Thanksgiving

We have much to be thankful for today. We are thankful for our God first of all and for his salvation through Jesus. We are thankful for each other and the joy of being husband and wife. We are thankful for our families that they love us and support us. We are thankful for our friends and the love they also give.

We praise God for each one of you and thank Him that we have the hope that one day we will all meet again and share fellowship around a table. We hope you in America that are celebrating the holiday will have a wonderful day and that you will remember to thank our Great God for His many blessings. "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever" (Psalm 136.1). Thank You, Lord!

Spirit Week #2

This week was spirit week at the high school. There was so much excitement after students' P.E. class that I could hardly start my Bible class. I decided to go with the flow and just get a photo of the craziness!

Each day there was a different theme, like "hair and face day" or "pirate day" or "mis-match day". I didn't participate since I work at both schools and also because it is hard to be taken seriously when I look like a pirate or have on a blonde wig.

The craziest thing was that the students raised money for local ministires by having various activities. The main attraction was that if they could raise 1000 Pesos in Miss Walsh's jar, she would have to eat balut! It was almost as crazy as the time last year when they raised money to make me eat a live fish!

You must know that BALUT is the infamous food of the Philippines. Everyone who is a newcomer gets asked, "Have you tried balut?" A guy rides a bike around the neighborhood and honks a horn selling the delicacy (enjoyed by the locals). Balut is...are you ready for this....a partially developed cooked duck egg. Inside you can see the bird forming and it is gross!

My good friend Miss Walsh gave the students their money's worth when she screamed and jumped and made all kinds of faces. I was just glad it wasn't me they were trying to feed balut to! Don't worry, in a few weeks is the carnival and my 7th graders are voting to get me dumped with goop. Stay tuned for more adventures in the Philippines....

A Day At Sea

I want to show you pictures from our day at sea last Saturday. Captain Larry took us on his yacht, which he and his wife sailed to the Philippines all the way from Washington state! He has quite the stories to tell and is joyful to be serving the Lord with his boat.
One of the reasons we went to sea was to get some water safety training. Since we live right on the bay and go to sea regularly it would be great to have this training. Being teachers gives us the chance to lead students and save lives! Here Nate gets training on how to work the boat.
We learned about the various lifejackets available, and how if you don't have one you can blow up baloons and put them in a garbage bag. We learned how to drag someone through the water and how to jump ship if we ever need to "abandon ship." You must keep your eyes to the shoreline and keep your legs straight holding your nose with one hand and lifejacket with the other hand.

It was fun to climb the mast and look out over the ocean. We also got to smell spices like Nutmeg and cinnamon, which the captain and his wife got from the spice islands! That is where the spices originated! I have a photo but it is not loading, so I better go. But thanks for journeying with us on a day at sea!

Recent Happenings

Hello from the Philippines!

We have some pictures to show you of this past week, but until we get those loaded we just wanted to tell you in brief what the recent happenings have been in the Becker lives.

#1--The High School went on Outdoor Education while Nate and I took a one week modular on Special Education.

#2--The high school returned and I realized how much I missed them! (More updates in an email on what God did later)

#3--November 1--No School--All Saint's Day. This is a Philippine holiday where the whole family camps out at the grave of the deceased relatives. It is like 4th of July, only at the cemetery!

#4--Day at Sea---We met up with some servants of the Lord who happen to own a yacht! It is a sailboat for the Lord. They are assisting our colleagues throughout the Pacific Asian Islands through the use of this boat. They took us to sea on it Saturday and taught us water safety and survival. We will show pictures later!

#5--We are preparing for the concerts coming up in three, four and five weeks. Be praying that we will stay healthy and strong and filled with the joy of the Lord!

That is a brief summary of some key happenings, but now it is time for our language lesson. Until next time!!

P.S. We sent out our Autumn newsletter in the U.S. mail so be looking for that--it is in a plain envelope so don't throw it away.

In Search of the Source

I just finished reading "In Search of the Source", a Wycliffe book about Neil and Carol Anderson who went to Papua New Guinea to translate the Scripture for the Folopa people.

