Manila - It's a city of contrasts.

There's no exceptions when it comes to the weather. Permanently humid and hot, but sometimes rain takes the place of the sun.
It's still summer. I'm still sun burnt. But rainy season is next on the agenda.
We've had a lot of rain recently...I keep saying that I'm almost certain that it'll flood, but I've seen nothing yet. Those short moments of flooding are soon washed away and the sun comes back fighting!

So, a quick round-up of recent events...how long have you got??
I'd initially planned to post this 2 weeks ago, but I had the call of the wild (a.k.a. Iloilo) and I had to run leaving a half-written blog.
So...TADA!!! After a month of patience...the wait is over.

It's Election month and boy do we know it! The Eleksyon 2013 is taken very seriously in the Philippines and it's a million times crazier and more potentially dangerous than anything I've ever witnessed before concerning politics.
"There's no such thing as a fair election!" - a friend said to me a few weeks ago.
Even a blind person couldn't avoid it...not only are there posters pasted everywhere, but constantly pick-up trucks, vans and cars parade round the streets playing music at top volume while shouting through a megaphone 'Vote Tito Matt' or 'Xiuo Chang for commissioner'! When I mention the posters being everywhere, I really am not exaggerating. I just wonder how on earth they're going to clean up afterwards because they're properly stuck onto the walls, signs, etc. with super glue. Not a single wall is left without some random guy posting his political agenda in the nooks and cranny of every building. As I said, the election in the Philippines is mental! I won't go into all the morals and political tactics which both the candidates and the public make, all I can say is the amount of waste that political candidates create during election is the most noticeable. On the pavement is a thick blanket of flyers and posters which are just dumped and stepped upon by passers-by following the conclusion of the election. Riots are very common and so is bribery. I've heard many stories about how politicians will buy votes (literally) and threaten families with violence if they don't vote for them! Anyway, I did say that I wouldn't go into all this stuff, so I'll just leave it to your imagination as you try to imagine the chaos!

Filipinos are amazing when it comes to hospitality and manners. Po, opo, Kuya &Ate - Just a few of the speech suffixes that define courtesy, deference and filial respect here in the land of Philip ;) The elderly especially are treated with utmost respect. Gray hairs are a sign of wisdom and experience, eh dad!? For Filipino's, to put your folks into a nursing home is unheard of.
Wherever I've been, just about everyone gets a hearty "Kain tayo!" invitation to come and eat. I remember going to a slum area last month and after giving a Bible study, me and one of the social workers went back to the home of one of the attendees. I sat there crouched under their shelter for about 5 minutes wondering what we were to do next and then she returned ... with 2 large bottles of Mountain Dew and a big loaf of bread. I don't want to imagine what this would have cost the family. They have no money, but in order to be hospitable they put it before us. I guiltily sat there eating and drinking as the children stared at me waiting for my signal of approval. What do you do? What can you say? One thing you can't do is refuse or offer to pay...nothing will cause more offence than this. Unlike surrounding Asian countries, slurping and burping are not the ways in which you show your approval of the delicious food, but an occasional thumbs up and a "Mmm masarap!" do the trick!

That's not all. I was at the CCM home the other day and as I was about to leave, suddenly the rain came down and the floods came up! Some of the children took the opportunity to have a natural shower in the garden, but I decided to stay under shelter wondering how I was to get back to Cubao. A couple of hours passed and I was about to take the 'plunge' and attempt to commute back via Jeepney, but one of the housemothers refused to let me go without dinner. Despite my typical English-style protest of, "oh no, don't go through all the trouble", this was processed as "yes please!" and 10 minutes later she appeared with a plateFUL of pancakes, fruit and rice!! I'm spoilt!

