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.

I Want a Sista!

Today Jessica and I went to the doctor for an ultra sound. Jessica is 17 weeks pregnant with our fifth child and we decided that we would like to know if it is a boy or a girl. This was actually our second ultra sound, but this time we felt that it was necessary to take our three year old daughter Grace with us. You see, she insists that we are having another girl. This all started the morning we found out that Jessica was pregnant. When I shared the good news with Grace, I told her, "Grace, your mommy is having another baby." She responded, "That's what I wanted . . . a baby sista!" Later, Jess explained to her, "Sweetie, it might be a baby sister, or it might be a baby brother. It is upto God which one he wants to give us. He always knows what is best". Some time shortly after that, she announced that God told her that she was having a baby sister. She told us that as she was coming up the stairs in our house, God said to her, "Grace" to which she responded, "Yes Jesus?" She went on to say that God then said, "Your going to have a baby sista." (note: she would be the only one in our family to ever report having a conversation with God like this).

Now I'm totally fine with another girl and would be truly happy either way, with a new son or daughter, but I can't help wanting a girl for her sake. This new baby will either turn out to be a great faith builder for Grace or a lesson in trusting that God's choices for our lives are the best ones for us. Meanwhile, she continues to insist that she is having a baby sista. Jessica thought that if it turns out that we are having a baby boy, it would be better if the news came from the doctor. We would either get to celebrate God's answer to her prayer or we could all be mad at the mean old doctor for telling us that were having another boy.

As Grace sat on my shoulders, we watched the screen showing the images of the baby in Jessica's womb. Grace observed with us the baby's heart beating, it's spine, arms and legs, and finally the baby's face. The doctor printed out copies of the images for us, but unlike in the States, for some reason, she said they don't tell the gender of the baby till around the sixth month of pregnancy. So for now it is still a mystery for Jess and I . . . but not for Grace. She looked at the picture of the ultra sound and declared, "It looks like a girl!" She has more faith than we do. Perhaps she should become an ultrasound technician when she grows up. We would appreciate your prayers for the health and safety of Jessica and this new baby, and for God's perfect will in regard to it's gender. Click here to read part 2.

My Little Monster - Part 1

Last night I took Jessica out to dinner and a play for her birthday. The kids stayed home with their Ate Meriam and Ate Mylene watching them. Our kids are pretty good kids for the most part and they are pretty easy to watch. Kian and Christian are usually content playing games on the computer or watching television. That just leaves Grace and Tyler, who were nicely playing together in the kitchen. Well...for some reason Grace decided to go into the sala (that's what Filipinos call the living room). Tyler was having fun innocently playing in the kitchen by himself until he decided to close the door, and somehow climbed up on a stool to lock it. Unalarmed about being locked in the kitchen by himself, Tyler proceeded to pull a stool up next to the table and then climb on top of the table (he is 1 year and 10 months old mind you). I don't know how he did it, but he managed to kick the stool away and was then unable to climb back down from the table. This is probably about the time when the ladies noticed that Tyler was locked in. Perched on the top of the table he started calling out, "Help!", "Help!" Unable to get into the kitchen they went outside where they could see Tyler through the kitchen window. They called to him, "Tyler, unlock the door." The table is situated right next to the door, but somehow in his attempt to unlock the door he instead turned off the lights. Fortunately his older brother Kian was able to find the key and Tyler was rescued. Click here to read part 2.

Pictures for Ate Dora

While visiting ate Dora and our other friends from the bridge we have been taking pictures. When we gave her copies of some of the pictures that we took of her and her family, we learned that this was more of a blessing than we thought it would be. We could see the joy in her face as she looked the pictures over. She then shared with us that she has no pictures of herself or her family. Around fifteen grandchildren and no pictures of them! This would be unthinkable for most grandmothers in the States. When I thought about it, I realized that in the small room of her shanty, there is nothing on the walls. Actually the walls are less than a quarter of an inch thick so you really couldn't nail anything to them (otherwise you would have a bunch of nails sticking out of your walls). I suppose she could stick them up there some how. She kept smiling while she and her granddaugher "Girly", and a few other grandkids were admirering the pictures.

