Rice Rats

As we zipped through the rice fields men by the roadside were selling half dozen rats they held by their tails. “They eat rats here?”, I exclaimed to my friend. “Only the ones they catch in the rice field, not garbage rats”, he said indignantly.
After eating rice 2-3 times a day for 5 weeks, I had a big-mac attack. It had been a long time. I actually thought I’d been delivered from unhealthy junk food. You know, the kind that clogs your arteries and contains a whole day’s worth of calories. I felt a little less guilty when I gave the middle of it to my wife who used it to take the edge off her bone dry fish filet. (The sacrifices I make for that woman.)
Now you know: this riveratt is not a rice rat…

PS Now home and recovering.

Oxy the Moron

Now we are in the mts. of N. Luzon, Baguio City. Rainy in dry season just like Manila. The wedding last Sat. went off relatively smoothly except the candle lighter laid his lit candle down and could have burn down the table with a huge antique Bible on it - so sacred to the rented church we couldn't move it for the wedding. Fortunately I saw the fire and put it out quickly - I watch for that having had experience... I forgot to pray over the couple before the pronouncement so I gracefully slipped it in before the picture taking... Sunday is a bit of a blure but the Fire of God meeting that night was a kind of a reunion/anniversary with the affiliated churches coming together, young people leading fabulous worship, the founders, Ben and Carmelita saying nice things about us, Ben singing without his front tooth which unbeknowst to him fell out while he was singing in the morning service. I said nice things about Ben and Carmelita, then preached for 20 minute and got everyone up to pray. Glory rained and the end worship turned into a slam dance...
After 2 days visiting relatives, etc while staying in a water park without swimming, we drove 7 hrs. to the mts. (4-30)Today was the first of 2 days of extention Bible school "Principles of Revival". Are there such things? I was the ox that came up with the title. Diane ended the teaching with a call for people to come forward if they wanted to receive an increased anointing, if they were hungering for more. Most of the 100 students came forward.
Theorectically Saturdy is a day off, Sunday at church here, after lunch ride the bus back to Manila, repack for the umpteenth time and Monday a 4:50AM flight to Zamboanga City in the south to see our son, Don, the kids and friends there. May not have another post til we get home.

Last Tuesday Andres family took us to lunch up a small mountain to a hotel. On the way in the middle of no where we crested a ridge and there was this little store with a huge sign 'Convenience Store'. We all busted up laughing. Rino said it was formerly a coffee shop that went bankrupt. Do we do church like that?
That's all for now. By this time next week the people here will saying of me, "The swine flew."

What a scream

Thurs 4-23 I (Diane) spoke first but Ludie Grace Ramirez needed help sewing her gift for her 50 guests at her 70th B-party tonight. Since I got the sewing machine from you know where to work I was the one to help her. After that I went back to the church and prayed with Yoni’s sister who has a lump. They say is cancerous but no known origin. I’m believing God healed her cause she was manifesting and it was a spirit of infirmity then shaking and praising and then more of this and that and she got such a powerful release.
The last day of the Puppet Sem? Wow, what a shock the puppets came back completed with all the facial parts, hair, sunglasses, hats, do rags, dresses, coats, shirts, hoodies, jewelry, ribbons, and you name it. So fun. And they were all excited about their creations and so was I. We had a fun 4 hours of instruction, practice, and performing their skits . We laid hands on the people and the puppets and commissioned them to preach the Gospel. Everyone went out with a shout and a visions of ongoing ministry for their lives.
I am taking Amie out to get our nails done for the semi-formal B-party tonight. Since I haven’t been cooking, chopping, laundry or scrubbing I actually have nails. I needed to do it for the wedding anyway.
I was listening to my ipod today and discovered an unknown album. So I listened to it and it sounded familiar. The music and words were awesome. I felt the power of God so strong I couldn’t move. Then I realized it was the 2 songs Joy wrote. I was overwhelmed and blessed. Those need to be recorded for the rest of the world. I remember when Joy, Hope and Faith sang “To be a Witness” in church. I think should sing both those songs together.
Does it sound like I miss them? Ya! And the Rivers gang... sumpan fierce

The Cat's Still Flat

But we are determined to follow the advice of Wintston Churchill during the dark days of the Second World War: "Never, never, never give up"
Hey, if Ben W. can practice on a dead mouse before he went to India...

Tonight is the last night of B.school. Tomorow we pack up, move to Taytay for Noy's wedding, and preach 3 times on Sunday: Twice back in the city in Greenhills, then back to TNLF for our Fire of God meeting. Thanks for praying, getting a bit weary. Mon. and Tues. are supposed to be rest, but we have a lot of visitation to do.

Rehydrating

Since Mike Olels left on Sunday, we have had lightening and thunder storms and raining cats and dogs here in dry season... Every time we walk across the street to the church, we pass a cat that died long ago, someone ran over it, and it dried up so much that it was flatter than a pancake. Mike even took a picture of it. (Mike, put it on face book - along with the picture of you in our men's meeting at camp as you played David with the long red hair) Tonight I teach on resurrection. The way that cat has soaked up the rain, I might take it to the streets after the class and have the students do workshop on that flat cat...

Just finished a puppet seminar with 45 puppets being made. Glorious confusion but we got the job done. I have lots of stories about it. Tomorrow they get to practice with their new puppet after instruction and setting up puppet teams in each church. Dennis is teaching on Faith tonight in the Bible School. I taught on Repentance. It always makes me want to repent. Miss you all. Thanks for your prayers.

Bible School

I've got a connection!!! I'm sitting in class as Dennis is teaching on the Validity of the Word and Bible interpretation. We have 5 nights of teaching Heb 6 fundamental truths. I have been preparing for the puppet making seminar every spare moment. I was tying to work with the sewing machine from Hell and I conquered it but lost alot of time. God has given me a great helper who is artistic and great with directions. So he has take me to all the places where we had to buy the materials for the stage and foam for the puppets. I brought alot of stuff with me but it all has to be prepared and packaged in sets. We have prepared 45 puppets to make. I'm not sure how many churches are involved. Tomorrow I'll teach the class from 9-5pm.The next day I'll teach the mechanics of puppetry as well as setting a vision for evangelism adults/children. And then 7-10pm I'll share the time with Dennis in teaching at the Bible School.
We have about 50+ students in the B-School. Thanks for praying. This is a busy week but lots of laughs and victories over mechanical and technical difficulties.
Diane