Thursday, May 21 - Adjusting to Philippines --  Jet lag can be very cruel at times. Although everyone had permission to sleep in, most folks were awake after only two hours in bed. When we went to bed at 2:00 a.m. our bodies were still on our American clock and thought it was 2:00 p.m. I think our bodies thought we only laid down to take a nap, so everyone was awake by 4:00 a.m. The jetlag, combined with barking dogs and noisy motorcyles, caused everyone to awaken early. Everyone was finished with their showers and ready for breakfast at 6:00. After breakfast, I wanted to give The Team a walk through the neighborhood. We walked across the little foot bridge over the river, which is about 85% raw sewage. The stink is horrible. Casey and Machala attracted children like a giant magnet. We had a crowd of kids following us everywhere we went. They wanted to take turns holding our hands and asking for their picture to be taken. Casey and Machala estimate that they have over 100 different pictures of all the kids around Kapitbahayan. We then took a walk through the market. I think everyone thought this was an exciting adventure. The market is not like anything you experience in many places. They sell all sorts of different commodities, from chicken feet for making a soup, to the pig’s head, to bags of blood, to their form of hot dogs. Iva was shocked at the size of the green beans, about the length of your arm. After we ended our tour in the market, we then went into town to exchange our U.S. dollars into Filipino pesos. After we exchanged our money, we drove to the Mall of Asia, the second largest mall in the world. I took them to the Kultura Shop, where they could buy Filipino souveniers. We then went to the food court and ate at the Sizzling Plate. Several were disappointed to learn that restaurants don’t give free refills on their soft drinks. They were also surprised to learn that public toilets do not provide toilet paper. All the ladies have learned early to keep a roll of it in their bags, with their bottle of hand sanitizer. One of the first words The Team learned was masarap, the word for delicious.  We returned from the mall feeling pretty tired under the effects of jet lag, so we tried to take an hour nap. We ate our supper and then took off for the church building. While the adults were in the auditorium, Casey, Iva, and Machala had classes for the children on the second floor. There were about twenty kids and they were all very exciting to work with. For the adults, Reggie taught the first class on “Parents & Children.” I then taught a lesson, asking “What Are You Worth?”

Friday, May 22 - All Day Lectures -- We awoke at 6:00 and started classes at 7:00 a.m. Tom gave the first lesson on “Churches Have Personalities” and then Branden gave a lesson on “Abhor What Is Evil.” Casey and Machala were in charge of about 15 kids during the morning services.  We took a 15-minute break and then started more classes. I taught a class on “How Jesus Viewed the Scriptures” and Reggie taught a class on “Dead Man Walking.” In the children’s class upstairs, Machala and Iva taught “Baby John” and “Noah and the Flood”. They had around 30 kids. After lunch, Tom had a lesson on “Elders and Deacons,” Branden had a lesson on “Timothy,” and Reggie had a lesson on “Why Pray?” For the children, Casey had a lesson on “Creation” and Machala had a lesson on ”Baby Jesus.” At the end of the lectures, we opened the floor up for a question-answer period. A lot of good discussion took place, and questions were asked that would be taboo for many people in many places. When we ended and stood around talking, Iva and I observed one little girl with a horrible puss coming from her eyes. At about the same time, we both said, “Pink eye.” I was able to get Dr. Tess to examine her and prescribe some medicine. I used some funds donated by American brethren to pay for the medicines. I also met a family that was recently converted. They lived in a small lean-to close to the church building. Six of them shared one bed. There was no electricity, no running water, and no way of cooking, except for building a small fire. He makes a small salary by working in the shipping docks, but he doesn’t make enough to properly feed this large of a family. They were as poor as could be, but still seemed very contented with life. After class, we all returned to B-01, ate supper, and then started the late-night schedule. Tom taught the teenage boys in a study on “Living Morally In An Immoral World.” Casey taught the girls on “How To Teach Your Friends the Word.” While the teenage classes were in progress, Elias and Abraham took me to the vegetable market. I used some more of the American donated money and bought several sacks of vegetables for the family that lived in the tent by the river. When we delivered the vegetables, I was taken back by his remark. He thanked me over and over again for the food and explained how this would greatly help his family, but then he said, “You have provided so much for me, so, with your permission, I’d like to share this with some of the poor families near me.” I wondered how anyone could be poorer than his family.

