Some months on the Race are slow-paced. This past month in the Philippines was filled with a lot of varied ministries and a packed schedule. It often felt like a little taste of home, and we had the blessing of being adopted into a family while we were there. Meals were family affairs, eaten together at the ‘round table‘ and discussing the day’s events, laughing over stories.
Here is a snapshot of a daily schedule:
7:00 AM – Leading of daily teacher devotions
7:15 AM – Flag Raising / National Anthem / Alma Mater (which we learned and sang with gusto behind the high school students)
7:30AM – Breakfast at the ‘round table’
8:30 AM – Chapel (elementary / high school)
9:30 AM – 12 PM – Filled with teaching many different elementary and high school classes (English, art, dance, values, and even Tagalog in the absence of the teacher), administering tests, leading staff devotions, attending elementary and high school chapel services, and working on service projects (organizing and cataloging the school’s new library, creating a clinic, site and floor plans, and assisting with tasks required for the school’s accreditation review)
12:00-1:00 PM – Lunch at the ‘round table’
1:00-3:00 PM – Continued teaching classes and working on service projects
3:00-4:00 PM – Team meetings and swimming exercises (our synchronized swimming skills are impressive)
4:00-5:00 PM – Merrinda (snack)
5:00 PM –7:00 PM – Helped with church services: prayer meetings and women’s bible studies
7:00 PM – 1:00 AM – Taken for a daily surprise adventure by ‘Dad’ Ed and ‘Mom’ Ivy around Manilia. It could be basketball games (where we would be the school cheerleaders), speed shopping in the malls before dinner, or visiting the WWII memorial, or taken to their favorite restaurants followed by manicures, live music, etc. We loved piling in the van for our family road trips and having no idea where we would end up!
We lived in the dorms on the school campus, and were invited into every aspect of family life. How much our hearts needed this little bit of home.
We also got adopted grandparents for the month: Grandpa and Grandma Bacani founded the church, and then founded the school. The result was to their surprise and God’s glory – the children that graduated from this school over the years grew up to found over 55 churches in provinces all over the Philippines! Their intense love for God and passion for missions is contagious!
Ed and Ivy were constantly an inspiration – their intense love for God was also evident as well as their sacrifice of their lives to move to the Philippines and work tirelessly for the Kingdom.
I was so blessed in so many ways by the warmth, passionate love of God, and constant giving of the Filipino church and my new extended family.