Since it was a hot day and there was no where for us to sit at the bridge (I had brought Jessica, Kian, and Christian with me) we walked down the street and sat at a few tables out side the gas station's convienence store. Ate Dora told us that one time she needed a picture for an I.D. and since she did not have one she had to use her sister's picture. She said that they look similar, but the picture on HER ID is not of her. Hopefully no one will look to closely and cause an embarassing momment for Ate Dora. We gave a picture to Robert also. One of him and I playing chess along side the bridge. He said that somehow he is going to nail it to the block wall in his house. I know that these are little things, but they do communicate that we care about them. My family and I drove over the bridge last night at around 9pm. It was dark and everyone around and under the bridge were no doubt sleeping by then, but I could not help to pray and think about them as we passed by. Please remember them in your prayers as we minister to them and try to get the local church involved in helping us reach out to them. CLICK HERE to read more

A Wheel Chair for Robert

Jessica and I were having some coffee with our friend Jeffrey the other day. We got on the topic of ministry to widows, orphans, and the poor. During our discussion, we noted how many church plants or young churches talk about how they are going to reach out to the poor SOMEDAY once their church gets established. Yet, somehow, even after churches get established, many still never get around to ministering to widows, orphans, and the poor. When Jeffery told me that this is an area he would like to see his church grow in, I told him about my friends at the bridge. I showed him a picture of Robert and explained how he is virtually trapped at that bridge because of his paralysis. Jeffery asked if he could use a wheel chair. I told him, "probably" and that I was looking into getting Robert a special three wheel bike made for handicapped people.

Early the next morning Jeffrey called me and said, "I have a wheel chair, where can we meet so that I can give it to you?" Jess and I were excited and praised the Lord for this blessing. As we were on our way to pick it up, I pictured a dusty old wheel chair that someone had hidden away in their garage. That was not a disappointing thought and we were grateful for the Lord’s provision, but when we met Jeffery, he carried a box to our van. The wheel chair was brand new! We couldn’t wait to bring it to Robert on Monday when we would visit him next.

That Monday afternoon we pulled up to Robert’s bridge (We also brought Kian, Christian, and Grace with us). I went a head of them to call down to Robert so that he would have a few minutes to get ready for visitors. After sharing greetings with each other I told him, “May regalo ako para sa iyo” (I have a gift for you). He got ready while I went back to our van to get my family and the box. Kian helped me carry the box as Christian followed. I was a little worried that Robert might be disappointed because he had mentioned in the past that he wanted a special three wheel bike made for handicapped people. I hoped that he would be pleased with this wheel chair because I really believe that it can change his life. He will no longer be trapped at the bridge all day. He can move around, go to cooler places when it is too hot or even look for some kind of work. When we reached him with the fairly large and heavy box, he read the side. "O, a wheel chair", he exclaimed. I couldn’t tell if he was excited or disappointed, but he didn’t waste much time climbing over the rail to sit in it and try it out. In Tagalog, he started talking about the three wheel bike again, but we encouraged him to try it out. I suggested that we all take a walk down the street to the gas station convenience store to get a cool drink. It was a very hot and humid day and there is no shade near Robert’s place.

I could tell that Robert was a little uneasy, but he went with us. He asked me to push him down the bridge because it was a little steep, but once we got to the bottom he took over. He was a little shaky at first while getting used to controlling the chair. The side walk before the bridge has so many holes and cracks in it that we were forced to move to the street. I was praying inside, “Lord protect him and don’t let him get discouraged.” We finally made it to the gas station and walked into the store while Robert rolled into it. It was only about a block from his home, but this was probably the first time he had ever been inside of it, or any other store. We bought a few drinks and sat out in the shade to enjoy them. Then Robert shared that one time someone tried to give him a chair, but he was too embarrassed to use it, so he refused to take it, which made his brother Lito very unhappy. As Jessica and I wondered why he took the wheel chair this time, we speculated that it was because he knew us and that we were there to encourage and help him get started. As we practiced using the chair in the parking lot of the gas station he was quickly getting the hang of it. People from the community who often saw Robert sitting on the rail of the bridge were looking at us and smiling at us. I pray that Robert will get comfortable using the chair and that this will open up many new doors in his life. Next time I visit him, I will take him for a stroll to a near by fast food place to share some ice cream and to play a game of chess in a clean air conditioned place. Robert knows that I am a missionary and that it is the love of Christ that compels me to love him and the rest of the people at the bridge. However, the most loving thing that I can do for him is not to get him a wheel chair, rice, or medicine. The most loving thing that I can do for Robert and the families who live at the bridge is to share the good news that Jesus Christ loves them and wants to forgive their sins if they will trust in Him. Regardless of their response to Jesus I will continue to serve them, but I will never stop sharing the good news about Jesus with them. I can’t wait to see what the Lord does in their heart’s trough us. Click here to read more.

