Farewell and Good-bye!

What a send off by the Administrators and Staff and Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges. We were treated to a wonderful “Thank-you” dinner and exchanged gifts before saying our good-byes.

The evening started with several songs and games from Emelyn Castillo, who’s proved to be more than a music teacher and leader, she has the gift of motivating others. Before the evening was over, we witnessed Milson the building contractor dance, everyone clap and sing, and Janet McCarty, the host missionary shed a few tears.

The gift exchange was more than we could possibly return. Our Philippine hosts gave us several mementos and even a couple of “diplomas” for the lectures and class teachings done at the school. We responded with Chapelwood crosses, three prayer shawls, and a “shovel.” The iron of one of the shovels purchased for the team, cracked in the middle rendering it useless. Since it wasn’t very warn, the shovel became a “trophy” as we signed our names on it with the glitter pens we brought to Kidapawan for Vacation Bible School.

For the record, the first 13 foundation holes have been dugout, each at varying depths. The plan is to construct the new two story building in phases which is common in developing countries. The new “kitchen” has been erected with the concrete poured even as the rain was beginning to fall. And Dr. Ed Lynch completed nearly 70 physicals.

Already some of the medical follow up on the more serious students has begun.

So we leave knowing we have left an impact. How much may be never known fully, but when you look around at all the grace we received, we leave as blessed people. At breakfast in Kidapawan this morning, one of the students Gemma Labagan left us a letter. Her closing words gave us a lift as we began the long road home, “Thanks to all of you. You inspired me as I continue my journey in life. May God bless you more with your families be a blessing to all people. To God be the Glory!” And then one last line, “I hope we’ll see you again.” We do too, Gemma.

Leaving a Legacy

It is hard to measure the impact of a trip such as this. While it’s easy to note the completed tasks like how many student physicals were given, the number of foundation holes dug out, and the construction of a kitchen in the rear of the men’s dormitory, the real impact is the relationships that will continue.

As I headed to the men’s dormitory to help with the kitchen this afternoon, I was stopped by a student who was going the other direction. “Thank-you Sir,” he said. I first responded nonchalantly, “You’re welcome,” and started to pass him by, but he persisted, thanking me again. “You are part of the mission team?” he asked, in a way to keep the conversation going. I replied, “Yes, I am.” He then smiled and proclaimed, “Chapelwood! your church has made it possible for me to be here, I’m getting a scholarship.”

As it turns out Zaldy Aganan has quite a story. At age 51, he is the father of 10 children, four of whom are already grown and are married living in Manila with four children of their own, so Zaldy is a “Lolo”, a grandfather. He is from the northern island Luzon in the Bicol region which he describes as very poor and remote, so traveling to the Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges is difficult. “I come from a place that is very far from here. It is a two day travel by land.”

Zaldy has been serving as a local pastor in Bicol for the past couple of years, and the District Superintendent encouraged him to go to a theological school to continue his education. Even though he is much older than the other students, Zaldy believes the time spent here is well worth it. “At age 51 maybe I will be waiting until age 55 [to graduate], but for me serving the Lord, there’s no retirement.”

And his family is encouraging him too. “I think this will give more bonding to the family because that’s what my children are always saying to me, ‘Papa you continue to study!’”

Chapelwood supports a number of students by donating $6,000 to the college. The amount each student receives depends on need and their course of study. Bob Lasalle, who visited the school when the first Chapelwood mission team was here two years ago, is sponsoring another student sparking an interest from Kathie Luther. She and team leader, husband Dave, have decided to underwrite a scholarship for a young woman who is going into teaching, Kathie’s profession. The student’s story is compelling as she lost her mother to cancer at an early age, and her father, who was a poor farmer, died a few years ago. Still, the young woman has great faith writing in a letter she submitted for a leadership scholarship. “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’” If you or a prayer group would like to sponsor a scholarship, which cost $400 to $450, contact missionary Janet McCarty at the school. The email address is jmccarty50@yahoo.com.

