Monday, November 2, 2009
back to school
Okay wow. I haven't posted anything here in a while. I've been busy for sure but more or less just lazy with this blog. But here's whats been going on in my life more recently. For starters, we just finished our 2nd semester of school here at the orphanage. YESSS! haha. Its not just the kids who are excited when vacation comes around. Anyways, I did get a few things accomplished while on break. I sold my motorped and bought a honda civic. I applied for a marriage licence and had to swear that I wasn't marrying Dona just so she could become a U.S. citizen. We got the photographer organized and a bunch of other things too. Yeah it was a pretty productive vacation. The only problem with vacations is that you never relax on them. And when the time comes to get back to work you're not ready for it. oh well such is life. School here I come.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Shelby
Okay so a few months ago I got my self a pet, but not just any pet. I mean I am living in the tropics so i had to go exotic. So I got a monkey and as you might have guessed her name is Shelby. She a baby so she still stays close to me and whines constantly. When I let her she sits on my shoulder while I walk around the orphanage, which lead me to this brilliant idea... how about I take her for a ride on my motorcycle! Hmm. well she did fine for the most part, just sat there and literally hung on for her life. But I think she was a little scared because no sooner had I stopped the bike , she proceeded to pee all over me! Yuck! Well i don't think we'll be doing that again any time soon. At least she doesn't throw poo at me:-)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Back "Home"
If there is one thing that I realized during my time back in the states, its that the Philippines is where I belong. Its a little bitter sweet but all I know is that God is in control and thing will work out according to his purposes. I never could have imagined myself here 5 years ago. But that's whats so Awesome! God's plans for our lives are so much bigger and better than we ever could have imagined. All we have to do is follow him with all our hearts! And as I think about how much I will miss home, at the same time I have a peace about where God has me right now. In my new "home" half way around the world and still with in a short trip of family! Good is good! and I'm happy to be apart of his plan!
Monday, March 9, 2009
I killed a snake with my bare hands!
Dear Everyone,
Hello again, I guess its been a while since my last update. In fact I'm way past due so here's what I've been up to lately: In February my parents came for a visit which was great. I was glad that they came and that they were able to meet Dona and see what I'm doing here at Sankey Samaritan Mission. My mom also helped me get my apartment organized!
During that same week there was a work team here from the states. They came to help us build a wall and do outreach in the areas around our church. One of the members of the team was a doctor and when we visited an area he and his wife would set up a clinic so that the people could get some much needed medical attention! Its was a great ministry and it provided many opportunities to share the gospel!
There was also an interesting thing that happened while the team was here. On the last day, before they flew back, we had taken them to Rizal re-Creation Center for some down time. Some of us were playing Frisbee golf when one of the guys on the team noticed a snake in the grass! I wasn't sure what kind it was but my general rule of thumb here is "kill it 1st them ask questions." So I ran to grab a coconut and repeatedly threw it at the snakes' head until it died. It was quite exciting and no i can claim to have killed a poisonous snake with my bare hands! OK so it was only like 2 feet long but still!
School is in its last month here and the kids are anticipating their summer vacation. So am I, but this summer i will be very busy with preparations for next school year. The staff and I are praying for 40 new students next year, which means a lot of work needs to be done on our part. We are spending our Saturdays promoting the school and trying to get perspective students and their parents to come visit and hopefully enroll for the coming year.
Well, i guess that about all for now thanks for your continued prayers and support I'm looking forward to seeing you all again soon! Hopefully, I'll be home in July for a friends wedding. Take care.
Love,
Brian
Hello again, I guess its been a while since my last update. In fact I'm way past due so here's what I've been up to lately: In February my parents came for a visit which was great. I was glad that they came and that they were able to meet Dona and see what I'm doing here at Sankey Samaritan Mission. My mom also helped me get my apartment organized!
During that same week there was a work team here from the states. They came to help us build a wall and do outreach in the areas around our church. One of the members of the team was a doctor and when we visited an area he and his wife would set up a clinic so that the people could get some much needed medical attention! Its was a great ministry and it provided many opportunities to share the gospel!
