The end of my internship

So this is the last blog entry I will be writing since my internship is now over.  I got home on Sunday, but haven’t had the energy to write my blog until now.  There has been so much that has happened since my last entry, but I will select some highlights and special moments I had in my remaining two and a half weeks. 

 

~The CSP mothers had a child dedication service at church and one mother asked me to be her child’s godmother.  I had to gently turn her down because I am not able to carry out the responsibilities of a godmother.

 

~ So, for one week, I was an illegal alien, because my visa expired.  The pastor's wife has a friend in the immigration office, so she took care of my visa for me.  Unfortunately, I was fined for my lack of motivation to get my visa renewed.  I don't know why I didn't press harder to get someone to take me to the immigration office.  I kind of thought that maybe I can escape the country without renewing my visa!  Then I thought about how they could detain me, interrogate me, and bribe me.  No, I wanted a smoother return trip than that! 

 

~My friends Normi and Karen took me to a spa one Saturday. The spa kind of looked like a water park, with different kinds of pools to relax in.  There was a lazy river, different massage pools, herbal pools, an ice-cold pool, a steam bath, an Olympic-sized pool, and a sauna.  My favorites were the sauna and the herbal pools of mint, jasmine, and lavender.

 

~I finished interviewing the Shelter boys.  Twelve interviews in less than two weeks!

 

~Once, I woke up in the middle of the night to find my bedroom flooded. The water came from a leak in the ceiling.  I had to get the security guard, who spoke no English, and the housefather to help me clean the mess up.

 

~Rudy, one of the Shelter boys, celebrated his 14^th birthday. 

 

~Cory Aquino passed away and the whole country mourned her death.  Many people wore yellow, her favorite color, and signs of remembrance were posted throughout the city.  All schools were canceled on the day of her funeral, and the television stations covered the story of her death around the clock for about a week.

 

~The Shelter boys, the housemother, the social worker, and I were going to take a field trip to the park, but the typhoon rained us out.  We went to the arcade at SM instead.  I felt like a kid again as I played a variety of games and posed for silly pictures with the boys.  I was amused at Gener who carried around my purse the whole time.  He was afraid someone would pick-pocket me.

 

~I had a huge time crunch with getting all my assignments done.  In addition to finishing up my data gathering, I had to compile and analyze my data, write two reporting assignments, write my final paper, prepare and give my oral presentation, write my final weekly log, and write a critique of my research design.  I worked on my computer for about 8 to 10 hours a day, which made my body ache.  I was also exhausted mentally and physically, especially since I was not sleeping well.

 

~On my last Sunday at SBCC, I was asked to give my testimony to the congregation after the service.  I looked at this as an opportunity to share how God has blessed me over the summer, particularly with the relationships I was able to form.  In my testimony, I explained the purpose of my internship, described how I got to know the boys, bragged about the boys (their desire to know God, their huge potential to serve the Lord, and all their talents), listed some highlights of my summer, and talked about all the relationships I’ve made.  I asked the church to join me in prayer about my potential return to the Philippines one day, and I praised God for all his blessings for me this summer. 

 

~I spent a day at Tagaytay, a vacation city just south of Manila.  This city is located on a mountain, overlooking a giant lake with islands and a volcano. The weather was cool (about 70 degrees Fahrenheit), cloudy, and windy.  Although I brought my laptop to work on my assignments, I was able to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. I also toured a spa resort, shopped at souvenir shops, and ate a delicious Filipino supper.

 

~When I returned from my day trip to Tagaytay, I was able to meet Gener’s (one of the Shelter boys) mother and baby brother, who showed up at the church unexpectedly.  I loved seeing how happy Gener was, because he had not seen or heard from his mother in several months.

 

~I spent a day shopping at Divisoria, an in-door flea market in Manila.  I had lots of fun and found jewelry, clothes, etc. for amazing prices.

 

~One night, after eating a bowlful of snails, the Shelter boys and I had a snail shell-throwing fight up in their bedroom.

 

~On my last Wednesday, I presented all my internship activities and research findings in a final report to the SBCC and Shelter Children’s Ministry staff.  My presentation lasted 2 ½ hours (which is a really long presentation), because I had a lot of information to share and my audience had a lot of questions and comments about my findings.  Afterwards, I was so exhausted, that I fell asleep in the kitchen while the boys and the housemother were making supper. 

