Fun with Cousins

My sister and her family just left after a 2 week visit (they live in a country here in SE Asia so it is not too far for us to go to visit one another). We had a WONDERFUL time with their family, and it was great to watch the kids connect with their cousins (Gabby age 3 and Eli age 18 months) after 1 year apart.

I love this one of Gabby and Ben tickling one another. The 2nd one looks like blackmail material in about 10 years to me...

Mikayla and Eli
While they were here, we took a trip up to the tribe where my sister and I spent our childhood - also the village where Steve did the church planting training in December. We had a great time reminiscing about old times, and Steve had some great opportunities to talk with the men about how they have been applying what they all discussed in the training - God is really at work up in those mountains! We are so excited to hear the things He is doing in and through the people there.
We spent MANY hours traveling together like this. It was exhausting, but we still had a good time. (Ok, so my photoshop job isn't perfect -I realized it but decided I didn't have any more time to give to it so you will have to live with it! :) )

Ben has one of the best smiles around!

Here is a cute one of Ben and Gabby in front of the church in the village.
It is hard to believe these two are only 3 weeks apart in age! Ben has always been huge, and Gabby is tiny - they are adorable together.

Relaxing by the river

I have been many places around the world, but I still think that little village where I grew up is one of the most beautiful corners of God's creation. Takes your breath away.

I still have a few more pictures of our time together and some great pics of the 5 grandkids together that I will try to post soon - if for no one else, then for Papa and Grandma Jackson! :)

Funny Story - at Steve's expense!

Steve went to go to Ipil earlier today (that is the village back behind the lake). Well, we have had so much rain that the parking lot at the end of the road where we normally leave our truck is completely underwater. Has been that way a couple weeks. Well today it was up even more, and Steve was wading through the water when he noticed a lady off to the side of him walking kind of gingerly across one section. Well, he kept watching her and wondering why she was doing that – while he kept walking. Bad mistake. As it turns out, there was a large ditch full of water right there with a plank bridge to cross it – only the “bridge” was now also a foot under water and completely invisible! So the lady was crossing on the underwater bridge while Steve watched her – and walked right into the ditch! He went in up to his chest – not sure the cell phone is going to recover but thankfully the electronic remote on the keys was ok and he had left his wallet in the car… Anyway, then he was edging his way along a little ledge over the water when an old lady came along with 2 big buckets. So Steve balanced on the outside to let her pass – which went great until one of her buckets hit him in the gut and he went flying backwards into the water – again up to his chest! (One of our friends said this reminded her of the cartoon Robin Hood and Little John.) Meanwhile, the wind is howling and there are 3 foot waves on the little lake so Steve took shelter with a bunch of others under a tarp – until someone hollered that one of the boats just sank! One of the rickety ferry boats we normally ride in wasn’t able to withstand the waves and sunk to the bottom. Thankfully it was just tied at the shore with no one on board so everyone was ok. It was at that point that all the people taking shelter with Steve told him he really shouldn’t try to go across the lake because who knows if and when he will ever make it back across after the Bible study (which was a real bummer since it has been several weeks since we have been able to have a study there due to weather and other factors). So he came home, dripping wet and shivering. He seemed to enjoy his hot shower, dry clothes and hot coffee! Always an adventure!!!

I wrote this yesterday and sent it to some friends, then thought the rest of you may enjoy it as well. A few updates - Steve reminded me this am when he read it that he DID NOT get a warm shower - he was just stepping into the shower when the power went off! So he had a cold shower after all that. And the cell phone did not make it. We will hold a memorial service for it later today - then try to make it up to Naga to buy a new one tomorrow.

Hope you had a good laugh at Steve's expense!

Urgent Need: Speech Therapist

While at the home school conference (see next post), Steve and I were able to meet with the education consultant and personnel associate about Ben's speech delay. We brainstormed some therapy options (there is nothing available where we live), and we would appreciate your prayer as we pursue some answers and the best course of action. We have a couple evaluation appointments in Manila this month, and we will wait to see what comes of that. We also have put out a request for a speech therapist volunteer to come from the States for a few weeks this summer to work daily with Ben as well as to train me how to continue his therapy after they leave. Please pray with us for God to lead someone to come and meet this urgent need so that we can press on in the work here. If you have any contacts who may be interested in this, please let us know so that we can get them some more info.

Home School Conference

Every year we attend a home school conference for the kids to get their IOWA testing done. Normally, only the homeschoolers and the teacher (AKA: Mom) attend. However, this year was a special year in that the whole family was invited to attend. In addition, this was the final year for the conference to be held at a family resort here in the Philippines that we have all come to love. Because there are so few homeschoolers here in the Philippines now, our conference will be combining with another one in Thailand, starting next year.
The conference was a success in every way. Mikayla did well on her tests (Zach will start testing next year), and we had an absolute blast together as a family. We also got to re-connect with some old friends as well as make some new ones.

