Monday, July 14, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Boracay the Third
The day before our flight to boracay we are chanting "rain, rain go away come again another week, josh and joy want to getaway" because the previous week has been raining almost everyday.
And the week before our planned vacation in boracay, the Philippines was visited by a strong typhoon that hit the province of Aklan so badly. Boracay is part of that province so when some friends heard that we are planning to go there they were discouraging us because in the news it was really devastated. But still we went, and we are glad that we did. When we arrived it was a bit cloudy and the tide is high and there was lots of tossed leaves and other remnants of the storm on the shore. But when it was about noon the tide receded and people started clearing the garbage out. And by afternoon it was already cleared.
We stayed in a boutique hotel named Zuzuni, it only has 4 rooms and the first floor is a Greek restaurant. Their rooms are nice and they have lots of freebies. They also have a nice spot by the beach which has several coconut trees that gives a nice shade. And also the staff were very courteous and so helpful, you don't need to ask them they will serve you (like they will give us beach towels when we are on the beach, and give us cold water even if we didn't ask for it). We are treated nicely here... so far better than the first resort we were in last December.
We decided to make our trip simple by not doing much.
The first thing we did was to go to Jona's and have shakes, they have the best shake in the island and you can choose from varieties of flavor.
" I'm so loving my banana choco peanut shake..."
" hmmmm....how about banana choco peanut shake plus banana papaya shake..."
"yuck!!!!!!!"
"It doesn't sound that bad..."
"yeah, it tastes weird"
The next thing we did was to walk along the beautiful white beach. Then we stopped by Fridays Boracay ( the resort where we stayed during our honeymoon), it is located in the best part of boracay and it is so nice to just sit there and enjoy a cold drink.
Then another thing i love in boracay is the sunset. It is just so beautiful to watch...
The second day, Josh needs to spend time working... and i, as usual I acquired some rashes to nurse. I think i have developed some allergic reaction to the sea water or something in it because everytime i go into the water i will itch a lot and then i will have this inflammed rashes that will last for a week. Josh was firm that i can't go into the water this day and i just need to do things that won't require me in the water, so of course it won't stop me from having fun in the beach... We stayed by in the beach in a comfy beach chair and read a book, Josh does both working and reading alternately. There will be some vendors selling pearls and Josh let me enjoy haggling with vendors and shopping for some pearls.
Josh at work, not on a usual cubicle in the office though...
in the afternoon went kayaking. It was fun because the water is so calm and the water is shallow that we can stop over coral reefs and watch small fishes.
After kayaking we saw two dogs playing catch with their trainer.
Then we went strolling on the beach while we wait for the sunset.
Josh catch a small crab for me to...
...snack on. yummy!
after i decided that the little crab deserves to live a longer we decided to climb the rock that was in the other part of the beach, the tide was so low that the rock is accessible without swimming to go there.
We are trying to take picture together and not to fall at same time.
the sunset that day was really beautiful but unfortunately our camera run out of battery so this is the last picture we got that day... totally missed taking great photo of the sunset.
Our third day was really fun though Josh needs to work in the morning. While working i decided to have a my hair braided and also convinced josh to have his hair braided. Josh is very lenient in giving almost all my whims to play with his hairs.
We both feel and look weird though after we have our hair braided. We weren't able to pull it off well. But for the sake of remembrance we took pictures of how we loooked like...
We let the braid stay and just wear bandanas.
On our last night Josh need to work more so i left in the restaurant to work while tried to work on not spending too much shopping. I love bargains and i found several nice items for such a very low price. I bought Joshua a necklace, the pendant i choose can actually be separated into two so the lady selling the necklace said she can make the necklace into two for a price of one. That was really a good buy.. So we have a cool matching necklace...
And the week before our planned vacation in boracay, the Philippines was visited by a strong typhoon that hit the province of Aklan so badly. Boracay is part of that province so when some friends heard that we are planning to go there they were discouraging us because in the news it was really devastated. But still we went, and we are glad that we did. When we arrived it was a bit cloudy and the tide is high and there was lots of tossed leaves and other remnants of the storm on the shore. But when it was about noon the tide receded and people started clearing the garbage out. And by afternoon it was already cleared.
We stayed in a boutique hotel named Zuzuni, it only has 4 rooms and the first floor is a Greek restaurant. Their rooms are nice and they have lots of freebies. They also have a nice spot by the beach which has several coconut trees that gives a nice shade. And also the staff were very courteous and so helpful, you don't need to ask them they will serve you (like they will give us beach towels when we are on the beach, and give us cold water even if we didn't ask for it). We are treated nicely here... so far better than the first resort we were in last December.We decided to make our trip simple by not doing much.
The first thing we did was to go to Jona's and have shakes, they have the best shake in the island and you can choose from varieties of flavor.