I recommend you read this book. It is very easy to read and really brings scripture passages to life. He started in Genesis 1 with the people of PNG. It is fun to discover the truth for the first time through the eyes of the Folopa people. It is also interesting to learn how Bible translators have to use words that make sense to the different cultures.

One example I remember from the book was when they were trying to find the word for "flogging". How will you translate the suffering of Jesus in a culture that has no flogging? So Neil took a vine and described what was on the end of it. Then on an iron stove he said, "Pretend this stove is Jesus' back". Then as he started whipping the stove the eyes of the men grew wide, "That is what they did to Jesus?!" They couldn't believe how much Jesus suffered for them.

Scripture passages that seem to us familiar come alive as you read this book! I recommend you check out this wonderful library put out by Wycliffe. If you click on the link in "my favorites" you can view many different resources and books to purchase. This one happens to be $10.95 and you can see it on the following link [http://www.wycliffe.org/catalog/books2.htm]. Praise God for using His Word to reach many people!

How It Feels To Be A Movie Star

I'm sitting here sweaty and exasperated after an ordeal riding my bike home. I was carrying my laptop on my back, my purse on my shoulder and my Bible on the handlebars of my bike wearing long (hot) jeans and a black (sticky) shirt. I was pretty worn-out from a long day at seminary for our last modular session. I just wanted to get there.

Nate and I wove our way through traffic, dodging VW bugs and public Jeepneys, all the while trying to avoid the potholes and bumps. At the turn we parted ways--he was off to play basketball at school and I was off to get groceries after dropping the baggage and bike at home.

Every time I ride alone I can see why they say women (especially "beautiful white" ones like me) need a chaperone. I honestly feel my stress-level increase significantly when he is not with me, and I get even more in the one-track mindset of just "getting there" in one piece.

The reason for the title of this blog is that I believe I know what it is like to be a movie star. When I am just minding my own business trying to get from here to there (like a typical American, right?), people call out to me, come up to me, hassle me and point me out, when all I want to do is be an anonomous woman among a crowd. Not so.

It is because I am #1 a foreigner, #2 a woman #3 white and therefore #4 beautiful. Truly, men on motorcycles drive up by me slowly, they greet me, call out to me, stop and stare at me; I hear them say "she's so beautiful", even little girls say that. I feel like there are so many comments calling to me and I am trying to huff and puff up the hill on my bike, cars are honking to pass by, people try to get my attention. It is exasperating.

Then as I was trying to change gears on the hill my chain got stuck, really stuck. I tried to fix it there on the road, but then I got even more attention there on the side of the road with my delimma. I had to sit on the curb and grease up my hands, flip my bike over to try and fix it myself. Of course a truck full of men pause to say "What happened?" or a motorcyclist honks and smiles as he passes. Oh, boy, I am so annoyed plain and simple.

What is the solution to this? Ride taxis? Get a car with tinted windows? Cover my skin? Do I spiritualize it and think "Hey, I can reach out to all these people?" When Nate is there we have no problem because he is a man and can greet all the men we pass. He has such a great way with situations that I think are stressful--he thinks they are exciting. When I am with him I feel excitement in the obstacles too. But when he is not there I feel so American and rude and introverted and anti-social.

In the U.S. I can walk around and no one will say hi to me, no one will greet me, no one will ask me for an autograph or money, no one will comment on how beautiful I am, no one will even notice me or care what I am doing. It is kind of sad actually, but we just go on with our business. But over here I am no longer just an anonomous person among a crowd--I get a lot of attention, and I really don't like it to tell you the truth.

I do feel much better now that I have stopped by the internet at the office to get this feeling out there in words. I just needed to express my stress, and now I feel so much better. Hopefully you don't feel tempted to judge me, but this is a free space where I can express the otherwise unpleasant aspects of being a beautiful foreigner in a far-off land. Now it is time to hail a taxi so I can get those groceries. Do you think I will make it home in one piece?