Carleton Cole

Back to Work

Entering our second week in the Philippines the mission team is focused on getting as much work done as there can be. As we have come accustomed to, the day began with stagnant grey clouds and threatening skies. We walked from our quarters at the guest house about a mile through a small community to the Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges. Again we were met by the foundation holes. Still saturated by a weekend rain, and more surely to come soon. While we waited for more lumber to work on the men’s dormitory stove, the shoveling began.

There is no question that when you are digging muddy clods from foundation pits, you surely ask yourself, why would anyone take a plane, travel half way around the globe to work so hard. Then you are hit with mission moments. Our foreman, as it were, is a genteel man named Millson. His rename is Carmillo, but his father shares the same name and decided he didn’t want to call his son junior, so he came up with the nickname Mill-son. Millson called out to me, Carleton you played with my grandson! I had to think a bit but I remembered on Saturday there was a little boy who was being a little bit of a toot during Vacation Bible School. “Carleton I knew it was you because the three year old told me , Tambok picked me up!” I now know a new word in Tagalog, Tambok meaning “Big Man.” Again my thoughts turned to my family as for so many years I carried little brothers and sisters, my daughter and several nephews on my shoulders. In this case all I was trying to do was to help quiet an unruly child. Instead I made a “huge” impression on a three year old and his grand dad, a little thing, but something which won’t be forgotten.

The rains did come, and they always do, but we did have enough dry weather to continue work on the men’s dormitory stove after lunch. I always find it fascinating how third world carpenters get as much as they can out of the supplies that are on hand. U bolts are made out of 10 penny nails by bending them hard around the rebar. It may not sound like much but sawing through the soft lumber is an interesting sensation. In Houston we’re more accustomed to taking a power saw and zipping through pressure treated pine. Here there are no power saws so all the work is done by hand. While the 2x6 was firm, it didn’t take long before the teeth of the hand saw chewed through the board. In no time a scaffold was assembled to erect the frame for the roof of the structure.

On a final note I would like to share with you something called the “Dionsia Clap” Readers of the sports pages back home may be familiar with a boxer named Manny Pacquiao. He is a local hero coming from the Island of Mindanao and highly revered by both men and women students at the college. Dionsia is Manny’s mother and she has popularized a cheer much like “The Wave” or the “Tomahawk Chop” which we are used to seeing at football or baseball games. On several occasions the students have treated us to the “Donisa Clap” as an appreciation for helping them. For the record it’s three claps of the hand, three stomps of the feet, and then a salute as they call out the words, “Thank-you Sir!” with an emphasis on thank-you. Again I have to say, “No thank-you, I am so happy to be allowed to serve in The Philippines!” It is just one of the many examples of seeing God’s Grace as we encourage the people of Kidapawan.

Carleton Cole

July 4th in the Philippines and in Houston

It is Independence Day, a day to pause and remember, “The Spirit of 1776,” a living document which keeps our country united today. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

It is fitting that as I write this, I just heard the 9:00 a.m. Patriotic Service from Chapelwood, (10 p.m. here in the Philippines,) and the words of Jefferson and Monroe still ring so clearly around the world. I am proud to know a new friend in Leobert Don Laforteza, someone you have not met, but if you were at Chapelwood today you heard his voice as he narrated a video produced this week at the Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges. The words are inspiring whether heard in the Chapelwood sanctuary or half a world a way via the internet in Kidipawan. “We live in a much more connected world than at any time throughout history. Despite all the diversity there is in this world, we share so much in common. We together, Spanish, Filipino, American, Russian, African, all of us are the body of Christ in identity, as his beloved, and in our calling to serve wherever we may be today. We are made one by God's Holy Spirit that resides is both you and us.” I’ll admit, the video along with the singing from the Chancel Choir, made me a little homesick.

Here in Kidipawan, our “Forth of July” began with a special event too. We were invited to visit the Branscomb United Methodist Church. A quaint building near where we are serving, sitting on the fringe of a city park that offers picturesque views of a descending stream. Smiles from the many friendly faces greeted us as we enjoyed a two hour worship service complete with the sharing of the Holy Communion.

The mission team helped lead the congregation in song, singing “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” and “Father I Adore You.” Gleefully, the church members joined in, and we are especially grateful for the talents of Emelyn Castillo who not only kept us on key, but is the music teacher at the Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges.