There was also an interesting thing that happened while the team was here. On the last day, before they flew back, we had taken them to Rizal re-Creation Center for some down time. Some of us were playing Frisbee golf when one of the guys on the team noticed a snake in the grass! I wasn't sure what kind it was but my general rule of thumb here is "kill it 1st them ask questions." So I ran to grab a coconut and repeatedly threw it at the snakes' head until it died. It was quite exciting and no i can claim to have killed a poisonous snake with my bare hands! OK so it was only like 2 feet long but still!
School is in its last month here and the kids are anticipating their summer vacation. So am I, but this summer i will be very busy with preparations for next school year. The staff and I are praying for 40 new students next year, which means a lot of work needs to be done on our part. We are spending our Saturdays promoting the school and trying to get perspective students and their parents to come visit and hopefully enroll for the coming year.
Well, i guess that about all for now thanks for your continued prayers and support I'm looking forward to seeing you all again soon! Hopefully, I'll be home in July for a friends wedding. Take care.
Love,
Brian
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Floods, Ambushes, Bombings, Assanations & Gods Protection
Okay so many of you may be wondering where I've been and what I've been up to but i had too much fun and I spent the last few days recovering from all the Excitement! Well as many of you might already know i just went to a place called Mindanao ( a Island in the southern Philippines) and together with Uncle Tom (Randall) and a basketball team from California we spent nearly two weeks play b-Ball, sharing our testimonies, doing half time shows on unicycles and handing out tracks for people to sigh up for a bible study course: all while dodging the things listed in the title of this email! so I'm going to try to be concise and yet give you the full story. Here Goes:
OK so first off we rented a jeepney to take us all over the island to and from games. The 3rd night, Denis the drivers helper prayed to accept Christ as his savior. He did it on the way back from one of our night games after hearing the testimonies and pastor's sharing of the gospel! Denis didn't have any shoes either so I gave him mine. There was alot of that going around. Aught to make us be more thankful once in a while!
So basically what we would do each day was play 2 or 3 games and we'd drive into little towns in the middle of nowhere and waaala there was a b-ball court. we'd drive around town people would come, sometimes like 500+ (and few time too many to eve guess) and we'd play against the towns best players. At half time uncle tom and some of my kids from the orphanage would do a unicycle show and then we'd sing, share a testimony and pass out & later collect from the people who were interested in taking the bible study. we collected over 6000+ for the 10 days we were there. PTL and that's all in a heavily Muslim influenced area!
Okay so now about some of the things in the title. Did they get your attention bcuz they were meant to. First, on the way back from one of our night games I was riding on the roof of the jeepney because it just a better option than sitting inside next to 20 other sweaty guys. So anyways, all of a sudden Denis our "jeepney monkey" pops his head up and tells us to lay down so no one can see us.....! "okay sure." Later I learned that that road we were on was the 2ND most dangerous road in the Philippines bcuz of muslim ambushes and accidents of which we saw plenty! also later on once we were what i thought was in the clear we stopped for dinner. and well while we were eating dinner, across the road a guys was assassinated and the the guys who were there to protect us caught the killer. Again most of this I learned after the fact. It gives psalm 91 a whole new meaning huh?
Hmm what else. One morning when we arrived at our game we were greeted by swat like police all holding AK 47s and wearing full camo( for our protection) bcuz the night before 2 guys were killed on the court. oh yeah and there were 4 bombings near us in just the 2 weeks we were in Mindanao. Again didn't know that till after the fact but its all good when your trust is in the Lord!
When Sunday came the majority of the team went with Uncle Tom but a few of the Filipinos including Toto, David pastor Bernard, a few of our boys and myself went to a little "grass-roots" church behind the place we were staying. They had nothing. no walls barley a roof. no doors. a dirt floor and wodden benches nailled together for pews. one lone extension cord powered the old instrument they had, an old beat up keyboard. Toto and I both got the same idea and he stood up to announce that we would buy them a sound system and guitar. When he did that i heard the lady sitting next to the key board wisper, "Thankyou Jesus." They had been praying for it for a long time and it was nothing that they could have afforded! We bought the equipment the next day and gave it to them! Oh man I wish I could be there to hear them this sunday!