Eid'l Fitr

Today, October 24th, was declared by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a nationwide holiday. This is because the Muslim month of fasting is ending today with the Feast of Ramadhan. The president said this would help promote cultural understanding and integration. This holiday is to give "the entire Filipino nation the full opportunity to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in the observance and celebration of Eid'l Fitr."

The above information was taken from a Filipino news website. I think it is very interesting to have a holiday on a Tuesday. We just got back into a routine of school, had one full day of teaching on Monday, and then we are on another holiday. Well, it worked out for us because we are taking a modular on Special Education at the seminary, so we were able to meet for a full day. It was wonderful to spend the day learning. I definitely also want to learn more about the practices and beliefs of the Muslim Filipinos, but I have not yet met any personally. Until then, I will just follow the nation in observing the holiday Eid'l Fitr.

Four New Posts Below

Thanks for visiting our blog! Please enjoy four new blog posts below. Some are long, but at least scroll down long enough to see all the pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words. Feel free to leave comments if you wish.

Below:
--27th Birthday Celebration
--Royal Concert
--Touring Historical Downtown
--Manila Contrasts

27th Birthday Celebration

On October 12th we celebrated my birthday! It was a day to praise God for the breath of life. Nate and I had a relaxing morning and then got rained into our guest house. We decided to play a game of settlers of Catan (which I won). Then we were really hungry, so we got to eat at the place I had been waiting to go on my birthday--California Pizza Kitchen!

The waitress actually remembered us! My Dad would have liked her PR work there, since last time we came(and the only other time) was six months ago! I told her if she could remember what I ordered, since I order the same thing every time, then I would give her 27 Pesos, since it was my 27th birthday. She thought and thought trying to get the P27, but she guessed vegetarian pizza instead of thai chicken pizza. She told me "Next time I will remember what you will order!"

After that we walked to the MegaMall, which is over 5 stories tall and many blocks long. In the basement they have the only ice skating rink that I have heard of in the Philippines. We thought we would go skating together for the first time!

We had a grand time getting our energy out and getting our exercise. We watched the little Filipinas getting ice skating lessons and saw little people with gloves on! It made me really feel it was October--cozy!

We then went to Starbucks! I had been wanting to go there and just sit and read. When we got in I searched for the cozy chairs, but those are always taken. I had Nate sit at the one open table and I stocked the people in the chairs. I noticed which of their drinks was the lowest, and Aha! One woman's was gone and she was about to stand. I raced to the chair in as smooth a manner as possible and got the chairs right when she left. I had to call Nate on the cell phone so I wouldn't lose the seats.

Yum-O! First I had a chocolate chip Frappiccino. Then we enjoyed reading and being cozy in long-sleeves (sorry Daniel, Nate forgot to give your grey shirt back). While we played another game of S.O.C. we got a strawberry 'n creme--a rare fruit in our parts.

The actual birthday was wonderfully spent in Manila. When we got back to school Tuesday a student of mine said "Mrs. Becker, why do you always help us celebrate our birthdays but when it comes to yours, we don't celebrate?" I know the reason was because I like to celebrate on the DAY-DAY. However, I then discovered that one of those in my class had a birthday on Sunday the 15th. So I quickly set to work on my new lesson plans for the day.

I was able to go home and grab the sparkler candles and party napkins that my mother-in-law just mailed me. I quickly bought a cheesecake (very rare here) and I found an arrangement of "Old MacDonald".

Mun-Soo Lee was very surprised at his party, and everyone else was delighted to know they would soon enjoy a delicious piece of cheesecake. Our class was spent learning four-part harmony to "Old Mun-soo lee had a birthday, EIEIO...and on that day he had some cheesecake EIEIO..." Fun! Praise You, Lord for wonderful birthday gifts, for all the cards, emails, packages and e-cards I got. I love you, Lord!

Royal Concert

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary celebration of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s accession to the throne, the CCP and the Royal Thai Embassy are presenting “A Concert of Royal Compositions,” a performance by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will be held at 8 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the CCP’s Main Theater. It will feature 16 compositions by the Thai king, a renowned musician, composer, arranger and performer. His songs range from classical to jazz and contemporary.

