Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Is This Real Life?

The Bicol teams are off to a great start, and it has been interesting adjusting to culture. Kason, Carson, Bekah, and Allison are off to a rural area of Bicol with the help of their translators Gladwin and Alex. Also, Austin, Jadon, Rachael, Cloe, Deanna, and their translators Annie and Nonoy are loving life on their island. Here are a few thoughts that have crossed our minds this past week:

"Did we really just buy 25 kilos of rice?"  -Austin
"Did we really just pile 10 people into a tricycle?"  -Cloe
"Did I really just drop the bucket into the well without the rope attached?"  -Annie (national partner)
"Is there actually a rooster about ten feet from us while we're doing a Bible study?"  -Deanna
"Did I really just get on a little boat that will take me to an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean?"  -Rachael
"I didn't realize it was possible for five women and seven children to all play with my hair at once."  -Jadon
"Did they actually eat the whole can of peanut butter in two days?" -Nonoy (national partner)
The boat that took one team to their Island.
"Am I really about to bite off and eat the head of this unhatched baby duck (also referred to as a balot)?" -Carson
"Did they really just use a giant machete to cut down and open coconuts for me to drink out of and eat?"  -Allison
"Did I really just see a lady carrying a machete the size of my arm as if it was no big deal?"  -Kason
"Did she really just bring us an armful of fresh pineapple for the second day in a row?"  -Bekah
"Peanut butter and bananas? What kind of American snack is that?"  -Gladwin (national partner)

The Lord has taken both teams out of their comfort zones and required each member to put their trust in their fellow teammates and in Him. The Bicol teams have been on the field for nine days, and God has already taught them so much about His faithfulness and sovereignty.