Day Twenty-Four: Beauty of Green

We're not talking about the care of creation but rather flavours of green. And not vegetables, either!

In Asia, we've discovered that green treats are tasty. They are likely to be pandan, matcha or avocado. These flavours are highly under utilised in Canada. Today we went to the brand new J. Co in Davao. It is an Indonesian coffee and doughnut shop that is spreading internationally. We enjoyed their Cafe Avocado (avocado shake with chocolate and coffee) plus a Mr. Green T and an Avocado DiCaprio doughnut. It was just like being back in Indonesia!

There is beauty in strange flavours of the world. Don't even get me started on the deep purple ube snacks!

~ Bonnie

Day Twenty-Three: God's Creation

God created some very beautiful things. The truly awesome thing about nature is that it was meant for us all to enjoy. In a place like Davao, you don't have to go out of your way to see the beauty in the trees, mountains, ocean and orchids that surround you. His beautiful creation is all around!

~ Bonnie

Day Twenty-Two: Yes, We Have No Water

On Wednesday evening we got the news that from 9 a.m. on Thursday through 9 a.m. on Friday there would be an emergency water outage across nearly the entire city.

24 hours is a long water outage, even for Davao, but at least there was some warning. We made our plans, filled all the buckets and containers, and figured we could make it until 9 a.m. today. Well, 9 a.m. came and went today, as did 10, 11, 12... by 3 p.m. we got the news that the water outage had been extended from 24 hours to 41 hours. Our bucket has pretty much run dry and we're borrowing from others.

So, where's the beauty? The beauty is how people here handle it. One of the greatest things about the Philippines is the adaptability of the people. With a smile and a knowing laugh, they accept what cannot be helped and find a way to make it work.

To be certain, this is not an easy thing to deal with. This was not part of our plans for our visit here! But we're still smiling, because everyone around us is, and you just can't help it. Incomprehensible as it is, this is beauty. This is why they say, "It's more fun in the Philippines!"

Evan

Note: Since writing this, the water came back, only 9 hours late! We're seeing all sorts of ecstatic posts on Facebook as our friends and colleagues here celebrate. :)

This is how we showered this morning... and this is how much we have left after 30-some hours (and counting) without water.

Day Twenty-One: Familiar Faces

Last night we had dinner with two of our dearest friends and colleagues here in Davao. It was a truly beautiful evening of reconnecting and sharing. Their balcony has become something of an important place in our lives, so many transformative conversations have taken place there!

Last evening's particular conversation focused on how being out here has changed all of us - emotionally, spiritually, theologically - and how we relate back to our communities in our home countries as a result. That can be a very difficult thing to work out and we are blessed to have friends like this who can walk with us on that journey with laughter, compassion and great food.

We are very thankful for so many wonderful friends here in Davao we'll be seeing over the next two weeks. The community here is a big part of what has made Davao "home" for us.

Evan

Terrible photo. Wonderful friends.

Day Twenty: Familiar Places

We're back in Davao for the next two and a half weeks, working out of the office here. My old office has apparently been turned into a computer room, but Bonnie's was still vacant so we're set up in here.

It feels somewhat surreal to be back here again - working, shopping, cooking, doing "normal" things. This was our home for two years and in many ways it still feels like home - but "home" is a funny word for missionaries. We can be at home anywhere, but nowhere is truly "home" anymore.

It's all a little bittersweet, but we are very thankful for this time here in one of the places we will always call home.

Evan

Our workspace here in Davao

Day Nineteen: Beauty in Chaos

If you have ever driven through a densely populated city in Asia (or probably Africa, and I've heard Russia...) you will notice that the traffic is much different than in most of North America. It seems chaotic at first. Intimidating. But if you spend time trying to understand it, you soon realise that it is a beautiful dance of negotiations. People are less concerned about the "rules" and more about making the most of the available space and allowing everyone to get to where they need to.

Day Eighteen: Davao

We got up very early this morning. Made it safe to our guest house in Davao. The taxi ride to BKK before dawn was quite pretty.

Day Seventeen: Easter

He is risen!

While we've been in Bangkok we have been attending Christ Church. It is Anglican but serves a very diverse community. There are people of all ethnic and denominational backgrounds that call this place home. Christianity makes up about 1% of the population in Thailand so being a part of a community of believers feels that much more precious.

On Easter, we are all reminded of the Good News. That God loves the world and wants each person to be reconciled to Himself. It was beautiful to share in this celebration with this cherished group of people.

~ Bonnie

Day Sixteen: Beautiful Spaces

On Monday we move on to the Philippines for a few weeks so we've been spending this weekend doing a bit more exploring around town. For part of the day today we wandered around one of Bangkok's parks.

Natural beauty is, of course, breathtaking - but the beauty in man-made places is more than just a pale imitation of that. It is a unique experience to walk through a place and know that this is here because someone cared enough about this space to make it beautiful.

To quote G.K. Chesterton, "Modern things are ugly, because modern men are careless, not because they are careful."

So many of the places we visit are, at best, pragmatic. To create beauty in the midst of that takes a great deal more effort, and we are grateful for it.

Evan

Day Fifteen: Good Friday

Good Friday. The day we remember what Christ did for us. Let us also not forget who "us" really is. Not just those who gather on a Sunday morning, not just those who follow Jesus daily... Christ died for everyone. Everyone. All we need to do is accept Him. This is the beauty of the gospel.

~ Bonnie

Day Fourteen: Beautiful People Back Home

One of our friends back in Winnipeg asked us if we would wear blue today for World Autism Awareness Day, and post a selfie on Facebook. It felt really great to have that connection with someone back home, and we've actually got quite a few friends who have kids on the autistic spectrum so we were pretty excited to wear blue for all of them today.

Thanks Tanya, for including us! Here's our selfie, wearing #blue4ivan!

Evan

Day Thirteen: The Beauty of Everyday Life

Today we visited the local office, where we'll be working, and looked at apartments in the area.

It was eye opening to see what our life will likely look like in a few months. We timed our walk to the nearest metro station and figured out the closest supermarket and 7-11 (hint: if you're not within sight of a 7-11 you've somehow left Thailand).

Oh, and of course we sampled the local street food. Mystery meat on a stick for the win! :)

Evan