This was the advertisement I found on-line with great excitement! It turns out that this was the first time ever that the Bangkok symphony orchestra came to the Philippines. We got searched thoroughly and weren't allowed a camera (thus no pictures).

As the 8:00 mark came we were sitting in the balcony surrounded by an entire section of empty chairs. I was thinking "I know this is the Philippines, but where I come from you can't come in even one minute past an 8:00 performance!" I was really wondering about the customs.

Then after a while an MC came on stage and announced the President of the Philippines. We didn't know she would be there. Then we heard clapping and realized that everyone else had seats below us and we were stuck on the balcony, probably since we bought our tickets just one hour before the show (we were off the streets, so they put us up there).

It was fun to hear the ambassador of the King of Thailand speak. I loved the music too! It was a smaller sized orchestra with mostly strings, but it was nice to hear them playing together and in tune! I just loved sitting and listening to the music. All the pieces were the King's original compositions. Can you imagine having the same king for 60 years? AND he is a musician! That's pretty cool.

So after the show we were told we were not allowed to go down the grand staircase. I didn't know why until I looked over the balcony and saw the whole orchestra and the conductor standing at the foot of the staircase waiting for the President to appear. We would get to see the president of our country live! Wow, that was a fun surprise.

I know there were pictures taken, but I can't seem to find any online. It was so exciting to see her walk down the stairs escorted by the ambassador to the King of Thailand and a few others. She gave the conductor a very long handshake for show and smiled a lot. Nate decided he was going to run down the escalator to try to meet her in person and get a handshake. By the time we got there she was out the door and in her darkened-windowed car being escorted off by many police cars.

The good news is that I turned around and saw the ambassador of the King of Thailand standing right there with no one to talk to! I greeted her by bowing and smiling. She asked me, "How did you like the music?" I, of course, gave her great reports. What a fun evening and a great gift from our great God!

Touring Historical Downtown

We took two trains downtown Manila to explore the historical walled section. I'm sure Nate could add a lot of detailed info about all the history we learned, but I am not so good on details when it comes to historical facts. What I do know is what we experienced. We got to ride our first horse-drawn carriage through the city as a local Filipino toured us around. He was very well-versed on his historical facts.

We saw many monuments and flags around this area, many depicting the suffering of the Filipinos during war or occupation. I have so much history to learn, but I know they are proud to be independent now, just as many in the West are too.

One of our first stops was this church--the oldest one in the Philippines. This is built with much Spanish influence, as the Philippines was under Spanish control for many years. There was fighting and war all around this building, but this one is the only one that stood firm.

We thought we would take a quick tour, but the inside is a lot bigger than we thought! There was a wonderful museum with many paintings, artifacts, graves (even a crypt--we weren't allowed to take pictures of that). I especially liked the wood-carved front door.

Inside I definitely felt like I was in Europe. The sanctuary was just like many we saw in France and Italy--glass chandeliers, wooden benches, grand ceilings and the organ!

Oh, yes, the organ. I love organs! I was at one time in high school considering a major in organ at UNL. I even studied organ at music camp one summer, so this organ was a treasure to see! If only he would let us play it, but of course we were not able. At least we got to sit at it and pretend we were playing.

Inside the courtyard they made a garden out of the old convent. It was so pretty! I was amazed to see the collection of historical things and to learn much about the history of the Philippines, including Japanese invasions and more.

Manila Contrasts

I was struck with the extreme contrasts we noticed in Manila. We took two trains to get to the historical downtown. As we switched tracks we walked by these dwellings made from sheet metal. It was amazing to see how creative the people who lived there were. They created shutters, curtains, flower pots and clothes lines out of anything they could find. It was a bit of an eye-opener for me, and I pondered what I saw as I made my way through the crowded streets and long lines to the next train. Just a day before that I was sitting in the lobby of the fanciest five-star hotel in Manila--the Makati Shangrai-La. When we arrived there were at least 8 porters and greeters in official uniforms and white gloves. There was a security check-point and a beautiful fountain in the middle of the drive-up. Inside was a grand lobby with formal servers, marble tiles and columns, and a huge boquet (or should I say bush) that matched the shape of the magnificent chandiler above. Two grand staircases joined in the entryway, where professional businessmen, businesswomen, tourists and stylish foreigners met paths. We sat to soak this all in on cushy couches as we listened to live music.
What do you think about these two worlds all in one city? Me? I'm still pondering it all.

