Save the Date

Dust off your passports and pack your bags!!  We are getting married and want to share our special day with you.  We have set a date and picked the perfect beach.  We can't wait to see you for a weekend of celebration in Cebu.

Twas a Few Weeks before Christmas

Twas a few weeks before Christmas and all through the malls
Gepher and Andrea were stirring up and down the halls

The merchandise was placed on the displays with care
In hopes that great sale shoppers soon would be there

Gepher and I were searching for flip flops in red
While visions of children’s excitement danced in our heads
Children’s shirts were thrown on the tables without care
Our hopes of finding the perfect gift would surely be there

   

And I with the generous donation and Gepher with the list
Begin choosing kid’s gifts with our hearts filled with bliss
Pink flip flops for the girls and red ones for the boys
Along with a new shirt and book that is sure to bring lots of joy

Sunday morning we wrapped the gifts up quick
Because after church the children would visited by “St. Nick”
More rapid than eagles to Bible class they came
I greeted each one and called them by name

Welcome Mary Joy, James, and Marvin
I’m so glad you are here today Joven
Everyone take a seat as today is a special day
We are going to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday

 

The children sat quietly as we read Luke 2,
The story of a Royal birth where a manger would do
“The Crippled Lamb” was the movie loved by all
The children’s handmade nativity scenes hung on the wall

No party would be complete without fun games
The children enjoyed “Jesus Bingo” with prizes of candy canes
As Bible class drew to an end,
The real fun and surprises were about to begin

The children moved to the auditorium full of glee
Their smiles, giggles, and laughter made everyone happy
“Santa” and the gifts magically appeared
As the “elves” begin to help and cheer

   

Each child’s name was called by “Santa” from his list
Santa’s “elves” made sure no one was missed
The smiles on their faces and laughter in the air
Are sights we’ll never forget and memories we’ll always share

The Christmas season is a time to celebrate and show God’s love
And blessings in abundance as all gifts come from above
For those He has called , who are called in His name
His promise of eternity is still the same

So join in the chorus and share with those who don’t know Him
Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Come Worship and Adore Him.

A Day in Paradise

The definition of Paradise is a state or place of extreme beauty, delight or happiness.  Plantation Bay is our little slice of Paradise.

   

Gepher and I spent a lot of time during my last trip teaching Bible classes, planning youth events, and Christmas celebrations for the kids and members of Naga.  On top of our ministry responsibilities we stayed busy with work, family time, and wedding plans.  This made for a very busy trip and one that did not leave much alone time for just the two of us.

   

We are strong believers in the importance of a date.  Its a chance for us to refuel our relationship and focus on what's important, our love for one another.  Plantation Bay was the perfect setting for the perfect date.

Gepher was the tour guide for the day.  He made sure we experienced every activity the resort had to offer.  We started our day playing in the salt water lagoon zipping down the twists and turns of the water slide.  Our afternoon wouldn't be complete without a little snorkeling and diving from the rock.  Gepher is definitely part fish.  He loves swimming with the fishes and pretending he is one. 

   

We capped our day off with a little kayaking.  The two of us are definitely not ready to enter any kayaking races.  Let's just say you can't get anywhere fast when you go in a circle.  In true gentleman fashion, Gepher took over the rowing and I enjoyed the ride up and down the salt water lagoon.

The day was absolutely perfect.  We enjoyed a slice of paradise as we reconnected and focused on one another.  We cannot wait to enjoy more slices of paradise as our future together unfolds.

The First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is America's preeminent day. It is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in the month of November.  For our family it’s a day to come together as a family with close friends and reflect on the bountiful blessings God has given us throughout the year.  This year our table looked like the First Thanksgiving feast.  We gathered around the table with close American friends in Cebu along with some special Filipinos.  Just as the Pilgrims celebrated with and were thankful for the Native Americans, we feel the same about our Filipino family here in Cebu.  This year I was excited to share this tradition with Gepher as we celebrated "The First Thanksgiving" together in Cebu.

