Do I live in a zoo?

Everything is great with Aubrey and Genesis. Janie (the roommate also from the states) is helping to take care of her a lot since Janie and Genesis share a room. Janie also doesn't have as many responsibilities as me (and is a nurse), so this makes her the best available person to assist. Genesis hasn't shared yet what she is going to do about school and about taking care of Aubrey. She has this week to decide. Please keep her in your prayers as she makes this decision.

For you Americans who follow baseball....Yay Rangers!!! :-) Congrats to the team of my home country! ;-)

I've been playing with the kids here a lot. Thursday they started calling me "Momma Tiger" and they are my "Baby Tigers". I chase them and hug and tickle them if I can catch them and we all roar at each other. There are teams of older and younger and the younger ones protect me while I try to catch the older ones. I have yet to catch the older ones. About 10 of the kids will growl at me when I walk by. It's really cute! :-) I look forward to playing with them more!

This morning some of my Baby Tigers and I shoveled the mud off the sidewalks and out of the drainage ditches, as well as picked up all the trash and leaves from in front of the faculty room to the warehouse of IFL. With so many Baby Tigers and a few other Momma Tigers, it didn't take long and was fun. We used a broom made from small wooden sticks bundled together to sweep up the leaves and get the little bits of mud off the sidewalk. We took turns so it wouldn't break anyone's back.

There was a new mall built not too far from here. I went there today. On my way there, I found a little vendor stand that makes personalized wire necklaces. For $1.16, I got a necklace with my name correctly spelled on it! I'm going to go back to get Aubrey's name made so Genesis has it to wear with her. Any other orders?

Upstairs, there is a really nice food court. But imagine the looks of confusion on the Filipino faces when a white girl sat down, shared a table with Filipinos she didn't know, and started eating a sushi dish with chopsticks! Talk about cultural confusion!

The mall has a Starbucks inside!!! :-) It was like a taste of America! Can you please start putting $21 a month into my account to fund my new hiding place? lol. That's enough for travel expenses to go there once a week and get a tall mocha frapachino and a snack. Only $21 for the WHOLE MONTH. Please???

Just kidding. (Kinda.)

I was sitting inside there today, journaling and reading. It was nice. So many people walked by and just stared at me! Some of the bolder ones would actually wave when I smiled back. At one point, I was people watching from behind my safety glass and two young girls came up to the glass and stood on either side of me. Their dad was behind them and pulled out his camera and took a picture!!! I was on one side of the glass and the girls were on the other. Then, he showed me the picture, waved to say thank you, and walked off! Now I know how animals at the zoo feel.

In Crocodile Hunter voice: Crikey! What an amazing specimen we have here! I've never seen such a thing. Look at 'er! She is so intent on using her tools. I'm amazed the she knows how to make color appear on that paper. She moves with such speed and focus! Watch, she made a mistake and now crossed it out, but it doesn't stop 'er. She just keeps going. Oh, she noticed me standin' here, tryin' to take a picture. What is she goin' to do next? Crikey! She put her head on her hands and smiled! And just in time for the snapshot! Woah there, mates, she is a beauty!

Hahaha! Such is my life.

"Happy Starbucks to you...

You live in a zoo...

You look like a monkey...

And you smell like one too!"

BABY! Details of an interesting week

Let me start with this... pictures will be added either later or in a follow up blog. Check facebook for the pictures discussed here... It's a long post and to add pictures would make it longer and my night later. :-)

Thursday night someone tried to break into the girls' dorm here. (I do not live in the girls' dorm.) There were four men and they actually spoke to the girls and said they'd be back.

Since then, the IFL men here (mostly high school boys) have been taking shifts to patrol the campus at night. It's been interesting to see them carrying big sticks and flashlights around. As a result of these unwelcomed visitors, people have been very vigilant in making sure I am safe. So, I am never alone anymore. We keep our fire exit closed and locked and take our surroundings into account, as usual. I am VERY safe here. The people do everything they can to make sure I am protected by them and by the Lord. Do not worry about my safety. I share this incident so that you can pray, not worry. I also share this incident so you can understand how daily life is here.

Many of you saw my post or hear from the news about a major typhoon hitting the Philippines. It hit the far northern part of Luzon (my island), but not my area. However, we did get a day of rain. And, there are 7,000 people displaced from their homes in the northern area. Pray for these people and that the flooding would quickly go down.

During class with Tina this week, she taught me how to write with my toes. I can make my name legible using only my feet to pick up the pencil, hold the paper, and write. I have so much more respect for Tina now!