 

~I tried to go to the bible study the night I gave my presentation, but could only think about the next paper I had to write.  Instead, I went up to the boys’ room and wrote a paper while watching TV with them.

 

~Although I was really busy and exhausted the last two weeks of my internship, I was able to spend a lot of time just hanging out with the Shelter boys.  I worked hard during the daytime so that I could spend time with them after dinner.  Most nights, I was able to watch TV with them or talk with them/help them with assignments in their bedroom. 

 

~I went souvenir shopping at SM Mega Mall.  I ended up buying a lot of Filipino foods to bring home for my family to try.

 

~My friends at SBCC treated me to a night of relaxation at Lancaster Hotel, where a group of friends and I stayed in a suite on the top floor.  I tried to swim, but it was too cold because it was nighttime and breezy (since the pool was on the roof). Instead, I worked on my assignments while watching TV and then joined the others for a Filipino dinner.  The others gave me going away presents and prayed over me, then we hung out until we could no longer stay away.  Lancaster Hotel was amazing, and I especially enjoyed my hot shower and sleeping in a soft bed in a room with air conditioning.

 

~One of my friends, who has been in a Filipino dance company, took time to teach me some native Filipino dances, while explaining the cultural significance of each movement.

 

~The theme for event night at TLCC was food, so we all pigged out on junk food and then learned about the healthy way to eat.  I was not hungry at all for dinner that night.

 

~On my last day in the Philippines, I sat on Ate Jemimah’s bible study with the Shelter boys.  Afterwards, they all took turns praying over me, which was a really special moment for me.

 

~I spent all afternoon hanging out in the boys’ room, savoring my last moments with them.  I also gave them their gifts of remembrance, which were handmade bracelet I had bought in Tagaytay.

 

~The Shelter boys and SBCC staff threw me a going away/early birthday party.  They sang me songs, shared their favorite memories with me, prayed over me, and showered me with gifts.  They also asked me to give a speech and share some advice.  We concluded the party with a very common Filipino meal of fried chicken and pancit (noodles) for our marienda (snack). 

 

~After the party, Gener, Long, and Kuya Ed took me to SM to print up pictures from the summer.  While we were waiting for them to develop, we went to the arcade to play a round of games.  On the way home, we went to Seven-Eleven and a fruit stand next door so I could buy my breakfast for the next morning.  As we were walking back to the church, we stopped by a street vendor and each ate a balut (aborted duck egg).

 

~I signed and wrote out a blessing on each picture that I developed.  I gave these out to the Shelter boys and all my other friends at SBCC as gifts of remembrance.

 

~A street man was struck by a car and killed right down the street.  A group of us went to see the accident, and the accident sight was really crowded by other spectators.  It was the first time for me to see a dead body like that.

 

~I said goodbye to my friends at SBCC as they were heading home for the evening.

 

~I hung out in the boys’ room until it was time for bed.  After about an hour of talking and laughing, I had to say goodnight for the last time.

 

~I went back to my room and finished packing until 1:30 am.

 

~At 3:30 am, it was time to get up and get ready for my flight.

 

~I said goodbye to Gener, Long, Niño, and Joseph, the four Shelter boys who woke up early enough to see me off.  There were tears during, and especially after, our goodbyes.

 

~I flew home, and my total traveling time was over 30 hours.

 

~I arrived in Asheville at 11:45 pm on Sunday.

 

~And that is all of my adventures in the Philippines.  Actually, I have many other stories to tell, but this is all I’ll write for now.

 

Thank you all for your continual prayers for me over the last three months.  My time in the Philippines was so memorable and wonderful.  Truly, I don’t think I could have had a better internship.

Could this week have been more busy/crazy/exciting/insane?!

I have been so very busy with research the past week and a half, I totally forgot that I even had a blog to update!  I just remembered a few minutes ago that I should write something down.  One of my biggest pray requests has been that God would bring about research activities, and he finally opened the floodgates this week.  Here's what I've been doing: I interviewed 18 people (so far 10 of the 12 Shelter boys, 6 street boys, the Shelter boys' former bible study leader, and the Shelter boys' current bible study leader); I am analyzing one of the boys' files (it was missing earlier); I have had several semi-formal interviews with the boys; I am compiling and comparing the data from the street/Shelter boys interviews; and I had a focus group with the boys.  All of these activities have brought out fascinating and helpful information.  