Saturday, May 23 – Two Churches in Manila -- We departed B-01 at 7:00 a.m. and drove across town to the Pasig Church. We began our classes at 9:00. Elijah Sikat had made all of the arrangements for us. He has been working with these brethren for the past two years, although he has no financial support. His good wife, Janice, is working the evening shift at a call center for AT&T in order to provide an income for them.  Elijah was assigned the task of introducing all of us and then did an excellent job in leading the singing before we started the classes. I spoke first on the theme of  “Are You Settling For Just Being Average?” Reggie then gave a lesson on “The Misunderstood King & Kingdom.” After a 15-minute break, Casey, Iva, and Machala then took the children downstairs for special classes, while we continued with more classes for the adults. Many of these children were with families who were visiting for the first time and they had never attended a Bible class before. Machala taught a lesson on Jesus, the twelve apostles, and creation. She said she really felt good when the classes were over and said most of the students could name at least five of the apostles, tell you who were brothers, who Jesus was, and name all six days of creation. Branden gave a lesson on “Blessed Assurance” and we then broke for lunch. We drove about twenty minutes to be with a newly established congregation at Makati. They are just barely over one year old. Jimmy is a retired police officer. He and his wife now operate a security firm. They allow the church to meet in their office. I gave a lesson on “The Book Of Life,” Reggie gave a lesson on “Things That Save,” and Tom gave a lesson on “Marriage Is For Life.” 

Sunday, May 24 – Mindoro Island -- Our worship began at 7:00 and continued until 9:00. Branden gave a lesson on “Noah’s Faith” and then Tom gave a lesson on “Living Morally In An Immoral World.”   We loaded our luggage into the Kia and said our good-byes to everyone at B-01. Vicente had asked to make the trip with us to Mindoro. He is from the island and only sees his family once or twice a year. Elias had volunteered to drive us south to the Batangas pier. So that he would not be alone on the return trip, I asked his wife and kids to travel with us. There were about 15 of us in the back and it got pretty hot for the first hour. We stopped at Jollibee (the Filipino version of McDonald’s) for a quick lunch. We got to the pier at about 1:30. Edwin DePedro met us at the pier. He, too, is from Mindoro and asked to accompany us on the trip. We were able to board the 2:00 p.m. ferry to Calapan.  The ferry ride to Mindoro is lovely. We pass by numerous islands, many of them uninhabited. Some of them are covered with palm and banana trees. Several of them have lovely white-sand beaches. The second level of the ferry has benches and allows you to enjoy to breeze over the ocean.  Almost as soon as we sat down on the ferry, Vicente and Edwin got into a discussion with a lady who was a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. She had many questions. Reggie then got a study started with a young lady sitting in front of him. I had been given a few hundred bookmarks by a good sister in Ireland. She printed the plan of salvation on the bottom of a lovely Irish picture. I wandered from level to level on the ferry and distributed these to everyone. They loved the bookmarks and this opened up many more discussions. The ride from Batangas to Calapan takes about three hours. When we finally got off the boat, Eliseo Sikat was waiting for us with the jeepney. The air is clean and fresh, quite a contrast to Manila. The drive is very picturesque, with many rice fields, banana trees, and palm trees along the way. Machala and Casey sat on the back edge of the jeepney. They had a great view of everything, but this also gave everyone a great view of them. We had many young men on motorcycles trying to follow close behind us. We had about an hour drive to Aurora, and after we got out of the city limits of Calapan, I told the young people they could get on top of the jeepney if they wanted to. Casey, Branden, and Machala climbed up top and acted like they had lots of fun. Machala said there were a few bugs, “but they just kinda bounce off of you.” We arrived at Aurora and got settled in. The chapel sits between Eliseo’s house and his daughter’s house. I was assigned my “normal” room next to the kitchen at Eliseo’s house. Reggie, Tom, and Branden were placed on bunk beds in what we’ve nicknamed the “boy’s dormitory.” Iva, Casey and Machala were given the two bedrooms at Esther’s house next door.  Esther and Dhel slept on the floor in the kitchen, with their three children. They argue that it is not an inconvenience for them and they love to extend their hospitality.

