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!!!

Home Schoolers Retreat

Mikayla and I got to go to a retreat for homeschoolers held a couple hours away at Caliraya resort center. It is a beautiful place, and we had a great time.

There were many different activities, including a giant slip 'n slide. It was made of several massive tarps and went down a large hill into a mud pit. Mikayla (unlike several of the older boys) tried very hard not to get in the mud. She was the only little one who was brave enough to start at the top with with the big kids.
Mikayla also had a blast horseback riding with her new friends, Melisa and Betsy. They got to go on a long ride all around the property.

There was also a great pool, and the kids all went swimming every afternoon - rain or shine (and it was raining more than shining while we were there).

Mikayla had class every morning with the other kindergarteners. They had a blast together. The rest of the kids spent the week doing Iowa testing, but Mikayla won't have to start those until next year.

The kids prepared all week for an outreach on Friday. A group of Filipino kids came and joined them for the morning, and Mikayla loved making her new friend feel welcome and loving on her.

Both Mikayla and I made some good friends during the week, and we will look forward to seeing them again at future meetings.

What we enjoyed most of all though was some Mommy-daughter time. We had lots of fun just hanging out together. We praise our Father for allowing us to have this wonderful time together.

Medical Mission

The following pictures are all from a recent medical mission hosted by our team in our area. People who could otherwise not afford medical and dental care had access to it through this mission, and the good news of Jesus Christ was shared with them as well! We praise the Lord for the volunteers (from the US and locally both) who sacrificially gave of their time and resources to make this possible. Many people were saved, and many Bible Studies started as a result of their week of service. They were able to offer medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services. Jen even got to help translate for the doctor a couple of days!