" I'm so loving my banana choco peanut shake..."
" hmmmm....how about banana choco peanut shake plus banana papaya shake..."
"yuck!!!!!!!"
"It doesn't sound that bad..."
"yeah, it tastes weird"The next thing we did was to walk along the beautiful white beach. Then we stopped by Fridays Boracay ( the resort where we stayed during our honeymoon), it is located in the best part of boracay and it is so nice to just sit there and enjoy a cold drink.
Then another thing i love in boracay is the sunset. It is just so beautiful to watch...
The second day, Josh needs to spend time working... and i, as usual I acquired some rashes to nurse. I think i have developed some allergic reaction to the sea water or something in it because everytime i go into the water i will itch a lot and then i will have this inflammed rashes that will last for a week. Josh was firm that i can't go into the water this day and i just need to do things that won't require me in the water, so of course it won't stop me from having fun in the beach... We stayed by in the beach in a comfy beach chair and read a book, Josh does both working and reading alternately. There will be some vendors selling pearls and Josh let me enjoy haggling with vendors and shopping for some pearls.
Josh at work, not on a usual cubicle in the office though...
in the afternoon went kayaking. It was fun because the water is so calm and the water is shallow that we can stop over coral reefs and watch small fishes.
After kayaking we saw two dogs playing catch with their trainer.
Then we went strolling on the beach while we wait for the sunset.
Josh catch a small crab for me to...
...snack on. yummy!after i decided that the little crab deserves to live a longer we decided to climb the rock that was in the other part of the beach, the tide was so low that the rock is accessible without swimming to go there.
We are trying to take picture together and not to fall at same time.
the sunset that day was really beautiful but unfortunately our camera run out of battery so this is the last picture we got that day... totally missed taking great photo of the sunset.Our third day was really fun though Josh needs to work in the morning. While working i decided to have a my hair braided and also convinced josh to have his hair braided. Josh is very lenient in giving almost all my whims to play with his hairs.
We both feel and look weird though after we have our hair braided. We weren't able to pull it off well. But for the sake of remembrance we took pictures of how we loooked like...
We let the braid stay and just wear bandanas.
On our last night Josh need to work more so i left in the restaurant to work while tried to work on not spending too much shopping. I love bargains and i found several nice items for such a very low price. I bought Joshua a necklace, the pendant i choose can actually be separated into two so the lady selling the necklace said she can make the necklace into two for a price of one. That was really a good buy.. So we have a cool matching necklace...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Encouragement from a Friend
One of my friends here in Manila, Ochelle, is the husband of one of my wife's closest friends. Whenever we get together Ochelle and I wind up talking about the bible and theology for a long period of time and after this most recent one he encouraged me to write down thoughts on some of the things we discussed about theology and the bible.
So here is one that I've been thinking about for a while (and will keep thinking about for a while): Covenants.
I have been teaching through Genesis with the church youth in Manila and when coming across the account of the rainbow and the Noahic covenant I tried to think of how to boil down the idea of covenant into a simple idea. What I know of covenants is that it is a common Ancient Near Eastern practice which used certain forms to make a binding relationship between people. And when God makes a covenant he seems to often link the covenant promise with some physical reminder (e.g. Noahic covenant to not destroy the world uses the rainbow as its sign), and that physical sign seems to be linked very closely to the subject of the relationship. So with Noah, the reminder that God will not destroy the earth with a flood is linked to something seen while it is raining. When Abraham had a covenant that his progeny would become a great nation, it is the physical bit related to having kids that gets clipped.
However there seem to be some aspects of covenants that are overstated/misunderstood. Some people think of covenants as a special spiritual contract invented by God particularly for use in spiritual things. But that doesn't seem to be the case. In what we know of Ancient Near Eastern cultures around the time of Abraham, there was already well established customs of contractual relationships referred to as covenants, and many regular people throughout biblical history used covenants for non-spiritual agreements. Now the first time we come across the term is Genesis 6:18 where God is initiating the Noahic covenant. And we have very little historical evidence of anything that far back so it is difficult to say anything for certain about whether God created the covenant and people used it or whether people made covenants and God used it. But what we see elsewhere in the Bible is that God goes out of his way to communicate his intentions and character in culturally meaningful ways. God communicates to people in their own language and culture his character and plans; and in this appropriation of popular culture He changes it. So it seems most likely that God appropriated a common aspect of the culture and used it for His own purposes rather than the opposite since we have evidence for that and not for the other.
Related to this is what seems like an unnecessary enumeration of covenants, in which theologians call every significant relationship of God a covenant. Here Genesis 3:15 is called the adamic covenant despite the term covenant never being used of this divine statement. This follows a well-defined "curse" form and despite grace being seen in the midst of the curse, it doesn't somehow become a covenant because God is promising grace. An even greater reach is that some theologians refer to the triune relationship of God, in particular the hierarchy of the Trinity (the Father sends the Son who sends the Spirit) as a covenant.
