A Blog From the Hospital

I'm writing this blog from a hospital bed. We arrived here at Medical City Hospital at 3:30 a.m. this morning, but not for Jessica. Instead we came for Tyler. We were woken up by his coughing and discovered that he was having trouble breathing again. We started to give him medicine in his brand new nebulizer, only to find that it was missing one small part that prevented it from working.


After a couple of hours in the emergency room, Tyler had been treated a few times, but his breathing was still labored. Tyler's pediatrician decided to admit him for 24-48 hours for observation and more intensive treatment. This required him to take medicine intraveniously. They stuck an IV in his right hand first, but unfortunatly they had trouble getting it to work so the poor little guy ended up getting the left hand stuck with a needle too. By 9am we had been there over 5 hours, and Jess was starting to have fairly strong contractions. She figured she would eventually go to the maternity ward to see if she should be admitted now, but planned to stay by Tyler as long as she could. By 12 noon, Jess went to check in with labor and delivery on the 5th floor.

Tyler being checked into the hospital at the same time created an interesting problem for us. He needed someone to watch him because he couldn't be left alone. I stayed with him in his room on the 15th floor and arranged to have friends come to relieve me so that I could join Jess and she wouldn't have to give birth alone.


After waiting for about an hour, my friend Josh showed up with some lunch and shortly after that Kian and our friend Meriam arrived to keep an eye on Tyler. Their timing was perfect because as they entered the room the phone rang. A nurse called to tell me that Jess was in labor and that she needed me (she was dilated 4-5 cemtimeters).

When I arrived at the birthing suite, I saw Jess hooked up to an IV and a machine to monitor her contractions and the baby's heart rate. After the doctor arrived she told us that the baby's heart rate was dropping below the minimum acceptable level of 120 beats per minute whenever Jess was having heavy contractions. The doctor then told us that we should have an anesthiologist on call in case we need a c-section. I have to admit that I was skeptical of the doctor's opinion. A few months ago she already suggested that we should just schedule a c-section because it's easier. We told her that we would rather not have a CS if we didn't have to, but she still seemed to really advocate it. That's why I was skeptical of her suggestion to have a CS, especially since she gave it so quickly after only having been in the room for a short time.

Though our firstborn was a CS, God was gracious and allowed our last 3 children to be born naturally, without any anesthesia or complications. Jess had been determined to stick to the same natural delivery plan with this fifth child, but after sevaral more hard contractions with only a little progress, she was starting to get tired, scared, and weary of the pain. In between contractions she looked into my eyes and asked me what I thought we should do. I didn't want to risk the health or life of the baby, but I felt the doctor was giving up too soon. I told Jess that I think she should try a little longer and that hopefully she would thank me later. We prayed and kept trying, but agreed to let them have an anesthiologist ready.

The baby's heart rate stayed stable for a few more contractions and then Jess began to feel a pinching pain in her womb. Then for a moment, the baby's heart rate dropped to the lowest it been since they started monitoring. I thought to myself, "If it does that one more time, then I will agree to a CS." I knew that machines aren't always accurate, and I was praying that this was true in our case. I asked the doctor to check on Jessica's progress (she had been stuck at about 6 centimeters for the last half an hour). After the doctor checked, she said that Jess was fully dialated!

Jess said she wanted to begin pushing. The doctor started making arangments to move her to another room, but with the way the baby's heart rate had dropped I didn't think we should wait (besides, we were paying for the birthing room so that we could labor, deliver, and recover all in the same room). I told Jess to just go for it and start pushing. She did and the doctor and nurses gave up on trying to move her to another room and instead got ready to deliver the baby. About ten minutes later on September 3 at 3:35pm Grace got her baby sister.

Jess had a natural delivery and Isabella Nancy Ransom was born. She was 19 1/2 inches long and weighed 7.5 pounds. Later, Jess thanked me for helping her to make the right decision.



So the baby is here and ready to go home to an anxiously waiting big sister. The only thing we are waiting for is for the doctor to release Tyler. Once we get settled in and some much needed rest I will post a bunch more pictures. Until then, please pray for Jess and Tyler. She is pretty sore and Tyler still has something going on inside of his little body.

We aren't the only ones expecting a new baby

I’ve written several times about Robert and his brother Lito who live under a bridge. Well I recently learned that Lito (pictured above) has a girlfriend and that they are expecting a baby. In case you forgot, Lito lives under a 3X10 piece of corrugated sheet metal that is held up by a small wooden frame (probably about the size of a closet in your average American home).


They have no electricity, running water, or bathroom (called a CR in the Philippines) and they enjoy the constant flow of fumes from the exhaust pipes of the passing cars just above them. It was hard enough for Lito to take care of himself and his handicap younger brother (34), but now he has a girlfriend/wife and soon a baby to take care of. According to Robert, Lito is making less than 500 Pecos or $10 a week.


When Lito and Robert told me about the baby I smiled and probably said something like, “WOW, how many months is she? How is she doing? Is she getting sick?” I just couldn’t get myself to say congratulations. I love kids. As a matter of fact, my wife Jessica and I are expecting our fifth child any day now. But in Lito's case, first, they are not legally married. Second, I suspect that the pregnancy was not planned. And third, not only do they have a challenging life just struggling to survive, but now a little one will have to join them in their struggle. At the same time, I have to remind myself that whenever a new baby comes into the world, there is no such thing as an accident. God is never caught by surprise. He is in control and His plan is proceeding perfectly and on schedule. I pray that this little one will someday worship and glorify God and that the Lord will somehow them and and me by allowing me to have some small part in that.

