Jury Duty

Well, we got home safe and sound, without predicament. After a decent night's sleep, Monday started 3.5 days of jury duty for me... Not only was  I picked for jury duty (a first in my immediate family), but I sat as Juror the entire time, despite the possibility of being 'just' an alternate...

Our case was terrible, sad, complex, yet fascinating: A domestic battery done by a husband to his wife.... We found him guilty as charged, and not guilty for Kidnapping to the 2nd degree, due to lack of evidence.

I love serving jury. It fascinates me - the ins and outs of it.... I only did a little bit of speech and debate in high school (and didn't particularly 'love' it), and served as judge a couple years ago for the local tournaments as well, however all of my experiences with speech and debate have given me a real appreciation and understanding for the different facets of each argument presented in the courtroom, and the foundation laid for them... It is definitely something I think all kids should do--at least for a season....

Jury duty truly is a right and duty of each United States citizen. It is our opportunity to not only give back to our community, but take part of the legal proceedings which happen each day in our judicial system.

Granted, often cases include some terrible things, and conflicting things to sort through, however, God is the giver of wisdom to those who lack, and we can trust Him for it!!!

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour."

~ 1 Timothy 2:1-3 ~

"Justice and judgement are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face."

~ Psalms 89:14 ~

Not Kidding...Triplets!

Just had to throw the pun in there.... 

Last Saturday night-February 1st, our goat Ninya had triplets - 2 bucklings and a doeling. Talk about perfect timing--right before the cold snap really hit!!

Hours old - Cutie in front, Tommy and Jack in back

I'm a stickler on names...I love names, and love to name EVERYTHING....even in Belize, all creatures got names... However, I can also be weird when it comes to names-- think unique and creative...
So, when the kids (*cough, the other ones) started calling the boys 'Tommy' and 'Jack', I was not impressed...Those are complete people names! However, somehow they stuck...

Tommy

In the past, we've had some awesome names (always including their lineage) like:
JJ Lite Saber and Merry Savory Sader - born on Good Friday
Fantine and Robert' - born after we watched the 1952 Les Mis {awesome movie!}
Mercy and Justice: after one of my favorite songs
Garnet and Jasper
Millie and Mudgey (from our doe-Mouse) - a tribute to our local author
Finale Knighted and Finale Squeaked Thru (out of Finale.. ;P)
Kiera and St. Patrick's Merriment

Jack

Yes, I know, I have too much fun... But, Aha!! At least their registered names are still awesome...  Since they're out of Diminuendo out of Creshendoe out of Tenudoe, their names are (respectively--since that word seems to make all the difference in the world ;P) Valentin-O Forte, Cutie Pi-O Legato, and Februari-O Presto. (Thanks to the 'kids' for the demanded musical term endings.)
Unfortunately, Cutie was born pretty selenium deficient, and so we ended up bringing her in the house, where she {was spoiled rotten} and lived for the 5 days of her wonderful, short life. Never do you see animals so spoiled as this...sleeping on our beds, walking on our white carpet, wearing our baby diapers, getting as much love and attention as anything--and yes, it was a wonderful distraction for the kids from school.... ;)

Eventually though, from different issues, Cutie finally died last night, but the moments spent with her were cherished, and well worth every second!! (Including the midnight feedings....)

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;....a time to weep, and a time to laugh;...A time to get, and a time to lose.

He hath made every thing beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a, 4a, 6a, 11 ~

Mental Note: This was a wonderful reminder of what life will be like with a newborn infant!! Waking up every little bit from his murmurs and cries....praise God for natural milk supplies...who'd ever want to get up every few hours and warm fake milk up, when you can just roll over and nurse your baby, while going back to sleep??

Sorry guys, just had to insert my little midwifery advertisement...

Colorado WildFire Update

The Colorado Springs wildfire is still raging, and has destroyed an estimated 346 homes so far, making it the most destructive fire in the State's history, and one of the worst fires to hit the American West. The fire is now 10% contained, but has cost an estimated $3.2 million to fight.