CCM's Got Talent is up there with best of them. It could easily rival any of the reality TV shows of today. We had singers, dancers and memory verse reciting...you don't get that on Britain's Got Talent! It was kicked off with a competition between the houses - Who can say the most memory verses between them in the space of 5 minutes?! Literally 100s of memory verses were bubbling out from them in lightning-speed Tagalog. I was totally lost! However; it really was amazing to hear how many memory verses these children had stored in their minds, but it does beg the question: Is this touching their hearts? or is it affecting them in any way? Unfortunately I can't say the answer is a definite yes. Growing up in a strong Christian environment can bring blessings and problems. I hardly need to mention the innumerable blessings, but when it comes to the problems, it is evident that these are continually present through the work of CCM. Prayer times, devotions, Bible verses...the majority of these attempts can often appear to go straight over their heads ... or if it does settle in their minds, it stays there...no further conviction. Many of the children show signs of great encouragement, pray that they would persevere and God would save them. Please do pray especially that a heart knowledge of these verses would be found in the life of every child here in the CCM homes.
I got sidetracked.
Following the memory verse recital, it was time for CCM to unleash talent, and unleash it did. I'll be honest, I was shocked...I wasn't expecting some of the great performances that were presented. Oh don't get me wrong, there were plenty of screeching, 'interesting', ouchy performances to accompany. You know as well as anyone, no talent show is complete without these!
So...we had some singers, traditional Filipino dancing, street dancing, the lot! I was appointed the role of photographer, a complete cop-out from any form of responsibility ;)
Perhaps you've seen the photos of the 4 new boys in CCM who performed the cutest dance routine ever...they were cheated for not being announced as winners - I'll try and get a video posted of the actual winners soon.

"Ooh not like the golden days..." The 21st century generation has technology coming out their ears and I suppose this comes with many problems. Prior to arriving in the Philippines I had this vision of complete third-world poverty...you know, no mobile phones, no internet, no facebook (although I was informed yesterday that the Philippines is the only country in the world where you can expect the tribesman living in the province to have more friends than you on facebook - fact!). I can tell you, that it's quite the opposite. I'm living in one of the most densely populated city in the worlds. Technology is advancing at a crazily fast rate. The influence of western countries and China and Korea are also hugely significant, which I suppose can create problems (esp. materialism). In amongst this dramatic increase of wealth, Manila is also one of the poorest major cities in the world. As I said - a city of contrasts!
The children who are sponsored by the EAP program all gathered into the church on May 7th for a seminar all about internet safety, online protection, etc. An issue which I'm glad was tackled so well. However, it was also an opportunity to share the Gospel and the transforming work of a God whose mind far outweighs the knowledge of Google.
At one point the children were divided into small groups and were asked to write down imaginative questions for each other in a getting-to-know-you game. What I think you'd call Fast food-related banter was common: things like, "if [child's name] was CEO of ChicBoy, would you want to be CEO of Jolibee?" and "what would you do if you were CEO of McDonalds?" I was pretty confused by these, but apparently they're hilarious. I'm either out of touch with the culture or the age group or maybe I just have no sense of humour!! I picked up a couple of the questions afterwards and I think my personal favourite was translated as "who looks the most like a jackfruit?"
I gave a message later from 2 Kings 5:1-19 about the great commander Naaman being healed of his disease. Specifically the phrase that the young servant girl said to Naaman,"If only…" was put across to the children in regards to their salvation. i.e. If only you would realise that you have a life-threatening condition which can only be healed by the Lord Jesus Christ…If only you would run to Him today!