I have given a lot of thought about being poor and rich during the last few years and I started asking myself this question, “What’s so wrong with being poor?” Of course nobody wants to be poor, but it’s not inherently evil. Many groups show us video clips, pictures, and brochures of sad looking poor children. They tug at our heart strings and cause us to thank God for all that we have. I am personally moved and involved with helping the poor, but not because I pity them. On the contrary, there is a lot to envy about them. They have a keen sense of the frailty of life and the control God has over it. This knowledge makes many of them very open to the good news that Jesus forgives sins and has a new home in Heaven for those who trust in Him alone. I also see the poor having fun together with family and friends without the use of expensive toys or things. With no more than a few sticks, marbles, or just a little imagination, the kids have hours of fun. What is even more amazing is that they can do it without a Playstation or computer. I also see strong family and community bonds among them as they watch out and care for each other as best they can. If you think about it, being rich has many pitfalls as well. The bible says that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven. I have seen many rich people who seem to be slaves to their businesses and possessions.

All that being said, this new little one of Lito’s that is coming into the world may have to deal with many obstacles, but will also has the opportunity to be a child or God. If he or she does become His, then all the hardships of this life will have been worth it and are not even worthy to be pitied or complained about in light of what God has waiting.

Right now, I am trying to get Lito a job. God seems to be opening the door for Lito to drive a pedicab in our neighborhood. Our friend Mang Bert told us about an opening.


Lito would work six days a week and make about 300 Pecos a day ($6). This would be about $140 a month, which is more than triple what he makes now. He will have to rent the bike for about 45 Pecos a day (just under a dollar). If it works out, he can eventually buy his own bike for about 7,000 Pecos ($140). Jessica and I are helping to get Lito started by covering the costs of his paper work, bus fare, uniforms, and dues. Please pray that this job will work out because it will really bless Lito, His girlfriend, their new baby, and Robert. So far Lito has not appeared to be receptive to the gospel like Robert has been. Also pray that his heart would soften and that God would give him saving faith. We have begun a bible study under the bridge with a local church ministering to the 15 families that also live under that bridge. CLICK HERE to learn about the bible study that God started!

Will Grace Get A Baby Sista?

Will Grace get that baby sister that she has been praying for? We are still waiting to find out for sure. Her prayers have been so sweet though. Months ago she was faithfully praying for a baby sister. The baby sista that she said God told her she would have. However, the last few weeks her prayers have included something like this, "God, it's okay if you give me a baby brother and it's okay if you give me a baby sister." What's neat is that she changed her prayers on her own. We just told her from the start that it's up to God, but she could ask him for what she wants. I know that she wants a sister, but I think that she has come to the point that she trusts the Lord's decision in the matter.

Grace at about 6 weeks old.

It is exciting for all of us knowing that we will have a little baby in our home again. It could be tonight, it could be in a few weeks.

Tyler at about a month old.

The waiting was harder on the first baby, but after you've had four it seems to get easier. Right now, we are soo busy with ministry, studies, and our kids that the times seems to fly.



I did the math the other day and I realized that out of seventeen years of marriage to Jessica, she has been pregnant for about four of them. With four years of pregnancy under your belt you tend to learn a few things. Even thought Jess has been having contractions 3-5 minutes apart for about a week now, we have learned that this is how it works with her. A first time mother would have gone to the hospital at least four times by now, but we seem to have figured out the right time to go for us. The only thing that might mess up our discerning of Jessica's womb is the Manila traffic. The reality is that the 15-20 minute ride to the hospital could take an hour. Were praying that the time to go the hospital will be after 9pm or so because traffic is usually lighter at that time. We are also praying for a fast delivery (which was the case for our last two babies)and of course a healthy mommy and baby. I'll let you know as soon as the baby arrives. Click here to read about the baby's arival

The Outside Is Fixed, The Inside Is Next

(This is Part 3 of articles about little Angelo. Click here to read Part I).I have to admit it was a little hard for me to look at his face before the operation. I didn't want to stare or show any sign of shock at his appearance, but it did take some effort to smile and to be encouraging without having an expression of pitty on my face for this little guy. Remembering how precious he is to God; that his body will be restored to perfection if he goes to heaven, and that all of our lives in this world are temporary helped me to have compassion for him. Angelo and his family do not know the Lord now, but I pray that in the future, Angelo will be able to look back and see the deformity he used to have as a blessing from God because God used it to bring him and his family to the Lord.

The outside is fixed, the inside is next. Angelo's outward appearance looks better now, but his inside still looks the same to God. As I thought about this, I realized that Angelo is actually a good picture of many of us. We can fix ourselves up on the outside - dress up nicely, put on make-up, do our hair, be on our best behavior and look pretty good in the eyes of the world; especially when we compare ourselves to others around us. The reality however, is that inside we are still in bad shape. The facade may look great, but with God, we still fall short of being good enough for living with and enjoying Him forever. He takes every thought, attitude, word, and behavior into account. The sin within all of us separates us from God because He is holy and He can't allow deformed sinful souls in His prescense. Like Angelo, we need corrective surgery, but on the inside not the outside.

Here is Angelo before the surgery.


Here he is after the surgery.