   

Mom and I spent the day cooking together.  Cooking here is more of an adventure than when we cook together at home (as you never know if you can find all the ingredients or not); however, the outcome was just as good.  The kitchen was filled with the smells of home and the holidays.  Even being on the other side of the world it felt and smelled like Thanksgiving.  We had all the southern Thanksgiving staples on the table and even had a new addition...RICE!  Mom and I wanted to make sure there was at least one familiar item on the table for Gepher.  Gepher was very adventurous and tried every dish as it was passed around the table.  He actually got so full off of the Thanksgiving staples that he didn't even eat the rice!  (I believe this was the first time I'd ever seen him not eat rice at a meal.)  We had a wonderful night chatting with another American/Filipina couple, playing Thanksgiving trivia, and listening to the sounds of Bluegrass music. 

Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude to God, who's guidance and care go before us and who's love is with us forever.  Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the changes, to remember we, too, grow and change from one season of life to another.

This year Gepher and I have a lot to reflect on and be thankful for.  Of course we are thankful for one another but we are most thankful for the gift of prayer.  Without prayer we would not be together.  Without prayer we would not know God's plan for our lives.  And without prayer we would not have a relationship with our heavenly father.

Thank you God for the ways you have blessed our lives more than we ever asked or imagined.

She Said Yes!!

It was Tuesday night and it seemed like any ordinary Tuesday night (although looking back there were signs showing me otherwise).  Mom told me earlier in the week that Gepher had agreed to speak at devo and Meredith wanted to Skype in to hear him.  I found Meredith wanting to hear him a little odd considering the time difference; however, sweet and supportive which is what she has been to me lately.

That afternoon I popped my head in the room where Gepher was working on his lesson. He turned and looked at me from the desk and quickly said, "You can't come in here".  I thought, "What do you mean I can't come in here?"  He was dripping in sweat and obviously very nervous.  I didn't understand how he could be that nervous about devo (since he'd just spoken the week before with Raymond).  I told him I was not coming in but instead just making sure he was ready and didn't need anything.  He smiled the smile that melts my heart and went back to working.

People begin showing up at the house for devo.  Josh gets up to lead singing but there was no sign of Gepher.  I'm now beginning to wonder where he could be.  He's supposed to speak at devo, yet devo is starting and we have no speaker.  Finally I see him walking down the steps as Josh is leading the second or third song.  Then I get a text on my phone.  The text tells me to go up to the bedroom where he was and bring down what's in there.  At this point I'm real confused.  I text back asking am I to leave devo and get it?  He never responds back.

Gepher begins speaking on a topic that makes me remember just how God brought us together.  I immediately begin to wonder if he's about to use us as an object lesson.  I become a little nervous, unsure of what he's about to say or do.  I thought "surely he won't use us as an object lesson without warning me first?"  The lesson comes to an end and I begin to breathe a sigh of relief because he didn't use us as the object lesson.

What happens next is something I will never forget.  Gepher tells the group what he's about to do is very personal.  He begins to talk about how God intervened in his life and about that moment puts his hand deep into his pocket.  He takes a step to where I'm sitting and now I know he's up to something.  He drops down and asks me, "Will you spend the rest of your life with me?"  I immediately say "YES"!!  He then realizes he wasn't on one knee so he drops down to slip the ring onto my finger.

   

There were cheers coming from all over the room (and around the world).  Filipino culture doesn't always propose with a ring so I never dreamed Gepher would give me a ring.  We had been very private about our relationship and what God had been doing in our life, so I never imagined Gepher proclaiming his love to me in front of all our friends and family.  I'm so glad Gepher proposed with friends and family to witness.  It was the perfect time and place for us to declare our love for one another, our excitement for the future, and our thankfulness to God for what He is doing for us.

The Amazing Race

As Christians, the Hebrews' writer tells us we are running "The Amazing Race" every day.  Just like the reality show, there are challenges that hold you up and detours that cause you to make a choice and potentially throw you off track.  The producers of the hit reality show aren't too far off illustrating the life of a Christian (especially the life of a teenage Christian).

   

The 4 churches in the south of Cebu (Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga, and Toledo) gather every month for the youth to share in food, fellowship, and devotion.  It’s an event that is an important tradition for the young people of these churches.  On the first Sunday in November we had almost 60 young people excited about being together.  This ReCharge was centered on the race we as Christian's run every day.  We could not think of a better way to illustrate this than for the teens to participate in "The Amazing Race - ReCharge Edition".  When I think of "The Amazing Race", the first thought comes to mind are teams jet setting across the globe experiencing challenges and detours.  The ReCharge Edition was no different.  The teams didn't jet set across the world or take every mode of transportation possible, but the teens did run all over Naga completing tasks and detours.