One of the highlights of the service was to hear in Tagalog the Lord’s prayer. For me this was especially meaningful as my wife Hazel and I visited the Church of the Pater Noster recently in Israel where it is believed Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. Mosaics in 80 languages adorn the church on the Mount of Olives including one in Tagalog which I had caught on camera. Who would know I would hear the inscribed words said by native Filipinos. Chapelwood staff member Chris Archer added to the moment as he gave a sermon on the Lord’s prayer sharing insights to the individual words, “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be your name.”

All worship service is personal, but today’s service in Kidipawan had deep meaning for team member Ed Lynch. As is custom here, the church celebrates members birthdays for the week ahead by announcing their names from the altar then singing to them. When the team was introduced to the congregation all of us had the chance to something about us, and Ed had the most to say in perhaps the least amount of worlds. He admitted he was moved by the singing of Happy Birthday as back in the states his first born son is celebrating his 53 birthday today, and he wished he could be with him. As I reflect and get ready for bed, I can only think of the words from George M. Cohan, “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy, born on the 4th of July.” Indeed it is a “Dandy Day”, two worship services celebrating July 4th birthdays, one for those who are with us in the flesh, and the other for a spirit which inspired a new country 224 years ago. Each however, connected by the Holy Spirit who calls us to serve both near and far.

Carleton Cole

Vacation Bible School

I don’t think there is a more anticipated event on an international mission trip than Vacation Bible School. It’s hard to say who gets more out of it, the children or the team.

It was evident school teacher and team member Kathie Luther put in a lot of thought in Houston gathering supplies, and thinking about the messages for the children.

The day began early as the team assembled at a fairly large chapel on the school grounds. Five stations were set up, each with fifteen chairs for the corresponding craft for the children. At station one there were coloring sheets each with a Christian message which they drew over with the multi-hued crayons we had carried from Houston. At station two there were soap bubbles which are always at hit with children of any age. These represented the promise of the rainbow from Genesis. There was a craft at station three where the children erected small crosses from thin foam like material to take home with them. Balloons were blown up at station four, with smiling faces drawn on them representing God’s love. And at station five, which was the second craft, the children made little fish out colorful beads as a reminder that Christ has called us to be “fishers of men.”

As the team prepared for the children, we received a lot of help from the mothers and some volunteers from the school. Not only could they converse in the children’s native dialect, they helped maintain order which was quite remarkable considering the number of kids. Vacation Bible School can often be “organized mayhem,” but on this Saturday morning, the children were very well behaved, helping insure the event was fun for everyone. After the kids went through a rotation of stations, each getting to participate in all the activities, we threw frisbees and kicked soccer balls outside on the wet grass slickened by a fresh fallen rain. The day also included a “fast food” meal, which is a real treat for the children and other family members as most everyone brought home the left overs to share.

There’s no question the day highlights the “purpose” of the mission trip, not just the “task,” which in this case is to construct some foundation holes. The smiles on the children and their parents can warm the heart of even the dourest of curmudgeon. It vividly serves as a reminder of the words in Matthew found in “The Great Commission” to go into the world and share Christ’s love. I was especially moved by several incidents which I think offered some insights to the humanity of the day.

First as B.J. Castagnetta held a bubble producing toy sending a multitude of soap spheres descending on the kids, a mother giggled, “I never had the chance to do this as a child. Now I am with my two children.” Then after the meal, and after all the fast food boxes were gathered, a kindergarten teacher carefully recycled much of the cardboard and the cups to recycled them as supplies for crafts later with her kids. I remembered my mother doing a similar kind of thing as a child growing up in a large family. My mother’s cardboard of choice was the oatmeal canister which made for a great drum. I then envisioned how these gently used soda cups will be used to thin water colors for the children to draw pictures on the carefully torn up cardboard later on. Another Christ-like image flashed through my mind, as He commanded His disciples to gather up all the remaining crumbs from the loaves and fishes at Tagbha two thousand years ago.

