i'll get a blessin wi' the lave

I see the movement in my peripheral view.  It’s in the middle of the sermon on the ninth plague of darkness, and I am only just quick enough to see the deep black of his eye down near my feet before he is gone. A mouse.

Caught him in action!

An hour later, as we meet in the kitchen for the women’s Sunday School class, it isn’t a movement but a noise that draws my attention.  I can’t keep my eyes on Lil as she recites the Bible verses she memorized this week; the quiet rustling somewhere under the sink draws my gaze.  I'm quickly rewarded.  First one, then another mouse darts out from a hole in the floor and over to the corner of the room.  More rustling, and they eagerly circle the ring of the trash can, intelligent creatures that they are, diving down in for an irresistible haul.

Church mice.  I’d only read of them in books; quaint little things.  And now, here they are, in real life.  I can’t help but think of Robert Burn’s response as he surprised a mouse in a different place and a different time:

-          From To a Mouse by Robert Burns (one verse and its translation from the Scots)

They may steal, but it's waste after all, and a bit of left over food isn't much to ask; we’ll be blessed with what is left, and never miss it.

I can't help but think of other shareable food in the church.  Lavish feasts of the Word of God, nutritious teaching, healthy doses of wise counsel. So many fellow-Christians in developing lands - believers with no access to God’s Word in their own language, pastors with no seminary training, teachers who have no teaching – are hungry to know more of the Word, more of Christ, more of the truth.  

Have we in the church of the West any left overs to share?  Some of you have shared excellent books, others Sunday School materials, and others gifts to make His Word known. Still others have shared in ways that only God knows about.  Thank you for sharing.   

May we ever be open-handed with the spiritual riches entrusted to us as a nation.  I think we’ll be blessed with all that’s left, and never miss what we’ve shared of our great wealth of spiritual resources.   

Yet what we share might mean all the difference in the world to hearts hungry for God’s Word.

...they received the Word with all eagerness, 

examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Acts 17:11b

faith comes by hearing

Esther is a sweet, soft-spoken Filipina Christian who loves to attend church, 

where she hears the words that equip her for every good work. (Eph. 4:11-12)

Esther was just 12 years old when she came down with a bad case of measles. The doctor urged her father to take steps to save Esther's sight.  But Esther's mother was also very sick with another disease, and since their family had very little money available, Esther's father had to choose which one of them would receive medical help.

He chose to help her mother.  Esther's mother died.  And Esther lost her sight.

So then faith comes by hearing, 

and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17

Being blind, Esther is unable to read God's Word.  For her, faith literally comes by hearing.  That's why she loves to come to church, to hear the Word, and to be reminded of God's care for her.  And that's why it's so exciting for Esther to have received one more way to hear.  Last Sunday, the church gave an exciting tool to Esther; an Audibible.

Audibible is a hand-held audio player in a sturdy case, capable of holding hundreds of hours of high quality audio content.  The Audibible was designed and developed as a cost efficient, durable tool to meet the needs of those who do not or cannot read.

Because the Audibible is solar powered, it doesn't require any costly batteries to keep it powered.  

A solar-powered device works great in this sunny climate!  

Esther receives her new Audibible, enabling her to listen to the Word in Cebuano

Audibibles are widely used to distribute God's Word in the Philippines. This is a country where, despite a high level of literacy (officially 92.6%), most people do not read.  One reason for that is that most available books are written either in English or in the national language. I don't know about you, but if I didn't have literature in my first language, I wouldn't be reading much for pleasure!

In addition, the Filipino climate and conditions are unfriendly to books.  Heat, humidity, and frequent flooding cause warping and molding, and hungry termites destroy what's left.  (That's such a sad truth for those of us who love books!)

These tough Audibibles, available in many languages, are a fabulous way to distribute the Word of God to many people who otherwise would not, or in Esther's case, cannot read it. May much faith come by hearing!

*Many thanks to Amanda C. for your labor of love to package and send Audibibles this direction!

things not seen

Ann was just thirteen years old when she and her three siblings came down with the measles.  Raised in a quiet rural setting on this Filipino island, though the immunization was free, they never did get the measles vaccine.   

And it wasn’t just a simple case of measles.  It was serious enough to claim the lives of her two sisters, and to blind both Ann and her 15 year-old brother.  The doctor had hopes that he might help Ann to recover some of her vision, but Ann’s parents rejected the treatment, fearful that it might bring even more grief.

A few years later, after the death of both of her parents, Ann moved to the city where she found a job at a blind massage center.  She was trained to strengthen her hands to ease the tension from the shoulders of people she could not see.  Then Ann got pregnant, and though the responsibility was weighty, the new infant girl was her delight.    