   

Each pit stop had a Bible theme (and hopefully taught the teens a lesson).  The first pit stop was entitled "Order Up".  Here the teens were given the books of the New Testament and were asked to put them in order without the use a Bible.  I was amazed at how quickly teams were able to successfully complete the task.  It was obvious these teens had spent time in the word.  You can't have a relationship with our Heavenly Father if you aren't studying His word.  I was so excited to see these young people building their faith through His word.

  

The second pit stop was entitled "Jesus the Carpenter".  Here teams were given a small set of Lego’s.  They had to use the step by step instructions to build the car or helicopter.  Teams realized the better they worked together the more successful they would be.  They needed each team member’s help and support in order to complete the task.  This is very similar to our Christian walk.  We need our fellow Christians to help and support us along the "race".  Jesus was no different.  He had his disciples with him every step of the journey.

The third pit stop was entitled "Say What".  Here teams were given a scripture written in code.  They had to work together to decode it.  Of course the scripture was the theme of the day.  Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

 

The final pits stop was a Detour.  Here teams had to make a choice between "Run or Roll".  If they chose "Run" the team would be tied together 3 legged race style to race from one point to another.  If they chose "Roll" the team would select 2 players to wheel barrow from one point to another.  Of course one option would be much more difficult than another.  This is very similar to life.  Some choices we make are more difficult.

The teams raced all over Naga learning lessons about the Christian walk while having fun.  Everyone wanted to win and when it was over everyone was ready to race again.  I'm sure this won't be the last "Amazing Race - ReCharge Edition" the south of Cebu experiences.

Parents Meet the Parents

After the crazy adventure of "Meet the Parents", Gepher and I were prepared for anything with "Parents Meet the Parents" weekend.  This meeting didn't include any crazy van rides or cars that wouldn't start, instead it was filled with love and support as we begin to embark on this new journey together .

Philippine tradition is for the groom and his parents to come together to meet the bride's parents before the wedding.  In this meeting the parents typically discuss the plans for the wedding, pick a date, and the upcoming marriage.  It is important for both of us to accept and embrace one another's backgrounds and traditions as we form a blended family of two very different cultures.  This meeting was one of those traditions we didn't want to forget.

Gepher and Mom have a relationship that most fiances do not have with their to be mother-in-law.  He thinks of her as his second mom (and this was the case before the two of us were an "us").  This added a new dynamic to the meeting and one that made Mom a little nervous.  She didn't want to let either of us down; however, I knew she had nothing to worry about.

His parents came to our home for dinner on Friday night.  The girls had fixed a traditional Filipino meal that was delicious and enjoyed by all.  I wanted to do something special for the meal, so I baked a Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake.  I thought it was the perfect ending with a little taste of American cuisine as well.  Saturday night Gepher's family took us to a delicious Filipino restaurant.  Both dinners had a common theme, good food, good conversation, and a feeling of complete support filled with unconditional love.

Gepher and I obviously grew up in different homes with different traditions.  He grew up in a home where he is the oldest of 9 siblings.  I, on the other hand, grew up in a home as the oldest of two.  But despite these and other differences, we grew up with one thing in common.  We both grew up in a home where God was at the center, where family is important, and where parents love and support their children.  These are qualities we both are very thankful for, that make us who we are, and that we hope to make cornerstones in the family we will be building together.  We each are blessed to be welcomed into the other's family with open arms.  We could not ask for anything more.

Meet the Parents

Have you ever seen the movie "Meet the Parents"??  The thought of the movie definitely makes me laugh remembering of all the crazy tricks Robert De Niro's character put his to-be son-in-law through.  Luckily when Gepher took me to meet his parents, his dad was not a former CIA, there were no lie dector tests, and the beloved pet didn't go missing.  Even though our visit was not a script from this movie, it was definitely filled with many hillarious moments worthy of any good movie.