The Other Side of the Bridge

While chatting with Robert and Ate Dora ("ate" is a title meaning "big sister" that you would give to an older female), she asked, "Would you like to visit my house?" This is very Filipino. Hospitality is a part of Filipino culture and even if their place is small or they have very little food, they will still invite you into their home and share what ever they have with you. She lives on the other side of the bridge, just under it near the river. As I walked to Ate Dora's place with a small group of children following me, I saw people hand washing their clothes. They have a community pump that they share to get their water for washing. Those who can afford it buy different water locally for drinking.

There were clothes hanging on lines and in the windows of their houses. Ate Dora jokingly calls the houses under the bridge "condos" because they are nicer than the homes like Robert's that are fixed between the bridge and the road. These homes are improvised with pieces of wood, metal, and tarps. They were built on stilts so that they don't get flooded when the river rises. Ate Dora told me that they have to move to higher ground sometimes during the typhoon season. It's not uncommon for families who are living as squatters along side the river to be swept away during the night while they are sleeping. This happens when typhoons cause the water to rise quickly. The squatters who have no electricity, and therefore no television or radio, sometimes have no idea that a typhoon is coming.
I was told that there were about 15 or 16 families living under and around the bridge, but I don't know how many people are living there all together. There are dozens of bridges like this that cross the Marikina River and I can't help but wonder if those bridges have communities living under them too. When I first met the children who live here they were respectfully calling me "Kuya."(a title meaning "big brother" that you would call an older male) It was cute as I was visiting with Robert the other day and they were calling out, "Kuya Sean." I guess they are getting used to me being around.

As I was walking through the structures leading to Ate Dora's house, I was hoping that the brown water that was running across the path was not human waste. I didn't want to give the appearance of uneasiness -- this was their home -- so I walked straight ahead watching my steps till we reached her house. I said a quick prayer in my head as I drank the water she offered me, a kindness which I was not about to refuse. As I sat in Ate Dora's house, which was probably no more than a 10X10 space, we had pleasant conversation. She pulled a hand fan and began fanning me, her grand child, and herself all in one motion. She has about 15 grandchildren. She told me how one of her daughters-in-law could no longer take the living conditions or married life so she abandoned her husband and two sons (The little boys towards the back in this picture).

I'm praying about the possibility of bringing a genorator down there so that I can bring our projector to show a movie for the kids followed by the Jesus film. We will see what the Lord will enable us to do. Click here to read more.

My Little Friends on the Bridge

Whenever I visit Robert, I bring a customary snack (called merienda). Merienda can be pretty much any food and Filipinos enjoy having it several times a day in between meals. A few visits ago I brought a canister of some long, tubular, flaky cookies called "Stickos." As we were playing chess and eating our stickos, little faces appeared through the railing across the street. These little faces had little eyes that were looking longingly at our stickos. I walked across the street and found three little kids, each no more than five years old. I gave each one of them a sticko and said hello. After exchanging names and smiles I walked back to Robert and the chess game we had started earlier. As our playing continued, our attention was drawn back to the other side of the bridge when we heard small voices yelling, "Kuya, kuya". This is a term of respect for an older brother or friend. I saw the three kids that I gave the merienda to earlier plus about four others. I returned to the their side of the bridge and gave them more stickos. By the end of the day, there were about a dozen little faces staring at us from between the rails of the bridge and calling, "Kuya, kuya." A few parents came out to see what the commotion was all about. One mother named Charlie came out, smiled and waved. She heard that I had given out a few bibles and asked if she could have one. I told her that I would love to give her one and would bring it next time I visit. With about 15 or 16 families living around and under this bridge, I see the potential for a bible study and some great ministry among them. I can't wait to see what the Lord will do. Click here to read more.