I am so pleased with how his surgery came out. He is still healing, but he looks so much better. The doctor needs to take his stiches out still and there is a bit of swelling, but he's a handsome little guy! When I brought him back from the hospital it looked like the whole community living under the bridge came out to see him. In my best Tagalog I chatted with many of them as we all enjoyed seeing Angelo and his mom Virgi back home. At this point Angelo was more excited about his new ball than his face being repaired, but that's just how little boys are, isn't it.

At least he is a clean little monster

My little monster love's to take baths, especially with his daddy. However, daddy can't take a bath with Tyler as much as Tyler would like. If he even suspects that I am going to take a bath, He gets very excited and rushes to the bathroom door. This is what happened while I was in the CR (bath room for you Americans) the other day and Jess took this picture of Tyler. He suspected that dad was taking a bath without him, and found the door locked. By now, Tyler had learned a thing or two about locked doors. He knows how important keys are and had seen where we put them. He quickly shifted into action. First, he took off his clothes, including his underware. Second, He slid a stool over to my drawers, climbed up to open the top drawer, and pulled out our big set of keys. Third, he climbed down, slid the stool over to the bathroom door, and proceeded to attempt to unlock the door! Jessica caught him in the act and took this picture(did I mention he is only two?).


He still couldnt quite unlock the door completely (not knowing which key to use), and he was very disappointed to not get a bath that time. But don't worry he has taken a couple since. I never cease to be amazed at how smart little ones are. Just to clarify, Jessica wanted me to mention that when I call Tyler my little monster I use it as a term of endearment. He really is a sweet, cuddely little boy. I admit he is a little wilder than my other two boys were at this age, but he is still a very well behaved boy.

When he saw he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. (Luke 17:15)

He just turned 4 years old last
February, but he can’t speak much yet. He understands well, but his deformed palate has made speech difficult for him. I pray that someday Angelo will praise God with his fixed mouth and palate as he grows older and learns about God and what He has done for him.

I felt so privileged to be helping Angelo when I saw him walking hand in hand with his mom toward my car. Just a week earlier, I couldn’t help getting choked up when his mom translated my words into Tagalog to little Angelo. She asked him, “How would you like to get your mouth fixed?”. He smiled and gave his mom a high five.



On Monday morning, we were on our way to the hospital for a consultation with the doctor about fixing Angelo’s cleft palate. We found out that we came at the perfect time of the year. Angelo’s doctor told us that several doctors were doing a mission that week and that they were doing cleft palate surgeries the next Saturday for free. For FREE! God sure has good timing! The surgery and all the medicines would be free this particular week. There are only a few costs left and some kind friends from the States have already stepped up to cover them.

To our surprise, the doctor had Angelo immediately check into the hospital for initial tests (blood, x-rays, urine, etc.). He told us that Angelo needs to stay in the hospital untill Wednesday and then I could bring him back on Friday to get prepped for surgery on Saturday. Angelo didn’t seem to mind, but Vergi, his mom, was surprised and a little worried. First, I learned that Angelo is one of eight children and she now began to worry, “How can I feed my kids if I miss work?” (She would have to stay with Angelo the whole time). Second, since she did not anticipate having to stay at the hospital, she didn’t bring anything with her (like a tooth brush, extra clothes, a towel, etc.) The hospital doesn’t even provide blankets or pillows. We went across the street and picked up some food, water, tooth brush and other such stuff for them. Vergi’s best friend Charlyne would bring clothes and other necessities the next day.

The ward that they were staying in
has two large dorms with about 100 beds on both sides and all were occupied with patients and their families. Angelo was captivated by a little girl in the bed across from his. She had a cleft palate too, only she had two openings in her lip instead of just one. This may be the first time he has ever seen anyone in the same situation as his. They stared at each other fascinated. As it turns out, the cleft palate wasn't the worst problem this little girl had. When they did evaluations on her to get her mouth fixed, they discovered that she actually had a hole in her heart. So last month they did open heart surgery to fix her heart and this month they will fix her mouth. Add to those difficult circumstances the fact that she is not even a year old yet, she is only ten months old right now. As I was talking with her mom and playing with her I got a big smile out of her. Because of the open flaps of skin above her mouth, it was hard to see that she was smiling, but her eyes couldn’t hide it.

The next day I found out that the doctor was having trouble finding a vein in Angelo’s arm and was unable to finish all the bloodwork in time to release Angelo on Wednesday. He decided that Angelo should just stay there through Saturday for the operation. Again, Vergi expressed her concern about not being able to work. She and her husband sell eggs (the ever so popular Filipino "balut" to be exact – basically duck embryos) to support the family. I told her not to worry, that we would take care of her and her family during this time. After that I went home to wait for Saturday. Click here to read the next part of the story.

So little for us and yet so much for him

There was excitement in her voice as we discussed the possibility of her son's face being whole, but I could also hear the concern in her questions. Perhaps it was a dumb question on my part, but I asked her if she (Ate Vergie) was interested in having her son's face fixed. I've learned never to assume anything. I thought to myself, "It's possible that she could be against modern medicine or too afraid to have her son go under the knife". After I brought it up, Ate Vergie and Ate Sylvia asked me a few questions. Would he feel pain or would the doctor make him sleep during the procedure? Would the doctor just numb his lip? Would they use needles or would he just have to breath in the anesthesia? "It's too mahal (expensive)! How can we afford the medicine?" I told her, "akong bahala sa gastos" (I will take care of the expenses) if she is interested. I'm kind of taking this by faith because I don't know exactly how much it will cost, but I heard that there is one group that comes to Manila about once a year and does the surgery for about $300-$400. That's no small amount for a missionary salary, but it is still relatively small. How could Jessica and I not do that? Relatively so little for us and yet so much for him. I haven't done the math, but I wouldn't be surprised if I found out that we spend that much on coffee each year. This surgery could be life changing for Angelo. It would spare him from years of ridicule and hurt, adverse hygiene and medical issues, open up better possibilities for work and most of all, be a life long testimony to the love of Christ.