Friday, I went out with my friend Rochelle to Calamba. We took pictures of bad English grammar and I visited my first real Filipino market. It's crazy to think that I've been here for almost 4 months and hadn't visited such a place until Friday! I LOVED the market! I want to go back there and to do my shopping there again. It is such an authentic picture of life here. I posted a ton of pictures on my facebook from that day, but will try to post some here, also.

While we were walking around, my shoe broke, so I had to get new ones. I spent only $7 for two pairs of really cute flip flops! :-)

When I got home around 6pm, the kitchen staff had already eaten my plate of food. So, I got to cook! :-) I was so excited! I was dancing around the kitchen as I made tortillas from scratch, couscous with spinach, egg, onion and seasonings, and tahini. I was sooo happy! I miss cooking!

That night, two of my friends from the college dorm came to stay with me. Around 11pm, someone came to our door shouting our names. Genesis, a young woman who was 9 months pregnant was experiencing labor pains! One of the girls with me were supposed to go to the hospital with her. So, my sleep was cut short. It turned out to be false labor.

Saturday morning we had HUT. Again, I cannot express how excited I am about this group! I opened up with prayer and God's presence showed up! The people were so eager to share how God was impacting them. I talked about the difference between teaching and facilitating. Teaching is imparting knowledge. Facilitating is causing another to be moved ahead. My role is to impart to (teach) the people how to move forward (facilitate) the work of Holy Spirit. We closed the meeting with asking God who He is. Again, His presence was overwhelming. I love partnering with God to see Him expressed in others. :-)

After HUT, I went with Emerito and Raymond to the Laguna Youth for Jesus Movement planning meeting. We are holding a conference for the youth on October 28-30th. I went to meet the planning group and to help add some things. I will be leading the prayer meeting for this event on October 25th and will be sharing a devotional word at the event on October 29th.

I went straight to the chiropractor after the LYJM meeting. It was great to be there again! :-) I feel all put back into place and relaxed.

I got back just in time for our YA (Youth Alive- youth group). I caught some of the worship and it was wonderful. I can already tell that HUT is making a difference. :-)

I was sooo tired!

Sunday, I got to talk to my family on skype. It was great to see everybody in one place! :-)

By the time my conversation with them was over, I had missed half of church. I was going to sneak in the back (as if my white skin would not be noticed) when I saw a lot of kids running around on the playground. I don't know what got into me, but I gathered the kids together for an impromptu Sunday school lesson. I walked down the path and I had one kid be Zaccheus. Yes, I sang the song. :-) I also pretended to hide at one point and all the kids came and found me. I said, "When you find Jesus, He gives you hugs and kisses." It was so sweet to hear and see the kids begging for the hugs and kisses. Then, they each took turns climbing up in a tree and being Zaccheus. I think I sang the song about 50 times! Now, all the little kids are singing the song all over campus and telling their parents that Jesus wants to come to their house to play and that He gives hugs and kisses and is fun.

Sunday afternoon, I had the opportunity to be Zaccheus. Someone threw a cat into the tree next to my apartment. So, I climbed the tree in my dress and leggings, with bare feet, and got the cat down. I had people telling me, "Raymi, you come down!"

Monday, my roommates and I cooked together. We made hot pot like what I had when I was in China. It was so much fun to have everyone together and everyone helping!

Yesterday after lunch, Genesis went into labor. Janie and I missed the first carload of excited college girls and caught a ride from one of the guys here. Janie is a nurse in the states and we were not about to miss this experience. The entire thing was very strange, and very much an experience. No one was allowed into the room with Genesis except the doctors and nurses from the hospital. It practically killed us to know that she was in there without moral support. Janie and I were trying to talk to Genesis through the closed window. Janie was adamant about finding out information. I am glad for my personal peace of mind that she did. It was so hard on us as Americans to see how things were playing out in front of us! At the hospital, the people had to supply everything- even the guaze and soap!

At 4:55pm, October 19, 2010, Aubrey Lauryn was welcomed into this world. She is PRECIOUS!

Genesis and her bundle of joy came home from the hospital this afternoon. Genesis had been staying in the college girls' dorm before Aubrey came. Now, both mom and baby are my roommates! :-)

Today was a bustle of activity getting ready to receive the baby. We rearranged the house and cleaned everything. Janie and I had bought a cute little outfit and a bonnet for Aubrey when we were out picking up my alien card today. So, once the baby was here, we washed baby clothes and blankets.

Aubrey and Genesis are now settled in and feeling at home. I am so excited to love on these two. Babies are a reminder that God is so involved in the details of things. I am ready for the late nights, the middle of the night cries, and the dirty diapers. Love for this little one and her mom make those things seem so trivial.

