A HAPPY BIRTHDAY
This birthday was unforgettable, and not because of any fancy gifts, gadgets, or cake (though the cake was fantastic), but because of the people I was able to share it with. The Children’s Shelter of Cebu knows how to do birthdays right. Many kids, when they arrive at the Shelter for the first time, have never had a birthday celebration. Some are not even aware of their birth dates. At CSC we celebrate the God-given life of each and every person that comes through our doors. This year, that included me 😊.
At first, I wanted to keep my birthday a secret. I didn’t want it to overshadow the birthdays of Jessa, Jack and Ace who were also celebrating birthdays this week (Ace was born on the exact same day as me!). But the staff, and more importantly the kids, would not let that happen.
Jessa, Jack, and Ace are three of the coolest and sweetest kids you could ever meet. While I’ve only known them for a week and a half, they’ve already made a lasting impression. Playing basketball with Jack is a blast, even though his reverse lay-up is virtually un-blockable 😉. Jessa’s bright personality is matched only by her beautiful singing voice. And Ace is the sweetest little girl with a smile that will melt your heart.
Having been “on the ground” for less than two weeks, everything still feels very new; everything is still a little hazy, like a dream. But so far the dream has been wonderful. My family and I have been blessed with the opportunity to share the love of Christ and His Gospel with these wonderful kids, and we want to thank you all for sending and supporting us in this ministry.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:17-18).
PRAYER REQUEST:
This Sunday (9/29) I have my first preaching/speaking engagement at Banawa Bible Fellowship. Please pray that the message is well received, and that the Gospel is clearly and powerfully proclaimed for the glory of God.
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS?
As I mentioned in our September e-mail newsletter, my wife and I acquired our Philippine Driver’s Licenses last week. A number of folks (mostly dual-citizens and balikbayans who are returning to the Philippines after many years abroad) asked how difficult the process was and what they needed to bring. It’s actually quite simple. What you will be telling the people at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is that you are converting your US license to a Philippine license. You won’t have to take a test or anything; you just need to be sure to bring the right documentation.
DISCLAIMER: As many of you know, the requirements/process in the Philippines is, for better or worse, highly variable. What you need to bring can change based on recent updates to the law, or even which person happens to be sitting behind the counter when you arrive at the LTO. So, what follows is my own personal experience in September of 2019. I pray it is a useful guide for you.
We visited the Land Transportation Office at SM SeaSide in Cebu, which turned out to be quite convenient. Not only is the waiting room air conditioned, but there are two medical “labs” right next door where you can get the required “medical examination.” Why am I putting everything in quotes? I’m glad you asked 😊.
A Funny Side-Story
Part of obtaining a Philippine drivers license requires a medical and drug examination. After filling out some paperwork, I was told to urinate in a cup. Surprisingly, just five minutes later, I received a report showing that I had perfect eye-sight, perfect hearing, great blood pressure, and no diabetes or other communicable diseases! That must have been some urine test!
Anyhow, in order to convert my US Driver’s License to a Philippine Driver’s License, this is what I needed to bring as a Dual Citizen of the Philippines:
• Original and one photocopy of my US Passport info page.*
• Original and one photocopy of my US Passport’s arrival page (the page with the stamp from the airport showing the day I arrived).*
• Original and copy of my PSA (formerly NSO) birth certificate. If you were born in the Philippines and need a copy of this, visit here:(https://psa.gov.ph/civilregistration/requesting-civil-registry-document/birth-certificate).
• Original and copy of the front and back of my US driver’s license.*
• A photocopy of my “Oath of Allegiance” from when I reclaimed my Philippine citizenship.
• An LTO approved medical exam.*
*Heather, being a US citizen, only had to bring the items designated with “*,” so her process was even quicker and easier.
I’ve heard from other missionaries that they had trouble obtaining a license if they waited too long; if they were in the country more than 90-days, or if they tried to obtain a license less than 6-months prior to their departure from the Philippines. In other words, it might be best to do this sooner rather than later. Typically, foreigners are required to bring an ARC card (an “Alien Registration Card”), but Heather wasn’t required to bring one. I’m assuming it’s because she converted her license so soon after arrival.
So, after submitting everything listed above, we waited at the LTO office for a few hours and—voila—we had freshly minted Philippine Driver’s Licenses!
PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS
• Pray for Cebu and for my kababayans. Pray that the Gospel of God’s forgiveness and reconciliation through Christ continues to spread. There is a strong movement here, but just like in the West, the Gospel is challenged at every turn by consumerism, humanism, and all of the other “-isms.” These difficulties are compounded by a culture of poverty that has had a strangle hold on the nation for decades; a hold which remains strong and pervasive. There is a stark juxtaposition between the have's and the have-not's, perpetuating an air of pride and self-sufficiency among the have's, and a lack of hope among the have not's. Pray that the light of life that is Gospel of Christ would be made clearly known through the ministry at CSC.
• Our home in Minnesota ended up not selling in the weeks leading up to our departure. I just want to say thank you to all of our wonderful family and friends who have generously agreed to help us keep watch over it. I praise and thank the Lord for you. We would not be able to serve here as effectively without you and the piece of mind that you bring.
• A variety of delays have kept us from getting our internet set-up in our home. In many ways, being this disconnected is a blessing. However, a number of our older kids’ homeschool classes are online. During the day this isn’t so much of an issue since our family can utilize the WiFi at the Shelter’s school (CCHS – Cebu Children of Hope School), but it means that they’ve been able to kind of forego homework assignments or lessons that aren’t completed during the day. It’s also kept Heather and I from Skyping/FaceTime-ing with our family, friends, supporters … all of you! Pray with us that this gets resolved soon, or that some other system for communicating with the world is worked out.
And now, a video of our first Cebu rainstorm 😊:
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