“What’s cooking?” You ask. ‘There are many possible answers. Last week we finished our field leadership team meetings a day early so I decided to use my free day in the big city by visiting a plastic surgeon. Well, actually I was expecting to visit a dermatologist about a spot on my face, but when I arrived at his office I found out that he shares an office with his wife who is a plastic surgeon. The menu on the wall was enticing, so I sat there considering having my nose shortened or lifted or something, but decided against it. When I was called, I went in expecting to get an opinion about the spot, but doctor was a man of action. It turns out that he gives commands not opinions. “Take off your shirt,” he said. “Is this little spot skin cancer?” I managed to squeak. “No, but I’m going to take it off!” he said, “and this one, and this one, and that one too.” It wasn’t long before he had marked out a battle plan and was ready to start. “I’ll burn these off,” he said. “Liquid nitrogen leaves a white spot and most of my patients don’t want a white spot. It wouldn’t matter so much for you, but burning is the way I do it anyway.” I had been given pain killer so I couldn’t feel a thing, but pretty soon I started to smell something searing. Yes, I was being cooked. The doctor did a great job. You might say, “I’m well done.”
Last Wednesday, we traveled north and Heidi and I spent the next two days running around town preparing for our trip to the village. It was extremely hot! How hot? It was so hot I kept looking over my shoulder expecting to see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego nearby. I did not spot them, but we were cooking!
Supplies purchased, we flew into the village on Saturday and were glad to be home in time for Sunday meeting. In the afternoon, the village started preparing for important visitors. They set up chairs, put up tarps for shade, and cooked two pigs and one cow. They were cooking!
[Heidi & Arcely with our congresswoman and a Dept. of Education official]
On Monday, the Governor, Congress woman, Mayor, and vice-mayor, and many other government officials arrived and spent the day visiting and giving speeches. It was a big day for our little village.
Thank you for praying for our leadership meetings and for the helicopter for Mindanao. Your prayers were answered. The helicopter made it through customs in record time and the mechanics have already spent two day assembling it. It won’t be long before it is serving missionaries and the people of the Philippines.
We are excited because this is the week that Cole and Hannah Hinderager, with their son, Cameron, finally get to come and visit us. The Hinderagers have come to serve in the Philippines and are currently learning the national language. This is a break for them and hopefully they will be encouraged to press on with their studies.
Thank you for your prayers, God bless, Jonathan & Heidi