August 2023
We are back in Kona after five weeks in the Philippines.
From Surigao where Chris and I met, to Cebu where we had our Honeymoon and Manila where it all began.
We sidestepped a Typhoon but missed out on getting to Baguio. We met with many old friends and made many new ones. We go to do training for websites with about twenty people and have an other twenty that want to develop websites for their work.
Arrived Manila
We flew into Manila and spent a couple of days there catching up with friends we had not seen for years.
We were not as mobile as we would have liked, but we still had some quality time with people. Loloy, on the right in the first picture, worked with us in Talavera Island 36 years ago. Now he is married and a father to three adult children.
Rodolfo was with us in Kona a few years back.
On Monday the 11th of July it was on to Surigao City, the northernmost city on the Island of Mindanao.
Week 1, Surigao
Christine
After waiting for 20 years since our last visit to the Philippines with our whole family in 2003, the Lord opened the door for us to return. We were delighted to reunite with old friends and make new young ones.
The social platform Facebook has made it easy to keep in touch with our Filipino friends. Each meeting with dear friends was a treasured time.
We took many pictures as a remembrance.
Tony
The training was a blast. We have come across some very talented people working with YWAM.
The training is intense, there is a lot for everyone to learn, and it is ongoing with scheduled one-on-one times with people now that I am back in Kona.
Week 2, Cebu
Cebu is bang smack in the Middle of the Philippines.
It was where we went on our Honeymoon, 36 years ago, and we returned for our Wedding Anniversary on July 18th.
We had some, one-on-one, training, and then one afternoon with six really talented young men.
Christine, on the right, helped organize the Cebu portion of the trip.
God has been so good to provide us with people that want to get behind what we are doing and make it work.
Technology and using it well is a big part of what we are all working together on. These young men and Christine Mercado get it.
Everyone has a cell phone, but is it being used well? We have an opportunity to engage YWAM staff, and the people YWAM are ministering to, and see them discipled.
Typhoon Doksuri kicked us out of Baguio.
Saturday, while still in Cebu, we found out that our accommodation in Baguio had been canceled on us. Many of the Hotels in Baguio did not have Elevators so we could not book them. We scrambled and were able to find new accommodation.
Sunday, I went to do our online check-in and as I was doing this I got an email with a time change.
From 10:50 to 10:40.
Not a problem.
I almost missed the date change, from July 24th to July 30th.
Another scramble and yep they now wanted to fly us to Baguio the day before we were due to fly out of Baguio.
Why?
Typhoon Doksuri.
Sadly this meant no trip to Baguio.
Sorry, Vangie and Walter.
I did do some online training to YWAM Bagiou, https://baguio.ywamphilippines.org, and was informed that the power was on and off, and the internet was up and down.
Week 3, Surigao
The city has grown. Still a lot of Trikes for transport, and no Taxis at all. The Airport used to be just a building an a runway but now is full of homes, hotels, and shopping centers.
While we were back a new one opened up.
During this second week, I got to have some one-on-one time with staff and I even talked to the facility at a local Technology Institute. They got me to talk on Chat GPT. Something I have been following and using. Here is the outline of the talk I gave.
This time round we got to stay with friends, who opened up their guest bedroom to us. That was really nice.
Week 4, Manila
It worked out to spend our last few days in Manila at a Regional YWAM Conference.
The first night there we met up with Larry Baldock, who was the National leader during our time, he is a Kiwi and was responsible for getting Tony to go to the Philippines in 1986. We got to share time with old YWAM staff from years ago and then met many young staff to keep in contact with for future ministry.
Overall the trip was full of sweet times of reunion and good conversations for the future trips we would like. Then it was trusting God on the way home.
Back to Surigao
We returned to Surigao for another week, more time with friends and training.
Christine
You know those times when you see someone from your past that you haven’t seen in many years and then you are united again.
It is as if no time had passed at all.
In those times you feel a never ending heart connection.
This is the kind of connection we had during our time together with our Filipino friends.
Only our creator can knit our lives together like this.
Philippine Websites
https://bukidnon.ywamphilippines.org/
There are over 50 locations in the Philippines for Youth With A Mission, and many of them hold Discipleship Training Schools and Secondary Biblical schools.
We are helping our old location developed a website.
Watch these Location
https://baguio.ywamphilippines.org
https://baguioccm.ywamphilippines.org
https://balut.ywamphilippines.org
https://bohol.ywamphilippines.org
https://calbayog.ywamphilippines.org
https://carmen-cdo.ywamphilippines.org
https://chop.ywamphilippines.org
https://dagupan.ywamphilippines.org
https://dumaguete.ywamphilippines.org
https://iloilo.ywamphilippines.org
https://mandaluyong.ywamphilippines.org
https://tacloban.ywamphilippines.org
I made a special baby quilt for our dear friends Vangie and Walters grand daughter, Gasing.
She seems happy with it.