Tag Archives: Adventure

Learning a language can be a tricky…especially when the language is tonal. For the missionary, this can cause some very funny moments. For example, words like suko and suka. These two words may sound similar but using the wrong one will completely change what you meant to say! Such was the case for my wife, Elizabeth. After studying Cebuano for three years, she has finally started teaching children’s classes. What she was trying to say was “Pero kong mopadayon ka sa imong pagkasuko makasala ka.” or in English, “If you continue to be angry you will sin!” What she actually said was, “If you continue to throw up you will sin!” OOOOPS! Just another day in the life of a missionary! :)

These are a few problems a missionary family may encounter while living in the Philippines. We got a good chuckle out of this and hope you will too! Chris was brave enough to take the bucket shower! 

1.) A Black Out Cook Out! So you were cooking dinner and the lights went out? It happens! No worries if you have a gas stove! Just grab a flashlight (say a prayer) and wing it. :) 

2.) A Black Out Means…NO WATER! Here’s a fun fact. In the Philippines, when a blackout strikes the water quits too. This can be bad news if the power is off all day! In a country that has an unlimited supply of humidity this means it won’t be long before you’re unable to be around people (think sweat, body odor…you get the picture! ) Don’t worry, it’s more than likely that your neighbors have stored buckets of rain water just for this occasion. Grab a bar of soap, a little bucket, and shower outside (fully clothed of course). :)

3.) A Black Out May Force You To Toss It Out! If the meat in your freezer happens to go bad during your power loss by all means toss it out! Just be prepared to have people come by and take it directly out of your trash! Yes, you can try to warn them of the dangers of spoiled meat but odds are they aren’t going to listen…..

4.) Don’t Mess With Nap Time! I am a vigilant guardian of my kid’s naps, but what if the power goes out during that sweet hour of quiet time? One of the beautiful things about living in the Philippines is the miniature hammocks. If the kiddos can’t sleep without a fan just find a nice place to hang your hammock and you’re set.

Say What????

Living in a third world country means you will experience some very unusual moments. Sometimes they will make you cringe or laugh. But then there are times….you will just watch in shock and wish that you had NOT just seen that! It was a Saturday afternoon and like most Saturdays I went out visiting people, hoping to talk about Christ. During that time I met two ladies, a grandmother and her daughter. We began to talk and nothing seemed unusual…until I noticed their adorable baby. I remarked how cute the newborn was and immediately the mom  spat on her baby. I tried to hide my shock as she continued the conversation like nothing happened. The baby was very sweet so it wasn’t long before I complimented her again. This time grandma got in on the action and spat on the baby! By this time I felt like I was causing the problem and asked why in the world were they spitting on their baby!? As it turns out Filipinos believe that when someone compliments their baby a curse has been placed on the little one. It was almost like I “jinxed” the baby’s good luck and somehow spitting on the baby took away the curse….not sure how that works. After hearing this I told them, “Well, if that’s the case, please don’t spit on your baby! I promise I won’t do it again!” Yep…Just another day living in a third world country…

This week we celebrated our first year of being in Cebu!  Time went by so fast as we planted ourselves in the ministry and in our new home.  During this time we started a new route that expanded with both children and adults.  Several have been saved and some even baptized!  For those of you who know we need a vehicle for the route please keep praying that the funds would come in to cover the cost.  So far we have received almost thirty percent of our goal.  The expense of a vehicle in Cebu shocked me but the Lord has continued to provide for our needs.  Also, I have taught in the public schools with Pastor Walter.  Through this ministry we have seen teenagers come to church and hear the gospel.  Many have even trusted in Christ alone as their Savior!  God is not done saving souls! Our family expanded this year too with the birth of our son, Micah Christopher!  We had this little one in a third world country but had a good experience. The Philippines may be lacking in some areas but their medical field has a taking many steps forward.  I can’t list everything we did this year but to sum it up-God has been good!  We had such a great first year in Cebu and look forward to serving the Lord here for many many more years to come.