Posted in Philippines. by Jesse Walsh on 3/17/2010
[ pin, a sweet neighborhood boy who loves hugs.]
Although my chest aches from the pollution driven smog hanging thick over the skyline of this densely populated city, a unique fondness for the Philippines has developed in my heart. We have been here for only 2 weeks now & it already feels like home.
This month my entire squad of 54 people plus 4 N Squad teams are working together at Kids International Ministries in Cainta Rizal, a city on the outskirts of Manila. KIM is an absolutely incredible organization with a seemingly countless amount of ministries around the city. Jeff Long, the director, has his hand in every corner of this neighborhood as he works to influence orphanages, churches, schools, families, prisons, and the homeless-the work being done here is seriously incredible. With over 80 racers plus the Long family, staff, neighborhood kids, & numerous surrounding ministries, there is never a dull moment or lack of opportunity to serve around the KIM compound.
While there are many ways to pour into the community of Cainta Rizal, my team & I are working as house parents for the New Faith Family Children's Home. I have the afternoon/evening shift which allows me the hectic, yet wonderful experience of bedtime routines, dinner, devotions etc. I absolutely love the opportunity to share this time with the kids & am already prepared to have my heart ripped apart from its seams when we leave at the end of the month. I wish you all could see through my eyes for a moment just to catch a glimpse of how incredible each & every one of them is. But, for now, my stories & photos must suffice. Stay tuned for more updates about my beautiful children.
This month has really been all about the people. We've spent day in & day out talking with them, praying with them, reading scripture with them, encouraging them, & loving on them. At the first of the month, for some reason, this type of ministry didn't seem sufficient because we weren't doing anything tangible. Our team struggled through this for a while until we realized we had it all wrong. We didn't need to build a house, or start a church, what we needed to do was what we had been doing all along. Our purpose in Oenpelli was to partner with local believers & to restore in them a confidence of faith. In a town plagued by hopelessness, it was our ministry to bring hope to them so they could in turn bring hope to others. It took us a while, but once the realization hit, beautiful things began to happen. Broken relationships were healed, old grudges were placed aside, forgiveness began to flow, & silent believers became bold, passionate leaders. I truly believe that great change is on the horizon for Oenpelli.
Below are just a few of the strangers who became friends & accepted us as family.
So I'm beginning to think that I might have one huge realization each month- hopefully more, but definitely one. It's almost as if everything I've learned can be narrowed down into one huge enveloping idea.
This month I have discovered a huge contradiction in my life. I am a person who places high values on facts, knowledge, & information. When I am unsure of something, I immediately seek out the answer. When presented with a decision, before I give an answer or come to a conclusion, I want all the facts. I never make an uninformed decision. This notion trickles down to even the most trivial decisions such as what to eat for lunch or what order to put my DVDs in. It's exhaustive to the point of annoyance at times. So therefore, I am having a hard time processing why my faith, the supposed most important area of my life, is not held to the same standards.
Christianity was something I was born into. I didn't have to search for it; I didn't have to make this decision on my own. Since I can I remember, I've "known" Jesus. I've "lived" for Him. I've gone to Christian school. I've gone to church. I didn't do bad things, all under the name of this lifestyle which I adopted- no questions asked. I've gone my entire life obeying & living under jurisdiction of a religion that I've never actually taken the time to know for myself. I've taken the words of my parents, teachers, pastors, friends, authors, & even strangers as infallible. If someone told me something about the Bible, I most likely believed it. I can't even decide what to wear without looking at the weather & weighing the pros & cons of each choice. So it is completely baffling that I've surrendered my life to something without truly reading, studying, learning, & discussing all its intricacies.
Well, it stops today. It absolutely stops. I find myself in a place where I want more. I want change. I want passion. This is the start of me owning my faith. I will no longer be a Christian because my family is or because I feel like it's the right thing to do. I will be a Christian because I've studied the Bible, I've been touched by its words, I've seen Christ alive in me & I want to live my life for it.