Summer is coming to an end, so swimming is a must. They like to make the most of the water that's for sure. Kuya Scott and Ate Emy (the father and mother in the CCM Boy's Home) are soon to resign so they can focus on home schooling their youngest son, Daniel. They took us to the swimming pool in Filinvest as one of their last treats for the children.
I guess we just got carried away, because by the time we'd finished, the time was 11:55pm. Oops. A bigger oops was the fact that I had a 45 minute journey ahead of me in order to get back home in Cubao. The only way to do this was via Jeepney. I've heard 100s of stories of violent attacks, shootings, armed robberies etc. And they all happen at night. Oh!
I sent a fair few arrow prayers as I stepped onto the highway waiting for a jeepney that night. I waited and waited. All the while, 3 menacing looking Pinoys sat staring at me from the other side of the road. Menacing seems a little light-hearted so let's just say 'dodgy'. Even though they were on the other side of a busy highway, I could sense danger. I tried to avert my eyes so they didn't think I was instigating any trouble, but I was also trying to keep my wits about me. A string of buses pulled up on the other side of the road, separating me and the 3 men. Then when the buses had passed, the men were gone. I looked to my right and there they were. 2 of them walking towards me. Their eyes fixed on my bag. I looked to my right, a jeepney was approaching. I took a few steps back, my heart beating. They had knives in their belts. This is no joke. The jeepney pulled up, I jumped on while it was still moving. They tried to jump on, one of them grabbing the metal pole on the back of the jeep. He lunged forwards and tugged my shirt shouting something in Tagalog. I pulled back moving further along the seats. The driver sped up and the man jumped off.
As the jeepney sped off leaving these 2 men getting smaller and smaller into the distance, "Thank you God!!" was all I could pray! Definitely the most scary experience I've had since being here.
I won't tell you about how I got to Cubao and realised I had no credit on my phone to text the housemothers that I had safely arrived and how I had to make a trip to the shop 10 minutes away at 1:00am in the morning. The gangs were out, but I was kept safe. I decided not to worry the housemothers with the details at these early hours so my text was just: "Back in Cubao. Thx for a great night!"

John T arrived a few weeks ago. He's only here for a short visit so i decided to be a gent and offer him my air con room. I'm now living in a small room with no windows, ventilation, but there's plenty of lizards to make up for the lack of conveniences...cheers guys!!
I'm just moaning, it really isn't that bad, especially when you consider the vast amount of street people who are sleeping rough right outside your door. Air con is beyond dreaming about!

I lead a Staff Devotion for all the CCM workers a few weeks ago. My topic was about how we have been Saved To Serve - Everyone looked particularly sleepy on this occasion, so I couldn't help but slip in about not being spiritual sleep-walkers. Not just being spiritually awake, but alive! Actively seeking out the lost, witnessing to potential heaven-dwellers and being motivated by that day when we will hear those wonderful words: "Well done Good and Faithful Servant" (Matt. 25:21)

A CCM Thanksgiving Day was held on the 16th May to recognise 18 years since CCM first started. A presentation was shown displaying photos of the very first children who were housed in the orphanage (some of these children have been saved, added to the church and now growing in their service). It's amazing to see some of my new Filipino friends who were actually sponsored through CCM and have now grown up! I pray that this would be a continuing trend. Pastor Ellis arrived back from England and gave a message from the Bible, thanking God for His faithfulness in sustaining and building upon this organisation. I could say so much more about the positives of CCM, but prayers are particularly needed for continued energy, enthusiasm and love for a job which is full of stress and hardships. CCM is 24/7 and we must not take for granted help from above!
Besides this, I hold Bible studies for the CCM orphans twice a week both at the Girls Home and Damscus Boys Homes. More than any other work I do in the Philippines, I have such a burden on my heart for these CCM children, I would ask that you seriously pray that they would be redeemed, rescued and reconciled!

So last week a whole day was devoted for a workshop for the 300 EAP children. They were asked to write thank you letters and postcards to their sponsors. There are 100s of sponsors, especially from England and the USA. If you are a sponsor you'd be so encouraged if you could just see how grateful these kids are for your support financially and prayerfully. The sponsors are like their second parents (in some cases, their only parents) and they genuinely are so thankful. You just need to read some of their letters to see their heartfelt and sincere thankyou's for the opportunity they have been given to do well with their life. If you would like to sponsor a child or would like details, drop me an email and I'll supply you with all the information. Cliche as it sounds...you could change a child's life!
I gave a morning Bible message and an afternoon message, oh and another 2 in the evening! Man, they're sure keeping me busy...4 devotions in one day - I slept well that night. Perhaps that isn't the right response that I should have had following sharing the Gospel with over 300 children. It goes without saying, but pray that lives would be transformed!!

