summer means...#1

...time with friends to talk...

...play games...

“There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship

 than a mutual taste in literature.”
P.G. Wodehouse

...and just hang out!

“It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous 

that you realize just how much you love them. ”  

Agatha Christie

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.
Even longer,' Pooh answered.”
A.A. Milne

Raisa's salsa

 What do you do when your family loves salsa,

but the cheapest jar of salsa you can buy locally is over $4?

Well, we did buy it, and we used it sparingly.

Until Raisa told me that she knows how to make it.  

(Why did I never think of making it?)

Raisa is an enthusiastic young Filipina woman who is a Foodie at heart,

eager to try new recipes, and to learn everything she can.

When we returned to Davao in January, she was looking for some extra work,

and was willing to come as our helper for a few hours each Monday morning.

Raisa starts out her work week by preparing bread or tortillas or muffins for us,

a huge blessing when we bake almost all of our own breads
in a perpetually hot, sweaty kitchen.

Besides, Raisa is just plain fun to have around.

And Raisa knows how to whip up salsa with a kick.

So instead of our paying $4 for a jar of salsa,

Raisa now provides us with a batch of 5 jars for just over $2.

And it's delicious.

Raisa's Salsa 
(recipe adapted from Judy C's.!)

3 yellow onions, diced
1 1/2 c. green or red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 T chopped chili peppers w/seeds (add more for hot, less for mild)
6 cups chopped tomatoes
4 tsp brown sugar
2/3 c apple cider vinegar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/2 c tomato paste
2 tsp cumin

·         Put all of the above into a big pot and cook it all for 20 minutes on low heat

·         When cooked, blend it all together in a blender (or a food processor if you have one!) for a few seconds, depending on how chunky you like your salsa

·        Pour into jars and allow to cool before covering

·        This freezes well, if you can stop eating it while you still have enough left to freeze!
 

Thanks, Raisa, for all you do!

praise

the coast of Cebu, Philippines

all fear is gone

Today I sat in the chair as my new dentist cleaned my teeth.

Yes, in these parts the dentist does that job.

As I sat, I realized how tense I had become; 

my fists were clenched, and even my toes felt taut.

It was then that my dentist began to sing out, 

 her voice muffled just a bit behind her mask:

"Because He lives,

I can face tomorrow,

because He lives,

all fear is gone..."

As she continued to sing,

I smiled somewhere between the suction tube and the clamps stretching my mouth wide,

that God had inspired my Filipina dentist to remind me

right there in the chair, to relax and trust Him.

Have you ever been surprised by the tools God has used to remind you to trust?

traffic safety

 4 year-old Michael buckled up

 Back in 2004, this kind of safety standard 

was the norm for our family.

Now we think nothing of seeing scenes like this every day:

 And strict safety precautions are not limited to children in the Philippines...

Yes, they are riding in the back of a pickup on plastic lawn chairs. 

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

-Helen Keller

50

Yesterday we celebrated Mark's birthday...

a milestone year!

It started with a competitive game of Dutch Blitz

and a walk in cool Eden (a nature park 1 hour from home)

While Mark worked in the afternoon

 we frosted his cake,

and did the dishes in the shower

 since the water pressure in the kitchen was out!

Mark's request - spaghetti for dinner!

This is standard Filipino birthday fare - 

the long noodles signify best wishes for a  long life.

Then it was time for birthday cards and gifts,

including a stack of surprise Birthday salutations...

from YOU!  

Thanks so much to all of you who wrote to wish Mark a Happy Birthday!!

Fifty years...

incredibly young in light of eternity!

(and may I add...more handsome than ever...!)

the grand sea

There is one spectacle grander than the sea, 

that is the sky; 

there is one spectacle grander than the sky, 

that is the interior of the soul.  
Victor Hugo

 

 With summer comes opportunity to explore a little.

 We rented a couple of kayaks one day last week,

 to savor the grand spectacle of sea and sky...

 ...more of God's creative genius in the Philippines.

And we came away refreshed.

17

Happy 17th birthday Elise and Amy!

A special early breakfast together, 

reminiscing about years gone by...

Arranging a birthday bouquet from the market

What a delight these past 17 years have been...

getting to know you both, sharing this family together.

You two are the world's best daughters. 

♥

An incredible birthday surprise from a friend...

Abigail gave them homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Please understand -

this is both Amy and Elise's all-time favorite ice cream...

and it's not available anywhere in the Philippines.

That gift was a big deal.

Thank you, Abigail!

We love you, and hope 17 is the best year yet!

♥♥♥

happy Father's Day!

Elise and Mark, Jekyll Island, November 2012...

ouch

I walked into the department store today and immediately realized something was different. It took a few seconds to process. First, the normal loud music wasn't playing. It was quiet. Second, all of the employees seemed to be at attention, not talking with one another, not dusting the displays or following customers around as usual. Then I heard the slow, deep, reverent-sounding voice over the intercom system:

 

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.

I slipped into a side aisle to wait it out with respect.

Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death. Amen.

The Hail Mary was followed by a prayer to Jesus, and a solemn call to remember to pray regularly.

The moment the exhortation was finished, the music resumed. It was a popular Filipino rock song, and all the employees in the store began dancing in unison to it. The incongruity was startling.

'Lord,' I asked, 'how can they be praying reverently one moment and doing these moves the next?!? Can't they see the hypocrisy here? How could this be true love for You?'

My ugly, self-righteous attitude was quickly checked as I tried to maneuver my way past another shopper and an employee who together were blocking the aisle, blissfully unaware of the subtle western messages I sent, suggesting that I wanted to get past. I growled inwardly with frustration as I turned to go around the long way. "...and your neighbor as yourself." 

Ouch.

*revised from the archives

taking my half in the middle

I never cease to be amazed by taxi drivers who insist on driving

the center line

whether it's between two lanes of cars traveling the same direction

or between those lanes and the oncoming traffic.

I know it's hard to tell from a photo,

but these guys are not just changing lanes.

They've created their own lane!