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So we do not have a frost-free fridge here in the Philippines, so every so often we have to defrost our freezer. At least this provides the an opportunity for the kids to play with snow, even here in the tropical Philippines.

In our home here in the Philippines you DO NOT EVER leave crumbs or dirty dishes out. Doing so invites ants and ants and more ants. We have been able to keep the ants at bay with some good ant killing gel and just being very quick to clean up after meals. Also the kids are only allowed to eat in the kitchen or in our dining room. Then there is the microwave oven. Our toaster sits on top of the microwave. We get a little lazy and we are not as quick to clean the toaster from crumbs as we should, mainly because the ants do not seem to be interested. For a while I thought it was their fear of being fried if they happen to be in there feasting while we had a craving for some toast and jam. Now I am starting to wonder if the ants are a little smarter than we think. I think it's the microwave oven. They simply do not go near it. As an experiment I spilled a little pile of sugar on top of the microwave. Normally you spill sugar on the counter or floor, and ants come running. For...

Enjoying in our bedroom the breezes that come with the rainy season.

the Philippines is VERY hot and humid, it is not the cleanest place--especially most streets, my wife is stared at here because she is caucasian and sticks out, most bathrooms here do not have toilet paper, there are occasional power outages--sometimes daily, we are taxed with visa and immigration fees just to even stay in the country, and even though we have been here for almost two years we are still dealing with the culture shock that comes with living in a foreign country . . . but . . . movies here are only 60 pesos. That's about $1. Just saw Pixar's Cars, it was great. To take the family, including popcorn and drinks, about $8. Vroom, vroom.

Enjoying the rainy season. Temperatures are a little cooler and breezier, of course you have to put up with the occasional flooding and the rain coming in sideways through your windows getting stuff inside your house wet.

One of the coolest ways to travel is by motorcycle taxi, called by several names depending on where you are in the Philippines. The kids love riding on these.

Txtg on cel fons is vry populr here in da Phils, it is da cheapst way 2 comunic8. Only costs 1 piso per txt, about 2 cnts. US$, sinc U R limitd in wat U can say, most peple abrevi8 der msgs using letrs and numbrs, and shorteng words. Dis can B confusng, but U soon get da hang of it. I am sorta old skool in dat I usualy spel out da ntire word in my msgs, peple say dat takes 2 long, and abrevi8n is EZr. It can B somwat confusn 2 get a txt lyk dis, specialy when its in Ilongo, but I can usaly figur it out. Translation of the above in English: Texting on cell phones is very popular here in the Philippines, it is the cheapest way to communicate. It only costs 1 piso per text, about 2 cents in US money, since you are limited in what you can say, most people abbreviate their messages, using letters and numbers, and shortening words. This can be confusing, but you soon get the hang of it. I am sort of old school in that I usually spell out the entire word in my messages, people say that tak...

The trip back was nice and uneventful, no delays or problems, all luggage, and yours truly, arrived at the final destination on time. Since my flight arrived in Manila at around 1:00 AM, and my flight to Iloilo was at 5:30, I did not go to a hotel and instead I had to enjoy spending the night at the Manila Domestic Airport. I hope I never have to do that again. I am so glad to be back with my family, my favorite people.

One this first day of the conference we had an evening service conducted by the senior pastor, Daniel Williams. He is the founder of Calvary International, and a few years ago the Lord told him to step down as the president of the Calvary and start a church. As a missionary, I have always maintained that what we do overseas is no different from ministry anywhere. If you are obedient and follow the Lord, to the Philippines to a full-time job as a police officer or an engineer, than it really does not matter much, obedience is what matters. I still feel that way. I am no different or more holy than any other Christian. Being a missionary does not afford me a higher status in the Kingdom of God. We are all called to obey, to follow the Lord. Wherever He leads, to the boardroom or to the underground church. Here I am made to feel like a hero. I am encouraged and blessed again and again. They thank us for making the sacrifices of leaving home and the familiar, and go to the other...

I have made two trips to Wal-Mart since I have been here in the States. I went to a regular Wal-Mart and also to a Supercenter. I had forgotten how huge those places are. So many things to buy, so many choices. The Supercenter Wal-Mart is even bigger with acres of stuff. I am especially impressed with the grocery store section, piles of fruit and shelf after shelf of food, so many choices. This is yet another reminder of how the States is so blessed. So much abundance and so many choices, it is amazing. So this is what a trip to Wal-Mart has taught me today, how blessed the United States is. Even though I spend most of the year outside of the States, I am glad that I am a citizen of this blessed nation.