Monday, May 25 – Preacher-Training Classes --   By the time we woke up for breakfast, several preachers from different areas of the island had arrived. Tom told us that he got hot during the night and took a shower at 1:00 a.m. He was also developing a sore throat.  We started our first session at 7:30 a.m.  I immediately took note that we were missing three of our normal students. Leonard was the oldest preacher on the island. He died this past year. Timothy is the second oldest preacher on the island. He recently fell from a tree and is in very poor health. Ricky has been battling cancer for three years and was not able to attend the classes this year.  Eliseo gave a welcome and taught the first class on “The Measurement.” Tom then had a lesson on “God’s Word Is Relevant for the 21^st Century.” We had a 15-minute break and then had three more lessons before lunch. Branden had a lesson on “Naaman, Leprosy and Sin.” I had a lesson on “An Introduction to the Prison Epistles.” Reggie had a lesson on “All Spiritual Blessings Are In Christ.”  In the afternoon, we had two classes with all of the men and women together. Eliseo, Jr. had the first lesson and Branden then had a lesson on “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.” We then divided the men and women into two classes. Iva taught two lessons for the ladies from the parables. Tom had a lesson for the men on “The Husband & Father as Communicator.” I then had a lesson on “Why Did Paul Write Philippians?”  We ended our session at 5:15 and had free time until 7:00. It was so warm that everyone wanted to cool off, so we walked down to the river. The water lilies are in great abundance and it is so peaceful just to watch them floating by. For the evening sessions, the adults were in the chapel and the children were at Esther’s house. Reggie preached a sermon on “The First European Converts.” Elijah Sikat, Eliseo’s son, then gave a lesson. Iva, Casey & Machala worked together in the children’s classes. They covered creation and Machala had a lesson on “Little Children Come to Jesus.” It was close to 9:00 when we ended.

Tuesday, May 26 – Classes --  Tom was feeling worse when we woke up this morning. His throat is really bothering him. We had our breakfast at 6:30 and started our classes at 7:30. Efren Algaba gave the first lesson on “The Gospel of Christ.” Reggie noted that he didn’t read any of his scriptures; he quoted them from memory. Tom gave a lesson on “The Husband & Father, Head of the House.” After our short break, Branden gave a lesson on “Elijah at Mt. Carmel.” I then gave a lesson on “What Are You Worth?” Reggie gave a lesson on “The Work of the Church.”  We had delicious pork kabobs for lunch. In the afternoon session, Dhel Camposagrado gave a lesson on “A Christ-Centered Church.” I then gave a lesson on “Onesimus & Philemon.” We divided the men and women for the next classes. Iva taught two more classes for the ladies on the parables. Reggie gave a lesson on “The First Supper.” Branden gave a lesson on “Jonah.” I made a quick trip with Dhel & Esther into town to buy some more supplies and to get some Bible lessons copied for Iva. I also went to the market to buy some fresh tomatoes. When I got back to the house, I prepared a big pot of pinto beans. We had the beans, tomatoes, and pork tenderloins for dinner.  In the evening, Tom was not feeling well enough to give his lesson. Reggie covered for him. Eliseo Sikat, Jr. gave a special invitation sermon. Casey, Iva and Machala did two more lessons for the children.

Wednesday, May 27 – Two Churches in Mindoro -- We got up and had our breakfast and left at 7:00 for a visit to a waterfall. Many of the brethren went with us.  As soon as we arrived at the waterfall, one group took off to the river and one group took off to climb the mountain. Some of the Team had their first experience of being on the look out for a leech. Those little blood suckers can pop up out of nowhere. After our hike, we inspected each other and removed each of them.  Tom was still having a light fever, so he enjoyed just standing in the river and cooling off. Many of the group went upstream and were jumping off a cliff into the river.  We went back to Esther’s house and had our lunch. We then loaded up the jeepney for our journey. Dhel agreed to drive us to the seashore. Esther, Flor and a couple of the sisters from Aurora rode with us, in order to help keep Dhel awake on the return trip. We drove about an hour to the Alcate Church.  This is where Bob Agustin preaches, the son of the late Leonard. Tom was not feeling like giving his lesson, so Reggie gave a lesson on “Mysteries of God Revealed.” We then drove about another 45 minutes to visit the Pines Camp Church. This is where Rodolfo Basilio preaches. Branden gave a lesson on “What Is So Great About Heaven?”  The brethren gave us several snacks after our classes. We then drove over an hour to the little town of Pinamalayan on the northern shore. We made a stop at a pharmacy in order to get Tom a prescription for his sore throat and fever. We finally found the rooms we needed at a little hotel and got settled in. Eliseo and one of the young men from Aurora slept on the first floor. Machala, Casey & Iva shared a room. Reggie, Branden and I shared a room. The manager had trouble understanding that we didn’t want to sleep with each other. He finally, reluctantly, gave us three mattresses. We got Tom a single room with a bed and air conditioner. We thought he deserved a quiet room. After getting settled into the rooms, I suggested that we go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner before Dhel and the group had to return to Aurora. After eating, we said our good-byes to Dhel, Flor and the group. We then decided to go walking down a few of the streets and stopped at a store to buy a gallon of mango ice cream. We sat at a little table on the sidewalk and enjoyed sharing the ice cream.