Angelo was born four years ago with a cleft palate. His tita (aunt) told me how he never cried as a baby and still doesn't speak. Ate Vergie said that he makes some sounds and he clearly understands what is being said to him. She hopes that he will be able to talk after his mouth is fixed. Angelo's father seems to have had a nervous break down and is out of work and seems to have given up on life at the moment. Maybe God will use this surgery to give Angelo's dad some hope and remind Him that He loves him.

I'm hoping that this surgery will have several other effects as well. First, Angelo has asthma. He is one of many kids and adults living under the bridge who have asthma. I'm guessing that the fumes from the exhausts of the thousands of cars passing over their bridge each day has a lot to do with it. This is especially dangerous for Angelo because I don't think he can use a conventional inhaler for his asthma. He is not able to form a seal around an inhaler with his mouth due to the section of lip that is missing. I think this could potentially be life threatening for Angelo if an asthma attack makes it difficult for him to breathe. His family can't afford a trip to the hospital, but they do have access to an inhaler...An inhaler which I'm guessing would have little effect at this time because of his deformity.

Second, I hope that God helping him through us will not only be a testimony to Angelo and his family, but to that whole community under the bridge. Several of them have and are reading bibles that I was privileged to give them. I was just talking with some of them today and they can see how God has not forgotten them. They see how He has sent me and other people over the years to help them as He cares for them. I have found a few possibilities of some local churches that might be able to help me minister to them. Their hearts have become more and more prepared for this. I get excited as I think about the possibilities. Join me in praying that we can help correct Angelo's deformity and get a local church involved with loving and teaching these precious people. Click here to read what happened next.

My Little Monster Visits the Emergency Room

Today was a particularly long day for us because it started at 1:30 in the morning, when Jessica woke me up concerned about Tyler. Our little 2 year old had vomited a few times before he went to bed last night. Now, Jessica was noticing that his breathing was very fast and he seemed to be laboring with each breath. It reminded us of the times when one of our older sons, Christian, had asthma attacks. He was also about 2 years old when it started. From that experience, we learned what to look for and we saw the same symptoms in Tyler. He had a cough, runny nose, and a fever, but the biggest problem was the way he was breathing. Instead of breathing from his chest we could see him using his stomach muscles and even his throat to help. We knew that we had to take him to the emergency room.

When we got to the hospital, the doctors checked his pulse and listened to his breathing. They quickly determined that he needed a dose of ventolin (an anti-asthma medicine). He did pretty good taking this medicine, especially when you consider that it required him having a plastic mask strapped around his head and having a smoke-like vapor pouring into his nostrils and face from the nebulizer. Maybe he was just too tired to complain or perhaps he was distracted with the other children getting various treatments. I like to think that it was because he sat in my lap during the treatment.


After that treatment we took him to get his first chest x-ray so that the doctors could see how his lungs looked. Jessica wasn't allowed to go in with us because of her pregnancy, but I was able to manage because Tyler did very well. He looked a little concerned (you can tell this if you click on the image to enlarge it), but he didn't complain or fight having to lay on his side on top of a 12 inch square piece of film. After the x-rays, we went back to the doctors who checked Tyler's pulse and lungs again. They decided that he needed two more rounds on the nebulizer. By this time, Tyler's patience had run out and he cried through both treatments, but the treatments did seem to help his breathing.

At this point the doctors aren't convinced yet that Tyler has asthma. They said that they think that it is more likely that he has the early stages of pneumonia, which is going around right now over here. Also because the xrays showed that Tyler had some fluid in his lungs. We got back home at about 5 am, just in time to grab a few minutes of sleep before dropping Grace off for her first day of school and going to an a.m. appointment with our boss down town. We called home while we were out to check on him a few times and he was doing well. He was just not cooperating in taking his medicine. The doctors prescribed antibiotics and a few other oral medicines for him. When we got back in the afternoon he was running around laughing and having fun. If you remember, please pray for our little guy. I guess a little pneumonia would be better than asthma which could be with him for years. In either case, we know that God is in control and trust that this will work for out for His glory and our good.

Sean, I don't want to die and only you can help me!

It had been six weeks since I last saw any of my friends from the bridge. Though I was on a working vacation in the States, my thoughts and prayers were often focused on them. Did Robert have enough rice? Was his asthma medicine used up? How was he doing now that the rainy season had begun? These questions were answered on my way to pick up a visiting short-term mission team. Before I went to the airport, I stopped by the bridge to see Robert and my other friends. I noticed that they covered their make-shift homes with some extra wood. I assume they did that to keep some of the rain out of them. I called down to Robert and after a few minutes he climbed up to greet me. His brother Lito joined him shortly after that.

As we exchanged our hellos and began catching up on the latest news in each others lives, they mentioned to me that Ate Dora was taken to the hospital earlier. Lito went on to explain that she was struggling with hyper tension and high blood pressure. After a little while, she came out from under the bridge, but for the first time I saw her walking with a stick to give her some extra support. She greeted me with her usual smile, but I could tell that she was weakened.

