice but mom had forgot to buy some. When Fort heard, he started leading me to his kitchen. "Come," he said, "we have rice." I stopped him, "No way, Lolo! That rice is for you and Nester." He shook his head in shcok. "NO! This is for US. You, me, and Nester." I stopped and shook my head right back. "No, Fort. There is not enough for all of us. It's for you and Nester" But he still insisted. We continued for about 2 minutes while Fort became almost offended that I wouldn't take any, until I said I wanted Ramen noodles instead. Now, there is a moral to both of these stories.
These are just two simple examples of Fort and Nester's servant's hearts. Between Lolo (grandpa) Fort and Kuya (big-brother) Nester, I have learned so much!They both, daily, insist on things that inconvenience them in order to put me and my desires first. In fact, I don't think that they even see it as an inconvenience - they do it so happily and so genuinely. They not only sacrifice sleep, food, and comfort when needed - they insist upon making the sacrifice when it is not needed, when we do not call for it, and when we insist upon their comfort. They set aside food, sleep, family, etc. and lay their full and whole-hearted service at our feet. They persist to insist on sacrifice. What a lesson to learn.

Serving Namelessly

He goes where we tell him. He takes orders from a seven year old. He waits for hours wherever he tell him to. He never asks for anything. He calls everyone mam and sir, when he is old enough to be my father or grandfather. He has been without his family for three years at a time. He is at the mercy of what we tell him. He accepts with a smile whatever the orders are. He is so humble! He panics when we try to serve him and says, "No, no! This is not right. You are my boss." I am sixteen, and he serves me wholeheartedly regardless of what I say. He doesn't eat when we are out and about unless we tell him to, so when we are busy and forget to give him permission to go, he doesn't eat, but he never complains. He feels so happy to serve us and work for a kind family. He is proud of who he works for. He serves around the clock with no regard for what he wants or his personal preferences. He disregards his own preferences. His desire is to meet our desires.

His name is Fort. I call him Lolo. He sees himself as no more than a servant, but he has become my friend, teacher, lolo, and driver. Everyday I learn SO much from him. He has become, in many many ways, the role model that I look up to. I adore my Lolo with all my heart. I learn things from his everyday and he keeps me going when Im at my lowest. I am so honored to be with him.

Lolo Fort is such an example to me. To the world. You see this kind of extreme servanthood everywhere over here, and it truly is revelational. If we are supposed to be serving God, and these men are serving us whole-heartedly, how much more are we to serve God! Namelessly. Facelessly. Whole-heartedly. Humbly. With a sense of honor. With no personal desires getting in the way. With our one and only mission to serve. Wow.

The Pharisee in Me

Over the past few days, a lot has taken place, and today while having a few minutes to relax I began to realize something very startling; I was becoming calloused to the pain around me. Don't get me wrong - when I see the children and the mothers and fathers in the squatter villages struggling for food, it breaks my heart, but I realized that it didn't break my heart enough to spur me into action. I oooo'ed and aaahh'ed at the poverty we drive by everyday and always thought to myself, "Wow, I am so blessed not to live like that." But you see, that's a wrong attitude; it's just like that Pharisee in the Bible who gave thanks to God basically saying, "Thank you SO much that I'm not like that sinner over there. I am so lucky! Poor guy - o well! At least I'M blessed and happy and cleansed."

Once again, don't get me wrong here - I am so amazing thankful and greatful and privelaged to be blessed the way I am with an incredible family as well as shelter and food - but I am missing the point. I am not blessed and favored because of who I am. I am nothing. The squatters are just as blessed as me, just in different ways. It has nothing to do with who I am or what I've done that I've earned what I have. God planted me where I am because of his crazy awesome plan for my life. And God has plans for every person we drive by.

So I guess that I am trying to say it's very easy to look over at someone else and say, "Thank God I'm not like them!" But that is such a prideful and selfish statement, implying that they are worse off or not as good as us. It's about time we look at ourselves next to people like the squatters and say, "God, show me what do you want me to learn from them? Work ethic? Sacrifice? Sacrificial love? Unmaterialistic joy? What, God? Show me. Teach my heart to be like your heart and not compare myself to others. Mold my heart to fit yours."

It's time to live outside the box, y'all.

Stuck Inside a Box

The World Outside the Box. What is it? The world outside each one of our boxes is different as we all have different callings, but our lives inside the box are very similar.
Namely, we tend to be self-centered, grumbling at not getting extra pickles on our hamburger while many people eat out of the dump - if they are lucky. We buy hundreds of dollars of new clothes, shoes, accessories, mani and pedicures, etc. while many people go barefoot and have been wearing their hand-me-down shirt and pants for so long that the fabric is paper thin and soaked in dirt - if they have clothes at all. We go off at the waiter when our food isnt hot or our water isnt iced and cold, while many people walk ten miles for hot, dirty, diseased water - if they're lucky. We spend a countless amount of money indulging on ourselves even when we say we are on a budget, while many people work for 50 cents a day, and give what they have to their family- if their family is still alive. We complain if our bed is too hard or too soft, if we get to sleep too late or wake up too early, or if our sheets are to scratchy, while so many children and babeis and mothers sleep on the sidewalks all year long. Oh! and did I mention how we say, "Something must be done!" but when the opportunity arises, we whistle a tune and pretend we don't see the offering basket as it passes by?
Our life inside the box revolves around us. My life. My wants. My "needs". My desires. My schedule. My budget. We are so stuck inside the box, completely caught up with sports, meetings, activities, work, and so on, that we fill our box up and forget we are in a box at all. Our world revolves around us and what we feel we have to do to make ourselves happy.

Life outside the box is pretty much, Love God, Love His people. Serve God, Serve His people. Life outside is wild. It's raw. It's real. It's real life. It's like nothing box-dwellers have ever tasted.

It's amazing how much my eyes have been opened to life outside the box in the last year! And I have only tapped the beggining! The purpose of this blog is to welcome you into what God is doing around the world. It is meant to help open your eyes in a new way as I tour you through some of the poorest groups of people in the world. I want you to share in a life waaaay outside the box. It is such an exciting life where God's heart is revealed in powerful ways. God's heart is for His people. We have been in Manila for a week and half now, and God has opened up many doors of purposeful networking for us. He has brought us a missionary family as well as direct contacts with World Vision and Habitat for Humanity field work as well as the Ophanges we are already in contact with. He has blessed us with a house far too big for practicality in worldly sense, but has opened the door for us to be able to house mission groups! He has opened up hundreds of oportunities for relief work on the field as well as teaching and giving opportunities. There is SO much to do! So many hurting people and so many opportunities to share the pure, open-hearted, enrapturing love of God that we ourselves have experienced.

It's time to live Outside the Box.