I believe with this- change & passion will come. It just makes sense. Think about it. You like to talk about things you know about. When you are knowledgeable about something you become more engaged in it. You think about it more, you talk about it more- it becomes a greater part of your life. This is what I want for myself, for my faith. So starting today I'm putting forth the effort. I'm dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge in Christ. Which means I am starting to read my Bible & I mean really read not just flip through the Psalms every now & then. I am starting at the beginning & reading chronologically till the end. I am ready to learn. I am ready to experience this thing for real.
When I look back on my month in Australia I can say one thing for certain- it would have not been the same if it weren't for one woman. Her hospitality, generosity, wisdom, & love changed the course of our month & impacted our team forever.
Heerabai Christy, a petite & vivacious Indian school teacher, captivated me from the moment we met. Her smile & joyful spirit were impossible to ignore. After meeting her & her husband at our first Sunday church, we were hastily summoned to her house for tea. We, still tired from a long sleepless night in tick city (our wonderful 2 bedroom apt), accepted her generous offer. To our absolute delight, we entered her home to find air conditioning & actual furniture, both rare discoveries in Oenpelli. The tea turned into an afternoon filled with storytelling, chicken curry, & a mini Indian fashion show. I couldn't do a thing but smile at how blessed I felt during that day. Something about Heera made all the difficulties of Oenpelli fade away to insignificance in my mind. Not to mention, I willingly consumed Indian food for the first time in my life & absolutely loved it. (I know this will seem unbelievable for all those who know my eating habits, but I am now a lover of Indian food- surprise!) Plus we got to try on all of her traditional Sarees, complete with jewelry & even Bindis (the forehead dots). Needless to say, it was a pretty great day.
[learning how to cook chicken curry.]
[heera & christy making indian culinary magic happen.]
[this may or may not be my 3rd plate of the day.]
[heera dressing me in a traditional saree.]
[all the ladies of three:seventeen.]
Just as I thought our random trip to little India would be a short ,happy memory in the time line of our month, Heera came to our rescue by inviting us to live with her. A few days after our first encounter, she walked by our current housing & deemed it "unsuitable for habitation" & therefore, insisting we move immediately- no questions asked. And, I mean, who were we to deny her generous offer & her glorious air conditioning.
Thus marked the beginning of a beautiful friendship. All time not doing ministry was spent with Heera-talking, laughing, playing cards, learning the intricacies of Indian cuisine, watching seemingly endless footage of terrible Indian cinema, & just loving on each other. There were numerous times that I had to remind myself that I was not actually in India, but Australia. I've always wanted to go to India & couldn't have asked for a better alternative, although now I am even more eager to go. (Speaking of which- anybody want to go visit Heera in India with me next January? Haha) I could go on for ages about all the crazy things that happened in that house this month, but I'll spare you the details & let the pictures speak for themselves.
All in all, Heera was my favorite part of Oenpelli. She is someone I just won't forget.
Going, going, going. Americans are always going. We rush from appointment to appointment, killing ourselves to meet deadlines & seemingly sucking every ounce of joy from our lives.
Ironically, we have tricked ourselves into thinking that schedules& timelines are the key to happiness. The satisfaction we receive from crossing items off to do lists or completing series of menial tasks is riveting. It has reached a point in our society where idleness, rest, or waiting have become faux pas. If you are not moving, not doing, not going, then you are somehow less valuable.
I've realized this is a problem. Yes, I, the girl who thrives on punctuality, day planners, & organization, am openly admitting the error in my ways. There have been numerous times this month that I find myself idle. Whether waiting for ministry contacts to assign us jobs or waiting for locals to show up at a meeting (we are still working on people showing up within 2 hours of the appointed time), we are always waiting. Even when we are doing a job, I feel we could be doing more. I have felt that if we weren't busy, we weren't truly serving. I wasn't satisfied if I didn't feel productive & I couldn't stand waiting. But then, one day it hit me- couldn't something good come from all this waiting. What if, while in a time of waiting, instead of becoming annoyed, I used that time to rest in God & to pray for the people around me, or to simply just look up from my personal craze & appreciate the beauty of landscapes that surround me. What if in times of waiting I can learn to just be still & through that stillness I can listen for & look for the simple things that slip through the cracks of my task oriented life.
