Written Jan 3. 08
This is the end of my first real day back in Davao after a long bus ride back from Talakag yesterday. The past weeks have left me full; set on hope, joyful in growth, determined in perseverance towards Gods promises. After the fury of work and preparations leading up to my departure on the 21st, I left on the public bus and through windy mountain passes to spend Christmas with a friend from Trinity and her Filipino family on northern Mindanao. Mmmm it’s raining now, ganahan ko sa ulan ( I really love the rain.) I had little idea what to expect, I hadn’t been compelled to ask many questions, as most of you know I thrive on the unexpected and am comfortable flying by the seat of my pants! And surprised I was....The Borreta’s live not in the city of Cagayan de Oro, but west thereof in the mountainous town of Talakag in a small house with bucket flush toilets and a beautiful garden behind... yes it basically had my name written all over it! I shared a room with Marianne and her three delightful nieces who made me their student for the bisaya language and the hand games they played constantly! Within the day of arriving I was quite exhausted and, having already had been given gruelling schedule of church activities and parties we would be attending turned in slight surprise to God and asked “I thought... well I assumed... well, what about rest?” He laughed a bit, not at me but the kind that says I know what’s coming to you and it’s amazing...and replied “I know exactly what you need”In the words of princess buttercup, “I will never doubt again” ! My time in Talakag was nothing short of miraculous, I was taken into their indigenous church like I was jewel, the youth group were a bunch of crazy, growing kids eager to teach me all I could want to know, tease me, practice English, have patience with my Bisaya, and value my impute. The Borreta’s showed me off to everyone they knew and by the end of my stay I’m sure the whole town knew my name ( though they originally thought I was Angeline (?)On Christmas day after opening some amazing little packages from friends in Canada I went out and bought a notebook for 6 pesos, most defiantly the best 6 pesos I have spent yet, and probably the best I will ever spend. I carry it will me everywhere ( its sitting open beside me right now dirty and falling apart) and it is almost full of Bisaya words and phrases. This was my Christmas miracle, I got people to speak to me in Bisaya and explain everything while I sat and wrote and repeated and listened, I prayed constantly that God would expand my mind (guess who is faithful !) In 3 days my vocabulary had increased by 90%! I’ve decided it’s one of my favourite feelings in the world, to fall off the edge of a language, it’s like you dive in and slowly you learn how to breath- under water!!!! Yep it’s basically AMAZING! My biggest fear right now is that back here around English all the time and school work I’ll slow down my learning to a halt- please pray that doesn’t happen! I’m committed!While being there I was stuffed with litson (whole roasted pig, it’s a secret art how they get it perfectly on the bamboo pole and roasted golden ev-er-y single time!) deafened by firecrackers, and surprised by joy! God is so good!Somehow in the midst of sleepless nights and constant action I was more than rested, I was rejuvenated! Life is really something when it is lived past the borders. Sometimes I would sneak away in the dark and squat under the palm tree in the garden, a minute of listening to crickets, cicadas and bats worship in that sanctuary, a minute just sitting with my creator and salvation and I was full.God is more than good. He is always more, keep pressing in! The further in you go the bigger it gets, more deep, more wide and more FREE. He is GOOD.think about all that is contained in just the name Emmanuel, “God with us” God with us God with us God with us God With Us.... chew it over like a cowI love you all! Janelle
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