Pray for wisdom for Genesis. She wants to finish school, but now has Aubrey in her life. We don't know yet what she is going to do. And pray for wisdom for us.

Pictures will come soon.

Awakening Love

My love for the Lord continues to grow. He is so good! It is my desire to see this love recreated in others.

Last Saturday, the worship group met. (I'm going to call it HUT for future reference. It's stands for Him, Us, Them.) It was so good! The people are so excited to have this group! :-) We will be meet at 6am every Saturday from now on. God and seeing His love established in people is worth the early mornings.

I introduced the purpose of the group and we spent some time listening to the Lord and talking about why we worship. Then, I declared over each person that they are God's sheep and they do hear His voice. I can't wait to see what God is going to do in this group! I really sense from Him that HUT is foundational to what He wants to do here at IFL. There is a new foundation for the new school being built. In the same way, through this group, He is building a new foundation for worship and discipleship.

I will also be dancing with my friend Cheryl once a week. Cheryl choreographs dances for the kids whenever there are special programs. In a way, I will be discipling her, but she will be teaching me new dance moves. I'm very excited about this, too!

Don't worry about my schedule. These things are in addition to what I am doing with the school and with writing, but come out of the overflow of my time with the Lord. I am so grateful to be connecting with others at the heart level.

Speaking of schedules, I have decided that this is not the right time for me to go to Malaysia. There is no question in my heart that I will go one day, but now is not the right time. I need to establish the principles of worship, intercession, and dance here before I go anywhere else to establish them. I look forward to this work.

I am not teaching much this week. The kids are reviewing for their unit exams and quarterly exams. Since I am teaching reading comprehension, and teachers are focused mainly on grammar, the students are better off staying with their teachers in class. The teachers have not given me the review topics in advance, so I can't very well tutor them. I am spending my time observing review methods and teaching methods, as well as writing.

The other night, I was serenaded by a 14 year old during dinner with love and worship songs. He calls me Barbie and even drew me a picture that I now have hanging on my fridge. Haha! It was HILARIOUS! I love the fun connections I am making with the students and staff here. Relationship is where ministry happens. After all, life with Christ is simply all about relationship with Him.

Yesterday, I went to immigration and got my passport/visa extended. I paid 7,441 pesos for this! That is $171.11. I will not have to renew again, though until December. I am now officially considered an alien. I get my temporary resident card proving this on Monday. I always knew I was a little different. Now, a government agency officially confirms this! 1 Peter 2:11 says, "Beloved, I implore you as aliens and strangers and exiles in this world to abstain from the from fleshly desires that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves properly among the Gentiles so that ... they may glorify God." My citizenship and home is truly in heaven.

I am learning that anything without love truly is just a clanging symbol (1 Corinthians 13). Good works fall way, but love remains forever. My prayer is that everything I am doing is motivated from love, not duty, and that my works awaken love, not duty, in others.

The Romancer of the Universe woke me up on Sunday to a BEAUTIFUL sunrise! Check out my facebook to see all of the pictures and the scriptures He gave me that go with each picture. I'll post a few pics here.

Do you see the face in this picture?! It was like God was looking down on the Philippines, announcing His plans for the nation.

Do you see the eagle? Isaiah 40:31

I love God! Thank you so much for your prayers! He hears and moves at the sound of your voice!

I think I'm in love.

I think I'm in love.

Don't worry, I've known the guy for a long time now and we've been best friends pretty much since we first met. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't imagine my life without him. We just clarified our relationship and I thought I'd let you know about it.

Ok, I won't lead you on anymore. His name is Jesus. :-) Hehehe. This isn't anything new. I just wanted to scare some people into thinking I met someone else. Did it work? lol.

On to the update.....

Friday, I woke up with a sore throat and had a low grade fever. I spent the day resting and praying, thinking I'd feel better soon. I went to bed really early that night. Saturday, I woke up with a sore throat and a 101*F fever. I slept through breakfast, nibbled for lunch, slept almost until dinner time. Only for about an hour did I have actually have the energy to take a shower and eat. No one was here to take care of me: my roommates had all left for the weekend. I laid there, in and out of consciousness, listening to the House of Prayer in Kansas City. I was desperate for the presence of God and for Him to heal me.

Here's a snapshot into my prayers while I was swallowing fire for two days: God, I love you. No one else is here to take care of me, so You have to. A husband vows to take care of his wife in sickness and in health. Well, I'm sick right now and You're it. So, however You choose to take care of me, I receive it. If you just give me the strength to take care of myself, I know that is how You are taking care of me. Even if you don't heal me, I just want to know You. I just want to love You.

