Going to Market

Well, this was a difficult post for us to do cuz we both hate doing things that make us stand out any more than we already do in our little town and - oddly enough - walking around snapping pictures of everything makes you even more conspicuous. But we swallowed it so we could give you a glimpse of our market.

While there is a grocery store in town, we do a lot of our shopping at the local market. You can get nearly anything you want there at a good price (if you are willing to bargain for it) and it is excellent language practice. The market is only about 1 1/2 miles away, so we often just walk there (traffic is usually pretty conjested) or sometimes take a trike (motorcycle with sidecar).

Walking however has its own perils. As you can see, there are no sidewalks so you often end up walking through the middle of the traffic. Then there is open sewer flowing next to the road so you have to really watch your step (I will spare you the story of how Zach learned this lesson). Below you can see of a pic of Steve, Mikayla, and Ben all focussed on stepping OVER the sewer. Thankfully, this particular part has a grate over part of it.

You can get just about anything in this very confusing place. I am only just now getting to the place where I can find my way around the maze of tunnels.

Shoes of every shape (but not size - big-footed Americans have a tough time finding their size) are available here. They are dirt cheap, but don't count on them lasting all that long.

Dry goods... Clothes...
And knives... The boys stand in awe of all that chopping power.
The Filipinos love our kids with their white skin and blonde hair. Everyone greets them and just has to touch them. The kids don't seem to notice anymore. It is funny to watch them be poked and prodded as they walk along, but they don't even acknowledge they have been touched. In this pic, the ladies asked them if they wanted to help so they all sat down to watch them embroider lace. Have a "suki" here is very important. Your fruit suki is the one you buy all your fruit from. This is our fruit suki. The advantage is that she will give you the best of her fruit for the very lowest price - you don't have to bargain with her or worry that she is gauging you cuz you are white. But the disadvantage is that - even if her fruit doesn't look the best - you had better not get caught buying from someone else!!!
And this is our vegie suki. Mikayla is standing with our house helper and one of my language coaches.
You can even get meat in the open-air meat market. Check out the pig's head hanging above Zach. But just because you can get meat from this non-refrigerated-in-the-tropical-heat, buzzing-with-flies, disease-ridden, blood-all-over-the-ground, horribly-smelling-place, that doesn't mean it is a good idea (I guess my personal feelings about the meat market came through a little...looks from Zach's expression that he may agree with Mom on this one...)

And then there is the fish market. It is not quite so bad as the meat market - as long as you can get your fish first thing in the morning before they have been exposed to the flies and heat all day. But it is not a very nice place to wander through cuz of the fish juices all over the ground. When I go to market, I normally steer clear of both the meat and the fish and just stick with the fruits, vegies, and dry goods.

The public market is a great cultural experience though, and we will look forward to bringing you there for a visit when you come visit us here in the Philippines!

Now, if you are still reading, please post a comment (just click on "comments" at the bottom of this post) or send us an email to tell us what you think. We love to hear from you - it makes our day! And it will let us know that our going through the ordeal of taking all these photos and looking like a tourist was worth it!

Zach's Birthday Party #1

Zach's 4th birthday is on Monday, and today some friends came down from Manila to spend the day with us. They have 2 boys - their oldest, Kenny, is exactly the same age as Zach. The 2 boys hit it off GREAT and are best buddies. We had a great time with their family, and we are so thankful that they took the time to come help make Zach's birthday special.

The birthday boy and his best bud, Kenny.

We gave Zach 2 sets of kid boxing gloves. He and Kenny had been boxing together everytime we have seen them; we figured the gloves may make it a little safer. They had an absolute blast! It was a hit!All that smacking each other around sure doesn't ruin their friendship!

Barefoot Bowling

Have you ever wondered why they have you wear those ridiculous bowling shoes? Well, Zach discovered first-hand this weekend when he tried bowling barefoot. Apparently, hard-wood floors, bare feet, and bowling balls don't mix well. His poor toe turned a reddish-purple within a few hours of dropping the ball on his little toe. Needless to say, it is still quite sore.