I designed my interview for the street boys almost the same for the Shelter boys, so that they would be comparable.  I have interviewed the Shelter boys over an extended period, but I interviewed all six street boys within 1.5 hours!  That has go to be a record!  I had a lot of fun meeting them (their goofy, just like my Shelter boys) and I treated them to dinner afterwards.  My focus group was very good in one way, but difficult in another way.  It was so good that it lasted 1.5 hours, which is about twice as long as I planned.   I just had a lot of important, deep questions.  It was better than the last focus group in the sense that my questions were very specific.  Each one had a purpose.  There were also some hard questions and ones that made the boys uncomfortable.  For example, I asked them how hard it is to talk about their pasts.  Every boy raised his hands.  When I asked, "how often do you think about your pasts?"  one boy said "every day."  I asked, "just the good parts or also the bad parts?" and he said, "both."  It was hard for me to ask this because I knew that it would stir up some pain.  And I could read it in their eyes.  Just the question before this, they were kind of loud and not paying attention.  When I asked this, every boy got quiet and wouldn't look at me.  I asked one specific boy, "Has God used your pasts to bring out good?"  He just looked down and covered his eyes.  Sometimes it hard for me to be the researcher like this, because I'm "studying" my friends/little brothers.  I'm been so busy doing interviews this week, I hadn't really thought about the weight of their answers.  It's really, really hard stuff. I just finished expanding the field notes from it, and some of their answers made me tear up.  I also found out that they do not know what spiritual gifts are, so I want to encourage the church to teach them this.  I told the boys, "Spiritual gifts are given by God to every Christian.  We are to use our spiritual gifts for the Kingdom of God.  So even if you don’t know what your gift is, you still have one.  God will reveal it to you, as you grow closer to him.  Just remember that all of you have spiritual gifts that you can use in the Church." 

One night this week, the boys dressed me up like a gangsta and took pictures (yes, you can view them on my Facebook).  The boys thought this was hilarious-Ate Rachel, a gangsta!!  So of course I had to get my camera & we took gangster/hip-hop pictures until dinner.  It was a lot of fun, but it helped me learn about gang life in the Philippines and how it is affecting the Shelter boys.  True Brown Style 13 (TBS) is a very prevalent gang, and the boys have a fascination with this gang in particular.  They've taught me all the gang signs, handshakes, and passwords they know.  Some of the boys are friends with TBS members and have been invited to join.  They told me that they refuse to join, but they still get their friends to protect them if there's any ever fighting.  I've been surprised at how much the boys face bullies at school.  One boy has told me on three separate occasions that he was punched that day.  And yesterday, he had scratch marks on his arm.  They've asked prayer for safety as their traveling to school, b/c I think this is when other boys try to hurt them.  Be praying for the boys' safety, especially Long's.  On Thursday, a group of schoolboys surrounded him to fight (I don't know if any punch was thrown) & the brother of one of the boys had a gun on him.  yesterday, as he was walking home, a gang of about 5 guys surrounded him & one of them pulled a knife on him.  A street vendor saw what was happening & he scared them away with his butcher's knife.  I don't know why Long is facing this, if he's doing something to bring it on or if he's just a target.  It's surprising, b/c he's big for his age. 

I made dinner for the boys and their caretakers, which was kind of an adventure.  Even shopping for the ingredients was an adventure, because the supermarket is organized differently than in America. Gener and Long helped me cook, which was good b/c cooking in the Philippines is slightly different!  Gener washed off the noodles, even though they were packaged and imported from America.  Then, he got a tub of water and put the ground chicken in it.  I was so confused!  He said that they have to wash off their meat b/c of the bacteria, so he soaked it & then strained it.  The only pasta the boys have ever eaten is spaghetti, so bowtie pasta was totally new to them.  My stroganoff actually turned out to be more like soup, because the sour cream was in liquid form (I don't know if it's supposed to be that way) & there was still water in the ground meat.  It tasted good though.   I had 19 mouths to feed, so this was a new experience!   Oh yeah, they ate rice w/ their stroganoff!  We eat rice w/ every thing!  The boys mixed the rice & stroganoff together & they wondered why I didn't.  I told them that in America, if we eat pasta, we don't eat rice also.  This is totally foreign to them.  We had plenty of food & there was even leftovers for breakfast this morning.  We were going to eat my peanut butter pie, but Ate Weng said it was too hard to cut.  I tried to explain that it wasn't suppose to be frozen-it's suppose to be soft.  I finally gave up arguing, so we're ate the pie the next day.

