Monthly Archives: January 2017

Posted on

THE BABY SHOWER

Teaming up with God

by

     I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 

(I Corinthians 3:6)

Indie, horrified that she gave birth to a Down Syndrome baby girl, now carried the burden of what people might say about her. On our island, generally the Filipino’s believe if a baby is different in any way it is because the sins of the parents have been passed down to the child. Many parts of the world believe this too.   

So when their little girl was born with Down Syndrome, people seemed to talk in the community. They said it was because of Indie’s sins, that God was angry and was passing judgment on her and her family. She was now being ostracized by her own culture.

How would one move in, team up with God and share Christ and His love in this context?  (more…)

Posted on

If WE HAD YIELDED TO A RAT

Cultureshock

by

Psalms 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (NIV) 

Jim, myself and the singing group of young people arrived in Bohol, Philippines on June of 1982.We were exhausted from a long trip but excited at the same time.  After a few days the group would go back to the USA and we would stay behind on Bohol making this our home for the next four years.

The next day we headed off on a bus, stopping at various churches or towns outside the city, to minister and share Christ.  

CultureShock #1:  Riding on the roads of Bohol in a bus was interesting to say the least.  Rounding the curves at high speed made you feel like your life was over.  It was scary but somehow we all made it. The Filipino drivers seem to know every inch of that road and got us to where we needed to be every time in one piece.  

James 4:14 “Life is but a vapor it appears for a little while but vanishes away.” Everyday, after those bus trips,  this verse seemed to become a reality and an opportunity to realize our lives are definitely in the hands of God and not our own. :}

CultureShock #2:  After a week of setting up and taking down equipment you could sense that everyone was feeling tired and ready for their trip to end. The outskirts of Bohol was definitely not your 5 star hotel like in Manila, where we had stayed the weeks before.   (more…)