So why should this matter? After all God's promises will come true, covenant or not? And God's chosen relational hierarchies will be upheld, covenant or not? So why should we care? Well, when you understand something as an organizing element to scripture and apply those expectations to passages and doctrines that are not naturally part of that concept you add ideas and focus to scriptures and doctrines that weren't intended to be emphasised by God. And that is a dangerous skew of scripture. It can cloud important meaning, or even add meaning that is not there and thus create bad interpretations.
So here is one that I've been thinking about for a while (and will keep thinking about for a while): Covenants.
I have been teaching through Genesis with the church youth in Manila and when coming across the account of the rainbow and the Noahic covenant I tried to think of how to boil down the idea of covenant into a simple idea. What I know of covenants is that it is a common Ancient Near Eastern practice which used certain forms to make a binding relationship between people. And when God makes a covenant he seems to often link the covenant promise with some physical reminder (e.g. Noahic covenant to not destroy the world uses the rainbow as its sign), and that physical sign seems to be linked very closely to the subject of the relationship. So with Noah, the reminder that God will not destroy the earth with a flood is linked to something seen while it is raining. When Abraham had a covenant that his progeny would become a great nation, it is the physical bit related to having kids that gets clipped.
However there seem to be some aspects of covenants that are overstated/misunderstood. Some people think of covenants as a special spiritual contract invented by God particularly for use in spiritual things. But that doesn't seem to be the case. In what we know of Ancient Near Eastern cultures around the time of Abraham, there was already well established customs of contractual relationships referred to as covenants, and many regular people throughout biblical history used covenants for non-spiritual agreements. Now the first time we come across the term is Genesis 6:18 where God is initiating the Noahic covenant. And we have very little historical evidence of anything that far back so it is difficult to say anything for certain about whether God created the covenant and people used it or whether people made covenants and God used it. But what we see elsewhere in the Bible is that God goes out of his way to communicate his intentions and character in culturally meaningful ways. God communicates to people in their own language and culture his character and plans; and in this appropriation of popular culture He changes it. So it seems most likely that God appropriated a common aspect of the culture and used it for His own purposes rather than the opposite since we have evidence for that and not for the other.
Related to this is what seems like an unnecessary enumeration of covenants, in which theologians call every significant relationship of God a covenant. Here Genesis 3:15 is called the adamic covenant despite the term covenant never being used of this divine statement. This follows a well-defined "curse" form and despite grace being seen in the midst of the curse, it doesn't somehow become a covenant because God is promising grace. An even greater reach is that some theologians refer to the triune relationship of God, in particular the hierarchy of the Trinity (the Father sends the Son who sends the Spirit) as a covenant.
So why should this matter? After all God's promises will come true, covenant or not? And God's chosen relational hierarchies will be upheld, covenant or not? So why should we care? Well, when you understand something as an organizing element to scripture and apply those expectations to passages and doctrines that are not naturally part of that concept you add ideas and focus to scriptures and doctrines that weren't intended to be emphasised by God. And that is a dangerous skew of scripture. It can cloud important meaning, or even add meaning that is not there and thus create bad interpretations.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
a series of unfortunate events
This series of unfortunate events started way back two years ago when my sister went to our Alma Mater to get a Transcript of record. Well she wasn't able to get it because UNFORTUNATELY it takes two months for our University registrar to print a copy of any records we want. And unfortunately my sister's vacation here in Philippines was only for three weeks so she can't possible wait for it. So she asked me to get it for her but when i was about to get it UNFORTUNATELY they just implemented a new rule that any representative should present a power of attorney before any documents can be released. So i wasn't able to get it. Then after a few months my sister send me the Power of Attorney but UNFORTUNATELY by this time i was in a far away city working and can't find time to go to the university. And at this time also i was busy getting to know Joshua (which i think a very fortunate event). Then two years passed and she needs the TOR now, so i need to get it for her. It took me a month of convincing myself to go and face the challenge of our University absurd system.
So last Friday (after josh has dragged me to do it) i went back to our old University. I arrived at the registrar and there was only a few people in line so i thought it would be easy, but UNFORTUNATELY when there were only two people in front of me the window closed for lunch break. So i waited for an hour and when my turn came UNFORTUNATELY the lady incharged of releasing the paper won't give it to me because request was so long ago already and send me to the other office where they keep old records. So i went there and asked for my sister's paper, but UNFORTUNATELY there was no light in that office becasue the electrical wiring was busted. UNFORTUNATELY our government gives little budget to state universities so they don't have fund to buy an emergency light, or i think it is just plain unresourcefulness so that employees has a reason not to work! Anyway, i tried to talk to them and explain that i live in a the province (technically our place is in the province already, so i'm not lying) and that it so hard for me to go back again to manila and that i don't have time to go back again etc. etc, just to at least stir their heart and be moved to help me, but UNFORTUNATELY they were not moved...
