Philippine Mission Trip

Getting to Work!

Don, Jamie Walker and Chris Gerber

April 25-May 14, 2013

Urdaneta, Pangasinan, Philippines

SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2013

3:00 AM All three of us were awake by 3 AM after heading to be at about 10 PM.  Welcome to a little jet lag. J   Chris went to the empty restaurant at about 5:15 and we joined him at 6:00. After visiting we had coffee and pandesal before Arnold and his family picked us up at 6:30 AM for 7:00 AM worship in Asingan.  That might seem early but it has been extremely hot and projected to have a heat index above 115 F today so finishing by 9:30 is not such a bad idea. 

Don with a little friend!

We went to the Ramos Elementary School in Asingan and were blessed to meet and greet many old friends from previous trips. It was exciting to see new babies born since last year and to see how much the children had grown. 

Jamie teaching the children

Jamie would go with several of the young ladies to teach a children’s class of about 15 under the 5^th grade.  Her class met under a tin roof of a small hut near one of the classrooms.

Chris teaching in Asingan

Chris taught the adult class and did a wonderful lesson on “Why I Left the Dutch Reformed Church and My Family’s Traditions”.  Nico did the translating for him and does a fine job!

Song books sent from Trenton

Zake leading singing

Zake Santiago leads the singing and really does a good job.  The congregation is using the old song books that we shipped to them and they are quite proud of them and the singing is very good. 



Chris showing bro. Willie pictures

Don preaching in Asingan

I spoke at the worship hour and my lesson was on Pleasing God and Not Man.  It was a bit of a follow-up on Chris’ lesson.  After services we spent nearly an hour visiting and loving our family here that we had not seen in a year. Chris got to show brother Willie Ojeiro the pictures of the beans he grew on Sand Mountain with seeds Willie provided him.  Willie was quite pleased!

After leaving the service, we went to a large outdoor public hall for a wedding reception for the daughter of one of the members at Asingan.  After about ½ hour, we concluded that things were running late and we were brought by to the resort by Arnold. 

We changed clothes and ate in the resort restaurant, Bai Marin, for lunch. Jamie had a Greek salad while I had Lechon Kawali. Mine was grilled pork belly then crispy fried with rice.  Quite a good meal.  Chris ate the fried chicken with a fruit plate.  Jamie and I got our fruit via a banana and watermelon shake.  Amazing the fresh fruit combinations here …. that are delicious!

We all had an afternoon nap before a Bible study scheduled at sister Vickie’s house.  Unfortunately due to our alarm being set at 4:30 AM instead of PM J we hurried out of the cabana just as Chris pulled off with Arnold.  So a little blogging time…..

Supper time and the temperature was 93F but the heat index is 115F!  We have been cautioned and it is all over TV warning folks over here to drink lots of water to stay hydrated during this heat wave…and it is not letting up this coming week.  Time for my evening refreshment….mango and watermelon shake while Jamie, always the traditionalist J, sticks with mango and banana shake!

11:00 PM We just had shakes for supper as we liked them so muchJ  During supper got word from Mom that Dad was in ICU in Shands.  He either has an infection, an abscess or a leak where his colon was reattached.  Worse case scenario is having to reconnect his colon because of a leak.  The abscess and infection both can probably be treated with the antibiotics. Tough day-- being 10,000 miles away from your Dad and Mom during this but she sounds upbeat and have been in communication with our girls and they are keeping in touch with their Nana!

Still hot as it is 99F heat index at 11 PM! VBS and Ladies’ Bible Class for Jamie tomorrow at Binalonan!

MONDAY, APRIL 29

3:13 AM  Was lying awake and in the bed after a night of short bursts of sleeps dreaming about growing up and time with my dad. The phone rang at 3:13 AM. Got to know when the phone rings at 3 AM it’s not good news or it’s a wrong number. It was not a wrong number.  It was Ginny, my sister calling from outside the ICU at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. The news from the Critical Care doctor was not good.  Dad was septic and not responding to antibiotics.  Infection was all through his body and they had to find the source.

Mom called about 4 AM here and said the radiologist was getting ready to drain the abscesses in his abdomen and allow them to heal.  He perhaps was a little more encouraging.  He did tell them that the healing process for older patients would be slow but he felt good about the procedure.  Of course, there is still the problem of having kidney, liver and proper blood function.  But right now that is all they can do. We have been praying about him and his care with everyone we can and we know there are many folks praying for him around the world. 

Mom and I also talked about how that Jamie and I being here on the mission trip and Walker and Elizabeth (my nephew and niece) working in China are exactly what he would want us to be doing and actually what he would love to be doing.  Two of our daughters, Laurie and Leigh were on their way to Gainesville from Montgomery and the last I heard, Louise was trying to decide with Ethan whether to go or not.  Melissa Lee Hicks,  a lifelong  best friend of Laurie’s was going to go to Gainesville to keep Ethan and Ellie while Louise was there, if she decided she could come.  It is great to have friends that stick by you.  Sure love and appreciate Melissa! (among many who have been so kind to our family)

As sunrise approaches, Jamie and I are planning to go ahead and conduct the VBS at the Binalonan church of Christ, while Chris will work with Arnold in the area around the Asingan church of Christ.  I am going to try and focus on the tasks at hand here, all the while with my heart back with Mom and Dad, my sisters and my daughters in Gainesville.