Back From Manila

We just got back last night from our wonderful trip to Manila. We will be posting pictures and stories sometime on Monday or Tuesday, but today we are actually going on the staff-retreat for two nights. It will be so wonderful to have a paid-for beach cottage and to have spiritual encouragement and renewal as well as renewed vision for teaching.

THANK YOU to all who wished me a Happy Birthday! It was SO wonderful and thoughtful of many who sent me e-cards, mail, e-mail and even money! What a blessing! Thank you!

Stay tuned for photos and stories....
Preview of the highlights:
--Going to the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra
--Seeing the President of the Philippines
--Sitting in Starbucks for 5 hours reading and drinking frappiccinos
--Eating at 4 different fast-food restaurants in one meal--going bonkers
--Ice skating on my birthday and actually wearing long-sleeves
--Riding a horse-drawn carriage through historical downtown Manila

A Much-Needed Break

Praise the Lord! We are now on quarter break. We had great parent-teacher conferences. The parents encouraged us so much with reports of how much their kids are learning and growing from our teaching. I was so blessed.

We are finished with all our seminary classes for the semester and all our papers (Nate's just finishing now). We truly have made it through a busy time and now we are on a one week break.

It is Sunday and raining outside. How cozy and restful it was for me to sit and read my Bible for over an hour just soaking in what God wanted to teach me. I got to take a nap and then I woke up to listen to music and work on our honeymoon scrapbook. Now I am here waiting for Pizza Hut delivery (yes we have that here) so Nate can have the sustainance he needs to finish his philosophy paper.

Tomorrow we are flying to Manila for five days! We haven't left the island since March, so we are looking forward to some new sights and sounds (and tastes!). In Manila they have Starbucks, Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendys (frosties!), and even TGIFRidays. The best of all is they have CAlifornia Pizza Kitchen! Oh boy, we are going to get a taste of America there. I think that will help me get it out of my system for a while. Plus it is my birthday on Thursday, so we are going to celebrate! I heard that the Bangkok Symphony is playing so maybe we can go! It is like a different country up there, so we will tell you all about it. Pray for us, and praise God with us.

Walking Through Fire

Some of you may know the story about Monday. I was trying to fix my keyboard adapter when it exploded and caught my skirt on fire. It was quite a difficult day and I was really having trouble praising God.

Many people have been praying for me, and things are going so much better! God is encouraging me, teaching me, and strengthening me hourly. One very encouraging email I got was from my sister, Sarah. She said:

"In my Daniel Bible study we were talking about Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in the fire, and Beth Moore highlighted an interesting point. When they came out of the fire they didn't even smell like smoke. We know this and have heard it lots of times. But then she asked us if we smell like smoke through our trials. How many times have we complained, lamented, played the victim, reminded everyone of our hardships, even worn it like a badge of honor (you get the idea) even though God has carried us through? So I thought this was an amazing point to ponder. It is harder than you think to come through adversity without a little smoke. It's just human nature. That's a big one for me to reflect on! I hope I can smell less and less like smoke with each passing day."

What words of wisdom, from my sister and from God! I looked back on how I have been going around in this fire and just complaning or lamenting about my troubles instead of praising God. I know God is bringing me around to that place, but my sister's prayer for me is also mine for myself:

"I pray that as God carries you through this difficult time, that you will come through the fire, refined in your faith, not even smelling like smoke."

