Ramblings

You see and hear a lot on a trip like this.  It is a bit of a roller coaster ride for your senses - both emotional and spiritual.  I have always liked roller coaster rides!

Here, in no particular order, are some things that I'm feeling, processing, or noticing from my first leg of the trip, in the Philippines.

- People are short in Asia.  I don't think I've met anyone yet who is my height.  

- I dig how they drive over here.  It's exhilarating.  A mixture of chicken, I dare you, suicide, let's make a deal, and who's bigger.  I've had my blood pressure spike a few times - not so much worried that I was going to die, but that others would.  We're in a van.  They are on a motorcycle.  Not a fair fight.

- Lots of motorcycles with add-on side cars and little roofs over the top (they call them tricycles).  I'm wondering if I can buy something like this for my scooter.

- They think that the church in America is strong and vibrant.  I've been bursting their bubble, telling them that we're mainly just good at marketing ourselves.  They overestimate what others have (spiritually) and underestimate what they have.  Don't we all?

- I'm not sure how I can keep people from worrying so much about me.  I think it is hard wired into their culture.  They want to make absolutely certain that I like...my bed, my chair, my water, my food, etc.  I don't really enjoy being the center of attention - I'd much rather blend in - but there is no way around it that I've found.

- I like how this training is happening in Surallah, not Manilla.  There are pastors here who have never been to a conference before in their lives.  This is the extreme southern tip of the Philippine islands and we are near the mountains where the tribal people live.  Some of the pastors here travel each week into remote villages that are only accessible by horse or by foot.  I wish I had more time to go with them.  Sounds like fun.

- Folks are very proud of the Dole corporation.  Their major pineapple operation is nearby and everyone wants me to see it, but I won't have time.

- I ate some mango yesterday at lunch that was out of this world.  Indescribable.  

- I've found it is hard for me to sleep when there is a colony of ants a foot from my head (Manilla).  My room in Surallah is super nice and clean though.  

- I have had a couple of interesting conversations about the TV preachers in America.  I'm a little blown away and sad about how TV has shaped our world, and the church.  Since I don't watch Christian television, it's hard for me to follow all the conversations.  But some here have bought into the "health and wealth" theology - that money is a sign of God's blessing.  There is a circular idea here that if you are a man of God you should be rich, and if you are rich it is obviously a sign that you are a man of God.  I stopped one guy in his tracks yesterday by saying bluntly, "Jesus didn't live like that and Jesus didn't teach that."  He looked at me like I just just stole his binky.  It makes me want to teach more on this subject because I think people are hung up on it.

- I wish I lived in a climate where everything could happen in open-air venues.  I could get used to it, though the chickens sometimes interrupt my train of thought.  It is so cost-effective to have palm trees for posts, and wiring run through the rafters.   

- Our key leader here, Ronaldo Mamintod, has a wonderful family .  He married later in life (32) but his wife Helen was worth the wait, and his kids are very cool.  As I think about it, that is one of the defining characteristics of our key leaders around the world. They have great families.  

- I have not had any discernible jet lag, but this morning I did wake up at 4:30 am, when my alarm was set for 7:00 am.  I didn't try to go back to sleep.  I figure the conference is over today at 2pm, so I can catch a nap this afternoon.

- The terrorism threat is real here.  In the last year 56 people were killed by Islamic extremists in this part of the Philippines.  Just so happens that there is a threat of activity right now - it's on the news everywhere.  But I also could tell something was up by the police officer who was stationed outside my hotel, and the guy with the machine gun who was sitting near me at dinner last night.  I think I might be the only American in town right now, so they are taking care of me.

- I can tell that what I've had to share is going to change some of these people forever.  I know that sounds heavy, but it is true.  When I told them yesterday that the people are the ministers, and that the pastor's job is to equip them for their ministries, I could tell that it was a game-changer.  These leaders are trapped in the "great man of God theory" (imported from America).  The questions that followed showed me they were seriously digesting the new info though.

- Last night I signed 120 diplomas for this course on Kingdom Leadership - some of the nicest certificates I've ever seen.  They are taking this seriously.  

- Some of these leaders already have plans to teach this material to other groups of leaders.  I'm asking them all to teach this material to 10-100 leaders in the next two years.

- It made my heart leap to hear Ronaldo say that he was not into addition, but multiplication.  He is a Peter-type in personality, and I'm glad he's on my team.

- It is going to be a humbling and happy experience tonight when I "officially" receive the signed letters from leaders here saying they want to part of the CTK story.