Not in Kansas Anymore

Hello all from the Philippines! It has only been a week, but I have already had some exciting adventures, learned a lot, and made a bunch of new friends. After about 24 hours of travelling, I started off my trip in Davao City, staying in the house of the family I'll be working with. I managed to get sixteen bug bites on my first night when I stepped out for about five minutes to meet the neighbors. Oops. I had just enough time in Davao to get over my jet lag and learn a few introductory things before I took a long bus ride to a city called Butuan, which is on the other side of the island. I'll be here for a month doing language and culture training, living on the property of a Filipino family. The mother of the family, Ate Mimi, is my teacher. (Ate- pronounced ah-tee- is a term of respect for women who are older than you, and Kuya- pronounced coo-yah- is for men.) I know a few basic greetings and words so far. It's fun being able to learn at my own pace. Normally the family has many students at a time staying in the extra housing, but business has been slow. It's been a bit lonely here since most people are too shy to use their English with me. However, I did meet one spunky, outgoing girl named Elma who lives nearby. Hopefully she'll come visit every now and then. Her English is great, and she can help me practice Cebuano (the language used on this island).

Life on the compound is interesting. It's the kind of place where things scurry away when you walk at night... and during the day. I don't mind all the frogs and lizards, but the spiders in the bathroom unnerve me a bit. Today I washed my hands, set the soap dish down, and walked away to do something. When I came back five minutes later, there was already a new spider web attatched to it. It looks like I'll be getting over my fear of spiders pretty soon here. Also today, I learned how to hand wash my laundry. Ate Mimi is amazing! She can conquer any stain with her years of washing experience. About an hour after we hung the laundry to dry, it rained.

I haven't quite figured out how to eat here yet. The food I'm used to is hard to find and expensive when you find it. The normal diet isn't very healthy, since it mostly consists of white rice, with a little bit of meat and vegetables. Good quality meat is also hard to find. Most people buy their meat at the outdoor meat market, a place with sickening sights and smells. Milk products are scarce. Fresh milk comes in a box and doesn't need to be refrigerated. On the bright side, the fruits and vegetables are plentiful and delicious. Ate Mimi will be teaching me to cook some of the classic Filipino dishes.

One last story before I tear myself away. The road leading from the house to the main road is about a ten minute walk and currently made of thick mud. To spare me from getting dirty, Ate Mimi's fourteen year old son Tyler drove me down the road on the family motorcycle, a story I really enjoyed telling my mom.

Thank you for all your encouragement and prayers. I am glad to say that Ate Mimi is a great Christian with lots of church friends. The family that I'm working with in Davao is also a wonderful bunch, and I'm sure they'll be like a second family after I've been working with them for a while. Well, time to go! God bless!