friends, we cannot love the enemy and pull the trigger too.

As I watched the clock turn to 11am on November 11th here in the Philippines, I stopped my work and spent some time in prayer. On Remembrance Day, and everyday, I pray for peace in our world and I work for peace in our world.

This morning I'm preparing for a Peace and Reconciliation Training day that Peace Church is hosting on Saturday. I plan to have participants discuss their position on the statement, "The use of violence is justified in order to bring about peace." While opinions always vary, I choose to strongly disagree with this, which means I can never condone the use of military actions. Jesus Christ calls us to love our enemies, and in the words of my wise 100 year old grandfather, "Friends, we cannot love the enemy and pull the trigger too." I am thankful for my Opa and his legacy of building peace.

Click here to read a Remembrance Day article I wrote for The Light Magazine this month, about our experience working in a war-zone.

And click here to hear my grandfather's message of peace.

And Why Did I Worry So Much??

Before we left for our recent 4-month stay in Canada, we packed up our whole apartment in Manila and put everything in storage (and dealt with a very unwelcomed case of bed bugs. Terrible!!). While we were home, countless people asked me where we’d be moving to when we returned to the Philippines. But we didn’t really know. And the closer the time came to leave our comfortable 4-month home in my sister’s basement suite, the more I worried. It felt like we were starting all over again, finding a home and figuring out our neighbourhood, just like we did 3 years ago, this time with one more kid. And while 3 years in the Philippines has brought us many friends, an understanding of the language, and other familiarities that made the return easier, we’re also now familiar with the difficulties of living here. We know that it often takes an hour to drive a few kilometers. We know that it’s very hard to find greenspace. And we know that when you’re told the internet will be hooked up within the week, it may very well mean 4 weeks. To say I dreaded returning to the polluted cement jungle I’m to call home is too harsh, but let’s just say I wasn’t looking forward to the transition. I was excited to see friends here and set up home again, but the fact that I couldn’t picture what that home would look like scared me a lot.

During our first week back in Manila, tired with jet lag (its hard to start the day at 4:30am for 5 days in a row!) Darnell and I set out to find a house. On the way to the first house, Darnell took a video of me, asking me what I wanted in this house. And after I listed a few things (like 4 bedrooms, a yard, semi-furnished, and a playground and pool within walking distance), I said that there’s no chance we’ll get all of it (within our budget), so now its just a matter of what things are the most important. But on the second day of searching- you guessed it- we found exactly what we wanted.

I could not be happier with the space we found. Out our front porch there’s a big patch of grass and tall trees, shared with the townhouses surrounding us. There’s a playground and pool within walking distance and because it’s a gated village, the kids can bike and it feels safe. We have 3 big rooms plus a great office for Darnell, a super spacious family room and kitchen and its all been recently renovated. The place is 2.5 times bigger than what we had (our apartment was TINY before!) and cheaper. The downside is there’s nothing much within walking distance, but I am figuring out how to get around with the kids using uber and I may even try driving here. The kids love it and all our guests so far have been in awe of this gem of a place we found. Our internet may not be set up yet and it took us nearly half an hour to get to the Starbucks just down the street, but our couches came ahead of schedule (total shocker!) and I see green out my kitchen window.

So, needless to say, we are very thankful. I am blown away by what God has provided for us. And I honestly don’t know why I ever worried so much.

The boys' room is so spacious and they love it! So does Teyah!

Our family room... needs some decor on the wall but in the meantime, movies!

Grass. Out our front door. Priceless.

The kitchen has so much cupboard space that most of them are empty!

North America Ministry Schedule

Hello from sunny South Surrey!! We're staying at my sister's house for 4 months during our North America Ministry after having completed our first 3 year term in the Philippines. We'll return end of August for another 3 year term. We're enjoying the cool weather, the quiet neighbourhood and visiting with family and friends. 

I just thought I'd post our summer speaking schedule in case some of you would like to hear us share. And if you are interested in having us share at your Bible Study group, school or any other kind of setting, please feel free to contact us and we'd be happy to set something up. 

Here's our speaking schedule so far....

May 10th- Eden Mennonite Church in Chilliwack, BC

May 24th- Level Ground Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, BC

Mat 31st- Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, BC

June 7th- First Mennonite Church in Edmonton, AB

June 14th- Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary, AB

June 21st- Peace Mennonite Church in Richmond, BC

June 28th- Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, MB

July 5th- Glenlea Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, MB

August 2nd- Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, BC (Darnell with Jon Soriano and Regina Mondez from the Philippines)

And here's a shot from this morning.... this is where we get to spend much of our time relaxing and visiting. We are very thankful for the space my sister and her family have provided for us! The kids are loving playing in the yard with their cousins and our little suite is just perfect for us.

Hope to see many of you soon!!!

Dreams for My Daughter on International Women’s Day

Monday was International Women’s Day and it caused me to reflect on the women who have impacted me, who love me and who have nurtured me. I am especially thankful for my mother and my sister. But now as a mother of a little girl, I’ve been thinking more about my dreams for my daughter.