Some may have also heard of the fire in Northern Colorado, which started a couple weeks ago, killing one person. It has decimated 257 homes, and up until Tuesday (when the Colorado Springs fire surpassed it), was the most destructive State fire thus far. Firefighters are hoping to have the 136-square-mile fire contained by this weekend (it is currently at the 75% mark).

There are also quite a few other wildfires in Colorado at this time, so please continue to pray for all those affected.

Going Fishing

We're going on a 2.5 day fishing trip with some close friends on the Salmon River in Hell's Canyon.... Going to catch Bass and see some Sturgeon!!! Woohoo!!!

And best yet, Daniel came home to go with us!!! He's here for 5 days!!!!

Just for kicks, look up askew on Google.

Just do it...

And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

~ Matthew 4:19 ~

The utmost calling in life!!!

Why We SHOOT Deer

DISCLAIMER: THIS DID NOT HAPPEN TO ME!! =)
Read, Laugh, and Learn:

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it.  The first step in this adventure was getting a deer.  I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it, and transport it home.

So, I filled the cattle feeder, and then hid down at the end with my rope.  The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it.  After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up - 3 of them.  I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out  from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope.

The deer just stood there and stared at me.  I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold.  The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation.  I took a step towards it, and it took a step away.  I put a little tension on the rope, and then received an education.

The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED.  The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt.  A cow or a colt in that weight range, I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity.  A deer -- no chance.  That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled.

There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it.  As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rop was not nearly as good an ideas as I had originally imagined.  The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.

A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up.  It took me a few minutes to realized this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head.  At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison.  I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slowly and painfully somewhere.  At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer.  At that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture to guess that the feeling was mutual.

Despite the gash in my head and several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognized that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in.  I didn't want the deer to have to suffere a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I had set before hand...  kind of like a squeeze chute.  I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.

Did you know that deer bite? 

They do!  I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when ....... I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist.  Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and slide off to then let go.  A deer bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull.  They bite HARD and it hurts.

The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly..  I tried screaming and shaking instead.  My method was ineffective.

It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds.  I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it.  While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose.

That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprising sharp ... I learned a long time ago that, when an animal - like a horse - strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is to try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards an animal.  This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.

This was not a horse.  This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work.  In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy.  I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run.  The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there isa good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head.

Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down..

Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave.  I suspect it does not recognized that the danger has passed.  What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head.

I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away.

So, now I know why when people go deer hunting, they bring a rifle with a scope......to sort of even the odds!!

All these events are true so help me God... An Educated Farmer.

Supposedly this story is true, though Snopes sites it as "undetermined" (they have the 'rest of the story' at the very end...which is quite worth the read). ;)
Either which way, I think the moral to this story, is:

Creativity is a good thing ... but sometimes, maybe efficiency is more worth the story!

As they say, 'learn from those who come before you!'

An Essay From Samuel

For school today, my 13 year old brother, Samuel wrote the following Essay:

In the colonial days, taking care of the sick was much different than today. The people didn't know what the flu or other sicknesses came from unless it was obvious. Because of their lack of knowledge, contagious sicknesses often proved deadly. There weren't many hospitals and very few doctors, so the mothers would resort to using herbs for remedies. Even though they didn't taste or smell very pleasant, many herbs like Mullein for coughs and Helichrysm for wounds proved very effective. The most popular herb--St. John's Wart--was believed to draw devils away. Herbs, however, were not the only means of treatment. Colonists also used tea for a cure that was made by burning frogs to a crisp and grinding them up into powder. Disgusting!!

There were many rumors about different diseases. Numerous colonists would blame the sickness on spells cast by witches or even evil spirits. There were also many queer thoughts about different cures. One of them was a cure for the fever. They would cut the sick person's fingernails and put them in a bag, which would be tied to an eel's neck. The eel would be put into water and when it died, they believed the patient's fever would leave.