We did have a good weekend though. Last weekend started the special day marathon for us. Mothers day, then my brother-in-law's bday on the 20th, then my (Jen's) bday was yesterday, then my moms is on the 28th, then Zach's is on the 29th (we'll be sure to put pics here after the party), then Steve's is the 5th of June (the same day as my folks anniversary), then my sister in law is the 10th, followed by Fathers day and my brother's bday on the 24th!

My birthday weekend went great though - we visited Rizal campground overnight on Friday (so peaceful, it was wonderful) then Steve surprised me with a trip to Manila on Sunday to visit my favorite church, have lunch with some old friends, then go out on a date while someone watched the kids. Funny thing happened too - they ended up taking our kids out to dinner, and we all ended up at the same place! We had a good laugh, then asked to be seated on the OTHER side of the restaurant. :)

Back Online!

We are thrilled to announce that we have electricity again! It is wonderful. You don't realize just how much you use it until you have to go without for a week. It is one thing if you are off camping or something - but to try to carry on "normal" life without... It can be tricky - and frustrating. Sleeping in the heat without a fan was particularly difficult - I am tired to the bone today. Thanks for your prayers. And for your encouraging notes - what a blessing. I better get back to work - LOTS to get caught up on now, not to mention all the normal responsibilities. Thanks again!

Typhoon pics

Sorry that I wasn't able to put a title or explanation with this blog - I was working off the power in our UPS (whatever that is) and only had 20 mins. So I got the pics on but nothing else. :)

I think most of you that check our blog also get our updates. If not, email us and we will make sure you get on the list. So you should already know the details about the storm and the tree that fell on our house. No serious damage done; it was just noisy. Not much sleep that night, that is for sure!

This picture up above is amazing to me because the 4 banana trees behind Mikayla have all fallen different directions. That's some wind!

Our neighborhood and our city looked a bit like a warzone after it was all over. Things are getting cleaned up now. We are still without power (I am at a friends' doing some email stuff now) at our house, but at least we have a little water now. The tree on the house is still there. Things like that can take a while to get taken care of here. Meanwhile, all the neighborhood kids are having a grand time on their new jungle gym. Unfortunately, that is right outside the window to our bathroom, and we can't shut the shades or we can't see...

We are making do though and are happy to say that we were able to save our meat. One of our co-workers here ended up with power already, so we put it in their freezer. Thank you all for your prayers and for your encouraging emails. We appreciate it more than you know!

Typhoon!

Our first typhoon since we have been here is headed our way! Check out the website below (just click on the link) if you want to see details on it or follow it as it goes. You can zoom in on the diagram on the right on the website to track its path, or you can click on "PAGASA" to see some more details on it. It looks like it will go right over us Saturday night (we are due south of Manila, about 1/2 way between there and the coast), but it will lose intensity when it hits land so it probably won't be that strong. We don't have anything to worry about since we live in a concrete house - being in a grass hut as the eye of one goes over is a different story! I also remember climbing up in mango trees as a typhoon was rolling in and clinging to the branches as the wind flung the tree around. Who needs rollercoasters or theme parks anyway? Don't worry, we have no such crazy plans as a family today. :)

http://www.typhoon2000.ph/

A Lizard Pooped on Me!!!

We took a trip down to a nearby island by ferry this past weekend to visit some people who work in Bicol but were vacationing at a missionary guest house. We had a wonderfully relaxing time there - we even got to do some reading! Our kids played nicely with their 4 kids (there were 7 kids, ages 2 - 9, running around with relatively few disagreements!), and Steve and I enjoyed sitting on the balcony enjoying the beautiful view and amazing sunsets. We also took 2 trips to the beach and went snorkeling one time. It was a good visit with new friends, and we got to relax besides.
On one such relaxing moment while Steve and I were sitting talking, a felt something hit my arm in the darkness. I looked down, and it looked a little bit suspicious. My suspicions were confirmed when I looked up and saw a butiki on the ceiling above (BOO-ti-kee : a small lizard that eats insects so is welcome inside any home - we have dozens of them who make their home inside ours). A lizard pooped on me! That was a first.

