Jen's 2nd Philippine Update-Village Visit

A soap opera droning on dramatically, people talking, karaoke music blaring, babies crying, our house squeaking as someone rolls over, and somewhere a little girl is singing.   Because the walls are plywood, I lay awake listening to all the sounds of the village around me.  Friday night I was privileged to be invited to stay with the missionary's at the Village Chief/Pastor's house of the Bajao village.  The hospitality and joy of the truly poor never ceases to amaze me.  The night we arrived we were received with the entire village welcoming us from their homes as we gingerly made our way over  the wooden planks that stretched over the open sewer water below.  The guest of the village never really belong to one house and we had many visitors that evening and the next morning.  We woke to a breakfast that in their economy was probably more than they ate all day.

Myself with cute random neighbor baby plus the Chief's Kids

The next day we came back for church where the missionary I am staying with did a dramatic story telling of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  The village was about to send some students for a youth camp this week but there were stories going around about evil spirits etc in the location where the camp was to be held.  As the people were shouting AMEN to the comment of "Tuhan (God) is greater than the evil spirits!"  The missionary tied it right into the leftover spiritual beliefs from their former anamist ways.  He had them all laughing at the silliness of fear of spirits compared to the mighty power for our God.

"Jeniper! Jeniper! Picture! Picture! Picture!"

Monday I was blessed to be able to visit Amazing Grace Learning Center which is a preschool as well as a tutoring program for the Bajao children.  Less than 1% of the Bajao people are literate.  As social outcasts they have often been forced out of their home by persecution from their neighbors.  Many do not have birth certificates therefore are not eligible for rights of citizens.  The preschool teachers help the kids get birth certificates in order to register them for school.  Once the main teacher Gracie was in a government building with a Bajao couple trying to iron out a birth certificate issue.  The Bajao were talking to Gracie and among themselves in their dialect which few people know.  The clerk looked at them warily and asked why Gracie was helping these people.  She boldly put him in his place with, "We should be ashamed of ourselves.  These people are Philippino citizens and yet it took the foreigners to see them and care for them.  That should be our job!"  Praise God that she now has a heart for these people and that the missionaries' example of love, compassion, and acceptance has spread to others.  I am helping the missionaries get a website up as well as a child sponsorship program.  If you are at all interested in partnering with these precious children let me know and I will send you more info.

Thank you so much for joining me in my adventures by your prayers and support!

God bless!

Jen

Teaching the kids in the tutoring program at the preschool how to make a storm

Norpaida Practicing division getting ready for 2nd grade

Angela (she and her Mom live with us) AKA
 the summer aid posing for a silly picture

Principle/Teacher/my rommie Gracie and Teacher Hazel

Who needs music to dance?

Praise Reports:
-The training went well and I am enjoying seeing the ministries here in person
-One of the vans caught on fire from an electrical short last week but no one was hurt.  The mechanic said that he never saw so much electrical damage except for vehicals that had burned up.
-We had a small accident in the other little van tonight all are safe but van had bum tire and broken steering.
-God is doing amazing things with the kids at youth camp!

Prayer Requests:
-Safety & Protection amidst the spiritual attack
-Vehical repair to be possible and affordable
-Baptisim tomorrow
-2nd training for some local medical students who are very committed to serving the Lord
-Medical outreach next week
-my health I'm sick again