My sister need two copies but UNFORTUNATELY they will only issue one copy at a time. So i need to request for another copy and spent another UNFORTUNATE 4 hours to finish the process.
After my Unfortunate time at my Alma Mater I decided to meet my friend at a mall to unwind before i head home. By this the time i had enough of UNFORTUNATE events already but i think that day was really my bad day becasue while im trying to unwind my wallet was almost got stolen from me... well a little girl decided to get my wallet from my bag and keep it for herself, but FORTUNATELY i was able to catch her and get my wallet back... and this last event concluded my very frustrating and unfortunate day.
This series of unfortunate events will be continued after 2 months...
So last Friday (after josh has dragged me to do it) i went back to our old University. I arrived at the registrar and there was only a few people in line so i thought it would be easy, but UNFORTUNATELY when there were only two people in front of me the window closed for lunch break. So i waited for an hour and when my turn came UNFORTUNATELY the lady incharged of releasing the paper won't give it to me because request was so long ago already and send me to the other office where they keep old records. So i went there and asked for my sister's paper, but UNFORTUNATELY there was no light in that office becasue the electrical wiring was busted. UNFORTUNATELY our government gives little budget to state universities so they don't have fund to buy an emergency light, or i think it is just plain unresourcefulness so that employees has a reason not to work! Anyway, i tried to talk to them and explain that i live in a the province (technically our place is in the province already, so i'm not lying) and that it so hard for me to go back again to manila and that i don't have time to go back again etc. etc, just to at least stir their heart and be moved to help me, but UNFORTUNATELY they were not moved...
My sister need two copies but UNFORTUNATELY they will only issue one copy at a time. So i need to request for another copy and spent another UNFORTUNATE 4 hours to finish the process.
After my Unfortunate time at my Alma Mater I decided to meet my friend at a mall to unwind before i head home. By this the time i had enough of UNFORTUNATE events already but i think that day was really my bad day becasue while im trying to unwind my wallet was almost got stolen from me... well a little girl decided to get my wallet from my bag and keep it for herself, but FORTUNATELY i was able to catch her and get my wallet back... and this last event concluded my very frustrating and unfortunate day.
This series of unfortunate events will be continued after 2 months...
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Churh activities that we been to...
(i know this is a very bad photo, but this is the latest picture we got together taken last June 7, 2008 during our church Family Day) A couple of weeks ago Dr. Waters, our missionary and josh's professor in DTS came for a short visit at our church. I have known him and his family all my life and his ministry in the Philippines has impacted me a lot. We had fun talking to him and his wife, and we are so encouraged by their advice and encouragement. And of course josh and i got lots of teasing from them (as you all know Dr. Waters is the one that brought Josh to the Philippines couple of years ago to do mission work at our church and that is also the time we got to know each other). Actually last June 9, was the 2nd year anniversary of day Josh and I first met... not really romantic meeting but that was the start of our love story.
Mary Waters and ate Carol Quimson
We also had a family day last June 7. We went to small resort in Antipolo City, it is situated in a high area that has a nice view of the metropolitan.
Josh and I were in charge of the youth group. Josh talked about unity and harmony in the body of Christ and incorporated games to illustrate his points. It was a fun activity...
Then we also had a baptism and about a dozen got baptized... mostly young people.
and after the baptism all the children and young people got crazy in the pool playing...
Then June 8, My uncle Felix got ordained as a pastor. Uncle Felix Jacome is my Aunt Ceres' (my dad's sister) husband. I am close to this couple since I see them practically every Sunday while im growing up until now. He has been involved in the church for a long time and four years ago he left his secular job and just has a small business and studied Pastoring in a bible school. Now he is committing himself to being a full-time pastor.
My dad and his 3 other brothers are pastors. My dad was the first one to be called to be a pastor, then my uncle Melvin (who took over my dad's ministry in our town when we move to manila), then my uncle Levi who was a deacon of our church before then when he moved to Angono - he started a bible study there that eventually became a church, then my uncle Dante he was just helping uncle Melvin and leading a bible study, then this bible study also became a small church. There was a long running joke in the family that auntie Ceres, since she's next in line, should also be a pastor (but of course that wont happen)... but when uncle Felix decided to be a pastor the joke somewhat came true...
During the ordination josh was invited to be one of the ordinating council to interrogate uncle levi. He asked couple of question and then after the church service they lay hands and pray for Pastor Felix.
Our church has a new contructed area for the youth. In the photo below is the dedication of that area.
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