Another superstition was that when babies teethed, doctors would have them wear a necklace with wolves teeth on it which they believed would help with the pain. The most common superstition, however was bloodletting. In trying to help the process of healing, patient's veins were cut open, and the blood was allowed to flow out. They believed in this cure so strongly that if a doctor was unavailable, the barber or the minister would do the bloodletting themselves. Today, we have found out how to heal the sick, but unfortunately we have gone too far.

The main problem with today's medical society is that many doctors care more about money than their patients. They sell them masses of unneeded drugs that take away pain and can lead to addiction without solving the root problem. Unfortunately, the people today don't realize that they are following a shepherd-disguised wolf. Even when information is discovered on how to heal most sicknesses, it is often criticized and suppressed. Home remedies also have their place, and thus the sensible will take the best of both worlds and disperse the love and kindness of mothers and the wisdom of doctors to all.

The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

~ Proverbs 23:24 ~

Sandpoint Surprise

Okay, so I'm cheating....I'm writing this on 11/5/11, when I'm dating it September...but what do I care?!?It's been too long since I've posted....I know....and yes, I have meant to, but life has been busy. (Jolly good!!)

I had the whole loft (1 queen size and 2 singles to myself....that was pretty fun....Loved the quilt and style...)

Anyhow, these last few months have been amazing and wonderful, and God is doing so much in my life, through me, and in those around me.

First of all, I had a wonderful weekend with my parents at the end of September, at the Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, up in Sandpoint, Idaho.  Funny thing was, I ended up driving them there that night, when I had NO clue where I was going!!!

For not knowing where I was going, Mom and I packed pretty good!

That weekend, we went before God, asking Him what He wanted my focus to be for this next period of time. And, guess what?! He started giving us answers!!

As a preface, my dad has expressed his wishes for all of us (including us girls) to get a college degree, so that in case the world turns, and women have to have a degree to educate their children at home, we might be already prepared for that. Up to that point, I have been planning to get an AA (Associates in Art) in Liberal Arts (which was the most basic and broad-viewed degree), and already had almost 30 credits (out of a total of 60 needed), by the time I graduated from high school, in 2011.

On the other hand, God confirmed this summer, that to serve Him in a greater capacity, I really need to get a broader education in all medical studies, specifically: midwifery, general care, emergency medicine/"dirt medicine" (when there is/isn't any normal supplies on hand), herbology/natural medicine, & veterinary medicine.

For the last few years, I have asked God if EMT Training is something that I should do, but at the time, I didn't see any trainings available in my area (yes, I'm spoiled... I like to be able to multi-task everything at the same time. ;p). Then, just a couple of weeks before our time in Sandpoint, a friend told me about an online EMT Program that has its training right here in Hayden!!

Upon praying about it, and bringing all matters into consideration, my parents and I decided that instead of finishing my AA, I am going to pursue finishing my Midwifery Certificate, and get an EMT Certificate as well.

Since then, God has brought different people into my life who have either gone through the course, or are medically-minded that I may be able to glean support/help from. The way my EMT Course works,  is that I can sign up for the course and start studying anytime for it, but the quizzes don't 'open' until December 1st.  The course ends in the middle of May, upon which, I will spend a week at Camp Mivoden on Hayden Lake receiving practical hands-on skills training for 5 days. Before I go to the training though, I need to complete 10 patient contacts, or basically "shadow" either with a ambulance agency or through the ER. (I would much prefer the ambulance if at all possible...as I've seen the workings of the ER before--though maybe not from THAT angle. lol ;D)

I most of the "domestic skills" down, but there is one area we realized that I could definitely improve on, and that is the homeschooling area... I have been greatly blessed with a little sister who is a gifted teacher, and so I have been able to get out of teaching and have done administerial work instead. Well...I'll be helping with that some this year as well!!

My 2nd and beloved mare...Raphya (means "healer") She was my dream, and was pregnant when she died....but God is gracious, and He is the best HEALER....