Another Day in my Adventures with Robert

Even though thirty minutes had passed after visiting my friends on the bridge, my throat was still sore. The effects of the fumes from the exhaust pipes of the passing cars had taken its toll on me. It's no surprise to me that Robert has asthma. I'm only there for about four hours a week; Robert lives there, spending all of his sleeping and waking hours next to that road. I just bought him a few more boxes of medicine for his asthma, but this reality should serve to remind me that I must get a local church involved with ministering to him because I will only live in this area for about one more year.

During a previous visit with Robert I learned that he likes to play the game chess. I picked up a small set and we have played during our last two times together and he has beaten me six out of six games. I would never have guessed that a guy who has only finished about three grades of elementary school could be so good at chess. Its not that I'm a horrible player; Robert is good! He is a smart man. I also picked up a couple of plastic stools so I can sit and chat with him.

Knowing that Robert's place has no running water or electricity, I asked him where he went to the bathroom. Laughing, he pointed to where I was sitting and various places around me for number one, and he said that they do number two on pieces of paper and then throw it into the river. That explained the smell, but I learned years ago that the Philippines is a land of many smells.

This was yet another educational and enjoyable time with my friend Robert. Click here to read more.

My Friends Visit Our Home

Sunday came and the smell of sinigang filled our house. We were ready for Robert and Lito's visit. When I arrived at the bridge where they live to pick them up, Robert was dressed and ready to go. He called down for Lito to join us, who felt awkward and declined at first. I urged him, "Please come join us, we would love to have you over." He accepted and we all climbed into my van (actually, Robert literally did just that, he had to climb in because his legs don't work). Once I started the van, Robert was startled as the airconditioner kicked in. Concerned for him I said, "I can turn that off" to which he replied, "No" because he liked it. I'm sure that he rarely rides in any kind of auto mobile or feels refrigerated air on his face. As we were driving, Lito was thanking me for getting the medicine for his brother and he told me that he believed God was using me to help them.

As we drove into my subdivision (housing track) I could see the amazement in their faces. Even the smallest house in my neighborhood is huge compared to the little shelters they had made for themselves. After we pulled up into my garage Lito helped me close the gate while Robert climbed down out of the van and dragged himself into my house. I wonder what they were thinking as they came into my house for the first time. My place is like a mansion compared to their improvised little shelters. I pulled up some chairs for them so we could all talk. I was anxious to have my wife Jessica ask them some questions that I wasn't able to because of my lack of Tagalog speaking abilities. She was born in the Philippines and knows a lot more Tagalog than I do. I was wondering why Robert can't use crutches. I tried to ask him that and he said he couldn't, but I did not understand him when he explained why.

As the conversation continued with Robert and Lito, we learned that Robert can play the guitar. I didn't know what to expect, but I brought mine out and let him play. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he could play the guitar and sing. After eating Robert's favorite dish together for lunch I put on a DVD for us to watch. Robert, Lito, and I watched The Passion of Christ together. It was very quite after that movie, which I think is a normal repsonse to it. While driving them home I asked them, "What did you guys think of the movie?" Robert said, "Jesus sure suffered a lot for us!" I agreed with him and then I asked them if they knew why. The did not, so I explained, "Kasi maraming Kasalanan tayo (because we have many sins)." They both agreed with the fact that we all have a lot of sins. I told them that I would get them bigger bibles than the small Tagalog New Testament that I had already given them.

We had a nice time together, getting to know each other better. This was the day that I began to share with them why God had brought me to the Philppines and why He was using me to help them. This was our fourth meeting. Click here to read more.

My Friends on the Bridge

Time was short so I wasn't planning on stopping by, but how could I just pass by without saying hi and seeing how Robert and Lito were doing? I was on my way to a ministry meeting that took me across their bridge again - but stopping by would make me late. Then I remembered that the last two times I met with my ministry partners, I was waiting for twenty to thirty minutes before they arrived. I figured that they wouldn't be angry if I was a few minutes late. I have learned that it is often difficult to be on time in the Philippines. The traffic is very unpredictable and the same route to work or school each day can unexplainably take twice as long sometimes.