Ate Dora said to me, "Sean, where have you been? I have been waiting for you! I don't want to die and only you can help me! I have to take care of my grandchildren!" (she has over a dozen of them that she helps care for while her children do what ever jobs they can to help the family survive)
I don't know exactly what is wrong, but she said that the doctor said that she needs a CT scan which will cost about $80 US dollars. I'm guessing that this would be at least one or two months wages for her and could be even more than that since her jobs are not consistent. Ate Dora then told me, "I promise, if you help me, I will bring my whole family to church." I told her that I only want her to go to church if she really wants to and that I will help her because she is my friend. Perhaps she will go to church through this because she sees God's grace upon her as he uses me, but I don't want to start the practice of building churches on obligation or guilt. I will be going to get her and take her to the doctor on Monday. Pray that God will show the doctors what is wrong inside her body and that they will be able to correct it. I will write about this as I learn more. Click Here to read about Angelo's Cleft Palate

Master's Men in Manila

On July 4-6 a team of men from the Master's seminary joined me (Sean Ransom) in Manila to teach a three day conference on expository preaching. In partnership with Greenhills Christian Fellowship's Petra foundation, the team featured Alex Montoya, (Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministries) Scott Ardavanis, (Senior Pastor of Placerita Baptist Church) and was supported by myself, (A TMS grad and missionary with the Evangelical Free Church in the Philippines), Jonathan Cross (a student at the Master's Seminary), Andrew Choo (A TMS grad and pastor at a Missionary Alliance Church) , and Gideon Dignadice (a youth pastor and student at the Master's Seminary). After making a case for expository preaching and teaching basics on sermon prep to over three hundred church teachers and leaders, professor Montoya taught how to preach with power, passion, and purpose. He found himself on the hot seat during a Q&A session when one of the men in the mixed audience asked what the word says concerning the role of women in the church. After a pause and a smile he gave a balanced answer that seemed to satisfy the crowd.

Pastor Scott modeled expository preaching as he taught from Psalms 119, Eph 4, and 1 Thess.














Jonathan taught on biblical counseling.














Andrew did a seminar on reaching Muslims for Christ; which lead to an invitation for him to teach that seminar again at a local church.














Gideon taught on youth ministry.

I did a seminar called, "Effects of a seekers sensitive philosophy on expository preaching", which seemed to be received well by most of the audience, but a few Rick Warren fans had a hard time with it. I tried to be very gracious as I urged them to preach the whole counsel of God's word instead of focusing their preaching on the felt needs of their congregations.

After living in the Philippines for two years now, most of the preaching that I have observed here focuses on felt needs, stories, and often goes straight to application while ignoring the proper interpretation and explanation of the text. I was blessed as the participants in this conference responded well after being taught, shown, and challenged to do expository preaching. In a country that has over 40,000 to 50,000 untrained pastors, I pray that this conference will be the beginning of a movement of expositors who faithfully declare God's word instead of their own.

We discussed with a local church the possibility of starting up a training center or seminary that focuses on expository preaching. Pray for Jonathan, Andrew, Gideon, and myself as we endeavor to launch something here in South East Asia. Pastor Montoya and Pastor Scott gave us a lot of great ideas as they challenged us with different possible ways this vision could happen.

During their visit here some of the team spent time ministering in a bible college, and ministering to the poor (we gave out about 5 boxes of clothes to men, women, and children. The team also encouraged pastors in a mountain province, met with leadership from the Evangelical Free Church mission to learn more about their ministries and vision for the Philippines, and shared the word with two gangs in Manila city jail.

If any of these ministries moved your heart then pray about joining our team in establishing a training center in the Philippines or sending a short-term team from your church to get exposed to some of the things that God is doing on the mission field. Just email me at sean@ransomreport.com.

My turn to be a hypocrite

After landing at the Manila International Airport and having just gone back home again to unpack our 12 boxes, seven suit cases, and 7 carry on items, (try that with four kids and a pregnant wife) I found myself back at the airport again only 10 hours later. This time I was at the air port to pick up a small team of friends who will be ministering with me at a preaching conference next week. Well, I would like to say that it was a smooth day, but my first day back was greeted with a little testing from the Lord. I passed a few tests and failed a few. Let me tell you about it.

First, I left about 45 minutes earlier than usual so as not to take a chance at leaving my friends standing at the foot of a hot and humid curb side in the middle of a city of 12 million people and almost as many narrow streets (many of which have no street signs). I didn't want them to worry or to have to lug around several carts of luggage looking for a telephone to call me. As I was making my way to them I thought I would try a short cut. Its a short cut when you know where you are going. One pull over to the side of the road to look at my map, and two pit stops to ask for directions at gas stations later, I found my self heading the right way. I still had plenty of time because of the extra cushion that I left. I thought. Then I heard this little sound from my van which had not be driven for the last month while we were visiting the states. The air conditioning was not longer cold. I thought, "I'll have to deal with that later." A few seconds later I could smell something strange, but the Philippines is a land of many smell (a lot of them not very pleasant). I noticed in my side mirror a little smoke. My initial thought was irritation at who so many vehicles belch smoke out here because of no regulations. Not only do I have to smell it in my car, but now I driving through it. That stuff seems to stick to your car and is hard to clean off some times. As a car block traffic in from of me I had came to a stop. It was then that I noticed that the smoke was coming from my van.