We were supposed to leave for the CCM Teen's Camp at 6:00am from Masinag, which entailed a 4:30am wake up latest to ensure I got there on time. I kinda maybe overslept a little and the clock read 8:55am by the time I awoke. This means I had to make my own way to the Camp site after hurriedly putting a bag of clothes together. It was typical that the location had ton be in the weirdest, most difficult place name to remember: Hanalugan Taktaktak. Erm... After an hour or so of travelling my phone ran out of battery and I was left trying to ask for directions from an old man in the middle of nowhere. "I'm looking for Hiladoogan Tictac...no, that's not right...Hunagoolin Ticktock.." Instead of helping me out, the guy preferred to watch me struggle for about 10 minutes and then pointed to his right..."Deretso lang. Isang minuto". (Straight ahead. Just one minute). After all that. Not cool.
I made the mistake of telling the children when I arrived my terrible pronounciation of 'Hanalugan Taktak". They bullied me about it for the rest of the camp.
The CCM Teen's Camp was for the teenagers of Christian Compassion Ministries. Talk about stating the obvious! We had a speaker for the 2 days that we were there and a big swimming pool on the outside. On arrival we played some games for a while, for example, we threw about 50 or so 1, 5 and 10 peso coins (Filipino currency) on the bottom if the pool and the 4 teams had to see how much they could get in the time provided. For some unknown reason we gathered in the coins at the end and had made a profit of about 12 pesos. One of the kids in all seriousness suggested that perhaps it was miraculous water. I suggested that this probably wasn't the case.
For the rest of the day the 20+ teens were divided into groups and heard from the Bible and were able to be involved in discussions. I was one of the devotion leaders and despite a bit of a struggle in getting the children to actually talk, by the end we couldn't keep them quiet. Always a good sign.
It was great being on a camp where I already knew all of the children individually and it was a great opportunity to be able to get straight to the point, i.e. personal salvation, without the hindrance of unfamiliarity. We were also able to toast marshmallows over an open fire, have a fun night (where I played the part of the "DONG" in the Camp News...a big responsibility, but I delivered with a star-studded performance), watching sunsets and yes, a whole lot of swimming! On the last night 2 of the housemothers prepared one of the best meals ever, where table manners were not compulsory. A long table covered in banana leaves (as a substitute for individual plates), set with no cutlery and topped with a lifetime supply of rice was prepared. Everyone was given a fish and then it was game on! Me and one of the boys from CCM, Saldivar, managed to demolish our area of all food. We then moved on to the food in front of the people sitting next to us. Not a grain of rice was left. Not a single scoop of fish sauce was un-consumed (totally made up that word) and not a belly was left unsatisfied!! Masarap!!!

I'd been given 2 weeks to prepare. Plenty of time, or so I thought. I was wrong.
Life here in the Philippines is on full-forward, and that 'I've got all the time in the world' approach won't get you anywhere (I hope you read that in the style of Louis Armstrong).
May 12th came around quicker than I'd expected. If you remembered from my last blog, I mentioned how I'd been given the opportunity to preach in Cubao Reformed Baptist Church in their closing service on the Sunday. All I can say is I'm glad I wasn't given the Tagalog service.