On Saturday, I was spontaneously invited to go to a bible study in the Payatas, a community built in and around a dumb site.  I didn't know what to expect, but the part I saw was not nearly as bad as I imagined.  We had to ride in a moped sidecar to the church.  Before the bible study started, we got a marienda at a small store and hung out.  I drew so much attention walking to the store! There were construction workers working on the road, and my friend Pat said, "They think you are Miss Universe."  That's a stretch!! While we were eating, I drew a crowd of about 10 kids.  They just stood right next to me and stared.  They asked me my name and giggled when I told them.  RJ led the bible study for about 20 teenagers (mostly girls).  For our activity, the group split into two, listened to a song, choreographed dance moves, and then had a dance off.  I love how the Philippines uses dance for worship.  And I love how they love hip-hop.   We stayed at the church until about 7, but had to head back to SBCC.  We walked a ways to the moped stop.  When we got off, we had to walk through this ridiculously crowded and chaotic market to get to the highway.  I was so glad that I was with 7 guys (plus Pat).  I held onto my purse like it was my baby!  To catch a bus in the Philippines is slightly different than in the US.  You have to walk out in the busy highway, which car rushing past you, hail a bus, and run onto it, hoping the driver won't accelerate before you're totally on.  Phew, it was crazy!

Sunday was such a memorable day.  We had a youth worship service called Shine Down for Jesus.  It was quite a big deal, because two other churches, plus the youth from the Payatas, joined us.  It was so packed at church-I think we had about 100 visitors!  There was laser lights, spot lights, and a smoke machine.  The three bigger churches took turns leading worship.  We had small messages from the pastors of each church.  One of the churches danced for their worship.  They had one hip-hop routine with costumes and a story line & the rest of the worship songs, they danced choreographed routines in the aisle.  All three churches were going to leave after the marienda, but there was a flash flood and everyone was stranded.  I was eating dinner with the boys when we heard music and cheering from inside the worship tent. So we went inside to see what it was about.  About ten guys from the other churches were doing Michael Jackson dances.  Pastor John's  10 year old got up there too, and I'd say he was the best.   Then the guys had a breakdance dance-off and the little boy jumped in there too.  It's not every day you can see serious breakdance moves inside a church sanctuary!  The dancers then started pretending to put on a fashion show.  They were doing other sorts of improv acting routines, including one about their lives before they were Christians.  It was actually powerful.  For the skit, this one dancer acted like he was smoking, shooting up, sniffing,  gambling, drinking, and begging, until another guy showed him the Bible.  Then he was saved, but his friends tried to tempt him.  I think you can imagine the story.  After they finished their skit, they each told their testimonies about how God brought transformation to their lives.  One of my friends from SBCC also told his testimony about how he was involved in the gang life once.  I was so thankful to God that some of the Shelter boys were present to see the dances and hear the testimonies.  I think God kept everyone stranded at the church for this purpose.  I met sooooo many people on Sunday!  My voice is still a little strained from talking so much.  I met all of the guys who had been breakdancing, and they asked me questions about America, my internship, and my life in general.  I particularly talked to two guys who prayed over me before I went to bed.  I was so exhausted, so I finally headed to bed at 1:30.  Everyone else was still stranded at that time.  I think most left at 3 am, though some people spent the night at the church.  What a day!

The next morning, Gener and Long took me to the market for the first time. It was pretty crowded, and I drew a ton of attention.  Gener kept asking me if I was nervous but I really wasn’t.  He said that he was nervous for me, because there are many “BI” in the market. (BI=bad influence, meaning people with bad intentions.)  Gener and Long were laughing at all the attention I got. Gener told me some of the things people were saying: beautiful, young-looking, and so on.  One person said I look like I’m 14 years old!  At one point, Gener was buying something and the lady beside me was touching my hair, asking me if my hair and eyes were real!