As for the weekend, the food was tremendous, and for the second time since my beloved mare-Raphya died in Spring 2010, I got to go riding!! And this time with my parents too!! It was a 'dude ride' (never thought I'd ever ride on one..I guess "pride goes before the fall"!! lol), and so we walked pretty much the whole time, which was NOTHING compared to what I'm used too (galloping--my favorite).

My allergies have gotten worse with horses since we sold all of ours, and so I suffered from asthma since then as well...but it was worth it!!! lol
Anyway, that's all for now folks!!! Praise, glory, laud, and honor be to Christ my Saviour!!!

9/11 - 10 Years Ago

On 9/11 - 10 Years Ago, I was a mere 8 years old. We didn't watch TV and though we had a radio, we hardly ever used it. The thing I remember about that day was knowing my daddy was supposed to come home from Anchorage, Alaska that afternoon....the agony and suspense-wondering if he was going to die too....and then the relief upon hearing that his flight had been delayed a day or 2.

I remember for the next couple days our pretty strict bedtime gone, and just sitting around the table listening to the radio like they did in World War II, with our ears to the speaker....waiting....for what, we knew not.

At the time, New York seemed forever away, and in all actuality, I really only grasped the reality of what happened in the last few years. Everyone I knew closely made it....even the girl at our church who worked in one of the Centers but was absent from the building....

Now knowing what I know, my heart goes out and grieves with all those many families....what a joy it was for all of us kids to jump my dad when he came in the door....but what about all those kids who didn't and never will again??

This short but powerful video really impacted me with the reality of it all, and how God is still and always will be in control. I hope it impacts you as well. I can say no more.

http://blogs.blueletterbible.org/blb/2011/09/09/in-my-seat/

Travel to Liberty, WA

INTRODUCTION: As I said in the last post, I am accompanying Oma to my Uncle Jim's home in Sammamish, Washington with an overnite stop at his Cabin in Liberty, where we'll be able to spend some time with him (he has some things to do up there), before he leaves on a trip on Sunday. Next Wednesday, we'll pick up Grampaw at SeaTac where he will be getting back from a Trip to South America-making 96 countries for this world-traveler!! We will then head back to the Ranch on Thursday or Friday, where I will be promptly swept off by my parents for a weekend at 'some place I've never been before', where will be seeking God's will on my life for the next year.

~~*~~

Got up at 6 am like usual for Family Devotions. After that, we had breakfast, I finished packing, and then caught up last minute with the kids...it's hard on a few of them especially to have Big Sister leave so soon after coming back...even though it is only for a week. 

James had begged me to go frogging with him (he is the world's best hand at it!!), and unfortunately, it got pushed to right before I had to leave (at 10am), and so we only had time to catch one, and I feel I rather more like "humored" him, than anything....but I promised I'd do a full-blown adventure with him when I get back..... oh that there were endless hours in a day!! I can't believe how fast my little siblings are growing up!!

Oma and I after we spent an afternoon at the hair salon last week.

Oma and I ran a few errands, picked up some food, filled up the gas tank, and then headed on our merry way for Liberty, Washington. On our way down, we (between conversations) listened to the 5 1/2 hour AudioBook "A Bride Goes West": a semi-auto-biography set in the 1880's about Nannie T. Alderson, a newlywed Virginian girl who married a Cowboy from Montana, and her life living in the "West of the West". Though I have listened to it before, it is always enthralling, and very well done. Even our boys really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone. Though is a 1-person narrative, afterwards, you think you heard more than one person, just because of the way it was written.

Miss the Alaskan Mountains!!

Right before we got to Cle Elum, we stopped at the amazing Thorp Fruit and Antique Mall, a place I am definitely going to visit before I get married....their 2-story Western Antique Mall is AMAZING!!! Good thing I don't have the assets for it right now (or the car space) ;), otherwise, I might have 'surprised' my mom with more "hopechest items".....(I'm already a joke with our ranch hands about "marrying Sarah off to get all her 'stuff' out of the house. lol ;D)

These Doughnut Peaches (that is their actual name) are sooo cute!! The peach on the left is of the top and on the far right is the bottom, so they almost literally go all the way through in the middle!!