Gepher is from the island of Mindanao.  This island is located south of Cebu.  Its a beautiful island filled with trees, rice fields, mountains, and of course the sea.  Its also an island that is not visited much by Americans.  Every day in the Philippines is an adventure.  I knew this trip would be no different, especially knowing that Gepher and I were going to stand out in the crowd as we made our way to his parent's home.

Gepher was a true gentleman before we ever left.  He wanted to make sure I was comfortable the entire trip.  We decided to fly there and take the boat back.  I insisted that whatever he decided would be fine with me because he knew best.  We booked our tickets and were ready to go!

We arrived at the airport in Cebu and boarded the propeller jet bound for Dipolog.  Our adventure had begun!  When we landed in Dipolog we walked across the tarmac and through the airport to find a "taxi" to take us to the city where we could catch the bus.  Immediately we were swarmed with every tricycle driver  wanting to take our bags and us wherever we wanted to go.  I'm pretty sure Gepher has never experienced service like that...but this is what happens when you are traveling with the American in a place where she is in the minority.  Did I mention this level of service comes with a price???  Well...let's just say my being with Gepher in the tricycle made the price much more than a normal tricycle ride.

As we arrive at the bus terminal, we begin looking around for the air conditioned bus his mother told us to take.  A gentleman approached us and told Gepher there are no buses going to Ipil (the place his parents live) and we will need to take an air conditioned van.  He looks at me and says, "What do you think we should do?”  I give the same answer I will come to give the entire trip, "You are the expert here so whatever you think is fine with me.”  In the back of my head I can't help but think, "we are about to be taken advantage of.  I mean we are at a bus terminal and he's telling us there are no buses."  That just doesn't make sense to me...but I am in the Philippines and things don't work like they do at home, so we'll just go with it.

We get to the van and I climb in next to the window with Gepher sitting next to me..  This van is by no means what I'd call air conditioned.  The vents were ripped out and it was obvious the air hadn't run in a long time.  The only air conditioning this van had was 4-60 (4 windows rolled down going 60 miles per hour).  The gentleman selling tickets for the van is the same man who told us there were no buses.  I immediately look at Gepher and say "we just got bamboozled"!  He just smiled and said, "I think you may be right"!  As we wait for the van to fill up so we can leave, I think to myself this is going to be an interesting 3.5 hour ride.

An older gentleman comes to the van and climbs in the driver's seat.  His hair is everywhere; he's wearing really thick glasses and looks as if he just got out of bed.  He says something that I cannot understand.  Gepher whispers to me that he just said he was going to “test the accelerator”.  We both begin thinking why are you testing the accelerator and is this truly a good idea???  The van is finally full and we take off.  And for those of you wondering, the old man who was going to test the accelerator is our driver.  (I guess he figured he would test it while driving with a van full of passengers.)

We begin driving down the road and there is a little boy and his mother sitting behind us.  I begin to notice she is quickly rummaging through her purse.  And then I heard a noise. I knew exactly what it was…the little boy was getting sick and throwing up in a bag directly behind Gepher’s head.  It’s all I can do to keep it together.  I focus on looking out the window and trying to ignore what was happening just to make sure I wasn’t next!  The van stops and the mom and child get out. Thank goodness!!

We continue down the road to the half way mark of the trip.  The van stops at another bus terminal to drop off and pick up passengers.  Every street vendor within a 5 block radius begin coming over to our van.  I notice they aren’t trying to sell us anything but instead just looking in.  I knew immediately we were drawing a crowd!  They were amazed by my blue eyes, curly hair, and my being with Gepher.  The kept asking how we were related.  In order to keep the questions at a minimum Gepher told them we were married.  When he told me what he had told them, I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of our “wedding” happening on this crazy van ride!!

We finally pull out of the bus stop and head on down the road.  We stop along the way and pick up two passengers.  When we stop I look towards the back of the van and notice it is completely full.  I’m wondering where these two people are going to sit.  Well when they get in my question is quickly answered.  They sit next to Gepher and Gepher is now almost in my lap.  And the best part is these passengers must have been the town drunks and bathed in nothing but Jack Daniel’s.  They smelled like a terrible brewery and the more the talked the louder they got.

