When I met Chris earlier today, I was quite surprised to hear about his story. We were standing outside the house that was about the size of my parent’s living room where he lived with his wife, two kids, sister-in-law, mother and father-in-law, and a couple of cousins. I totally expected to hear about life on the farm and how hard he was working to keep his family alive, but I was amazed to hear a full out business plan. It was shocking to hear that Chris had been to a few places all over the Philippines to be trained by master chefs. He’s come back to Malaybalay so his wife can be with her family, but he was about to get on a weekend bus trip to see if anyone needed his culinary skills.
Chris told me where he had been working for the past year, and it just so happens to be one of my favorite stops in Malaybalay. He told me how he was able to introduce many different dishes to the restaurant and that he was the one that does most of the cooking. I was shocked to hear that he had seen me come in several times and recognized my face. When I told him that I loved his cooking (seriously, not just flattery), his face showed how much the compliment meant. After questioning him about all the different types of cultural food he knew how to prepare, we were finally able to get into his dream.
Chris’ family is originally from a city that is about two hours from here and is one of the “big cities” on this island. His wife has always lived in Malaybalay, which is a much smaller, more agricultural town. There are a few restaurants in town that can offer what Chris can, but unfortunately, this is a very Filipino area, so paying a little more to experience another culture’s food isn’t often what people can afford. However, Chris is also an excellent Filipino chef as well and he dreams of one day running his own restaurant. He wants it to be a little bit above average, but a place where Filipinos can come have their traditional meals, but are also allowed the freedom to experience other cultures as well. In his hometown, there is a high demand for this type of restaurant, but the popularity has yet to reach the mountains where we are.
The reason he wants to bring this type of food to Malaybalay is because of how connected his wife is here. While she is ready to pack up and move wherever a good job is offered, they would both love to be close to her family. As I sat and talked with both of them and was eventually able to pray with them , I could sense there was a lot of promise ahead of them. Chris is the type of guy that is very focused, and because of his talent and training, I believe he can see this dream achieved. When he asked me if I thought it would work, I asked him how much he wanted it to happen. He laughed and basically said, that he didn’t just want it to happen, he expects that it will happen.
I was blessed to be able to talk with him and just see his heart for his dream and his family. I figure when God is first, your family is second, and your dream is third, at least the priorities are in the right order. Hopefully one day when I return, I will be welcomed at Chris’ restaurant…