EBC a Special thanks to you becuase you provided the money to make this possible. I used about 300 dollars from the thanksgiving offering to purchase the sound equipment. so thanks again
okay just a few more then i'll be done. On the last day of our trip we all went white water rafting in the Cagayan de Oro River. with the recent flooding the river was at stage 4 rapids and 2 of our four boats flipped. not mine we had one lost tooth and several bruised egos but all was good and we made it back in one piece.. that is except for the missing tooth. The next day we left and its a good thing we did because the day after we left the city of cagayan de oro was flodded in waist deep water and the airport close indefinately. Some one big was one our side all the time we were down there! well theres more but i'm tired and fighting off a fever, cough and who knows what jungle viruses so i'm going to bed night ya'll
brian
OK so first off we rented a jeepney to take us all over the island to and from games. The 3rd night, Denis the drivers helper prayed to accept Christ as his savior. He did it on the way back from one of our night games after hearing the testimonies and pastor's sharing of the gospel! Denis didn't have any shoes either so I gave him mine. There was alot of that going around. Aught to make us be more thankful once in a while!
So basically what we would do each day was play 2 or 3 games and we'd drive into little towns in the middle of nowhere and waaala there was a b-ball court. we'd drive around town people would come, sometimes like 500+ (and few time too many to eve guess) and we'd play against the towns best players. At half time uncle tom and some of my kids from the orphanage would do a unicycle show and then we'd sing, share a testimony and pass out & later collect from the people who were interested in taking the bible study. we collected over 6000+ for the 10 days we were there. PTL and that's all in a heavily Muslim influenced area!
Okay so now about some of the things in the title. Did they get your attention bcuz they were meant to. First, on the way back from one of our night games I was riding on the roof of the jeepney because it just a better option than sitting inside next to 20 other sweaty guys. So anyways, all of a sudden Denis our "jeepney monkey" pops his head up and tells us to lay down so no one can see us.....! "okay sure." Later I learned that that road we were on was the 2ND most dangerous road in the Philippines bcuz of muslim ambushes and accidents of which we saw plenty! also later on once we were what i thought was in the clear we stopped for dinner. and well while we were eating dinner, across the road a guys was assassinated and the the guys who were there to protect us caught the killer. Again most of this I learned after the fact. It gives psalm 91 a whole new meaning huh?
Hmm what else. One morning when we arrived at our game we were greeted by swat like police all holding AK 47s and wearing full camo( for our protection) bcuz the night before 2 guys were killed on the court. oh yeah and there were 4 bombings near us in just the 2 weeks we were in Mindanao. Again didn't know that till after the fact but its all good when your trust is in the Lord!
When Sunday came the majority of the team went with Uncle Tom but a few of the Filipinos including Toto, David pastor Bernard, a few of our boys and myself went to a little "grass-roots" church behind the place we were staying. They had nothing. no walls barley a roof. no doors. a dirt floor and wodden benches nailled together for pews. one lone extension cord powered the old instrument they had, an old beat up keyboard. Toto and I both got the same idea and he stood up to announce that we would buy them a sound system and guitar. When he did that i heard the lady sitting next to the key board wisper, "Thankyou Jesus." They had been praying for it for a long time and it was nothing that they could have afforded! We bought the equipment the next day and gave it to them! Oh man I wish I could be there to hear them this sunday!
EBC a Special thanks to you becuase you provided the money to make this possible. I used about 300 dollars from the thanksgiving offering to purchase the sound equipment. so thanks again
okay just a few more then i'll be done. On the last day of our trip we all went white water rafting in the Cagayan de Oro River. with the recent flooding the river was at stage 4 rapids and 2 of our four boats flipped. not mine we had one lost tooth and several bruised egos but all was good and we made it back in one piece.. that is except for the missing tooth. The next day we left and its a good thing we did because the day after we left the city of cagayan de oro was flodded in waist deep water and the airport close indefinately. Some one big was one our side all the time we were down there! well theres more but i'm tired and fighting off a fever, cough and who knows what jungle viruses so i'm going to bed night ya'll
brian
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