It has been a long and yet quick month since our family has arrived in the Philippines. We are continually trying to adjust to our new normal. Often as soon as we manage to figure one thing out, we find there are ten more things we don't know how to do. Our use of technology has actually been one of the most challenging adjustments, so we apologize for our slack in this area. It's been challenging making the internet work and making the time to write updates. I thought I would try and catch you all up on some of our activities.
Family life, parenting, cooking, washing the dishes and laundry by hand, grocery shopping, and figuring out the kids' schooling has absorbed a lot of our time. We have decided recently to try home schooling with the kids which will be a blessing and a challenge. It is amazing how much time gets spent doing everyday things! I could write an entire blog on adapting to a new way of cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping all while trying to parent four kids! However, I also want to include some of the ministry things we have been doing as well.
In coming to Malaybalay, we were joining an already active ministry group. Part of our time acclimating this month has been getting to know our community and praying together as a community. We are one of five families and we also are blessed to have four single women in our community. In addition, there is at least one other family from here who are interested in becoming missionaries and are currently serving in the role of missionary interns. One of the ongoing ministries that this community started is a weekly Bible study with the wonderful people from one of the poorer neighborhoods. Through this neighborhood, we were also blessed to experience a "Jericho March". There have recently been a few suicides in this community so we went to their neighborhood seven days in a row gathering with many members of the community marched around and prayed with them and for them. Each night we walked once around the community while praying and on the seventh day, we walked seven times around and were even able to have a missionary priest from S.O.L.T. celebrate Sunday mass in their community center. It was a very special blessing for our family to become part of their community through prayer, friendships and time. Eddie, Luke, Dominic and Cabrini all pray often for the people of Isla Bonita and all ask to go visit often.
Through the community of Isla we have all been able to help buy some medicine and pay some hospital bills. It has been a shock and a challenge to adjust cost of living differences, exchange rate as well as daily wage. Bryce and Eddie have also been able to visit a few people in the hospital and pray with them and for them. Some of the visitors to our house and to our gate have formed relationships with the missionaries who lived in our house before us. It is a blessing to be invited into many people's lives so quickly but also difficult to continue the good things that were previously instituted. Bryce and I have been blessed to participate in a Filipino group wedding and a baptism.
The prison ministry was a bit intimidating to me and I actually presumed it was a men's only ministry. I have since learned that the prison we visit in Malaybalay is very different from the prisons in the United States. The men and women are kept in the same prison but in different areas. They are very open to learning about God and when we visit the prison even the children are allowed. One of our mission partners was inspired by the Pope and had us wash the prisoner's feet. It was a very humbling experience and helped me to feel more comfortable there. It was also amazing to hear the testimonies of the prisoners who shared their great gratitude for the missionaries who have helped them come to know a God who loves them and has changed their lives!
One of the more recent things we got to experience with our community was a retreat with our fellow missionaries from Camiguin Island also in the Philippines, about 7 hours from Malaybalay. It was a blessing to be together in a large group and to be reminded again of God's call for our family and the life He desires for us.
Thank you so much for your spiritual, emotional and financial support! Without you all, there is no way we could do this! We thank you for joining us in helping share the love of Jesus with the people the Lord has sent us to. We are praying for you all and beg you to continue praying for us! Thank you!
And as a reward for making it this far into this blog; we found out we're having a girl!!
In the Peace of Jesus,
Bryce, Angel and kids