There's a few things I've done while I've been here in the Philippines that I never imagined I would ever do before I came. Preaching is one of them. I've done many devotions, Bible Studies and group discussions since I've been here that I have completely lost track. But this was something very different.
I can tell you that many prayers were prayed in the 2 weeks prior to my preaching. I eventually settled on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 as my topic for my sermon - Running the Race.
I'd been given some sound advice both from the men in the church at CRBC and especially from my dad.
When it was time for me to preach, I spoke about the need for us to have our eyes on the prize.No half-hearted seeker has ever found God...there's no such thing as a casual convert. This race needs to be won and it requires self-denial and wholehearted focus on Christ!
Matthew 15:14 reminds us "If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a pit." You see what Jesus is saying here? People are turning to the left and to the right, seeking help from a world which is blinded by its own sin!
Don't reject the imperishable crown. Don't think that somehow you can run this race in and of yourself. The race has already been won. God has gained the victory!
"It is finished!" - This wasn't just a whisper in the wind. This was a victory cry!
Don't be deceived...there's no complimentary prize. There's nothing that will save you, besides that Saviour called Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).
In this race, keep focused on the finishing line. Keep sacrificing. Keep seeking. Keep running. Pursue Christ!
A recording was made available. I'll post it to you at some point if you would like to listen. 45+ minutes in front of 150+ people. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to preach here for the first time and for His continued faithfulness and graciousness to me. He certainly blessed me and caused all my nerves to be gone the moment I stood up in the pulpit.
I got a few emails after I'd lead the service on Sunday saying, "Reuben, we didn't know you preached..." - Well, neither did I.
Amen to that verse from 1 Corinthians 2:3 "I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling".

Later I'll tell you about Sinai Mountaineers - an informal group set up by CRBC. I guess it is partly an excuse for fellowship, but there's nothing wrong with that. Speaking of fellowship...a few weeks ago we went on a Men's Fellowship to Montalban (an hour from Cubao). We hoped to leave early evening, but by the time all the men had assembled it was midnight. Rather than call it off, we decided to go...so at 2:00am we finally arrived at a small empty house in Montalban. Bedtime? Ohh nooo, we were just getting started! All 10 of us sat huddled round a hot mug of Milo discussing various matters in the church, family life, Bible passages, etc. 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock---and after 2 further hours of prayer, someone came up with the most genius idea that perhaps we should get a couple of hours sleep. So after a hardcore 2 hours of 'sleep' from 6:00am-8:00am it was Rise and Shine because morning was dawning! I assumed we would look around Montalban for a while, but I was wrong. We got a jeepney and headed back for Cubao. I'd barely seen the light in Montalban, since we'd traveled back just as the sun had risen! Why we couldn't have done this whole men's fellowship thing somewhere in Cubao I'll never know.

So, Sinai Mountaineers. Maybe you remember when I mentioned about our trip to Mt. Batulao a few months ago (wow, time flies). Well, it was round 2 and this time it was held in a place called Batangas. Last time there was about 15 people, but this time, just 4 of us.
The plan was:
-To start the hike at 9pm
-Summit the mountain
-Camp at the top
-Come down the next day
-Go to the beach
Hiking at night comes at a price, and I'm not talking about the limited visibility. I'm talking about the dogs. Dogs in the Philippines have rabies. No exceptions (or none that I've seen so far). The problem is, there were many homes all the way up the mountain and the dogs are used as guards. Another problem, they're not chained up. When 4 intruders are trying to get passed, the dogs didn't like it. Before long we had taken a wrong turn and unintentionally entered the land of one of the locals. Dogs surrounding us. It's hilarious looking back on it, but at the time we were all pretty terrified as about 20+ rabid dogs surrounding us growling and drooling. Somehow (and I don't know how) we escaped and continued our journey upwards.
We managed to stick to the plan and by 2am we'd reached the summit. It's a strange feeling being at the top of a mountain when it's pitch black. Only our head torches and the distant city lights. We weren't so enthusiastic because we were so tired, so we all agreed to put up the tents and get some sleep.

I'd done the usual and been totally unorganised. No roll mat or sleeping bag. Just a really awkward jagged rock that was directly under my back for the whole night. I think it's safe to say I got no sleep that night!
We were woken up by the next morning by 3 loud cows. 2 of them were in the distance, but one was precariously close to my tent. Well... that's what I thought. I peered out my tent to see 2 cows in the distance, but the one close by was actually my fellow hiker Kuya Tony who sat there impersonated the cows. It sounded very realistic let's just say that.
We all had a good laugh about that as we came down the mountain that morning!
Once again, the views were incredible! It was also great to have fellowship with the 3 others, Kuya Arnel, Novem and Kuya Tony.
We went down to the beach afterwards. Thinking about it, I think it must've been the first time I've been to a beach since being in the Philippines. After a whole day of major sweating, it was the perfect way to cool off. For lunch we went to a small shack which proudly boasted selling the best food in the whole of Batangas. Somehow I don't think so, or if that is the case...poor Batangas!
"What am I eating?"
"Intestines and Sheep face."
"Ok cheers!!"