Isn't God wonderful! He has taught me so much through these experiences, but even more encouraging was when He reminded me of these words, so fitting:

"...When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel your Savior..." Isaiah 43.2-3

Concert Pictures

The concert was a success--praise the Lord! Order of show:
Beginning Band (Much improved from the first note!)--directed by Mr. Becker
Middle School Choir--directed by Mr. Becker, accompanied by Mrs. Becker
High School Vocal Ensemble--directed by Mrs. Becker
Intermediate Band--directed by Mr. Becker

Our students were so nervous and excited, but we kept it a secret that we were too!

I was so proud of Nate as he directed the students and presented the performance to all the photo-crazy-video-crazy parents!

I was also proud of my high school ensemble (11 of them) for their first four-part harmony concert! Can you believe most of them have never performed in a singing group before! We are here to see that they do (by God's grace)!

We were thankful that all went as planned. The concert was only about an hour, so people were able to say, "Oh, it's over already?" instead of "When is this over?"

After the show we congratulated all our students. We were so proud of them all as if they were our own! One of the Korean students gave both Nate and I our own boquet of roses--how sweet! And of course after the show we had our traditional dinner date, since we didn't have time to eat before. Thank you for praying for us! God is faithful.

School Concert

The School Band and Choir concert was a success! Praise the Lord! More details later (by my wife!).

Staff Serving Students

Saturday night was the "Staff Serving Students" (SSS) banquet at the high school. Nate and I had fun playing some jazz music as students gathered for a lawn party outside. Then we all went inside for a fun progressive dinner. I took the idea from one of my mom's parties where there wasn't enough room for everyone in one room--so we just used all the rooms.

It was quite a success! My room was the Jazz room, in red and black, and Nate was the server. I read some mysteries and they had to solve them. Victoria's room was the Cafe, and there was also a Chinese Wok room where students sat on the floor eating with chopsticks. Finally there was a Polynesian room with a luau! Each room had its own staff host and server and each room had a different dish with activity. It was a great way to mix up the students and give them a rotation so they had a "progressive dinner" inside the decorated classrooms.

My favorite part was the surprise dance we presented to the students. I had arranged a special visit with a local Filipino high school to come and dance for us some ethnic Filipino dances. It was a smash hit! The students were impressed and had a blast. The dances were beautiful and expressive.

Nate and I were both inspired to learn more about Filipino dance. There are unbelievable things to learn about it, with all the traditions, costumes and meanings for each one. It was impressive to see the two high schools share such an experience!

Later we got the dance party going with the Kadang. The girls got to try the coconut shells with strings. You are supposed to dance with them kind of like tap shoes, but even harder. How fun!

Then Nate got to try the Karang with his balance. I was so proud of him! It is harder than it looks, folks. You should try!

Of course they all cheered for "Mrs. Becker!" when I was in the spotlight, but fortunately I did not fall flat on my face in front of everyone! Wow, we had a great time and truly had some fun praising the Lord with dance!

Mangosteen

It's finally mangosteen season! The mangosteen is one of my favorite fruits in the Philippines. It is unlike any I have ever known or tasted, especially since I am from a place that only sells apples, oranges and bananas (just to simplify a bit). The availibility of tropical fruit must be better here on our island than almost anywhere. In fact our island has one huge festival in August that people all over the Philippines come to just to buy fruit!

The mangosteen is about the size of a mandarin orange. It has a hard purple-black shell and a soft red inner shell. The part you eat is the white part in the middle. It is tender, sweet, juicy, and it melts on your tongue! It is like candy to me. I sat here and cracked open a whole bundle of them for my after-school snack. They are very healthy and fight cancer.

One of the only problems is that they are one of the more expensive fruits relatively speaking. They are also not always in season, whereas the mango is always available. Here are some interesting facts I found on the internet about mangosteen.

--Ultra-tropical
--Cannot tolerate temps below 40º F (4.44º C), nor above 100º F (37.78º C)
--Attempts to establish it north of 200 latitude have all failed
--Ordinarily requires high atmospheric humidity and an annual rainfall of at least 50 in (127 cm), and no long periods of drought.
--mangosteen trees can take 10-40 years before they start regularly producing plenty of fruit.

Praise God for the mangosteen! Yum! You will have to come try it for yourself!