After a few more miles, the two town drunks got out and another man got in.  By this point it is raining.  The smell of dead fish begins to permeate the van.  I assume its coming from the sea outside.  With the rain blowing in and the smell of fish in the air, I decide to close the window.  All of a sudden I feel an elbow in my ribs.  That elbow is Gepher’s and he’s telling me to open the window back.  I tell him it smells out there and I’m getting wet.  With a straight face he tells me the smell is coming from the van!  The last man that got on brought his freshly caught dinner with him on a hook!!  I quickly opened up the window and bit my tongue not to laugh or draw any more attention to us.

After 5 hours, we finally make it to Ipil!!  I was never so glad to see two people I’d never met in all my life.  Talk about one crazy way to start our trip.  We climb in his parent’s van and I immediately felt welcomed.  It didn’t matter that my hair was curly and eyes were blue.  They welcomed me into their family for just who I was.  Their excitement for us was evident.

We spent the first night at the school where his mother is an English professor.  The next morning we explored the campus.  Gepher, JR (his 8 year old brother), and I hiked back to the school’s water falls.  His little brother was very quiet with me around; however, he did not want to miss anything with his big brother.  The waterfall was absolutely gorgeous sitting back amongst all the trees.  It was totally peaceful.


We left the school heading for his aunt’s house, where we were going to stay.  His mother was so excited to introduce me to every family member she could think of.  We stopped at the rice farm to meet family, met family we passed along the street, and even visited family in the hospital. I guess you can tell it was more than “meet the parents”.  It was more like “meet the clan”.  By the time we reached his aunt’s house, it was lunch time.  His mother and aunt were so sweet as they wanted to make sure they had foods I liked.  They asked would I be willing to cook spaghetti for the family for lunch.  So Gepher and I got in the kitchen together and cooked American spaghetti.  American spaghetti is very different from Filipino spaghetti; however, everyone enjoyed it.  JR had it all over his face so I’m pretty sure that said it all.

That night we had dinner at his parent’s house.  His sister had cooked up quite the feast for everyone.  Then it was picture time.  We had pictures made with everyone and everyone was laughing and having a great time.  Gepher later told me that he can only remember two other times in his life when they made pictures as a family.  I guess my coming was quite an event in the Lopina family.

The next morning his parents arrive to pick us up and take us to meet his grandparents.  We walk out to get in the van and to our surprise it will not start.  Mr. Lopina asks Gepher and JR to help him push it back and forth and back and forth to get it started.  In the back of my mind, I’m thinking is this really going to work?  All of a sudden Mr. Lopina asks me to come over and says “you know how to drive, right?”  I tell him of course and he asks me to climb in and start the car as they are pushing it back and forth and back and forth.  Well the family van is a manual and all I can drive is an automatice.  I ask him, “I’m suppose to push the clutch in when I try to start it, right?”  Immediately his dad has a look on his face as if to say I thought you knew how to drive.  You can tell he doesn’t think this is a good idea but he has to go with it now that he’s asked me.  They begin to push the car and I begin to start it; however, Gepher yells and says not now!  I’m thinking to myself, “you told me to start it when you push the car and you are pushing it so I thought I was to start it.”  They quickly decide I obviously don’t know the Filipino way of jumping a car off so I get out and JR (the 8 year old) gets into the driver’s seat.  His mother and I are sitting off to the side just laughing at the entire situation as the 3 Lopina men attempt to start the car.  As Gepher and his dad continue pushing the car back and forth, JR is able to get it started!!  I guess I’m not as smart as an 8 year old after all.

That day we had a lovely time playing with the kids in the front yard, playing cards, and just enjoying getting to know everyone better.  His sisters were planning dinner.  Everyone wanted to make sure they were cooking foods I liked.  They knew that American’s eat potatoes almost as much as Filipinos eat rice.  So because of this, they decided they needed to go to the market to get potatoes.  They asked Gepher and I to go along so we did.  (Don’t worry the car started this trip.)  We head to the market but to our surprise when we arrived they would not let us get out of the car.  So instead we sat in the car.  We both just laughed!!  We thought it was pretty funny that they asked us to go to the market but we never really went to the market.  We only got to see the market.  In the end we got the potatoes and I cooked mashed potatoes for everyone to go along with the fabulous dinner his sisters fixed.