Visiting her aunt, Ann left the baby with her for a short time to rest.  But while she slept, Ann’s aunt took the 2-week old baby and sold it to another family, believing that Ann in her blindness wasn’t capable of raising the child on her own.

Ann was in despair.  She quit attending church, angry and wounded.  She married a quiet, stable young man, also partially blind, and found some solace in his care for her, but two years later she’s still struggling with the loss of her baby.  She knows the child is living somewhere in another city, but not only will Ann never see her daughter, she will never hold her in her arms again. She says that she finds it so hard to forgive, yet a voice inside tells her that is what she must do.  

Ann is now at our local church with her husband, longing for comfort and peace.  She’s listening to the book of Job, trying to come to terms with God’s sovereignty and His ability to bring life out of pain.

And though Ann may never be fully comforted in this life, though all of her grief may not be erased, she has a hope that reaches beyond all this.  Her hope stems from God’s own searing agony, in willingly sending His own precious Child to a destiny of suffering, appointing Christ to bear the judgment for her sin so that even in her temporary pain, she might never know a day apart from Him.

God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.

 – Saint Augustine

 Ann trusts in Christ’s work for her.  She knows that her sight will one day be restored and her grief will be soothed.     

One day, outside of this brief window of time, the rest of us who rest in His grace will also be freed from our own physical pain and our own individual sorrows.  Because of that day, we can already by faith, in the midst of pain, praise Him for rescuing us from the domain of darkness through the voluntary sacrifice of His only Son.  

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

despidida

 

Following our time of worship and Sunday School yesterday, (top left)
this loving body of Christ laid out a huge farewell for us;
a 'despidida' or good-bye party.

JR cooked up a delicious batch of his kare-kare (thanks, JR!)
and Flor (lower left) rolled and fried 91 crisp, flavorful lumpia (you're amazing, Flor!)
Dai-dai (above, lower right photo) was mesmerized by the enticing cake.

What a feast!!

Elise (at the head of the table) and Amy (on her right)
 fellowship with some of the other youth

Ate Cathy visits with Amy and Elise

This little man munching the corn is Seth.
Seth made a farewell card for us that is priceless...

 

Then Kuya Harold started the program with a slide show full of memories of our time here,

Ysha, along with Yuri on the piano, played a beautiful duet

and a variety of people shared stories and memories

while the rest of us listened.
It was very fun.
 These friends know how to make you laugh and cry!

We were presented with a beautiful farewell poster
that Lois designed with well-wishes from everyone.

Then it was time to say good-bye.
Ato na mi.

We will miss you all.

Makita-kita...but we will see you again soon!

One last hop on Kuya Ron's wheels...

early mother's day morning

Mother's Day morning...

I could sleep in, since our children had plans to make breakfast.

Lemon scones dripping with lemony glaze, a beautiful fruit plate and hot scrambled eggs.

Food of kings.

( ♥ Thanks you3, for a wonderful Mother's Day! ♥ )

But instead of sleeping in, at 4:30 a.m. I was woken by noises from outside;

the sound of instruments growing louder by the moment.

And I remembered the festival of the patron saint of the neighborhood.

I was now wide awake, 

listening to the band's notes ebb and flow 

as they wended their way up and down the neighboring streets.

 I went up to the deck with my camera, hoping to catch them again.

But for a long time it was only me

and the birds

welcoming the dawn.

Finally, at 5:30, the notes grew louder, and I knew they'd be passing by soon.

But it wasn't a marching band this year,

no candles,

no following parade,

 

just a group of enthusiastic guys in the bed of a truck;

guys who obviously hadn't thought of sleeping in on Mother's Day!

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; 

In the morning I will order my prayer to You 

and eagerly watch.  

Psalm 5:3

But God sent them to wake me 

so that instead of ushering Mother's Day in with more sleep,

I could rise,

and in a quiet place give thanks for my own sweet mother,

now at home in Glory,

for my mother-in-law who has always shown me such love,

and for this privilege of being a mother, 

for the gift I have in parenting these three gifts of God together with Mark. 

I am eternally grateful.

♥

I do hope you weren't woken quite as early as I, 

and that you had a wonderful Mother's Day, too!

 

something fishy

 Michael's Sunday School class is blessed with a great teacher!

Michael listens to the story of the crossing of the Red Sea in a mix of English and Visayan

Heads and hearts bowed in prayer

On this Sunday, we were able to share a craft sent by a friend
for the children here;
(thanks, Mr. and Mrs. B!)

fish sun-catchers ready to be colored and hung.

The youngest class member hard at work

It was a special craft, and even some of the teens wanted to make one!

Michael and friends proudly display their school of colorful fish.

...the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea,

the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Exodus 14:29