I definitely got more wedding ideas...though of course, they're only ideas, and will have to pass my fiance's approval before they would be put in place. lol (no one on the horizon at this point)

Afterwards, I drove Oma a good long stretch. It was a bunch of fun, because we were so busy chatting, that we missed our turn off to the mountains, and had to circle around and find it, but since we had plenty of time, since my Uncle wasn't going to get to the Cabin until at least 6pm, we didn't worry about it. We had a blast once we got in the mountains, because besides driving a 'blink' through the Town of Liberty, the directions we had didn't have 'miles' on it once we got up into the mountains, and so we drove around a bit, trying to remember what the turnoff looked like. Finally we found it, and arrived at the Cabin at 4:50pm. What fun!!!!

THE TOWN OF 'LIBERTY'

There are quite a few amazing rock formations above Liberty...just amazing!!

Uncle Jim and Aunt Maria did an amazing job with their cabin, which I haven't been to since we had our Family Reunion/Cabin Raising Party there 8 years ago...lots of changes!!

This would be a gorgeous Honeymoon Spot.

My Oma...looking mighty comfortable!!

This outhouse is a favorite....you can only guess what I kept singing during my stay here!! lol

A closer look...grabeeah work Aunt Maria!!

After sitting on the front doorstep for a few hours--chatting, reading, etc. we went in and had dinner, as Uncle Jim had been delayed and didn't get in until 8:30pm.

Just a humble meal of scrumptious Chili with our favorite--Pepper Jack Cheese!!

 During our first day together, Oma and I found that we have even more in common than we knew!! We both share an insatiable love for cherries (anything), pepper jack cheese, and SO very kaayo much more.

After Uncle Jim got home, we had a good time all of us catching up, and though I retired a little earlier, Oma and Uncle kept on until 1:30am!! I'm so happy for them.

My uncle Jim (my daddy's 'double')...it's hard to keep my mischievous streak away sometimes living sometimes with someone so much like my daddy...but not used to doing pranks, they usually just stay in my mind....

For, lo, He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, the LORD, The God of Hosts is His name.

~ Amos 4:13 ~

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

~ Isaiah 55:12 ~

7/4: Travel to Butuan

Between packing, planning, tying loose ends up here, and catching up on blogging, by the time I needed to get ready at 2 am, I never got to sleep--just too many things to do!! 

last minute blogging/talking to family

What would I do without Jordan???? (I honestly don't know!!)

We left MMC at 2:30 am in the Ambulance, at arrived at the Bus Station in Record Time-9 minutes!! Thanks Felix!!!
The Bus left at 3 am, and guess what the Line of Buses was called????

2:30am-Ambulance: me, Lizzie, MaKayKay, and Jordan

um....that gets me every time...look close...what do YOU think??

The name just hit me so funny....oh well!!! I guess there were families on it too...

There were 5 of us going: Sylvette, Lizzy, Makayla (Kai), Jordan, and I.

Sylvette and I were seatmates, at the VERY front of the bus!!! (She's a hoot!)

What a doll!!

NOW, I REALLY have a glimpse of what my mom was talking about, when she traveled Europe and Philippines 25 years ago!! Kudos Mommy!!

The 2 guys in the row across from us for the entire trip...they were really nice, and begged for their picture to be taken. 

I slept pretty much the whole trip, having hardly slept for over 36 hours! 45 minutes out, our bus got stranded for 1 hour, because of major flooding--almost everyone got out to look, except me....at that point, I my brain really didn't care... :D I guess the flood was up to a regular sized persons thigh, and up to a Filipino and my waist. WOW!! (The pictures below are only what was in front of us--not the worst.)