I pulled into a place that fixes car air conditioners and learned that something in mine got clogged which seems to have caused my compressor to burn up. My welcome back to the Philippines was an estimate of $300 to fix my a/c. I was still able to drive as long as the a/c was turned off (what a miserable trip). There was still time to make it to the airport so I continued this journey. Driving up the arrival ramp I slowly drove by the curb site where people wait for their rides to pick them up. I scanned the many faces but didn't see my friends. My hope was that they were still making there way through immigration and customs. I decided that I will park my car and look for them from the waiting area. This required me to circle the airport one more time in order to get to the parking lot.

Here comes the next test. I was stopped at a light so I thought I would give Jessica a call to see if she had heard any news about the flight being on time or delayed. I un-buckled my seat belt so that I could get to the cell phone that was clipped to my belt. The street light turned green while I was talking to Jess. I made my u-turn and was heading back into the airport when a couple of our friendly traffic officers flagged me down and pulled me over. They kindly pointed out that I was not wearing my seat belt and that I would have to pay a 500 ($10 U.S.) pesos fine plus go to a one day seminar within the next five days. I asked if it was possible to get an extension because I did not have the time to go to this seminar during the next two weeks. He then asked, how can I help you sir? What a nice guy. He told me that I could either make the payment at a local bank and go to the seminar, or pay him on the spot, but without a receipt.

Several times I have said that we have to put up with the inconvenience and jump through all the hoops of this system if we hope to have any chance to end this corruption. Still pulled over at a little island and blocking traffic, I was able see the airport parking lot where my friends might be waiting for me. The officer seemed to be in a hurry for my decision and my friends were waiting. I asked, "If I pay you now, will the matter will be finished?" He said yes and I paid the man. I know what a hypocrite. I repented and wonder what opportunity I had lost by not trusting God and taking the easy way out.

I did pick up my friends and I beat them by ten or fifteen minutes. When I told them what had happened one of them said to me, "If it makes you feel any better, I would have done the same thing." That did make me feel a little better, but it doesn't take away from the fact that I was wrong. We drove the one hour back to my house with out any problems other than having no a/c.

Visiting the States, but not Home

It's been several weeks since my last blog, but I hope that you'll forgive me in light of my travels. My family and I are currently visiting family and friends in California. I left a week before Jess and the kids so that I could catch a few graduations. One broken plane part and TWENTY-FIVE hours later I arrived via Manila, via Tokyo, via Honolulu, and finally to Los Angeles. Praise the Lord I did arrive safely with all my luggage. Jess and the kids had a shorter flight, but kudos to Jess who managed to travel with four kids two of them under five (and a fifth child in her womb).

My friends David and Ruth Lowe, Cherisha, and Hiromi picked me up from the airport at about 10:30pm and we proceeded directly to Taco El Oso in Arleta (aw, the tacos of the gods). After reading Randy Alcorn's books in "Heaven", I'm even more convinced that Taco El Oso will be in heaven. Just past and to the right of the pearly gates. From there we went to Denny's for desert (Yes! Real ice cream), which I washed down with a caramel apple crisp. I lost about 12 pounds in the Philippines in about a year and a half, and I think that I may have gained it all back in the last three weeks. God Bless America home of the super sized everything.

It was a little strange being in the States again after almost two years. The first thing that struck me after getting off the plane was how opulent the Delta terminal is. Roman columns, marble floors. Everything was so clean, new, big, and brite. The second thing hit me while traveling through some neighborhoods that I remember to be kind of scary. Run down parts of the valley that are infested with gangs, drugs, and prostitution. I remember years ago being a little nervous while waiting at stop lights in these parts of town. However, things were different this time. These unkept and uninviting areas now looked so clean. The streets were so wide, the apartments were so clean and well kept. I even felt safe. Had things changed in these cities. I don't think so, I think that God has changed my perspective. I see the world a little differently now. My opinion of what poverty is and who are poor is not the same as it used to be.

I am also struck by my diminished compassion for those asking for money on the sides of the road or outside of restaurants. I just can't help remember the many faces that I see everyday in the Philippines who are asking for money because they have no where else to turn and are desperate to work. People who would thrive here with all the opportunities that many in the States are not willing to take for one reason or another.

The last thing that struck me is the growing feeling that while visiting the States I was not visiting home. This feeling actually started in the Philippines, but a sense of being a pilgrim or a man who is just passing through this world and is on the way to his home has been growing in me. I can't deny how beautiful America is. In just a few weeks back I can already feel the desire to stay. The air is so clean, the sky so blue, and the mountains are awesome. In spite of that, nothing here on earth satisfies. The more I travel and see the world, the more I sense that my real home lies somewhere else...Heaven. I can't wait to go there and be with God. Anyways, enough rambling. I will write more about our trip and post a few pics soon.

An Interesting Conversation - Part 2

In a story called, "An Interesting Conversation - Part 1" , I mentioned that I would write more about a conversation with Robert and Ate Sylvia. After asking me if I could heal Robert, Ate Sylvia didnt wait for an answer but kept throwing more questions out. One thing she really wanted to know was what the bible says about praying to statues. This is widely practiced in the Philippines. They pray to statues of Mary, Santo Nino (Baby Jesus), the Black Nazarene, etc. As usual, we were sitting on the walkway of the bridge. I looked around and saw a piece of wood on the ground which gave me an idea. I picked it up and, as best I could in Tagalog, I began to answer her question. I held the piece of wood on the rail and told them that I could paint it, put a face on it, eyes, ears, and mouth. Then I told them I could make feet for it also and then I set the piece of wood down on its end as if standing and let it go. It just fell over on the ground. I did this two more times and it fell to the ground each time. I asked what happened? They saw that the wood had no power to stand up on it's own. I told them that in addition to not being able to stand, it could not speak, hear, or see. Then I picked it up again. Looking at it, I loudly called out to it something like, "Help me, bless me, feed me, take care of me!" They began laughing. I asked, "Why are you laughing?" They replied, "It's just a piece of wood."

