Stars and Stripes Forever!

This past week America celebrated yet another year of her Independence...the remembrance of the day when those great, courageous men signed the Declaration...giving us our freedom that we so greatly benefit from day after day...How often we take this occasion for granted! This past week would also mark the first of many "4ths" for us to spend in a different country, it caused me to stop & think of times past...thanks be to our Lord that we have had the opportunity to come from such a country...a country who's main values were founded on the Word of God, and a country that is, still, a "sending" country. It is because of those freedoms that we are able to be here in the Philippines...thank you!

God is so good...we were invited to spend an evening with a couple of other BBFI missionaries here; I have since learned to accept them as our new family! We had such a wonderful time...we ate grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with potato salad, and, yes, even the apple pie! We also had husbands and daddies to help illuminate our night with some fun fireworks. Granted, we celebrated on the 5th here, but it was good ol' 4th of July in our hearts! The kids made some good new "American" friends and had such a blast. The kids and I got together the night before and made "red, white, and blue/stars & stripes" T-shirts so that they would be in proper attire and then set out to make red, white, and blue star cookies for the next evening's dessert...what

fun!

I have included our family pic from our evening together, the others will be posted as a slide show...and for those of you who asked, pay close attention to the "new do"! Hope you all had a great holiday back in the good ol' US of A! Love to all!

Benefits...

Ok, so I've been away from my WONDERFUL hairdresser for a total of 3.5 months now and let's just say that I have been way over due for a good haircut. Not to mention the fact that with the new humidity-stricken atmosphere, I was needing a little "thinning" out before people started to mistake me for someone out of the mid-80's...don't get me wrong, I'm from Texas, and I can tell you that once upon a time, I had the big hair, but today, that style is just not gonna cut it! Last week I was able to ride into Manila with Paul and while he was teaching in the afternoon, I spent the day at the MegaMall!!!! There were several items on my list for the house, the kids, school, etc, but once the list was complete, I was on the search for a hairstylist!

I definately believe that salon prices are top on the "fringe benefits" list of being in another country. Here's how it all turned out:

• Haircut & style...including a head, neck, and back massage ...P280
• Eyebrow wax & thredding (that's a whole other story) ...P225
• Grand total in US dollars ...$10.95
• Shorter, cooler new haircut~below budgeted cost ...Priceless!!!!

I think it's wonderful that God chooses to bless even in the small things like haircuts...thank you for letting me share the excitement of my little blessing with you!

Signs of God

When we arrived in the Philippines, of all, one thing stood out to me the most, right off the bat. Signs of God are everywhere! Jeepneys, billboards, cars, tricycles; the secular radio stations even quote scripture of all things. I started taking pictures of some of the mudflaps, bumper stickers, etc, because it was just so amazing to me that they have the freedom to express their faith so boldly. The heart-breaking fact is that these people live under the stronghold of false religion; they are living their lives professing a God that they don't really understand...they are moved to love and devote their lives to someone that they have never been introduced to. It reminds me of the people mentioned in II Timothy that describes them as "Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof..."

The impression of that is very challenging to me for several reasons.One~I know the one true and living God, yet, at times my faith is not displayed as such. I tend to live in fear of rejection, ridicule...you know, we've all been there. Their boldness challenges me to live my faith outloud to others. Two~I am moved to compassion over the souls around me. Thirdly~I am challenged to grow closer to my God, to have a deeper relationship with Him so that my faith will not just be an outward display, but that my heart would be pure and honest in my service to Him.

Transition...

Well, we have successfully been in the Philippines for 10 weeks now and we have had the opportunity to experience many new and wonderful things. What we are preparing for now is the "normal" daily schedule. We are making the transition from summer camp schedule to school/seminary schedules; hopefully we can say that it was a smooth one after it's all said & done.

As you know, the kids all started school this week, and they are in full swing. They are learning the basics of Tagalog already & are cracking us up practicing at home. They have discovered that the new school schedule is a little more demanding than they expected as they are waking up at 6, getting to school by 7:30, home at 4:30, and homework thereafter. Even though they are very busy, they are doing very well. Rachel did, however, fall asleep in school on Friday, but I'm certain that once she continues with the schedule a little longer, she will gain the stamina to keep up. (we'll just need to pray that I can keep up with them as well!)