I pulled up to the foot of the bridge in my car and walked up to see Robert and Lito. I believe that Lito was out looking for work, but Robert greeted me with his usual smile as he explained to me that the medicine I got for him was helping and that he is breathing a lot better. While chatting, we got on the subject of food, probably because of my limited Tagalog there are only so many things I can talk about. You know, things like "How are you", "What's your name", "Where is the bath room (called the comfort room or CR in the Philippines)." I guess I can say a bit more than that, but we got on the subject of food. After asking me what my favorite Filipino dishes are he told me his:sinigang, a soup with pork and vegetables that is eaten with or on rice. I told him that I like sinigang too and that my wife cooks it rather well. Then I said, "Someday, you'll have to come to my place and we can eat it together." To which Robert quickly responded, "When?" "Oh", I said. "Lets see. . ." (I meant it when I invited him, but I didn't have a particular time in mind, I just thought someday). I went through my schedule in my mind and then said, "How about this Sunday? You brother Lito can join us." I told him that he and Lito can even join us at church. Robert said yes, but then he looked down at his legs, pointed, and said, "I'm shy." He was fine with going to my house, but he was embarrassed to go to such a public place as our church. As I thought about it I realized that it would be difficult for him to make it up to the third floor movie theater where our church is meeting since he can not walk. I told him that we can just have lunch at my house then. Soon I will look for a church that is nearer to him and that is more accessible for him. My mission, the Evangelical Free Church Mission, has a church fairly near to him. I hope that I can find a kind member of that church who would be willing to pick him and his brother up and bring them to church on Sundays.

I said goodbye to Robert and told him I would see him next Sunday. This was our third meeting.
Click here to read more.

The Man on the Bridge: Part 2

A month had gone by since I visited Robert. I had driven across the bridge and past him several times, but I had not made the time to visit him again. I decided to stop by and visit with him on the way to a weekly meeting that I have in Manila. I parked my car at the bottom of the bridge and began walking toward him. I wondered if he would remember me. I also wondered how he managed to live in that crack between the bridge and the wall. As I got closer, I saw a 3x10 foot piece of corrugated sheet metal that served as a roof. The crack was filled with trash from the foot of the bridge all the way to the place where his roof began. The doorway to his home was about 8 feet down in this crack. He had no door, no windows, no lights (except by candle) and no electricity.

Robert greeted me again with a large smile. He remembered my name, and as I walked up he said in a mixture of broken English and Tagalog, "Your the guy from Christmas who gave me the bible." I asked him if he was reading it and he said yes. I quickly learned that he spoke very little English, while he in turn learned that my Tagalog (although better than his English) is limited. I sat down with him on the railing of the bridge and we slowly talked. We struggled to understand each other, but between my limited Tagalog vocabulary, his limited English, and a few hand gestures, we seemed to manage. I learned that he has been living by the bridge for three years with his older brother who takes care of him. Robert turns 34 in March and has five siblings. When he was just a year old, he had a very high fever (maybe a result of polio?)which somehow lead to the paralysis of his legs.

As Robert and I continued to talk, he began to cough and asked me to wait for a minute. He climbed down from the railing and crawled on his hands while dragging his legs and the rest of his body along. He disappeared as he climbed down into his make-shift home. A few minutes later, he reappeared and climbed back up next to where I was sitting on the bridge. He showed me his inhaler and explained that he has asthma while he continued coughing. I told him that one of my sons also has asthma. I thought to myself, "It's not surprising that he has asthma since he literally lives just a few feet away from a road where thousands of cars drive everyday." I asked him if I could look at his inhaler to see what kind of medicine he was using. While examining it, I quickly noticed that it was empty. At this time, his older brother Angelito (Lito) rode up on a bike with a pill to help ease Robert's breathing. I asked him why he didn't just get another inhaler. He said, "Kasi, mashadong mahal ito (Because it's too expensive)." I took the empty canister and told him that I would buy him a new one and bring it back after my meeting in Manila.

After my meeting that evening, I returned to meet Robert and Lito. Lito met me by my car at the foot of the bridge to help me carry a few bags of stuff that I picked up for them. Once we reached their home, I noticed that the darkness down in the crack seemed to have multiplied without the light of day. The passing headlights of the cars revealed the smile on Robert and Lito's faces. Along with the medicine, I picked up 10 kilos of rice and about a dozen various kinds of canned foods. I didn't know whether or not they had a can opener, so I bought them one. While talking with them, I became a little worried about the food I had bought them, because I realized that they only had about 6 teeth between the two of them. I knew that they would have no problem eating the rice, but I wasn't sure if they could eat the canned fish I bought them with so few teeth in their mouths. I later found out that they managed.

This was my second visit with Robert and his brother Lito. Click here to read more.