"That's right", I told them, "And every time we pray to an idol we are just talking to a piece of wood which can do nothing for us." I wasn't sure if they understood all that I shared with them, but I later learned that they did when I heard them share part of the story with another missionary that I brought there to visit them. (click here to read that story).

I think that illustration with the piece of wood made a big impression on them and helped them to see the futility in praying to idols. I shared with them that we should pray and worship God only. After all, He is the one who made us, who came and died for our sins, who offers salvation through faith in His Son, and who wants to be intimately involved with our lives for eternity. Why go to anyone or anything else! (Robert and Sylvia pray to receive Christ - click here to read ).

Thought I'd share a few recent pics

We took a short working vacation on another island in the Philippines called Cebu. Here are some of my favoirte pictures from the trip.Click here if you would like to see more pictures from our trip

I Want a Sista - Part 2

Jessica and I were in our room talking while Grace was playing. I asked Jess, "If the baby is a boy, what do you want to name him?" As we thought about it I offered the name "Tommy (Thomas)." Grace, who seemed oblivious to our conversation before that, immediately stopped her playing and said, "Noooooo, that's a boys name. Were having a girl." I was laughing inside and I couldn't help teasing her a little bit. I responded by saying to Jess, "How about Mark?" Of course Grace yells, "NOOOOO! its a girl!"
A few days later while playing, Tyler hit Jessica's stomach. Of course she told Tyler, no we don't do that. I chimed in and said, "Tyler, don't hit your little brother like that." Grace unglued herself from her morning cartoons and again protested, "THE BABY IS NOT A BOY, IT'S A GIRL!" Jessica told her that she better keep praying then and ask God for a baby sister. If you feel for Grace's plight, then join her as she prays for a baby sister. Click here to read Part 3

Robert's Second Birthday in Less Than a Month

I realized it was late when I saw my shadow glide across the wall in front of me because of the head lights from the cars passing behind me. I intended to leave an hour earlier, but Robert said, "Okay, one more question." I had brought my friend Wolfgang with me, a fellow missionary who has lived here for over ten years. Wolfgang loves the Lord and has a real heart for the poor. I had shared the gospel with Robert and Ate Sylvia before, but I wasn't sure how much they understood due to my limited Tagalog. Wolfgang would be able to answer their questions and make sure that they understand the (gospel) the good news that Jesus Christ forgives the sins of those who trust in Him.

I could tell that their hearts were softened and ready for the gospel, but Robert and Sylvia first had many questions. First, Robert wanted to know where Cain and Able got their wives from. Second, he wanted to know how Jonah could have survived in the belly of the great fish. These were great questions. It was encouraging to me that not only has Robert really been reading the Tagalog Bible I had given him, but that he actually understood what he was reading and was wrestling through it. Sylvia's questions included wanting to know what the bible said about worshiping Mary, saints, and various statues, and what is meant by being "born again". After satisfying their questions, Wolfgang shared the gospel with them again. We started with Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John Chapter 3. I was pleased to hear that they did understand what I had shared with them in previous conversations and that they were really tracking with what Wolfgang was sharing with them.

Wolfgang invited them to ask Jesus to save them from the penalty of their sins and to live in their hearts. He told them to only pray if they really, really want to follow Jesus. Praise, the Lord, they both wanted to! At first, I wasnt sure about Robert. As Wolfgang prayed, Ate Sylvia repeated after him, but Robert remained silent. As we were saying our goodbyes Robert said that he prayed in his heart.

The challenge now is finding a church within walking distance because the round trip cost of about 50¢ is a substantial expense for them. I'm praying that they will see that the sacrifice is worth it. I'm also hoping that the church itself would be able to send some of their members to my friends at the bridge to do bible studies. For now, we picked up Robert last Sunday and took him to the closest EFC church with us, about 15 minutes way. I was proud of him because his joy in knowing God was greater than his fear of what others might think about him and his wheel chair. Pray that Robert’s faith in God will grow and that a local church will show him and my other friends at the bridge love by regularly visiting them and teaching them the word of God.