A team of volunteers came from a church in the States to proctor the kids' testing and to do special activities with them - and with us adults. Each of them was such a blessing to us, and we praise God for their willingness to serve in this way. Here are some of our kids' teachers for the week; our kids got really close with them - Mikayla was in tears at the end of the week when she had to say goodbye.

The kids got to participate in "Speakers Theater" as well as "Learners' Showcase". For Speakers Theater, they sang "There's a Hole in my Bucket" together then Mikayla performed two very dramatic poems - she loves to be on stage! Everyone asked us who she gets it from...we don't know! Zach did really well too, and it proved to be a great experience for both of them.

For the Learners Showcase, they did a presentation on their new skill - wakeboarding! They had a blast showing everyone all they have learned.

We also brought a home-made "indo board" for them to demonstrate how they practice their balance.

On the last night, the kids put on a presentation for us adults. They had a great time learning some new songs during the week then showing what they had learned.

Sheer concentration...

On the final day, the kids participated in an outreach day. The older ones went to a deaf school a couple hours away, but the younger ones hosted some new Filipino friends from the local community. They did games, songs, and crafts together and just tried to show them God's love. Here are Mikayla and Zach's friends for the day. The kids had testing every morning and a couple classes in the early afternoon, but then we had a couple hours of free time every afternoon. One afternoon, Steve and the kids tackled the towering rock wall. Everyone was amazed at how well they can climb - Zach in particular since he is so small. They had a blast going all the way to the top over and over.
Another afternoon the kids got to ride horses! This was a first for Ben for any real distance, and he did great with it.
What do you get when you combine tarps, a hill, some dish soap and crazy kids? A gigantic Slip 'N Slide! The kids had a blast on this - though you could never tell from the expressions the camera caught on Ben's face! He looks miserable, but he just kept going back for more and still talks about how much fun he had that day. Zach tried it once, but the day was pretty chilly, and Zach is not a fan of being cold so he decided to watch instead. The other little boy you see is Caleb, their friend from down here who also attended the conference.

Fun with new friends!
Mikayla is growing up so fast! She is such a blessing to our family.
There is a "crow's nest" up above the roof that has a spectacular view.
BROTHERS!

Our family had a wonderful time at the home school conference, and we are so thankful for all those who worked so hard to make it happen. We are also so thankful to be part of an organization that puts such an emphasis on family and the well-being of our children. We praise God for His goodness.

Mikayla's 8th Birthday

Mikayla's birthday fell on the "travel out" day from our home school conference so we traveled up to Manila with some friends and went to a new science and discovery center at the Mall of Asia (the largest mall in Asia, located in Manila). While it was not very big or spectacular, it had some fun activities, and the kids all had a blast together.

Here they are competing at a game show about "gross" bodily functions.

The kids all had fun trying out the flight simulators. Zach was a natural - as he is with any kind of computer game.

This was a funny one - they looked at the screen and then tried to "play" the drums - they could see themselves on the screen with the drums even though there were not actually any drums. They looked silly, but they had fun.

Here is the crew. Our 3 plus Carly and Caleb then our new friends Jamin and Jesse.

Mikayla and Carly have become fast friends this past year.

Quite the crew!

Per Mikayla's request, we went to Pizza Hut for lunch with Carly and Caleb (the other family had other plans). The PH crew sang to Mikayla and brought her a birthday sundae.

It was a challenge to keep the candle lit long enough to blow it out since we ate outside, and it was breezy.
These 5 have spent a LOT of time together over the past year - they are some of the only white kids in our whole region of the Philippines (we only know of 2 others).

PRESENTS! A book set from Gram and Grandpa Hagen for our avid reader...a teddy bear from Carly and Caleb...the game of Life from Papa and Grandma Jackson...and Twister from us. She was thrilled with all her gifts, and I see some more options for family game night in the future!

I can't believe our baby is 8 already! She is turning into quite the little lady. We are so blessed.

The party wasn't over yet - we drove a couple hours north of Manila to pick up Uncle Andy and Aunt Bethany and Gabby and Eli! They came over for a couple weeks for a visit - pictures of our time with them to follow. :)

We're Home!

We arrived home safely; thanks for your prayers for good health and safe travels. When we arrived in our little town of Iriga, we discovered that town center was flooded into a lake in our absence! We had a ton of rain while we were gone, and there was a lot of flooding in our area. We were told that the flooding in these pictures has actually receded several feet from its highest - our helper couldn't get home because she can't swim! As for our house, the yard flooded, and the water lingered on the threshold but didn't come in. Our kitchen flooded due to a leak in the roof, but it didn't do any damage.

