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Last week, Stephen’s brother Paul made a quick stop by our place in Michigan.  We knew Uncle Paul would be coming, but we wanted it to be a surprise for our children.  And what a surprise it was!  Uncle Paul was only here for a few hours, but the nieces and nephews had a great […]

Occasionally we will receive an email or a letter from an Awana Sparky or a T&T kid.  They usually need to ask a missionary some questions to pass a section in their books.  These questions are usually the same.  Some things like, “What country do you work in?”, “What do you do as a missionary?” […]

The Agutaynen language often will use vagueness.  For example, often an Agutaynen will come to us in the village and ask, “My um is in need of some um.  Could you please give us some um?”  If this happened to you, would you give them some um?  We assume you wouldn’t until you found out […]

The Lord has already provided through sacrificial giving of many of you to help with our project fund.  Along with these gifts, we have put all our “speaking gifts/love offerings” into this fund as well.  For those who might not know, the project fund is to help us with one-time expenses for our return to […]

  Yes, Agutaynens do “celebrate” New Year’s Eve.  Most of them believe the events of the evening of December 31, especially at midnight, will foretell the events of 2011.  For example, a rice pot with no rice in it on the evening of December 31 will mean 2011 will be filled with hunger.  Another example, […]

For the Jordan family, Christmas is a time filled with many blessings and memories.  This year was extra special as we were able to celebrate the birth of our Savior with Ginger’s family.  An additional blessing was all the Christmas cards that many of you sent to us.    Over 100 of you encouraged us with […]

For the last five years, we have celebrated Christmas as the temperature hovered around 90 degrees.  Of course, we are not talking about celebrating Christmas in Michigan, we are talking about in the Philippines.  We were surrounded by coconut and banana trees as we listened to Christmas music.  Singing Christmas songs and sweating at the […]

Yes, they do.  In many ways it is similar to how Americans celebrate Christmas.  For example, there is caroling.  Agutaynens come in groups of about ten people, along with their instruments, which might be a guitar or a banjo (not unusual if the instruments are missing a string or two).  They will sing several Christmas […]

Today is the beginning of a four-week period that we have no speaking engagements.  Our family is treasuring these four weeks of no traveling and just staying home.  This will be extra special for our kids as they desire to attend Sunday School at our home church, where all their friends are.  In order to […]

Yes, we are and have been from time we returned to the States last May.  Even though we won’t be returning to the Philippines until the end of June 2011, we have been and continue to prepare for our return.  One of these preparations is for our children’s homeschooling needs.  At this time, we are […]