God is so faithful. He answered my prayers.

Sunday morning, I was ready to go to a doctor. The campus nurse came and brought me some cough drops with an antibiotic in them. In just a few hours, my fever was gone and my throat was getting better. I found out later that Tita Pat had told the congregation that I was sick and they prayed for me. That night, I was able to attend the staff meeting and return to normal functioning. God is soooo good! I am still getting rid of phlegm, but I am otherwise back to normal. :-) Thank you also, to everyone who prayed for my healing. God answers prayers!

And God answered my prayers to fall more in love with Him, too. He really is the best thing that's ever happened to me!

Monday night, I was able to attend a Jesus Revolution meeting. It's called J*Rev for short. WAHOOOO is about all I can say! I felt like I was back at Gateway, at a Seven young adult service. I am so hungry and thirsty for the presence of God. Monday, I was temporarily satisfied. God's presence was thick in that place. And there was a freedom to dance. So, I danced my heart out before the Lord. It was awesome to see God move in that place, to change the hearts of the people, to ignite love and passion in them. I can't wait until next month when we meet again!

You may think dancing before God is strange, but David did it. Dance is not at all for me to be seen by men. Dance is an extension of worship. Worship is not about how God can bless me, but about how I can bless God. So, when I dance, it is about saying that God has set me from what others think of me. I dance for Him, not others. But wow, it's fun! :-)

In other news, I finally have found a time to meet with the worship group I'm starting. It's 5 am on Saturday morning. GOD, HELP ME! lol. (I am NOT a morning person!) The goal of this group is to build a foundation for worshippers and intercessors to learn to flow together and steward the presence of God in order for others to encounter Him. This group, I believe, is foundational to much of the ministry that will take place here at IFL in the future. Yes, I am called here to teach reading and to write curriculum, but this worship group is equal in its importance. Please keep us covered in prayer- especially that our time together would not be stolen.

In other news... I bought a new camera and an external hard drive last week. But, the printer I bought when I first came here isn't working. I am taking it back on Friday. Not having a printer is a huge delay in accomplishing my purposes here. It's a little thing, but pray that I can get it fixed without having to pay anything.

Also, pray that I can find books to use for teaching the students. We really don't have that many here and they are expensive and hard to find in the stores. Quality Filipino books are hard to find. Some published books here have MAJOR errors and are not suitable for using to teach with.

Thank you all so much for your prayers for me and for this ministry. God hears you when you pray. He moves at the sound of your voice. And He is answering your prayers. Bless you!

Here are some random pictures:

Jeremiah AKA No-No. (Can you guess why No-No is his nickname?!)

What happens when I don't do my laundry for 2 weeks. This is everything I own!

This is how I do my dishes. Notice the toilet.

Sore Throat + Possible Malaysia Trip

I have a sore throat. What's interesting though is that I have been asking God for an opportunity to rest. The sore throat has been accompanied by a very low grade fever. As a result, I have laid in bed all day listening to IHOP Kansas City, resting and reading the word. It's been really nice. My prayer is that this sore throat would cause my heart to soar with God afterwards.

Isaiah 40:31, "Those who wait for the Lord shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and soar close to God as eagles soar close to the sun..."

In my post yesterday, I mentioned the church in Malaysia. What I didn't mention is that Pastora Margaret invited me to come share on worship, dance, and prayer to the youth group (AKA her church). There is a group of people from IFL going there at the end of November and there is a possibility of me joining them to teach on these topics at this time. I don't know yet if this is the right timing, but I do sense from the Lord that I will go one day.

The only thing stopping me from going with the group at this time is transportation- that and follow up contact with the pastor (she doesn't have internet). The group is going for about 2 weeks and I can't be gone from here for that long. But I could go for a weekend that extends into the next week. There is not a direct flight there... I would take a plane from here to Singapore, take an hour long taxi ride to one airport in Malaysia, take another flight to a different Malaysian island, then take a vehicle to the final destination. So, if I travel there alone, it is potentially a difficult and inconvenient trip for all parties. I'm willing to do it and not afraid. The only real travel hiccup would be from the last airport to the ultimate destination. I don't yet know how long that trip is. If it is too long, that would stop me from going.

Please pray that contact can be made with the Malaysian coordinators so that if I get to go, I can get a good price on a ticket. I would LOVE to do this. It is one of those things that if I get to go, that's awesome, but if I don't, I know that I'll go later in life and won't be disappointed. As I always say, I want God ideas, not just good ideas. And I want God's timing, not mine.