We arrived in Butuan at 10:30am, and were met by our 2 supervisors: Jordan Ingram and Bong. They treated us to lunch at a scrumptious little cafe, where we were served Barbeque Chicken and Rice (sooo good!!---that's a very high complement coming from me!!!) LOL

Sylvette, Lizzy, Makayla, Jordan, Bong, and Jordan I.

Just like Tagum's Tricee color is Green, Butuan's color is Orange.

We then went to G-Mall, to pick up some mosquito nets and bread, before going on to the Jeepney Terminal. Kai, Jordan, and I guarded our bags while Lizzy and Sylvette went to Market to get veggies. I got a few winks of sleep, before we loaded ourselves and our bags on the top of the jeepney (what a view!!!)

Okay, I look terrible, but I REALLY didn't want my scalp to get sunburned. :)

The sun was pretty hot up there, and so we were told we could get down out of the sun, but just as we were about to, the driver started the engines...Lizzie and Sylvette were both back by the time we got loaded up, but then Sylvette went to get eggs with Bong, and all of a sudden, the jeepney started leaving!!!

We all started texting Sylvette frantically, and then the jeep paused to pick more passengers up, right outside the terminal. After a few minutes, the jeep really, actually left. We started sending her minute-by-minute updates like "We're actuallly leaving now!!!"  Just as it left, we saw them drive up on Bong's motorbike, and started yelling and pounding on the top of the jeepney for the driver to stop: "STOP!!!!! Our friend is over there!!!!" :) Quite funny. It was 2:30 PM when we actually left.

What a Name for a Furniture Store!! (Lucky Grace indeed!!)

Houses in Progress

Butuan has the nicest houses/developments I've seen here in the Philippines...definitely nicer than the average neighborhood in Davao, but then Davao's are all surrounded by high walls!!)

2 guys at top front of the jeepney (the one on right was the 'fee collector')

10 minutes into our drive, this cabinet was added to the top...it took a while to get there, but it stayed!!

Beautiful little forest of somthing.... :)

It's a little freaky when the logging trucks go by you when you're on the top, because they're usually no more than 6-10" from the side of the jeeep!!

Boys playing their favorite sport-Basketball (they play it for HOURS here!!)

We are over 10 feet from the ground, and this is how the wall was next to us....wow!!

1 hour out, we dropped Lizzy and Jordan off to Jordan I. (Jordan I., Bong, and Jarett-the media man took their 2 motorbikes and were waiting for us when we arrived.) They crossed the river to go to some other villages, while we continued on to Casiklan (our destination).

Bong loading their stuff on the m-bike, just as Jordan I. and Jarett drive up.

Bong took such good care of us...a very good role model for young men.

Leaving for their village

Way up there...so comfortable!! (Yes, I slept on our way up)

We stopped at this village, to drop some grain off.

At 3:30 PM, we reached a very muddy hill, and that to get up it, everyone had to evacuate the jeep. We had only gone a few hundred feet up the hill and turned a corner, when we came upon 2 more jeepneys ahead of us - the first of which was stuck!!!

Poor Makayla - first step she took was in what looked like DRY mud, but happened to be a deep puddle!! Pretty miserable for her, trying to get up this uneven, steep, muddy hill, when she had hardly any traction!!!

"How Beautiful are the Feet of Them...."

Crossing the "Chocolate" Filipino Style

Here are some very short video clips, showing a glimpse of what it was like...not very good, but kind of funny. Enjoy!! (More coming)

Bong was waiting near the top of the hill for us, laughing....he thought it was pretty funny. He quoted Romans 10:15:

..."How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

That was a major eye-opener for me....yeah, we have talked about the verse in church before, and even put it in that context, and it was an eye-opener then, but now???? Wow!!! It's  a TOTALLY different concept actually living it!!! I guess I'd never really viewed it quite in that light...that I am actually a missionary....


Out here, we ARE midwives and missionaries. That IS  how we are introduced. Period. End of story. You're not asked for degrees, papers, certificates, or anything else. ANYTHING you have to offer is accepted, people are dying daily!! They need help!!!


