March, April and May

Farewell Class of 2014

This March was a very busy month as we prepared to say farewell to our 4^th Year students. On March 21 the graduating students had their Baccalaureate Service, a special opportunity to celebrate their 4 years of study, remember the special times, and reflect upon the way in which God has changed them. It is also the time for them to pass on the leadership to the next group of students. The 4^th Year Student Council passed on ‘The Book of Wisdom’ to our new P.R.O. , ‘The Candle representing the Light of Love’ to the new Treasurer, ‘The Pen of Knowledge’ to the new Secretary, ‘The Sword of Discipline’ to the new Vice President,  and ‘The Key of Responsibility’ to the new President.

The graduating student council (left) and the new batch

March 31 was the graduation of the 4^th Batch from PCL. As with the last two graduation ceremonies, I was privileged to be the MC for the event. The Thanksgiving Speech made by our High Honors student was particularly emotional. As an Australian from a supportive home who had access to government financial assistance in the form of Higher Education Contributions Scheme, my experience of completing university seemed so simple. My heart filled with pride for these amazing students, so many of whom had persevered amidst financial hardship (meeting basic needs such as rice) and family pressures to achieve their goal.

Some of the staff and faculty

I had the privilege of being the MC (unfortunately I couldn't find a better photo of this!)

 Pastor Jhone with his mother

A week after the graduation, Juls and I, along with many staff and professors, had the opportunity to join the new graduates on their mission trip to Pagudpud, a 10-12 hour bus ride north. In cooperation with the local church, we did 2 crusades. It included the students singing songs of praise, performing powerful dramas, showing moving video clips, and sharing an evangelistic message, followed by sharing food and juice. At first, the crowd was very small, but as we prayed, the people came. We also did a prayer walk and thanksgiving service. We ended the trip with a lovely day of sightseeing. It was wonderful for Juls and I to be involved in the trip.

Praying for the church and community on the mission trip

Our Aussie Adventure

On May 1, the day we (particularly I) had been waiting for finally arrived. Juls and I began our Aussie holiday. We spent 3 weeks in Perth and 1&½ weeks in Darwin.

It was so precious for us to spend lots of time with family, with Juls again seeing my parents, my sister and her family, and finally meeting my brother, his wife and their four children, who were unable to make it to our wedding. He met extended family and friends, who were so excited to see him. While some of my nieces and nephews were a little bit shy at first, they very quickly warmed up to him, watching him make an octopus out of a honkey nut and sticks, finding that he could be a wonderful mechanical bull on the trampoline (his back hurt after that), and laughing at his antics when he was using a banana as a phone. They loved teaching him all things ‘Aussie’, especially kicking a footy and toasting marshmallows on a campfire. I enjoyed feeding him meat pies, lamingtons, tim tams and roast lamb, and introducing him to Australian experiences such as camping, as well as the beautiful wildlife and landscapes.

A Medling Camping Trip

The kids loved teaching Juls how to toast marshmallows

Collecting Firewood

Fun at Nan-Nan's Park (For some reason, it's not called that on the maps)

Juls' new best mate

 After our 3 weeks in Perth, we went to Darwin. We were so excited to visit Darwin Baptist Church and see some people who have been to the Prayer Mountain. We loved having an opportunity to share some of our PCL and Philippines experiences at church, and thank DBC for the support extended towards us. We were so thankful for the kindness shown to us during our stay there, especially by Viv, who we stayed with.

It was so special for him to see my country, my life before, and to spend time with family. I know that it was overwhelming at times - culture shock is to be expected and he was also speaking his third language to people with a much stronger accent and more abbreviations and slang words than I usually use. However, we had an amazing time in Australia, and we pray that we can go back next year. 

Other Happenings

April was supposed to be the quiet, restful month in between the busyness of graduation and the excitement of Australia. Of course, it ended up being busy too. One of the wonderful yearly events here is Holy Week Camp, where all 18 Gethsemane churches gather on the Prayer Mountain from the Thursday til the Saturday of the Easter weekend. There were so many people that they had to sleep everywhere – in classrooms, meeting rooms, dorms and even outside. A focus of the camp is the ‘Seven Last Words’ of Jesus. Juls and I enjoyed the camp very much, and we pray that by the next Holy Week Camp, there will be a new church there: Gethsemane Dweller Church – San Mateo, with Juls and I hoping and praying for our ministry.

Another activity during April was being the guest speaker at the graduation from Pre-School and Kindergarten at the Bright Learners Christian Academy. We also took a bunch of friends in our car (11 of us, plus a guitar and all of our baggage) for an overnight trip to the province of Pangasinan, where our dear friends were getting married. We attended church anniversaries and before we knew it, April had gone.

The Birthday of Althea, a very sweet member of my Faith House Family (the church where I used to sleep)

Congratulations Henry and Maribel! 

Our Progress

We have just arrived back in the Philippines, in our little home in San Mateo. We are still praying for the right lot, with a new area being considered by Pastor Lee. While we have a way to go, we are starting to feel more connected in the community here, especially for the 1 & ½ weeks we stayed here without having to leave for the prayer mountain, province, or some other place. One sweet cultural practice is to share food with our neighbour – we do a swap. She brings over a bowl of soup she cooked, and we bring her a dish of what we have made. It’s a small and simple gesture, but I like the way it builds relationships. Juls and I continue to pray for wisdom and open doors, that The Lord may guide us in San Mateo.

We love our new home!