One day, I was carrying a heavy bag of groceries and my guy friend made me give it to him to carry.  I told him that it was no big deal (hey, I worked at a grocery store for two years!)  and he said, "but you are a princess."  I said, "Princess!! I live with 12 boys!  How can I be a princess?"  Seriously.  I feel like I've gone back in time to my middle school/tomboy days.  I'm playing . . . I haven't played in years!  It's a lot of fun.  I like being a kid again.

One last thought.  I don't know how I'm going to leave the boys . . .  I really, truly don't know.  This week, one of the boys told me that I'm his "best American friend."  Another boy was calling me sister and messing up my hair.  This week, we've been boxing each other, playing Thumb of War, and making up handshakes.  The boys have discovered how fun it is to poke me and hear me squeak.  I've discovered how fun it is to poke them back and see their reaction.

I'll be back, though I don't know when & I don't know how

I have only four weeks to go until I head back for America, and I can't believe all that I have to do before then.  Four weeks may sound like a long time, but it goes by so fast.  I'm going to be really busy with research this week, because I'm going to interview all 12 Shelter boys plus about 6 street boys (so I can have a comparison group).  I'm really excited about doing this, though that means I will have many hours of expanding field notes.  On Sunday, I was able to interview Kuya Nikos and Thursday I interviewed someone else.  I think I will have a huge mountain of data by the end of this internship, so compiling it should be interesting.  I'm ready for the challenge though.  

On Tuesday, I went to a wake for the grandmother of an SBCC member.  It was actually my first wake ever, so I didn't know what to expect.  Even though it was late at night, I was not surprised to see that there was food (provided by Josiah's Catering).  I've leaned that when Filipinos gather, there is always food.  The next day was Baloy's (one of the Shelter boys) 15th birthday, and birthdays are always a big deal in the Philippines.  I skipped Wednesday night bible study to eat dinner and cake with the boys.  It was so special to just linger around after dinner, as we were talking, taking pictures, and surfing the internet together.  Ate Ging, a former housemother, was visiting that week, so she was able to celebrate with us.  I think Baloy really felt appreciated on his special day.

Thursday, the boys came home early from school because of the typhoon.  Since it was still raining hard on Friday and the streets were very flooded, the boys did not have classes.  I had just finished scrubbing my bedroom floor when my roof started leaking.  This wasn't the first time my roof has leaked, but it was the worst; it was practically raining inside!  I had buckets set up, and Baloy helped wipe up the water.  We set a fan on the floor and had to let it dry for about  an hour.  I'm so grateful though, because it only leaks in the center of my floor.  All of my belongings are safely out of the way.  Friday was sort of a strange day since all of the boys were home and The Life City Campus was closed.  I mostly worked on research and visited with the boys.  After dinner, I was watching a movie with the boys when Kuya Nikos invited me to hang out with him and Jonathan.  We ended up going to a mall, where we listened to a band at Hard Rock Cafe until 2:45 am.  I only got 3.5 hours of sleep Friday night, which made it a little difficult to lead my bible study the next morning.  Dance class was cancelled (and I was too tired anyway), so I went to a membership class instead.  On Sunday night, I went to Ate Yen's mother's house for dinner.  It was really fun getting to know my professor's in-laws, and Ate Yen fixed a fabulous meal of enchiladas (an unknown delicacy in the Philippines).

One of my friends, Allison, has been leading a witnessing workshop with a group of girls from SBCC.  Although I wasn't able to attend yesterday, I heard that she lead a TLCC visitor to Christ!  She is such an inspiration to me, as I see her put her spiritual gift into use for God's glory.  I've been thinking about what God wants me to do after I graduate Covenant College. Normally when people ask me if I want to be a missionary, I cringe on the inside, though I don't know why.  Maybe it's that I want my life to be more simple and easy.  But now that I've been here for 9 weeks, made very close friends, and developed a huge compassion for street children, I know that I have to come back to the Philippines.  I am not saying that I'm going to move here after I graduate, but I know that I want to always be connected with SBCC and the Shelter boys.  I'm trying not to dread coming home, but I really don't want to leave.  I know that I need to though, because I can feel myself getting tired and wearing down.  Everyone is asking me when (when, not if) I'm going to come back, and I tell them, "When God provides the money and makes the way."  Man, I never thought the Philippines would touch me like it has!  