That totally confirmed what I feel God has been directing me about midwifery for the last few years, in terms of the way I am doing it.

Don't Trip!!!

It's been really interesting, because since I have been here in the Philippines, I haven't had the 'wired or high (pardon my usage)' feeling that I expected, and have had before...and I wondered why. Almost like I wasn't satisfied, or maybe this wasn't for me, like maybe midwifery wasn't what God called me to do!! But in all actuality, when looking deeper, I knew and know for a fact, that this IS what God is calling me to do for right now, until HE changes that calling, and I was and have been deep down, completely content, satisfied, and peaceful, KNOWING that I AM in the center of God's Will!!!


I realized and learned so many other amazing truths on this trip too, which I will share further on.

Back to my story (sorry for the interlude!! :D) Another Jeepney pulled in behind ours, making 4 jeepneys trying to get up the hill!!! (Only the first one had major difficulties.)  It was terrible!!! :)

At 5:45 PM (2 hrs/15 min!!!), they finally got the first jeep unstuck, just ast it started to rain, Praise the Lord!!! During this whole time, all the passengers from the 4 jeepneys were at the top of the hill, just waiting. The villages we were going to, were still over an hour away ON A GOOD DAY!!! (and this was NOT, if you hadn't noticed) ;)
So, there was no point in walking...waiting was the best answer.

Here, I learned a good lesson too: The Filipinos were just standing, sitting, talking, and playing, as if they had not a care in the world!! (Did I mention that it gets dark around 6:30pm??) Time is not the important thing here...everything is relaxed, so different from the culture we Americanas are so immersed in!!

Do you want to learn how to be a team?? Come learn from the Filipinos!!! Most of the men from all the different jeepneys were out there helping the ONE jeepney from the mud!! Working for hours without giving up!! There were even a couple passing moterbikers who stopped and helped!!!
Then, instead of just leaving, as soon as it was unstuck, all the jeepneys tag-teamed!!! Meaning, they would attach cables to the jeepneys, and help each other down the line get up the hills until we were up past all the muddy parts!! What dedication!! What love!!  All the time, it was raining koalas and carabao too!!

Probably the most memorable part though, was the dedication Bong had for us. He was outside on his motorbike, helping as much as possible. He had given his poncho to us, when we were originally going to be on the top in the rain, and then it was used for other things, so all he had on was his thin t-shirt--freezing for hours!!! On top of that, we inside were starving, and he sacrificed some energy bars to us!!! His own personal stash for the next weeks!!

We kept telling him to go on ahead of us to the village, but he refused to leave us. The scariest part by far though, was when it was almost totally dark, and Bong was out there on his motorbike helping out. We were cabled to the jeepney behind us, pulling it thru the mud around a corner. The cable came sweeping towards him, getting closer and closer, (it could snap at any time, killing anything in it's path), and we were all scared for him. Then all of a sudden, the jeepneys jolted to a stop, and guys started getting out...our hearts came near stopping, though we knew he was probably okay (which of course he was).

This was one of the many wake-up calls I got on our trip - life is so fragile and we take it for granted so often. James 4:14 says:

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

We arrived in Casiklan at 8:30 PM, and were warmly welcomed by our team - Etienne - our team leader,  Balong - our translator, Katie, Hannah, and Jilian. They had waited dinner on us (so sweet!), and so we quickly got dinner on. We had expected to get to Casiklan in good time, and so had bought chicken in Butuan, keeping it wrapped in ice. Fortunately, it was still good, and so we had Chicken Adobo and Rice.

Afterwards, we had what was called 'Team Time' - something I learned to very much look forward to. They were going through 2 books - devotionals really. Tonights was about the Great Commission and Church. Two major points made were how crucial it is to have a strong Christian family back home supporting you in back home, and how the Great Commission is not just for foreign missions but also on the homefront.

We then went to bed: I made it 48 hours without hardly any sleep!!! Yikes!!