Thursday, May 28 – Island of Marinduque --   We took our luggage to the pier at 7:00 and caught the 8:30 boat. The three-hour ride was relaxing. I think all of us took a short nap as we glided across the water.  As we arrived on the island, Iva made a comment that we all laughed about. She was admiring the scenery and said, “This is just like a different island.” Reggie reminded her of that quote the rest of the day.  Roberto Geronaga was waiting for us when we arrived on the island. He rented a van to transfer us and our luggage to his house. Shortly after getting settled in, we had lunch at Roberto’s house. Tom felt stronger and was able to give the first lesson on “Needed: Real Men in the Church.” Branden gave a lesson on “What Does God Want?” Reggie then gave a lesson on “Daniel.” We traveled across town to a second congregation that has been started. They showed us the lot that has been donated for the church. They have completed the foundation and several columns, but have no walls or roof. I did a lesson on “Old Testament Survey.” Tom gave a lesson on “The Father as Disciplinarian.”   We still had a couple of hours before sunset, so several walked to the ocean.  We made arrangements to sleep at Roberto’s mother-in-law’s house. Machala & Casey shared one room and Iva had another one. Reggie was given a mattress on the floor. Tom volunteered to sleep in a chair. Branden took a bamboo couch and I took a hammock on the front porch.

Friday, May 29 – Return to Manila --   We had to get up at 4:00 a.m. in order to meet our van. We hired a service that is called “Door-To-Door.” They picked us up at Roberto’s house and were responsible to get us to the hotel in Manila. We drove for nearly three hours to the town of Boac, in order to take the ferry to Lucena. The van was able to cross over on the ferry. The ferry ride was also three hours. We had an enjoyable trip on the ferry and could feel the heat as soon as we got back on Luzon. We arrived in Manila at about 4:00 p.m. and checked into Bayview Plaza Hotel. It was directly across the street from the U.S. Embassy. We all got a good, long HOT shower. We got dressed and took a taxi to the Hard Rock Café. It was a delight to get a good cheeseburger and all-you-can drink softdrinks.  When we finished our dinner and got back to the hotel, we were forced to say our good-byes to Tom and Machala. They were scheduled to depart at 2:00 a.m. for the airport. The rest of us would leave later. Iva had come down with the pink eye, so we walked down the street to Mercury Drugs to get her some eye drops. She and I had also developed a sore throat and a horrible cough. We didn’t want ours to get as severe as Tom’s had gotten, so we went ahead and bought some antibiotics, too.

Saturday, May 30 – Vigan City --   Breakfast wasn’t the same without Tom and Machala.  Elias and Maricel Cruz arrived at about 6:30. We loaded into the van and were ready for the long drive to the north. We drove for about ten hours to Vigan City, getting there at about 5:00 p.m. Vigan City is a most unusual city and has a better economy. There is a tourist area, which consists of several blocks of old buildings from the Spanish era. The streets are for pedestrians and horse carriages only. The shops and restaurants would easily provide a few days of pleasure to roam around in. I wish we had the time to visit all of them. Rolando Azurin is the preacher. I had never worked with him before. I met his wife and daughter in Baguio City last year and we have corresponded many times in the past year. He had asked me to schedule a day or two for classes with them. His family was quite a delight.  Roberto has a nice house and has built a two-story building in the back yard for guests. Reggie & Branden slept in one room on the first flooor; Elias & Maricel were in the other room.  On the second floor, Iva & Casey had one room and I had the other one. We shared a toilet and shower.  The brethren have constructed a very nice chapel. They provided their own funds and did most of the labor themselves. The land was donated by one of the sisters in the congregation. She is a very successful business woman and the Lord has blessed her financially. After supper, we walked down to the building and I gave a lesson on “Building the Tabernacle According to the Pattern.”