Trying not to stress

Kuya Russ, my professor, returned my graded interim report with many helpful comments and suggestions.  I made comments on the document in response to his comments and sent it back to him.  He made additional comments on the same document, so I sent this to my supervisor and a couple of other people.  I’m realizing that I cannot do this research thing on my own, and I need as much advice as I can get.  Especially since I have to gather & analyze data in a cross-cultural context.  My thought process is so different from a Filipino’s, so I really need a local perspective before I can know what to look for.  I met with one of the ladies that I sent my interim report to, and we met on Sunday to discuss what direction I should take.  I am so grateful for everyone who is willing to give of their time to help me.  I’m trying to not feel overwhelmed because it seems like I have sooo much to do before I leave.  I even woke up the other day at 5:30 and couldn’t fall back asleep because of my anxiety.  I think I need to get more sleep actually.  I'm averaging at 6 hours a night, and last night I only got 4.5 hours.  I know I need to take care of myself so I don't get sick.

 

The past couple of days have been good to relieve my stress.  My supervisor, Ate Norma, has a relative visiting from New York, so I spent Sunday with this family.  Kuya Nikos and Ate Rhiza (Ate Norma’s son and daughter) took me along with them for a family reunion.  It was nice to talk to Jonathan, the visiting American, and it was fun being with their family.  We ate a huge Filipino feast at Aristocrat, a famous Filipino restaurant on the Bay of Manila.  After dinner, we were leaving the restaurant, but turned around to get dessert.  We were there for over 3.5 hours!  Yesterday, I hung out with Ate Rhiza, Kuya Nikos, and Kuya Jonathan again.  They took me to a mall and we ate at TGI Friday’s.  Although I love trying all the authentic Filipino cuisine, it was kind of nice to eat American food for a change.  We also got Blizzards at DQ before heading to a different shopping center.  We ended the night by going to Ate Rhiza’s flat to hang out and talk.  I think they may even take me to the Mall of Asia today.  Hey, I’m up for it!

 

I haven’t really seen the boys since Sunday morning, and I already miss them.  I was telling Ate Yen yesterday about how I feel like I have a family here at SBCC.  Before I left America, I was a little worried about living in a church.  I was picturing myself alone a lot in my little guest room, since I wouldn’t be living with a family.  It’s normally recommended that interns room with families instead of living alone, in order to have a truly cultural and fulfilling experience on their internship.  I was afraid that I’d miss that, but now I’ve realized that I do live with a family-I live with the Shelter boys and their caretakers.  Not only do I live with them, but they (& my other friends at SBCC) have become my family. 

 

The Summer Continues

I have reached my midpoint mark for my internship.  I have been here for nearly 7 weeks, and I have less than 6 weeks before I return to America.  For one of my assignments, I wrote an interim report, in which I looked at all of the research I've done so far, analyzed my findings, and planned what I need to do next.  I was grateful that I did this interim report, because it helped me focus in on my actual research design, instead of doing research that is unrelated.  I was able to plan and carry out several research activities this week, so that was very encouraging.  I had a bible study with the Shelter boys on Saturday morning (I mentioned this in my previous blog), and we talked about forgiveness.  I had a few discussion questions in the beginning, then we read a passage from Genesis 50, about Joseph forgiving his brothers who tried to kill him.  I highlighted some lessons to be learned about forgiveness, and then asked the boys for prayer requests.  The discussion questions and prayer requests provided some insights into the boys' lives.  Later that day, I conducted a focus group, with my friend Trisha as an interpreter.  This went really well (even though two boys were sick and couldn't make it), and I learned some things that were completely new to me.  I think somethings are even unknown by SBCC, so I'm excited to see where this takes the research.  I also had a couple of informal interviews and some helpful conversations with the boys.  In one conversation, a couple of boys and I talked about the spiritual realm, Jesus' power over Satan, and atheism. I wrote so many expanded field notes this week, and this is encouraging.  

Last Sunday, Ate Yen, the wife of Dr. Russ Mask (my professor at Covenant College) arrived in Manila to surprise her mother who is turning 80 this month.  It was good to talk to Ate Yen, especially since she is a familiar face.  Today she took me to visit FEBIAS College of Bible, where one of the Shelter boys and several SBCC members attend.  I toured the entire campus, which is beautiful with many coconut, jackfruit, and mango trees, and ate lunch there with the president and other administrators.  I also attended their chapel, and I was the guest speaker!  Actually, I only spoke for about 5 minutes (and I had been planning this for a couple of days) about what God has taught me through my internship.  The whole student body was in attendance, which is approximately 260 students, if I remember correctly.  I was grateful that the Lord calmed my nerves, since this was my first public speaking engagement.  