Paul leaves Sunday to go to Manila to be part of the opening exercises at the Bible Baptist Seminary Monday morning. He will also begin his teaching on Tuesday. He is very excited for this new area of ministry and welcomes the challenge with a great spirit, however, he is a little nervous. I am convinced that he will do a wonderful job. I ask that you would all join to be in prayer for him during this time. He will be teaching 2 classes every Tuesday morning, so he will drive into Manila on Mondays and will return home Tuesday evening...please pray for safety during his travels also.

The house here is almost completely "put together", it has been so much fun this week filling the walls with "us". It's finally beginning to feel like a home~our home! The boxes have disappeared which leaves me with a great sense of accomplishment~whew!!! I am learning better how to drive around town here...so well that the other day I went from the kids' school to the market without needing directions! I know, I know, so great right! I really miss getting out, doing things, spending time with friends, etc, so maybe this new found ability to know my way around will give me a little more confidence as I learn this new way of life. This past weekend, I had the privilege of spending the day with another BBFI missionary who has their ministry about 45 from where we are located. We drove into Olongapo together, did some shopping, and had lunch. What a wonderful blessing to have spent time in good company, certainly God knew exactly what my heart needed!

In closing, may I wish each and every father out there Happy Father's Day! Enjoy your weekend and may you have the joy of sharing a few unforgettable moments with your families!

Thank you all for you support and prayers, we couldn't be here without you!

As promised...

I have just finished creating slide shows for both Jared and Sarah's birthdays and for the kids' first day of school. For those of you who have asked, we made it through the first day just fine. I can't say there weren't any tears shed, but I can say that God is faithful...the kids had a great day and my time was filled at home with fun busy-ness so the time passed quickly! We did experience quit a bit of brown-outs yesterday, so the kids had time to get to know the other children while they were having classroom breaks due to no power! Thank you to all who were praying!

Letting Go...

Tomorrow we start a new part of this journey. The kids will be starting school here in Iba. The kids are thrilled and Jared continues to remind me that, "Mom, you know I'm in middle school now, right?!?", "yes Jared, thank you for making me feel really old"! As we are preparing, there is both excitement and nervousness about it all. It is so great that they have this opportunity to be a part of a school that is close to the house and that it is a Christian school, but most, we are all excited that they will finally be making some friends. I am nervous because for the past year and a half we have been together; every day; most of the time in the same room (or car for that matter)~they have been with us through everything... this letting go is harder than I expected. But, God is still leading and I praise His name for being a God who hears my cries for definate answers...there have been many nights that I have asked Him (out of my own insecurities) if this was the right choice. He has also heard my cries over letting go...and He gently reminds me that they are His & I can trust Him to watch over them. My prayer during this transition is that they would not be overwhelmed, that they would make good friends, and that the language would not be a barrier to their learning. It is a relief to know that they have wonderful teachers there that seem to really care for the kids (thank you Lord). The name of the school is Precious Jewels Christian Academy...oh, that they will understand just how precious my 4 jewels are & that they will take good care of them.

**I will post pics of their first day**

*Lord, I ask you to watch over Jared, Sarah, Rachel and Jonah as they begin their school year. That they would be safe from harm, that they would find a close friend, and that they would have an open mind to all of the wonderful things they are to learn this year. You know my heart, you know Lord that it's hard to let go and watch them enter this new world...but I trust You God, that you care for them even more than I do and that You have their best interests at heart. You have complete control, not only over them, but Lord, over me. Calm my heart, ease my nerves, show me more of You in the empty spaces of my day. I long to see what You will have in store for me during this time. Thank you Lord, I praise you now for the way You have cared for this mommy.*

Priorities

"Better is one day in your courts"!

While visiting a pastor and his church in Olongopo, we watched as the kids were playing ball before and after the services. I spent some time walking around the building, etc and found this instruction to be quite interesting. Basketball is HUGE here, everywhere you go, you will see kids playing either in a park or even with a homemade rim attached to a barren tree.

What better way to reach the youth around you...I believe this church has the right idea...

NO Bible Study, NO Basketball!

The pastor said that all the time, he has boys from the surrounding neighborhoods coming to ask if they can have Bible Study today...his "court" is just too tempting! I love it!