The next morning his parents came to pick us up.  They were taking us to the bus terminal to head back to Cebu.  We climb in the car only for it not to start again!  This time as I’m sitting with his mom she is quickly telling his dad that it’s not funny this time.  I couldn’t help but laugh to myself as I thought this was the perfect way to end a crazy adventure.  We decide it best for us to just take a tricycle back to the bus terminal since the van won’t start.  So we climb into the tricycle and just as Gepher is getting in he notices it has a flat tire.  We climb back out and they get the van started; however, it too has a flat tire.  With all the craziness, his parents have decided they will just drive us to Dipolog to catch the boat.  We get the tire fixed and stop at his uncle’s house to see if they might have a spare.  They do not have a spare; therefore, his parents taking us to Dipolog is no longer an option.

His uncle offers for us to stay the night at his house and we can catch the bus in the morning.  Gepher asks what I’d like to do.  I tell him my infamous answer.  He walks up to the street and begins looking down the road.  I realize he’s watching for the bus.  The bus begins to approach and he franticly flags it down.  I grab our things and chase after him and the bus.  We climb on the bus and our only good bye is a wave from the window.
The trip back to Diplog was very uneventful and easy.  We make it back and head to the port to catch the boat.  Gepher thinks there is a 4:00 and 7:00 boat.  As we reach the port at 4:15 we see the boat sailing off in the distance.  To our surprise not only did we miss the boat but it’s the only one for the night!!  Looks like we are either spending the night in Dipolog or swimming back to Cebu.  We chose the first option and found a nice Inn to spend the night.  The ladies at the Inn were also very curious about us so we stuck with our story...we are married.  If she only knew we got married on the "van".

The next morning we made our way back to the pier bright and early.  Since we weren’t sure when the boat left we figured we’d rather be safe than sorry.  As we arrive, the security guard tells us the boat will not leave until noon.  We decide to just wait and walk into the terminal.  There is a boat parked at the pier and I ask Gepher where that boat is going.  He isn’t sure so he asks the gentleman mopping the floors of the terminal.  The gentleman tells us the boat is heading for Cebu and for us to hurry and get on it.  So he unlocks the door.  (The lock was a piece of rope wound around the doors.)  We run out of the terminal and onto the boat.  The boat begins to sail off and I look at Gepher and say, “we just took travel advice from the janitor and never once asked anyone on this boat where its going.”  We both laugh at the thought we could end up anywhere in the Philippines and we don’t even have a ticket for it.  Luckily they announce over the intercom that the boat is going to Cebu and we bought our tickets on board.  We finally made it back to Cebu.

To say meeting his parents for the first time was memorable is an understatement.  I’m not sure if the van ride or the car not starting or missing the boat was more memorable.  I do know that the warmth, love, and acceptance I felt was something I will never forget. 

Gepher has a wonderful family and I am blessed to become a part of it.  If this is any indication as to how our life will be together...I'm sure we are in for one BIG ADVENTURE!

Carnival in a Suitcase

I bet you didn't know that everything you need for a children's Carnival can fit in a suitcase.  You are probably thinking there is no way an entire Carnival will fit in one suitcase.  But in fact it will.  Let me tell you just how much joy and fun this one suitcase brought to children across Cebu.

One Saturday afternoon I ran into the party store to get a gift I had seen earlier for my niece.  I knew exactly where it was and I thought this would be a super quick errand.  Boy was I wrong.  When I got into the store everything had been rearranged from the last time I had shopped there.  As I walked up and down every aisle looking for the sock monkey, I came across the "Carnival Party" aisle.  Seeing the games and prizes I instantly thought it would be so much fun to do a Bible themed carnival for the kids of Naga.  Standing in the store, I decided every game could have a Bible theme and the children could win small prizes and candy at each booth.  We could tell a Bible story before the carnival and sing fun songs.  The longer I stood in that aisle the more fun I thought this carnival was going to be and the more anixous I got to tell Gepher my big idea!!

That night I could hardly contain my excitement as I talked with Gepher online.  I told him we could play "Jonah and Whale Ring Toss" and "Pin the Nose on Noah's Lions" and "David's Slingshot" and many others.  That night I did most of the talking and he did more listening.  At the end he asked, so what's a carnival exactly?  He was in for a BIG SURPRISE as I began explaining more.   