I've had some exciting foods this week.  First of all, a couple of friends took me to a street vendor one night to try the infamous balut (aborted duck egg).  I actually found it simi-tasty, and I was glad that I didn't crunch on any duck bones.  I did sallow some feathers though.  Another day, Trisha and Gener took me to a fruit stand to buy some Filipino fruits.  I have tried green guava with rock salt and another fruit (can't remember the name).  I have one more to try and then I'll buy more.  I've also eaten "the insides of a pig," spicy calamari, mussels, steamed bananas, and hopia (a pastry made with sweetened mashed beans).  Yummy!  

On Sunday, I went shopping at SM for clothing, and this was a lot of fun.  Trisha and 6 SBCC guys took me, and on the way there we rode a jeepney for my first true jeepney experience.  The guys left before Trisha and I were ready, so we had to ride the jeepney by ourselves.  Unfortunately, I was pick-pocketed by the woman sitting beside me, and I didn't realize she stole my wallet until I returned to the church.  I lost my credit card and about P4,000 (I had grabbed this because I went shopping), so I had to cancel my card asap.  I asked Trisha later if she was nervous for just us two to be riding the jeepney, and she said yes.  She said it would be different if I was Asian looking, but Filipinos assume that all Americans are rich. One of the Shelter boys told me later that he was "thankful to God that I wasn't killed."  He explained that sometimes thieves use knives to cut a lady's purse and may use it to hurt her.  Please pray for my safety as I travel around the city.  I normally have guys with me when I travel, so it was unusual for me to just be with Trisha.  Also pray that I can get a new credit card sent here very soon.  I had some cash locked in my room, but it won't last for the whole summer.  I know that my family at SBCC will take care of me though.  And that reminds me, I've been asked if I want to become an associate member of the church!  So I will always be connected with SBCC, and I'll have a home for when I return to the Philippines (if this is in God's plan).  

Another highlight of the week:  my microphone on my laptop had been broken for over a month, so I couldn't talk to any of my family except through email.  Finally it was fixed and I Skyped my parents on Sunday and my sister yesterday for the first time.  I talked to my sister for an hour and a half, so that was awesome.  

Thanks for your continued prayers.  Praise be to God for bringing me here.  I could not ask for a better internship!  I will truly miss everything about it when I go home, especially the wonderful people.  I have so many close friends at SBCC now, and those Shelter boys are like my little brothers.

Adventures at SBCC

I can't believe the experiences I'm having while I'm here in the Philippines!  Every day is a new adventure, and I'm loving it.  I went to two birthday parties this week.  They were for the same person, Ate Jet, who just turned 50 today.  One party was with her employees from Josiah's Catering, and the other was with her friends and family.  They were the most elaborate, spectacular events I've ever been to!  The food was amazing, of course, because it was prepared by Josiah's Catering.  They were held at two different venues, and the decorations were amazing.  At the second party, there were even Las Vegas-style dance routines, complete with a live band, sequence, and pyrotechnics.  It was a more formal event, and I was able to wear my new black dress that I bought on Wednesday.  Oh, I also saw Transformers II with a group of 15 people.  It was quite a big event, especially for those who've waited for the sequel to the first movie (I admit that I haven't even seen the first one).  My next adventure will be to go on España Blvd. with Trisha to try all the exotic Filipino fruits I can find.  I have been craving fruit more than any other food, and I need to take the opportunity to try fruits I can't get in the U.S.

Several times this week, I've let the boys take pictures with my camera.  I think they're all aspiring photographers/models!  They favorite poses are ones where they jump in the air, just in time for the camera to flash.  I've promised to put these on my new Friendster account, so they can look at them and put them on their own profiles.  

Next Saturday morning, I will be leading my first bible study with the boys.  Actually, I was suppose to lead one yesterday, but didn't know this until 30 beforehand!  I told Ate Weng that I hadn't prepared anything, so we agreed to move it to next weekend.  I think I want to talk about forgiveness, so please be praying that God will give me wisdom and reveal passages in his Word as I prepare this week.  I excited that I can do this, because it will give me a chance to know the boys on a deeper level.