[me standing in front of the billabong.]
It's not easy & most certainly not the most natural way to live, but I challenge you all to take a step back from the craze & be still. Perhaps you will find that the answers you seek have been right in front of you all along, they've just been muted by the noise & bustle of the daily grind.
All you needed to do was wait & be still.
[number one waterfall in oenpelli. absolutely incredible. ps. steve erwin filmed croc stuff here.super cool.]
Our failed attempt, however, only boosted our determination to get to this mysterious village. The next morning we began our 2nd attempt- this time we would go by chartered plane. As the pilots tediously weighed every ounce of luggage & food item to board the plane, we feared that once again our plans would be thwarted. But soon after, with the cargo compartment strategically stuffed to its brim, our plane left the ground lending the most breathtaking views of the Australian topography. A short 20 minutes later, we found ourselves bounding along a dirt road in the back of an old pick up with our welcoming hosts at the wheel.
[the two planes which took us to oenpelli.]
As we pulled up the gravel drive to our 2 bedroom apartment, I think our team learned its first hard lesson about expectations. It's funny how perceptions can differ in regards to a two bedroom apartment. We were quick to assume the Americanized manifestation of that description. However, the tick infested, corrugated metal shanty, possessing 2 separate rooms justifying its misleading description appeared the perfect candidate for an award winning horror movie set.
So here I am, sitting on the front "porch" of our home- the story now caught up to the present. I am honestly fighting to remain joyful. After all the confusion leading up to even getting here, I'll admit I had high hopes. But now I've been hit with the realization that this month will most likely be challenging. We aren't at El Rancho anymore. All comfort is gone. This is when things get real. I'm nervous, but I'm ready. Here goes nothing.
Some more pictures of our journey....
[the airport.]
[billy & i in the plane about to take off.]
[aerial view of the northern territory.]
[more awesome views.]
[middle of nowhere, literally.]
Also, below is a video made by Lana about our journey to Oenpelli. Take a look.
In Jabiru we were housed by a lovely missionary couple, Lindsey & Louise. Our stop there was planned to be a short one until we flew to Oenpelli, but God had other things in mind. Day after day transportation & accommodation plans fell thru leaving us in waiting- our anticipation rising. It had been nearly a week since we left our New Zealand home & we wanted to start ministry, we wanted to stop feeling useless. The days were frustrating as pessimism began to set in & it looked as though we would never reach Oenpelli.
[a view from a mini hike in jabiru.]
[another glimpse into our hike.]
By this point, we had spent so much time thinking about & preparing for Oenpelli that we knew we had to go. So one night we sat down as a team & prayed. We prayed for our accommodations & our travel plans. We prayed that God would wake someone up in the middle of the night with the burden on their heart to house us. No longer than 15 min after we finished Billy received a text saying our accommodations were taken care of. Not only that but it was a 2 bedroom apartment with a bathroom and air con. Needless to say, that was a much needed encouraging experience for our team & we couldn't wait to get to Oenpelli.
The following morning we woke early & ready for our journey to Oenpelli. It is wet season in the Northern Territory & due to conditions the road to Oenpelli is deemed impassable. We were originally told that the town was only accessible via plane but Lindsey had a different idea. He wanted to take us to Oenpelli via the impassible road. The plan was as follows: If the water wasn't too high, Lindsey would drive us in his Troopie thru the flooded roads. We would then arrive at the East Alligator River which we would cross by boat & would be met on the other side by our ministry contacts to take us thru the flooded roads all the way to Oenpelli.
My danger adverse personality was naturally opposed to driving thru meter deep, crocodile infested water, nevertheless we forged on. (Pictorial documentation is provided below.) Despite my worries, we made it safely to the river but unfortunately the water on the other side was too deep to drive thru. So despite our best attempt, the first venture to Oenpelli failed.
