making up for lost time

Thursday:
We (my fellow intern and I) were shown around town and how to use the public transportation (tricycles and jeepneys) by the lady who is in charge of hosting us. We had a wonderful time and visited the two big malls/department stores downtown. All the biggest music hits from the States played over the intercom as we hunted for bargains. I bought some stylish house-shoes (flip-flops or slip-on's designated for indoor-use only to keep feet from getting dusty on the tiles, the common practice here) for less than $1.50 and a wallet for about the same. We picked up a few other misc. items as well and had a great time taking in the sights and sounds of the city.
Once we got home and had just sat down to a wonderful dinner, a brownout happened, so we had a candlelit dinner and dishwashing episode before the electricity came back on!

my "house-slippers" :)

Friday:
In the morning we prayed with the Ate I mentioned before and we went to the campus to follow some cultural protocol, submitting a letter announcing our presence to the chancellor of the university and stopping by a few different academic offices. (Two white girls on campus in close-knit communities like this one can create a little but of suspicion, so we wanted to pay our respects to those in authority.) It was wonderful to meet some of the staff of the Social Sciences department, to meet some of the anthropology teachers was a treat!
In the afternoon my fellow intern and I ventured back to the city via our trial run on public transit. Going there went smoothly enough! :) We felt very triumphant at the time. Walking the malls was fun, we even stopped at Dunkin' Donuts (because we couldn't find an ice cream stand that sold our favorite flavor: Ube, made of a purple kind of yam). It's a small world after all!Coming back was a bit of an adventure, but we made it back "home" just fine and settled down to another wonderful dinner!

Saturday:
Northwesterner + warm ocean water + white sand + eating fresh coconut + hiking the cliffs + amazing company = 1 happy camper! Part of the team headed out to the beach for a day of rest and relaxation. I was able to talk with some of the team members individually and at length, and felt honored to have time to be able to build and strengthen my relationship with them. I also got my first coconut all to myself! I was able to drink most of the milk and then eat the meat....oh, so sweet....nothing like it in the states!

The women from the team and I drinking from our coconuts! Bottoms up! (I am second from the left in the back, in case you are not gifted with coconut-exray vision.)

Chacos = a necessity of life these days.

A few of us took off on an adventure walking the beach, hiking the cliffs and rocks, and swimming. Honestly, I came to the beach feeling empty inside. We had left the house early before I could do my devotions and reflection and I was drained from all the adjustments, even though they didn't seem particularly upsetting in any way individually. I left the beach in refreshed, thanking God for the beauty of His creation and marveling at the kinship found in His people, but more on that later....
I was bushed at about 7pm, which normally would not be a big concern except that tonight was a special night: it was one of the overseas worker's birthdays! The big 3-0 to be precise! Tradition in this culture is to sing outside her bedroom window late on the night before her birthday. She is very beloved among the team members, and we were all excited to surprise her with our serenading! Some of the other team mates went and bought delicacies from this country while I ripped open some packets of chocolate chip cookie mix from home (thanks dad!) and we prepared a small feast of desserts and practiced some songs to sing. About 10 of us loaded up in a pickup and took off back into the city, filed into her courtyard, and sang her awake at midnight. She loved it! She was so excited, and everyone was thrilled to celebrate with her! We went inside, ate, and fellowshipped for over an hour! I don't know how I managed to stay awake! Well, truth be told, I didn't on the way home... ;)

Sunday:
Today my fellow intern and I went to service with the birthday girl and a few other team members! The worship was amazing, the songs full of truth. The building and grounds were a beautiful facility and the main room was even equipped with Power Point! The topic of message series was entitled "Portraits of Believers." Today as part of it, a woman from the congregation shared her testimony, which was incredible to hear (both from a faith and anthropological standpoint for me). The remainder of the message was a study on the lives of two figures: Stonewall Jackson and James Cash Penny (J.C. Penny). I thought that was fascinating! The relationship between my country and this one is very convoluted sometimes, I think, and its intricacies never cease to surprise me! There are also some beautiful prayer rooms open for use, and I look forward to taking advantage of them sometime.
The birthday celebration continued with lunch at a restaurant in the mall and a visit to the cinema. "Night at the Museum 2" was playing (hilarious, by the way) and the theater was freezing! People wandered in and out during the showing. As the movie continuously plays all day, people in this city are often not particular about starting and ending times and many find no problem coming in late and staying during the next showing until they have seen the beginning. Ah, polychronic and high context culture at its finest! :)
Afterward, we headed to a elite coffee shop in town where we met most of the director's family and had a wonderful time of fellowship.

Reflection:
First, the people in this culture certainly know how to have fun! Perpetual joking and playful banter is always, always in order and accompanied with much laughter! I love it!
The team here is wonderful! As I have been spending most of my time with the national team members, I have been overwhelmed with their kindness, generosity, and open hearts. They have gone above and beyond in making me feel accepted, protected, and loved for who I am. They have already given me great guidance and watching the way they live their lives fully for Him is a privilege for me.
It makes me in awe of the God who makes us family. Cultures may be different, languages may be many, personalities may be diverse, but His light is always blazingly recognizable, sanctifying us and turning us into kindred spirits. When I look into the smiling faces of the 8 or 10 different team members I have gotten to know, each and every one is so beautiful to me--His warmth is in their smiles, His hope, love, and strength is in their eyes.

As I have been communing with God, I marvel at His omniscience. He is my home, because He has been with me every moment of my life and knows me better than I know myself. What struck me is that it is the same with the team members here. He understands them within a culture which I will never fully grasp; He has been with them every step of the way, too. It is difficult for me to truly express the insight He gave me in words, but suffice to say He knows each one of us completely within our own context and His goodness to us has no limits. This is such a simple, yet magnificent reason to praise Him with exuberance! He is the Most High, and He is the Maker of complexity and the Overseer of all; He delights in His creation and knows it intimately. He is the God full of miracles and wonder, bringing people from the nations to Himself and blessing them even more by giving them to one another.