Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Grasping for Words

Yesterday, the Philippino staff from Mercy Maternity took all the new students to see some sites around Davao, sampling Philippino food along the way. It was an amazing time to get to know the people who will be teaching us.

The woman in blue is Ate Susan, one of my supervisors. She has a great sense of humor--I think I'm going to love working with her.




They fed us durian, the stinkiest fruit I've ever eaten. It tastes like rotten banana pudding with garlic.



They also fed us balut (a duck egg that has been incubated for 16-21 days). It wasn't too bad...as long as you can get past the feathers. Definitely better than durian.



They took us to a place in the city where we will be doing home visits. This was more sobering. The houses are built on stilts and are packed together. There is a layer of sewage and garbage underneath all them. How do I describe the poverty, sadness, stench, and despair of the poor in this country?



How do I explain how excited a pastor can be about his new church ...and the church is one room with no chairs . . . but the pastor doesn't mind because he's too excited about the baptism they just had and how the Lord is working in their church?



How do I describe moms trying to deliver their baby in a one room home which has 10 or more other people living in it and has holes in the walls?



And how do I describe having 50 kids surrounding you...all of them basically living in sewage...who think the greatest thing in the world is for you to take their picture so they can see themselves on the screen of your camera?







It all leaves me grasping for words...

8 comments:

Taylor said...

Hay jordan. It looks like God has taken you to a different place. Obviously, you're going to be chalenged. The staff sound great and I'm sure they're a great help.

Under your post it says you posted at 1:29 AM. I'm sure it has to do with the time change but it still looks funny.

Jordan said...

Ya, it is because of the time change...no worries, I was *sleeping* at 1:29 AM. :)

Thanks for the comment. Hey, when are you going to post something about Josiah??? No pressure or anything. :)

Colleen said...

Hi, Jordan! I'm a friend of your mom's (via The Well Trained Mind board) who lives in Western Washington. Just wanted you to know I've been reading your posts and am living vicariously through you as you embark on this challenging, exciting, and no doubt life-altering experience. How humbling it is to encounter true material poverty, face to face ~ and yet to see, in the midst of it, an absolute lack of spiritual poverty such as that of the pastor you mentioned.

Cheers to you,
Colleen

Colleen said...

Hi, Jordan! I'm a friend of your mom's (via The Well Trained Mind board) who lives in Western Washington. Just wanted you to know I've been reading your posts and am living vicariously through you as you embark on this challenging, exciting, and no doubt life-altering experience. How humbling it is to encounter true material poverty, face to face ~ and yet to see, in the midst of it, an absolute lack of spiritual poverty such as that of the pastor you mentioned.

Cheers to you,
Colleen

Mrs. MK said...

Jordan---thank you for the pictures!! I am showing them to my little boys and it's a great tool for explaining how others live in different parts of the world. So keep them coming!!

Prayers for you and your team!

Anonymous said...

Hey Jordan!
Michelle showed my your blog, and I love it!! Wow, this is going to be a life altering experience. Great pictures, please, keep them coming!!
Eden

Rivers Daughter said...

Jordan,
Weehoo, I wish I was there with you, sigh. Not to eat the durian fruit or the gag..ducks. But to see and do everything else. However 40 to 50 page report sounds pretty hard along with everything else you are doing. Well keep working and we will keep praying!
Tivoli says hi too.

JennJo said...

Nice one Jordan. Lots of things that tug at your heart and make it ache and make it swell there in Isla Verde. I'm absolutely in love with the people there! I recognize some of those kids! I miss going there SO much!
Keep giving God your heart with those hard things!