When I landed in Cebu I could hardly wait to unpack all the games, supplies, and prizes for Gepher to finally see what was in store for the kids of Naga.  I don't think it was until this moment that he got it.  We had a total of 10 games each with a Bible theme.  The games ranged in difficulty level and all had a Bible theme.  We had "Fisher's of Men Fishing Pond", "Moses's Snake Pit", "Pin the Nose on Noah's Lions", "Jericho Walls Come Down", "Creation Bulls Eye", "David's Slingshot", and a few others.  We had over 1000 prizes that the children could win at each booth.  The children would either win a prize or a piece of candy.  The two of us got more excited as we talked.  We tried the games out played them as if we were 6 years old.  It wasn't until this moment that Gepher realized my "crazy idea" was bigger and more work than he imagined.  (I think at this moment he had wished he asked more questions.) 

On the day of the carnival we had a team of 20 teenagers and young people to help us set up and run the games.  The sun was shinning and the temperatures were rising but nothing was going to stop the fun.  Gepher and the Naga ministers had gone out inviting all the children from both church and the surrounding neighborhood a couple weeks earlier.  We planned for 80 kids.  After a quick explanation of each game to the team we made our way to the Elementary school yard to set up for the event.

When we arrived at the location the real work began.  Before we could set up each of the booths, the ground needed to be cleared of all the trash and weeds.  It was important that it was a safe area for the kids to enjoy and play.  As we began sitting up the games, the children came from all over the neighborhood.  We had children coming from all directions.  Some came alone and others came with their parents.  Everyone was running, laughing, and patiently awaiting what was about to happen.  Shelou and Crystal were great at getting every child a name tag while several of the boys served as crowd control.  It wasn't long that we ran out of the 100 name tags we have brought.  We ended up with 120 kids (and for those of you who may have forgotten we only planned for 80).

The afternoon began with singing under the tree.  Filipino children love to sing...especially the animated songs.  Listening to these kids praise God and watching their expressions was simply awesome.  Gepher told the story of David and Goliath.  He is an amazing story teller.  He captivated the audience through the flannel and different voices for each of the characters.  The children (and adults) were so quiet you could have heard a pin drop (and remember we were outside with LOTS of distractions).  The children hung on every word he said, anxiously awaiting to hear if David would kill Goliath.  As I stood back looking at the children and seeing the mother's faces as they listened to the story, I realized that some of these children (and parents) were hearing a Bible story for the first time.  That moment made carrying the suitcase from the otherside of the world worth the effort.

As the children said "AMEN" we followed the prayer with the moment everyone had been waiting for.   Let the Games Begin!!  The children had the look of Christmas morning on their faces.  It was as if Santa had brought a gift they had never seen but couldn't wait to begin playing with and discovering everything about it.  The smiles and sounds of children's laughter filled the neighborhood.  They could have been heard from miles away. 

Every child had the chance to play every game once.  And they loved every minute of it.  They couldn't wait to see what number fish they caught at the "Fisher's of Men Fishing Pond" with Earlie and Mom.  They wanted to kock down Goliath with Fred at "David's Slingshot".  They wanted to nail the bulls eye at "Creation's Bulls Eye".  I'm not sure if they had more fun knocking the pins down or watching Clark and Shelou set them up at "Jericho's Walls". The children loved playing every game and no one wanted to see the fun end.

Following the events of the day, each child received a snack of a sandwich, chips, cookie, and drink (which they shared with a friend due to the crowd multiplying).  We not only wanted to feed the soul of the kids but also their little bodies.  The laughter was quickly replaced with "YUMS" and showing their friends and parents all the neat goodies they won.

One little girl told me it was the "best day of my whole life".  WOW, I couldn't believe that God used me to bring this little girl her best day ever.  God also used that little girl to put things back into perspective for me.  He reminded me that Jesus loves the children and when we do for the least of these we do for Him.  

Our carnvial was such a success we couldn't stop with just one.  We went on to have the same event in two other parts of Cebu, Danao and Minglanilla.  Each of these were just as special and exciting.  In all we had about 300 kids come through the carnival, hear one Bible story (maybe for the first time), and experience the love of Jesus.

After all 3 Carnvials Gepher told me that my idea might have been "crazy" but one that will become a tradition in children's ministry across Cebu.  I can't wait to see what next year's Carnival has in store!!