Please also pray that God will fully restore my health.  I've been fighting a sore/dry throat all week.  I don't know if it's allergies or a cold, but I'm thankful that I haven't been sick in bed.  I do want to feel my best though.

Today is Father's Day, here in the Philippines as well as the States.  Today at church, we recognized all the dads, and I couldn't help but think about the Shelter boys who have no dads.  Some of the boys have had their fathers die, and some were abused by their fathers.  There are even some who have lost their fathers and can't find them.  I wonder what they're feeling today.  Are they numb to the pain or is it still very real to them?  I almost feel guilty for having such a wonderful dad.  I'm grateful that the pastor emphasized how we have a heavenly Father.  I hope the boys recognize this.  

This week was the grand opening of Life City Campus, the new ministry to college students surrounding the area.  The cafe was officially opened on Friday, and SBCC celebrated with with a ceremony.  We prayed over the physical building, the future customers, and the staff and volunteers.  Pastor Dave gave a short message before some of the elders cut the ribbon leading to the cafe.  Many SBCC members came to play games and eat food.  I made two refrigerator cakes (they call it a "ref cake") and have earned the title of "Chocolate Shake-Making Princess."  I'm just trying to keep up my reputation as a good cook!  Seriously though, it has been good to make food again.  I hadn't cooked in over a month, so I really missed it.  I have even helped prepare food with the boys this week.  They make fun of me when I mess up though.  Like one night we were having fried hotdogs, and the hotdogs needed to me sliced.  When I started slicing them into pieces, the boys laughed at me, took my knife away, and told me to put slivers along the side.  I've decided that I like being friends with a chef.  Chef Jasper took me and two other people to a fancy hotel that his company caters for, and he treated us to delicate desserts and coffee.  Yuummmy.  

I had a very interesting cultural experience last Sunday.  One of the boys didn't take his shower when the housemother told him to.  As his punishment, he had to stand on his toes, squat, hold an ironing board in front of his chest, and be still for 30 minutes.  On top of that, the boys placed thumb takes under his heels so that he'd have to stay on his toes.  The whole time they were pestering him and trying to make him loose his balance.  The housemother supervised with a belt in her hand to swat the other boys away.  My first reaction was shock, then pity, then humor (I know . . . I feel slightly bad).  It was funny because it looked so ridiculous, and everyone else was laughing too.  I know that this boy would laugh had he not been the one punished.  It's their standard punishment, so he knew what was coming.  I've been talking to other Filipinos and they've told me other creative punishment methods.  It's so different from America!

Yesterday I had a lot of fun just being with the Shelter boys.  After we ate lunch together, I joined them in their Bible study led by RJ, who is studying at a bible college to be a preacher.  When we finished with that, we watched some TV and hung out.  This week the boys have been teaching me magic tricks, so we continued that for several hours.  I'm encouraged because the boys are getting more and more comfortable with me.  I think most of them are shy about using their English and this is why they are quiet.  I was able to have some conversations with several boys this week though.  And I enjoy playing with them, because it makes me feel like a kid again.  I even played Pogs!  Haven't done that in many years.

I'm getting slightly frustrated with my research because I feel like time is slipping by too fast.  Please pray that God will give me research opportunities and the time to do them.  I have several ideas, so I need to talk to the caseworker about them on Tuesday.  I'm hoping to do a focus group with some of the staff who have seen the Shelter boys grow up.  I'm also considering designing a survey to give to the boys.  Please pray that God will give me wisdom for designing questions and analyzing the data.  I want my research to be as good and helpful as possible.

Here are some other things to pray about:

1. Pray for rain, which cools the weather off.  Sometimes I get so hot I feel like passing out.  (Don't worry though, because I am constantly drinking water.)  

2. Pray that I will enjoy working in the cafe

-that cooking in the kitchen won't be too draining or stressful 

-that God will give me courage to meet and minister to our customers.

3. Pray that I will be able to form relationships with all 12 Shelter boys (not just the ones who can speak some English)

4. Pray that I can get my microphone in my computer fixed (so I can talk to my family on Skype)

Thank you for thinking of me and keeping me in your prayers!