[our nervous faces right before we drive into the water]
[yes that would be water over the hood of our car. nbd.]
Nine days, six buses, three flights, 1 boat attempt & five homes of hospitable strangers later- we have finally arrived in Oenpelli, which we soon discovered is called Gunbalanya by its natives. It has been, to say the least, an adventure full of ups & downs. As a team, we have been challenged & stretched as we learn to work together & handle difficult situations. I will start from the top & recount the noteworthy events leading us to this unique corner of the Australian territory. After a wonderful break in Brisbane, the airport greeted us with flight cancellations & a 12 hour delay. A blessing in disguise, this allowed for some team time & extra prep for our month in the bush.
We spent 2 days in the city of Darwin where we received some vital historical information about the aboriginal people from our ministry contact, Carl Musch. We also assumed the daunting task of purchasing our food for the entire month because food availability is limited & the items that are available are very expensive. So we stocked up on canned veggies, beans, & things we could cook with only boiling water & headed to the small town of Jabiru – one step closer to our final destination.
Yes, I indeed do still exist- despite what is indicated by
the barren pages of this blog. However, I am still here, still traveling the
world, & still continuously having my perspectives challenged. We have only
been in the Philippines for a few days, but so much has already happened. I
can't wait to update you on it all; however, first, allow me to flash back
& give you some insight into last month in Australia. It was difficult not
being able to communicate with you all because I wanted you to live my
experiences with me. In efforts to still make that happen, I wrote a few blogs
along the way. I will post them over the next 3 days & hope you can catch small
glimpses of my time in Oenpelli. Please don't be overwhelmed by the volume of
entries, but please do read them & comment. haha :)
Just a little Philippines photo teaser....
[ me posing awkwardly & uncomfortably with henry, our pet snake in the Philippines.ha.]
I have officially made it through my first country transition as a logistics manager. All teams made it to Australia & no one died- so I deem that a personal success. (And also a success for Mike, my logistics partner, of course). We arrived in Brisbane 2 days ago & our team, along with 5 others (41 people in total) were graciously taken in by a local couple, Jamie & Fran. Their hospitality has been utterly & completely overwhelming. They have been a huge testament to the body of Christ (a blog to come on this later). I have spent the last 2 days catching up on lost sleep & exploring the city of Brisbane- which is awesome by the way!!
Today we fly on to Darwin, which is located in the Northern Territory. We will stay there for an evening before heading to Jabiru& then make our final descent into the tiny Aboriginal community of Oenpeli which will be our home for the next month. Before I disclose the details of our ministry, allow me to first set the scene of Oenpeli in your mind. Due to the wet season, Oenpeli is only accessible via small charter plane. Additionally, the food availability is extremely low & the price is extremely high. For this reason, my team has been instructed to purchase all food needed for the month prior to our arrival. We have been told that our accommodations will be quite primitive & luxuries such a refrigeration & stove top cooking are scarce. We will be living at a church ( at least we think that is the plan) & our mission is to start a sustainable youth ministry in the city. The population of Oenpeli is around 1,200 with over 50% of the people being between the ages of 12 & 30. The indigenous people of the town struggle greatly with alcoholism which causing shorter life spans.
With all of that in mind, my next disclosure should come as no surprise. I hesitate to say the following words because I know the general response will not be one of excitement. It is most probable that I will be out of contact for the next 30 days. I will not have internet access & it is doubtful I will have use of international phone service. Ok, so before you all freak out, breath & just be comforted in the fact that I, myself, was not initially excited for this either. I am still coming around to the idea, but I have begun to see the light. I expect this next month to be challenging. I expect to be dirty, hungry, & annoyed by my inability to communicate to the outside world. However, in return, I expect to grow closer to my team, to God, & to practice a more simplistic lifestyle. For those opportunities alone, I am thankful & excited.
Do not worry on the blog side of things. I will continue to write blogs frequently & will post them all in one giant upload at the end of the month when we have finally reentered civilization. You will still hear all the stories & get insight into all my thoughts- you'll just have to wait a month. J