Steve talking to Mariano while some of the kids dig in the sand. He was Romanian, raised by deaf parents so his first language is sign. She was Austrian. They had 2 friends with - one also Austrian, another Filipina deaf. There were so many languages flying around this weekend! It was nice to hear an unfamiliar language though and know that we don't have to learn it.

The gorgeous view from the balcony. Just feel your stress melt away...

The sunsets were an awesome reminder of our Creator.

Some old friends and some new

On Sunday, we took a day trip to Manila to meet up with some old friends, the Moffits, who we went through the training in NTM with. They have just finished up national language study on a different island and are preparing to move into a tribal location. Their eldest, Daisy, and Mikayla were best friends at one time; and we all (kids & adults) had a wonderful time re-connecting. I thought you may enjoy this pic - especially of Ben. The kid normally only takes great pics, but I have no idea what happened here. Steve said that this is why you don't have someone ugly take the picture for you. :)

We also met some new friends for supper. They are a missionary family with a different organization who are working down in Bicol (where we will be moving after language study). They gave a lot of valuable insights, and we are looking forward to spending more time with them in the future.

On the home front, Zach now has his cast off! The break AND the sores have all healed nicely, and only scars remain (and we are hopeful those will fade significanltly in time). Still no change with the "friend" situation with Mikayla, but we continue to trust His purposes. Also - we have a MAJOR water leak UNDER our house. We are trying to figure a way that everyone (owner, plumber, us) is happy with that does NOT include tearing up the marble floors in our living room, dining room, and kitchen... Thanks for keeping us in your prayers!

First Catch

Thought you all may enjoy some pics of Ben catching his first fish.

He sure wasn't sure what to make of that wriggly thing at the end of his line; his expressions were priceless!

Update on Mikayla and Zach

Well, I was going to put on a cute pic of Ben when he caught his first fish - but Blogger is acting up so I'll have to put that on later. But I did want to give you an update on Kayla and Zach. First, thank you all who took the time to write us a short (or long) note letting us know you are praying for us during this time. We felt so loved and supported. THANK YOU!

Mikayla did GREAT at the dentist. Both teeth came out without any problems at all, and they are healing up wonderfully. Now we can just continue to pray that the permanent teeth will slide forward into place...

Zach is also doing wonderfully. We went against the doctor's orders here (he said to leave the cast on for 3 days at a stretch before taking it off to clean the wounds under it - I don't even want to know what those sores would have looked like after another 3 days enclosed in a cast without being properly cleaned!); we took it off every night to clean it well, soak it in warm salt water, and then left it open to the air at night for a week. He continued to wear his cast during the day to let the broken bone heal. Those sores healed faster than I have EVER seen any infected wound heal (particularly in the tropics). They are nothing but scars and few scabs now. You're prayers worked wonders; thank you! Now we are trying to keep the cast on all the time like the doctor ordered; we are just taking it off daily to clean under it before putting it back on. We are praying that the break heals quickly so we can get it off soon altogether.

The situation with Mikayla's friends treating her so badly hasn't really changed. We invited all the little girls in the neighborhood over to make cookies and watch Cinderella, but the 3 main offenders didn't show up. But she did have a good time with the 6 who did, and maybe she will be able to branch out to some new friends. Please continue to pray for this difficult situation; I think we are in for the "long haul" with this one. But we are confident that God is in control of this and that He has a purpose. Mikayla is learning a lot, and we believe that God will really use this in her young life to teach her compassion and love for others.

Thank you again for all your prayers with all that we have had going on!

Going to the Dentist

For all of you who read that title, and your belly did a little uncomfortable flop or you suddenly felt a little nervous, please pray with us this next Wednesday, April 12. (All you weird ones that like the dentist - we'd appreciate your prayers too.) Mikayla has 2 permanent teeth coming in behind her baby teeth on the bottom. We have on appointment to have these two baby teeth pulled on Wednesday (they are not the slightest bit loose yet) so that the permanent ones have a better chance of coming in straight. Thanks for praying for her - and for her anxious mom!