My Little Monster – Part 3

Now I still have to maintain that Tyler is not an overly curious little boy, but the predicaments that he has been getting into lately are funny. Well here is the latest escapade of Tyler. I got home from language school today as usual, but while getting out of my car in the garage I heard the faint sound of crying. When I started into the house I could hear that the crying was actually intense. I hurried to my room to find Jessica, Grace, and our friend Miriam huddled around our closet door with frantic looks on their faces. To add to this scene Jessica had a kitchen knife in one hand and a screw driver in the other. Then I heard the cries coming through the closet door. Tyler was again practicing his new ability of locking doors. Unfortunately, this was a bad day to be locked in a closet because it was a particularly hot and humid summer day in Manila. At least he could not reach the switch to turn off the light this time (See my little Monster – Part 1). Once I got MacGyver and her merry band out of the way, pulled the paper clips out of the door’s key hole and cleared Jessica’s credit card out of the crack in the door near the door knob, I assessed the situation. The door’s bolt was not budging, and my sons crying was growing more intense. Jessica, trying to keep calm, kept nervously saying (probably half a dozen times), “It’s okay, he’s just crying. He’s not going to die or anything.”I decided that it was time to do damage if I wanted to get him out any time soon. I figured that the money I had to pay in door and door knob repair would be far less in comparison to the years of therapy that Tyler would have to go through if I didn’t get him out soon. I ran to my tool box and grabbed a pry bar and mini sledge hammer (I can hear Tim Allen from tool time making ape sounds as I type, he would have been proud.) I wanted to just kick the door in, but I couldn’t because Tyler was sitting there crying on the other side. When I would hit the crow bar Tyler’s crying would increase and so did my determination. I beat the door, door jamb, and door knob into submission. Once I beat the door knob off I could see Tyler’s sweaty little head through the hole where the door knob used to be. I thought that would do the trick, but the bolt was stuck and the door still wouldn’t open. As I thought about what to do next Tyler’s little fingers poked out of the hole in an attempt to reach me. I decided to continue using my pry bar to force the door open. The door finally opened and I rescued my heaving and sobbing little monster. He quickly came to me and lay limply on my shoulder. I rubbed his back until he fell asleep on me. Ahhh! one of the greatest feelings in the world. I guess I will have to make a trip to the local hardware store now. It sure is fun watching kids grow up, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

My Little Monster Strikes Again! - Part 2

Well, I don't know how it happened, but someone left a small bottle of vaseline within the grasp of Tyler, my little monster. He walked into the kitchen where we all were and was very shiny. As we were trying to figure out what in the world he had gotten into, I noticed that he had a new rock star hair doo. He also had a thin coating around his neck, hands and in his ears. You could actually see the trails sculpted by his fingers across his neck. Shortly after we were reminded of how oil and water don't mix. A warm bath was not completely effective. We were able to get a lot of the vaseline off, but some of it is still lingering in his ears, the creases of his neck, and in his hair. Even after cleaning his ears with Q-tips, I can still see the residue in them. Tyler really is a sweetie and after having three other children I can say that he is not overly curious. These funny things just happen in the lives of our children. We just have to thank the Lord that he has not gotten into anything dangerous. I like to think that the reason that has not happened is because we are careful to put up the dangerous things. I think that I will have to make sure my shaving cream and stuff is out of his reach as he grows taller, learns to climb better, and gets more curious. Even as I'm writting this I can see about 20 feet of dental floss strung across the room. It will be fun watching this little boy grow up.

An Interesting Conversation - Part 1

While visiting Robert on his birthday I had an interesting conversation. It started when Ate Sylvia asked, "What religion are you?" I told her that I am born again because that seems to be the best identifier for Christians to use here. This helps to keep Christian from being confused with false or non-Christian groups. However, saying that your 'born again' can get you confused with faith healers, which is what Sylvia did, because she then asked me, "Can you heal Robert?" I looked across at Robert as he sat near the railing of the bridge with his legs hanging limp. Now, I don’t believe that we can demand healing from God, or that the gift of healing at will is normal for today. However, I do know that God can heal anytime that He wants and does heal today when He wants to.

I was ready to pray for Robert’s healing and I confidently believe that if God wanted to, He would heal him. For some reason, I wasn’t even nervous at the thought. If it was not God’s will to heal Robert now, I would not be embarrassed to pray for it and find that the answer is no. It would be God who said no, not me. It would be God who chose not to demonstrate His power and not a failure on my part. I know that I am just the messenger and that He is in control and knows what He is doing. At the same time, I would not have been surprised if God decided to do a miracle and restore Roberts’s legs! I could see God using that circumstance to show the people of the bridge His power and His love for them. I could see God using that to draw attention to Himself so that they would pay attention to the gospel and believe.

Well, before I could agree to pray for Robert, Ate Sylvia just keep talking away about different beliefs. She seemed to forget her request and said that Robert told her that he had many questions for me, but was unable to ask them because of my limited ability to speak Tagalog. I believe my heart was right and that my faith wasn’t lacking, but we didn’t get the opportunity to see if God was going to grant a miracle that day. Perhaps He kept her talking because He has another plan other than healing to make Himself known to the people at the bridge. I was able to understand and discuss a few of their questions, but I told them that soon I would bring with me a friend who was fluent in Tagalog and who would answer all their questions. They were happy with that and proceeded into a second interesting conversation, which I will write about next time. Click here to read Part 2

Robert's Birthday

On March 31 my friend Robert turned 34. I stopped by his place at the bridge bringing a chocolate cake, a bag of oranges and some fruit roll-ups for the kids who also live there. I was greeted with a wave and Roberts usual smile. I think I succeeded in my goal of making him feel cared for and special. He asked, "What's this?" as I put a box in from of him. He was happy at the sight of a chocolate cake with, "Happy Birthday Robert" written on it. Between Robert and his brother, who lives in the shanty across from him, they have one plate and three spoons.
We used one of the spoons to cut the cake and I brought a box of napkins to serve the rest of the cake on. We called on neighbors and friends who were passing by to join us in celebrating Roberts special day. A couple of little ones caught on to what was happening and soon there about over a dozen kids stopping by or calling out to us in hopes of sharing Roberts birthday cake and other goodies. Ate Sylvia, Melvin, Charlene, and many other friends stopped by. This time opened up a great conversation that I will share about in my next blog so check back later. Click here to read more.