It is funny to watch bicycles pushing their way through the water.
This is taken from the front windshield in the truck. This is the main street in town.
Here are some kids making the most of it and riding the waves caused by passing vehicles. :)

Please pray for for the families of those that died in the storms. Please pray as well for those whose homes were flooded and possessions destroyed. Other than sporadic rain showers, the weather has been sunny since we have been home; pray for continued good weather so the water can dry up completely and people can get back to regular life.

Hitting the Road

Just wanted to let you all know that we will be traveling for the next couple weeks. Our email access will be sporadic at best, but we will respond as soon as we are able - we always LOVE hearing from you! Thanks for your prayers as we travel for safety and good health. The first week, we will be at our annual home school conference where Mikayla will be doing her IOWA testing. The next week we will meet my sister and her family (yeah!) and travel up to the tribe we grew up in to touch base with the guys we did the training with in December. We will be home February 22. We will be in touch then. Bye! :)

Happy Times!

Just before my parents came, we received another package! This one was from our home church in Missouri, and it had lots of great reminders of home. We felt VERY loved as we pulled out all the books, cake/bread mixes and toys for the kids. We feel so blessed to have so many people at home who have partnered with us to pray for us, encourage us, and stand behind us. We could not be here without you all - THANK YOU!!!

For those of you who remember from my email last week, I just returned from a ladies conference in Manila. It was a great trip, and I had a blast connecting with some friends. A good friend actually came to Manila to meet me for the weekend while her husband watched their two small kids. We had an amazing time together, and it was a much-needed encouragement. Thanks for coming, Sarah, and thanks for letting her come, Marcus!!!

After the ladies conference, I also got to spend 1 more day in Manila with my parents as they had a layover coming from where my siblings live, heading home to the States. We had an wonderful day together, and I feel so blessed that I was able to have that extra time alone with them. God is good!

This week is busy with homeschool, ministry, and preparations to leave on Monday for our annual homeschool conference followed by some other traveling. Thanks for your prayers for a profitable week - particularly since we are all fighting colds!

Papa and Grandma

We had an absolutely amazing visit with my parents last week. Some good friends from our home church made it possible for them to come - the best gift we have ever received!

We had a blast just connecting with them. Here are a few pics from our time together.

We spent 1 night up at the wake boarding place we love so much. The kids had a blast showing their grandparents how they can wake board. They also got Papa to read to them and play a favorite family game "Rascals" with them.

Chilling in a cabana by the water. Sweet family time.Snuggles from Papa and Grandma.

"Look, Mom, no hands!"

They also went with us to our various weekly Bible Studies. It was good to get to show them the Agta villages and people. We had a good time. At the one village, we actually got to hike to a waterfall we have never been to before - it was gorgeous, but the battery died before we got there. Sorry! Just have to come yourself if you want to see it. :)

The top right picture was taken on the boat ride to the village. In the bottom left pic, Mikayla was learning how to tie a fishing net by hand. The other 2 are of my dad playing with the kids in the village - can you see Zach in the one?

Steve and I worked our tails off the week before they came so that we could have a couple of days of just lounging around the house. One day, we played games as a family all day long!

Just playing. Like Mikayla's new glasses? Just kidding - those are Papa's reading glasses. :)
They brought the book Heidi with them, and Papa and the older two spent every spare moment reading it together - they finished it during the week!

Steve and I also spent some time picking my dad's brain to answer some strategy questions we have had about the work here. His expertise and experience were a HUGE help as we work through some strategy specifics.
A picnic near our house. If you look closely, you will see that Steve has a gummy Life saver on his nose of all places! In the bottom pic, Papa is teaching the kids how to play Simon Says.
Mt. Mayon did not cooperate with us, so they never really got a clear view of the volcano. But we still had fun going to the "touristy" spots together on the way to the airport.
We are so very thankful for such a meaningful visit with my parents. It was medicine for the soul to connect with them and to watch them connect with their grandkids. We will cherish that time forever.

Church Planter Training

Thank you all for your prayers this past week as we hosted another training in our home. God provided Steve with the energy and clarity of mind to teach for 3 days straight in Tagalog - despite the meds he is taking for his back that make him groggy. The teaching went very well, and people really seemed to connect with the lessons. We are excited to see what God will do through these dear people. The logistics ended up working out for the cooking and the food, but it was a real challenge. By the time it was all said and done, we ended up having more than 50 people here!!! It was absolute chaos. A group of around 8 adults and almost a dozen more kids arrived for the final night and day so the last day was even more exciting than the previous ones (particularly since it was raining so all the sessions had to be inside, and we had no electricity!). All in all, it was more of an adventure than we had bargained for it, but it went amazingly well. Now to start into the MASSIVE clean up job... :)

Thanks for your prayers and words of encouragement ~God really used them in a mighty way! Please continue to pray with us for these newly-trained church planters as they go out to plant churches throughout Bicol.