Waves of Jealousy

Some of you may not know it, but Zach used to have a paralyzing fear of animals. It was awful, but we have really worked through it with him, and he has been doing fine lately. But riding a horse was a big step, so I (Mom) was a little nervous for him. We had Mikayla and Ben both ride first to show him it was ok. By the time his turn came, as you can see, he was very excited.

Well, as the guy was leading the horse around (by the bridle), a branch fell from a nearby coconut tree and startled the horse. So it bucked Zach off!!! He came down on the side of the saddle first, scraped his back on it, then landed on the ground. Poor little guy was pretty shook up, but handled it bravely. We did not have him get back on that horse since it was still pretty spooked, but we are hopefuly that he will not be fearful the next time.
In addition to the scratch on his back, Zach kept complaining that his wrist was bothering him. Since there was no significant swelling and he was still able to move it around, we figured it was just a sprain. But after 9 days had passed, and he was still complaining about it and favoring it slightly, we decided we better take him in. So we had it x-rayed today, and, sure enough, it has a slight fracture! The doctor said it is well-aligned and already starting to heal but it is safer to have a cast on it because it is prone to completely breaking right now if he falls on it. Also, it will heal faster with a cast. So... Zach now has a bright blue cast on his right arm!
We've talked it up big about how cool it is, and now waves of jealousy are washing over his siblings (particularly Ben!) because they want one too. :) As excited as he is now, I am guessing that he will be VERY ready to have it off when the time comes, especially in this heat. And I don't think it has dawned on him yet that he can't swim with it on... The doctor thinks that he should be able to get it off in about 3 weeks. Thanks for praying for quick and complete healing!

A Little R&R

Last weekend, I surprised Steve with a much-needed weekend get-away from Language Study and life. We had a WONDERFUL time at a little campground nearby that has great rates, particularly for missionaries (it's the old World of Life camp in Rizal). It has lots of fun activities and meals provided so it was fun and relaxing too. There was lots of wide open space with grass to run and play on (even barefoot!), and we all tried climbing coconut trees!

The kids got to go fishing with bamboo fishing poles, and they all caught at least one fish! Mikayla caught the most, but Zach's was the biggest. We even got to eat our catch for lunch! The pool was of course a favorite. Ben has a ball just jumping in, and he can do it for much longer than the catcher can.
Mikayla has become a little fish since arriving here. She rarely uses a vest anymore because she can swim across virtually any pool. Her record so far is about 80 feet at one stretch!!!
All 3 kids loved the 70-foot waterslide. Ben usually went with Dad, but he did try it a couple times by himself as well.
There was a gorgeous sand volleyball court there, but the kids thought just rolling in the sand was much more fun.There was even a duck-pin bowling alley on the property. We thought the kids would have fun with it, but we had no idea they would actually be good at it. Mikayla bowled a 49 all by herself, and Zach got a 30! Coincidentally, I beat Steve the first round, but then he annihilated me the 2nd round. We all had a blast. Ben seemed to enjoy the balls coming back as much as anything, but he had fun bowling too.

We all had fun playing relaxing games like coconut croquet too. We gave ourselves handicaps, and Mikayla and Zach both beat us!!!

The owners of the campground are old friends of my family, so all 3 kids got to ride the horse that belongs to their daughter. You'll have to check the next post for a story about their ride.

The weekend was wonderful and exactly what we needed. We came back feeling refreshed - and good thing because this past week was a tough one!

Please continue to pray for Ate Baby (our helper) and her son. He is at home now but seems to be having some amnesia issues. Their family needs our prayers. We are VERY thankful to have Ate Baby back at work though - it was tough to keep up our language schedule last week without her to do the cooking and cleaning and washing clothes.

Initial Survey Report

I thought you all may enjoy an initial report from Steve's brief survey down to Bicol. We hope to do a more in-depth one later once we are able to discuss his findings in more detail. Thank you for praying for them this past week; they arrived home tonight safely with a lot of stories to tell. Most of the time down there was spent talking with and visiting people. They spent quite a bit of time with local pastors, seeing how we can partner with them to reach the Agta people. They also spent a lot of time visiting different Agta groups (there are about 170 groups settled throughout the region) and talking with their chieftains about the possibility of us coming there.

