Love that Changes Things

One of the street kids receiving dental care
Time with God

Hello all! Hope you have had a wonderful wintery February. Baguio is beautiful this time of year as it hosts the annual flower festival. Parades and little garden exhibits make the trip into the city extra nice.

We have been so busy this month with both school and ministry. His Heart hosted a team from New Zealand for the last week and a half. It is AMAZING to see the doors God is opening for us through visiting people in their homes and loving them. Three people were healed in our Sunday morning village service this week! Praise God for that! Kent has begun a weekly house church for men and teenage boys. We are believing for great transformation of families through this. We had an awesome retreat last week in which people were set free from bondages of their past. They have traded tears for the joy of Jesus and we are so blessed to watch them grow.

His Heart continues to meet the needs of many street people every week. This week, we made a trip to the dentist and ob-gyn with members of our street family. After 2 teeth were pulled, David's smile was even brighter than before. He had experienced real love....the kind of love that changes things.

Thank you for helping us reach the orphans, widows, and the poor of the Philippines. We appreciate you so much.

The Parrishs

FAQ

After a great visit home, we discovered that many of you have similar questions regarding life here in Baguio and what we are doing. So, we thought we'd answer some of the most common questions......and give you a TASTE of Filipino life.

WHAT DO WE EAT?

Well, let's see. We cook for ourselves some.....so you might find us eating tacos, beef stroganov, or tuna casserole. You just have to be a little creative with ingredients and do more from scratch....no oven. However, we also eat traditional Filipino dishes and snacks. In the Philippines, rice is eaten with every single meal.

Chicken adobo- soy, vinegar, and pepper



Pancit canton- noodles with vegetables

Arroz caldo- sticky rice (rice melted down to a porridge and chicken)


Some interesting food sold on the street- we are a little more careful about trying these, depends who cooks them.

Barbeque pig intestine- still getting up the nerve to try this one. hahaha


chicharon (pork rinds)



Little candies and chips sold on the street and in the park


WHAT DO PEOPLE DO HERE FOR JOBS?

Factories, selling agricultural products, work for companies, taxi driving, construction- They are just paid far less than ever imaginable in America. Retail workers make 4 dollars a day. Factory workers make about 5 a day. Taxi drivers make anywhere from 4-6 dollars a day. About 10 percent of the population work in other countries. That's about 8-10 million people. They are considered "Overseas Filipino Workers". This is a major source of income for the Philippines. The OFW's send money back home to their families. It is not uncommon for a father or mother to leave the family and move to another country to find work. They just accept this as part of life. Almost everyone we know in the Philippines has a relative living in another country. 1 kilogram of rice is about 10 servings. It costs about one US dollar. So you can imagine......a family of 6 or more (which is very common) spends about 1/4 of their daily income just for rice. The people we work with in the ministry eat mostly rice/soy sauce and add vegetables at one meal IF they have the money.

WHAT IS DIFFERENT FROM AMERICA FOR US?

In one sense, lots of things. We wait about 30 minutes for a jeepney or taxi to come by where we live because we live at the top of a hill. Our apartment is 240 square feet so we're getting to know each other like never before. We live on the outskirts of a large city with 300, 000 people, so we have bigger crowds than quaint Bardstown. Filipinos watch us a lot in town, are ALWAYS TRYING TO SELL US SOMETHING, and the children are amazed at the hair on Kent's arms- Filipinos don't have it.

However, in another sense, we feel right at home. We can get most of the essentials that we need here. American culture has invaded many parts of Asia. We love serving the poor and pastoring the people. The greatest joy for us is to see Filipinos raised up as leaders of their own people.

WHAT IS GOD DOING?

So much.........i could tell you story after story. This Tuesday, we went to our weekly breakfast and church in the city park. About 20 street kids and vendors gather there. One of the boys that lives in the grandstand was laying on the ground. He complained about a headache and had a huge sore in his mouth. I was blown away by the love shown by all of his street "family". The kids take care of each other and are so loyal. After worship, we all gathered around this boy and prayed for him. The other boys prayed with faith and sincerity for about 5 minutes. As i looked at all those dirty hands on this boy's dirty shirt, i was holding back tears. This is church.

After prayer, Gerald began to look better and better. Within an hour, he was up walking around. We checked on him later that night. The sore in his mouth had shrunk. One of the other ministry ladies got him a toothbrush, ibuprofen, and some colgate. I think he'll be just fine.

God is amazing beyond words. Have a great week.