I recently had a conversation with two close friends, both confident, assertive Filipina young women, who feel a lack of women leadership in their spheres and have a hard time thinking of a woman they respect and look up to as a leader. This saddened me deeply, as I can easily name 10 women who fit that category for me and they have immeasurably shaped me. As a girl growing up in Canada, I never felt underprivileged or that my opportunities were limited because of being female. But these two strong Filipina women have often felt that, and it brings me to tears, even as I write this.

What saddens me the most is that it has often been the church that causes women to feel inferior. Only once, when Darnell and I were newly married and attending a mega church in our hometown, did I feel ostracized as a woman (long story!), and we left that church, ironically moving to a church with a female lead pastor, who I respect deeply. I’m thankful to be part of a denomination (Mennonite Church Canada) that welcomes, whole-heartedly, women as lead pastors and at every other level of leadership. I won’t go into the theology of women in leadership here, but I believe with all my heart that it is God’s intention for women to be treated equally, given equal opportunity and not, in any way, be inferior to men.

So this International Women’s Day I have many dreams for my daughter. Here are five of them:

 1. I hope my daughter will have a deep sense of self worth and confidence and never feel inferior to men. I hope she will always be able to stand up for herself and her beliefs, even if it means confronting men in leadership.

2. I hope my daughter will not feel limited in finding a profession, but have every opportunity to be a CEO, a Principal, a Pastor, a Stay At Home Mother, or whatever else she might dream of.

3. I hope my daughter will never feel taken advantage of and will never rely on beauty or charm to get what she wants.

4. I hope my daughter will have female role models who she can look up to. I hope I can always be an example of a strong and sensitive woman to her.

5. I hope she will have healthy relationships with her brothers, her father, her possible future partner, and other men in her life, where she is treated equally. I hope she learns from her father and I, who are equal partners in our marriage.

As a mother of a daughter now, my womanhood has brought on new meaning. I am, and will be for quite a while, the single most important role model in my daughter’s life. I don’t take this role lightly and it involves, too, teaching my boys how to treat girls (some good tips here: http://www.scarymommy.com/raising-feminist-boys/).

My dreams for my daughter are vast, and I pray, with the support of her brothers, her father, her extended family, her friends, and myself that she will be a confident, determined, strong, sensitive and loving woman with endless choice and opportunity. I pray the same for every woman all over the world.

Grieving, Gathering and Going

Sometimes it all feels a little overwhelming. Last night at our weekly PeaceChurch gathering, I shared to our community that it can be so exhausting to care so much. It would be easier to be apathetic. 10 days ago, in a special operation to find one of the FBIs most wanted terrorists, a Malaysian man known as Marwan, there were 69 pointless deaths. I mourn for the 44 Philippine National Police Officers, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and 7 civilians. I mourn especially for the five year old boy and his father who were killed in the fighting during morning prayers at their mosque. Why, Lord? Why?

The corruption, violence and natural disasters in the Philippines grieve us deeply. We pray, we share our hearts, we strategize, we serve the oppressed and poor, we teach peace...... and we rely on Jesus to carry us through the dark times. 

I feel the need, more than ever, to focus on GOOD, to share stories of how God is at work and to remain positive, trusting in Jesus. I feel deeply thankful for the work of PeaceChurch and the many ways our community is working towards peace in this land. I am excited about the Philippines Anabaptist Network and the Peace and Reconciliation training that is really taking off. I am thankful for PeaceChurch's involvement in building Earthbag houses and the safety and comfort it is bringing to families in need. I'm grateful for our community and how God is transforming hearts and minds to live out Jesus' radical call for us all. 

And more than anything, I'm thankful for the three little ones that fill up most of my time these days.

Darnell and I feel infinitely blessed by their chatter, laughter, questions and comedy. Our little lady is 5 months old today! Her first tooth just poked through, she's sitting for a few seconds at a time, rolling everywhere, smiling/giggling always, and getting up on her hands and knees with such determination. The boys continue to entertain us with their imaginative play, silly stories and songs and dances. They are just a hoot and I love hanging out with them :)

Amidst our work here and Darnell being very busy with various events and involvements, we are also looking forward and making plans for this summer. Our flights are booked and in three months time we'll be home!! We'll be staying for 4 months this time for North American Ministry. In May we'll be preaching and sharing in BC, June we head to Alberta for a couple weeks and in July we're in Manitoba and then Darnell flies to Pennsylvania for the Mennonite World Conference. August is holiday time. We are very much looking forward to this time in Canada; a break from our work here to connect with our friends, family and supporters and to rejuvenate and reenergize as we gear up to serve for another 3 year term. In the next three months we will be packing up our apartment and putting our belongings in storage.... pray for us as we discern where to live when we return to Manila in September. 

So there is a lot going on now and a lot to process. But in the middle of feeling overwhelmed by the senseless deaths and ridiculous corruption here, we gather as community. As I shared my heart last night with our PeaceChurch community, my struggles and exhaustion, I felt safe and not alone. As we read about Jesus' radical call to love and to learn from even our so-called enemies, I felt energized by the Spirit to keep living out Jesus' radical call to love all people and work for peace.