We still don't know yet for sure where will be most strategic to locate, but a few options are rising to the top. We will most likely be in a town very much like this one below, very near to the most beautiful and volatile volcano in the region. There are many active ones in Bicol, but Mt. Mayon goes off about once every 5 years (some say 8). Last one was in 2001 - and it is certainly seems due now. It was giving many signs of readiness while Steve was down there. I just hope it goes before we move there, then it will hopefully be quiet for a while... Steve, on the other hand, wants to be there to see it go.

Here is another pic of Mt. Mayon. Steve is standing with Roland, a local pastor here in Lipa who accompanied them on their trip. He is also the husband of Jen's Tagalog teacher.

It is an absolutely gorgeous place - the prettiest Steve has ever seen. It is a peninsula only about 15 miles wide at its widest point, so there are LOTS of picturesque beaches. It is beautiful, but also very much in need of Christ. Please continue to pray with us for the people in Bicol - particularly the Agtas.

First, I want to thank all of you who dropped me a little note after our last post. It was an encouragement to know that there are people out there reading our posts who care about us. It is easy to feel alone and forgotten on this side of the world. So - please drop us a little note as often as you think of it. Even just those 1-liners are an encouragement. You can either make a comment on a post (it's GREAT to get feedback) or email us at sjmhagen@juno.com .

Secondly, Steve's trip to Bicol is going well. He has "texted" (the popular and economic mode of communication here) both evenings he has been gone so far. He is overwhelmed at the vast amount of info they are gathering, and it sparks many more questions. I am just as anxious as you to hear all about it when he gets back. :)

Third, I thought you may enjoy some random pics. The first one is of a basket vendor who came through our neighborhood recently. We bought a hammock/swing from him that the kids are enjoying in the back yard. The other pics are from a trip we took to a nearby resort with the medical team that was here a while ago. First, we all rode on a carabao (water buffalo) cart. Lunch was served at the foot of a waterfall - literally. The water was about calf-deep, and the food was delicious. After lunch, the kids enjoyed playing in the waterfall with one of the young guys who came with the team.

First Trip to Bicol - Please Pray!

Steve leaves tomorrow morning early (March 20) for our first survey trip down to Bicol, the area where we will be locating once we complete language study. It is a short trip this time (4 days), but we are praying to start getting some answers about where will be most strategic to locate and what will be the best strategy for reaching this people group as they pose some unusual challenges. We will get into all that later, and we will hopefully have pics for you once he gets back (our camera is broke so he is going to try to borrow one). In the meantime, please pray for safety, health (despite potentially questionable food/water situations), and that he would be able to accomplish a lot on this preliminary survey. A co-worker here and a national pastor will accompany him. Please pray also for me and the kids as we hold down the fort here. Thanks for your prayers, and could you do me a favor? If you are reading this (even if it is after his trip), could you post a comment to this blog or send me an email (sjmhagen@juno.com) to let me know? I am beginning to doubt how many people are actually keeping up with our blog - if this isn't working, then I will need to figure out another way to keep you informed. Thanks!

Ben's Birthday

Our little whirlwind of activity turned 2 yesterday! As I think back on his rocky beginnings in the hospital, I praise God again for this crazy little guy. We love him so much!

We ordered a plain cake from a bakery nearby, and added our own personal little touch. Since "car" is one of his few words, it only seemed appropriate to make this a car birthday.

Here's the car multi-level garage from the grandparents. He LOVED it and squealed with excitement most of the afternoon (until his sister tried to take it apart and broke it into pieces - we are hoping to be able to go to a nearby city to buy him another one tomorrow).
Daddy's balloon art is always a favorite activity.
A very happy and chocolatey birthday boy!

Christmas in March

We had Christmas in March yesterday when FOUR packages arrived from friends in the States. The Mothers of Preschoolers group from our church in Missouri sent us a big box full of goodies, and some new friends (I don't know that we have even officially met yet) from a partner church in Kansas sent us 3 great boxes too. What a blessing and encouragement their thoughtfulness was to us. We have told you that language learning has its "ups and downs", and lately it has been "down" so these couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you all!!!