After a long day working in the CCM office, a couple of the social workers and myself were walking through the mall. There was an advertisement on the side of one of the tall office buildings for a live basketball game taking place here in Cubao. Tonight. I'm not the biggest fan - but it sounded spontaneous, so we bought some last minute tickets and entered the noisy stadium. I took the opportunity to wear my Man Utd. shirt as fuel for my silent protest against basketball. Football is the real sport!
It turns out that this wasn't just any old game, it was a PBA final between Alaska v. Ginebra. Me, being a basketball-novice, asked what team we were cheering for. "Gineeeebraaaaa!!" was the reply..... How could I not?
"Come on Alaassskaaa!!" I chanted. Apparently this isn't funny!

CCM continues to grow. 12 new children have recently been added to receive full-time care in the orphanages. It is seriously commendable and incredible to see how CCM takes the children from desperate street poverty, families who abuse theme, major neglect and give them a new family who loves them and have a genuine concern both for their spiritual and educational pursuits. 6 new boys, 6 new girls. Please pray for their adjustment to CCM. It isn't easy to leave everything you've ever known, but I've recently observed the gratitude and strength of these children. They put most adults to shame and I mean that! A few weeks ago I was in the office as a meeting was held between 3 of the new children and their parents. For most parents, the idea of being seperated from your children for good is a challenge too impossibly difficult for me to imagine. However...it honestly did break my heart to see how carefree the parents of these children were. It was like they were dropping them off at a daycare centre. And after a simple 'goodbye', they left.
No emotion, no reassurance, no tears.

I spoke to these children after they left the meeting. They were nervous, but excited about what CCM had in store for them. Their parents were never around anyway, just these 3 children (one 9 years old, one 3 years old and one 2 year old) left to fend for themselves day in, day out.
Some days, no food. Every day, no care. This isn't a romantic movie-style account, this is a reality. You can't help but be completely emotionally moved when you hear about their abusive past and see them now being able to enjoy their new life in CCM. Making friends, not having to worry about practical needs, and, most importantly, hearing from God's Word every day. What a privilege it was for me to give their first ever devotion on the night they arrived. Their first message from the Bible - pray that salvation would be found in their lives today!

We're making the most of it, because it's still summer. Next month GMA and Drop-in recommence and regular Bible Studies will be taken in the many slum areas surrounding Cubao. Yes, there's been plenty of amazing opportunities and you've probably seen my pictures and thinking...oh man, we've just paid Reuben for a 6 month holiday. But rest assured, it most definitely isn't. I'm working 9am-6pm in the offices Mon-Fri editing reports, planning devotions, filling out spreadsheets, etc. Thank you for giving me the chance to serve God here in the Philippines!!

What will I miss about Philippines besides the amazing people?
Tabo (a marvelous invention, I can't even begin to explain...), Pandesal, Jolibee, Apir, Pinoy Games, Jackfruit, Siesta, Adobo, Merienda...and... Jeepneys: Colourful, fast, reckless, a vehicle of postwar Pinoy ingenuity. I enjoy hanging on the back as they speed and swerve along the highways. Mum, if you saw, you'd have a fit! I travel like this to work each day - nothing like a major adrenaline rush to wake you up in the morning!

Well...Maraming salamat sa lahat ng inyong tulong at panalangin. Ako ay napaka nagpapasalamat!
And just in case you're Tagalog is a bit rusty: (Thank you very much for all your prayers and support. I am very grateful!).

I must make the most of each aspect of craziness and every moment that I'm here in this country, because I know that in just 6 weeks they will become memories.

I'll never forget the year 2013!! Always Fun in the Philippines.