Typhoon Round 2

Well, I hope this isn't a recurring theme, but we survived our second typhoon! After only 5 days of being back in the Philippines, Typhoon Santi made landfall in our province. Welcome back, right? We got news that the eye of the storm was basically headed right for us at Category 4 speed. The news channel reports were actually broadcast in Baler (the coastal town about 15 miles away from us). Barry and Lilia, our Trek-X partners and neighbors were in another city visiting their son so we were on our own- and I was quite nervous. Barry had sent us the description of what to expect from a Cat 4 which included roofs flying off, old or weak houses destroyed, all trees down, no electricity and uninhabitable for weeks or even months. I repeat, uninhabitable. That's a scary word ha! I cried as I thought about what that could look like for us and our neighbors, many of whom have old and weak houses. I also couldn't help but think about the baby in my belly who could probably feel his/her mama's stress. Josh and I prayed together multiple times throughout the day for faith rather than fear and wisdom for decisions. We emailed our supporters asking for prayer as well. Thanks to so many of you for praying on our behalf. Before going in and bunkering down for the night, we tied up the tricycle and valuable things in the outdoor kitchen. And that was that. We just waited for it to come. We lost electricity around 9pm and the howling sound of wind and sheets of water hitting our house grew louder by 10. We could hear wind, trees snapping, and the like, but an hour or so later we were calmed to sleep by the sound of much lighter rain on our tin roof. God was faithful to hear the prayers of many for our safety. And the big thing I've been reminded of is that if our roof blew off and Aurora was uninhabitable for months, God would still be faithful. In this life of following Jesus, we just can't lose.
The next morning we went exploring to see the area. Many huge trees (acacia, chico, etc) were down as well as many of the banana trees and bamboo that had survived the first typhoon in August. Debris was everywhere and a few roofs were gone, but for the bigger picture- all our neighbors were well. The eye of the typhoon actually ended up moving a bit south of us and hit a town called Dingalan. This area was devastated by the storm and many people were affected. It's hard to think that that really could have been us. We are thankful to the Lord for protecting us, but we do hope that we'll remember to be in prayer for the people of Dingalan. Join us in praying that God will show Himself through the effects of the storm.

Again, THANK YOU for praying. We were blown away by the emails we received of everyone praying. And for the record, we went six long days without electricity. But we are completely habitable and back to normal now :)

 We couldn't leave our property without climbing through bamboo! 

I am writing this blog from a hotel in Manila. Tomorrow, we send off our close friend and fellow Trek-Xer Monica to Turkey where she will finish her last year of Trek-X. On Monday we will be making the dreaded journey back to the Bureau of Immigration. Our visas expire in November so we will begin the process of extending them. Please pray for this process. Our experience last year was long and hard. It took almost 10 trips to Manila, which is about a 6 hour bus ride through the mountains each time. We hope to have all the necessary requirements and if not we hope for grace! Pray for favor on us from the officers as well as wisdom as we have a few different options of how to renew (and adding a baby to the mix makes this hard to discern). Thanks everyone!

Back to life as normal..

Well we've been back in the province for 5 days now. Our month in America was wonderful. We enjoyed being with our family, seeing friends, taking hot showers, and eating yummy foods while sitting in the air conditioning. It was very refreshing for us. And we were so blessed by the generosity of so many people who fed us and housed us and gave us thoughtful gifts. God's provision is still so exciting to me; the ways He chooses to provide are so special.

Although things are very different here in Aurora, I can't explain how peaceful it felt to step off the bus at 4:20 in the morning on the side of the road near our home. The sights, the smells, the people and the familiarity- it all brought peace to my soul. Things are so different here than in America, but one thing I've learned is that different most certainly does not mean bad. Can I tell you how refreshing a cold shower is on a hot day? And how cool it is that geckos eat mosquitoes? And how much I love coconut milk? I've been praising God for how slow paced and relaxed life is here. I have to admit that this tropical life can sometimes blur the fact that we have a purpose and a mission during our time on earth (whatever country we're in), but I'm convinced that living toward that purpose and mission does not equate busyness. I've spent years struggling with the mentality that I have to get things marked of my to-do list for it to be a productive day. I'm so thankful for how God has used my time in the Philippines to teach me to slow down, enjoy Him, and enjoy people.

So...it's good to be back.
But I do want to share with all of you some of the recent happenings in our life and around here.

1. We were so proud to survive the 18 hour flight back to Asia. We're still fighting jet lag, but all in all the travel was good. I learned that Asiana Airlines has a heart for pregnant women...they moved us to a row with extra leg space!

2. While we were away, the capital of our province made leaps and bounds towards becoming a bigger tourism area. We've seen quite a bit of growth in our year of living here (a boardwalk on the beach, new homes, a store with lots of imported goods, etc.) but last month a new resort opened up and land was cleared for a...drumroll...mall! The mall is far from opening, but yay for the province of Aurora. And let me tell you, the resort is NICE. Like honeymoon spot or super nice vaca. And if that's not enough, they serve food such as burgers and pizza with imported beef and cheese. I can't tell you how big of a change that is since we arrived a year ago. The food is certainly too expensive for our lifestyle here, but it's the perfect place for celebrations. And speaking of celebrations....

3. We celebrated Josh's 26th birthday this week! I'm so thankful for his life and that I get to be a part of it. We celebrated by having friends over for dinner and games. And Josh and I went to the new resort restaurant for a lunch date the day after (it was still his birthday in America :)

4. We went to the doctor to check on Baby Boren yesterday. Dra. Hidalgo said everything looked healthy for both mama and baby. It took her quite a while to find the heartbeat because Baby wouldn't stop moving; she joked that we have a hyperactive child! During the month in the States, my belly grew quite a bit (there's no hiding that I'm pregnant now) and I began to feel his/her first movements. What sweet little flutters. I can't wait for them to be strong enough for Josh to experience the joy. I am incredibly thankful that God led us to a doctor that we trust and that speaks wonderful English. She was so kind to answer all my questions yesterday and assured me she will take good care of us and wants this delivery to be exactly the way I would have wanted. Thank you for those of you who have joined us in praying for this pregnancy and for the right doctor and hospital and for Baby Boren's life. We are blessed. Any predictions on gender? Any name suggestions??

5. Please pray for us as we begin to pick back up in different areas of ministry. We are asking God to direct us to which things the Filipinos should permanently lead as of now. In preparation for us being new parents and eventually moving away next July, we desire for the Filipinos to continue making disciples in Maria Aurora while not having dependence on us. Pray that the Holy Spirit would show us where He is working and that we could discern where to join Him.

6. For the final update, we have another typhoon moving in on us. (I wouldn't have minded to stay in America for this!) It should make landfall late tonight- around 1pm on Friday CT. God protected us through a typhoon in August. We are confident that He'll protect us again. Please pray for our safety and for our neighbors and their homes. Pray for our families as news of a typhoon can be just as scary for them as it is for us. Thanks everyone! We'll try to keep you updated as long as we have electricity and internet connection. You can track it at www.maybagyo.com.

We love you all and are so thankful for your partnership and prayers.