Sunday, May 31 – Two Congregations --   We had a very good breakfast and then walked down the street to the chapel. Reggie gave a lesson on “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises.”  I then delivered the sermon on “Who Killed Jesus?” After the Lord’s Supper, we had two more Bible classes. Branden gave a lesson on “Elijah on Mt. Carmel” and Reggie gave one on “The Judgment Day.”  After the lessons, one young man expressed his desire to be baptized into Christ. We loaded into two vans and drove to the China Sea. He made the confession of his faith and then Branden baptized him for the remission of his sins. It was a very exciting moment for all of us.  We then went back to Roberto’s house for lunch and later drove to another congregation at Malingeb. I gave a lesson on “How Could Peter Sleep?” Iva taught a children’s class on “Noah and the Flood.”  Branden gave the second lesson on “Joshua.” Casey taught another children’s class on “Birth of Jesus.”  After the lessons, two more souls expressed their desire to be baptized into Christ. We planned on going to a near-by stream, but learned that the cattle had been there all morning and the water was full of manure. Since it was already dark, they said they would come to the church building tomorrow morning and we could take them for their baptism. After dinner, we discussed one of the major problems in Ilocos Sur. One preacher receives checks from over a dozen churches. All of the checks are made out in his name, but the funds are for other preachers. It operates like a one-man missionary society.

Monday, June 1 – Vigan City and Baguio -- Iva and I have had a bad cough since we left Manila. Both of us blame it on the horrible smog in the city. We both had a rough night in coughing, but feel it is a little improved today. We had breakfast at 7:30 and then went to the building for three more classes. Reggie gave a lesson on “The Glorious Gospel.” Branden gave a lesson on “Moses.” I gave a lesson on “The Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews 11.” After our classes, we had two more souls wanting to be baptized. This one, plus the one who came from Malingeb, made for an exciting trip back to the China Sea. 

   We had our final meal with Roberto and his family and started our journey to Baguio. It took us six hours. As we started up the mountains, the temperature dropped and a big cloud sat right down on us. We could barely see ten feet in front of us. This was Maricel’s first time to be north and to see the mountains. She was scared for about two hours of the ride. It started raining, making it even more difficult to see. We finally arrived in Baguio City at about 7:00 p.m.  I called Ray, one of the members of the church and he came to meet us. We had been invited to stay in the home of Juliet. She is a nurse in New York, but still owns her home in Baguio City.

Tuesday, June 2 – All-day Classes in Baguio City --   I think we all enjoyed the cool temperatures and got a much better night’s sleep. Iva and I were still coughing this morning, which created a minor problem for us. Two sisters, Rose & Sonia, are members of the church where we had been invited. Their sister, Noria, lives in the family compound where we were staying, but is a member of a different congregation. Noria works in health services and explained that she didn’t like our cough. She gave me about a 30-minute speech about swine flu being brought into the country from the U.S.  She wanted to quarantine both of us. I asked her if this was just a suggestion of if she had authority from the government to “force” us into quarantine. Sonia’s husband is one of the elders, so I felt he should be the one to make the decision. Iva and I both argued that it was nothing more than allergies caused by the pollution.  Since I wouldn’t consent to the quarantine, Noria wanted me to at least wear a mask. I told her that I could not preach with a mask. I explained that if the elders were afraid of us and felt we could not be effective, we would move on to the next location. The elders asked us to stay and conduct the classes and to ignore her “request.”

   I walked on to the church building and got the projector ready for the classes. When Casey arrived, she passed me a note stating that Noria had grabbed Iva and quarantined her. I went ahead and taught my class, but I was very annoyed. My lesson was on “Introducing Paul’s Prison Epistles.” Elias Cruz gave the second lesson. Reggie then gave a lesson on “Fruit of the Spirit.” We then took our break for lunch. I explained to Rose what had happened and she went to the house to talk with Iva. Soon the two of them walked into the church building together. Rose had talked with the elders and gotten all things resolved. We had a good laugh together as she told me that three doctors had come to her room while I was teaching. She said they were dressed in full uniforms like we saw in Japan. They had gloves, boots, face masks, eye goggles, and the whole outfit.

   After lunch, I gave a lesson on “Philemon” and Branden gave a lesson on “What Is So Great About Heaven?”  Paublo, the local preacher, then delivered a sermon. We ended at about 3:30 in the afternoon. The elders said we could use the remainder of the day in sightseeing. Joseph Gawe volunteered to be our guide, so we went to see the president’s mansion, the gold mines, and then went to a large shopping mall. We decided to eat at Pizza Hut. Joseph has lived in this city all of his life, but had never been to this mall. He had never eaten a pizza either. It was fun watching him. We had a great time together.