And lastly as I walked back to our guest house there was a young family, a mother and three youngsters, walking down the muddy trail along side me as they were heading home. The smallest was singing a familiar tune. “Five little monkeys sitting on the bed, one jumped up and broke his bed.” It was the same little nursery rhyme my daughter Whitney used to sing, and this little girl, maybe three years old, was toddling home with the same joy in her heart which I had seen on Whitney’s face so many times before. I chuckled a little and then joined in like I did with Whitney when she was a similar age. The entire family was grinning and laughing now as the little one sang out with even more gusto than she had done before, a priceless moment for sure. It is then when you fully understand the calling of coming to such a far away place.

Carleton Cole

The Big Dig

You may have heard about a transportation project in the east coast dubbed, “The Big Dig.” Of course Chapelwood members are familiar with the Katy freeway expansion. Well, in Kidapawan, The Philippines, “The Big Dig” is the many foundation holes that continue to grow at the Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges. No question it is hard work, with B.J and Warren Castagnetta, Dave and Kathie Luther, Bob Lassalle, and Chris Archer doing the heavy lifting. You would think just shoveling out the dirt doesn’t take much thought, but in a climate like the Philippines there are special challenges.

Take for instance the rain. You would think after living in Houston the team would be adequately prepared. However in Kidapawan, it rains more than 120 inches per year, nearly 3 times the amount that falls on Houston annually. So rain isn’t just a some times thing, it’s an everyday thing. So when you’re digging out a hole, it gets muddy, the shovels get heavier, and you look like a mess. But there are things to do during the rainstorms. The tap dance is to make sure you have a tarp over some of the holes you are working on so when it rains you shovel out them. But when it’s sunny outside, that’s when you begin clearing out new holes, knowing you’ll be back under the tarp at anytime. So you see even in digging out construction holes, it can be a science.

It was mostly sunny today, and the team got a new construction project which goes hand in hand with the other. The men’s dormitory is in badly need of a new stove area, so today the job began. So guess what, that meant digging holes in a new area, although these weren’t as deep. Only four holes for this project and then the fun to make suitable concrete to set the rebar to anchor the base. Since it’s Friday, the concrete should have time to set so more work can be done on Monday. After just digging for the past few days, this project was a nice respite.

Doctor Ed continues to see students as he is providing much needed medical services to the school. The count is up to 50, or nearly half of the student body, pardon the pun, this week alone. The good doctor also finished his lectures on the history of Christianity. Frankly, other than his wife Nell who took the tours with him, I don’t know a person who has visited more Biblical sites than Doctor Ed and put them into a PowerPoint presentation.

Kathie Luther not only taught another English class today, but she got a music lesson this afternoon. It’s a very good thing because many of us can’t carry a tune, and we have a command performance at Church on Sunday. We endeavor to hold are own, but we’re happy to report will be singing with a group a students, not all by ourselves. I’ll let you know how we do on Sunday.

And for the first time in perhaps 15 years, I played some full court basketball. The Philippine youngsters are especially curious about my size. You may find this hard to believe, but in the 6th grade I was one of the smallest kids in my class. Now at 6’1” and a bit on the heavy side, I tower over the Filipinos. I sort of looked like “Big Country” out there with my overalls, but I did hit a couple of shots earning big cheers from the adoring fans. Well it least it gave them a thrill. As for me, I was a bit winded after only a few minutes and I’m not going to talk about my shooting percentage.

Carleton Cole

Teaching Moments

It is not often people get the opportunity to share their gifts with other folks from a far away land. We are blessed to have several team members who have professional knowledge and experiences to help teach the courses being taught here at Southern Philippine Methodist College.

Kathie Luther, who teaches at Mayde Creek High School, was asked to give several lessons for an English class. The board members of the school require all courses to be taught in English, yet Acting Director Janet McCarty freely admits the biggest barrier at the school is language. English is a priority for several reasons primarily because it is the language of world commerce. And while the national language is Tagalog there are several local dialects, so even among Filipinos, they may have English in common, even though they might not be familiar with the dialects from the north or southern islands. Kathie had brushed up before delivering her lesson noting that in English we learn the rhythm of Subject Verb Object, in Tagalog it’s different, it’s verb subject object. Another of the God moments. Her husband Dave shared with us, it was the first time he ever had seen his wife teach in a classroom environment, and yes his eyes welled up.

Dr. Ed who continues to provide physicals for his students, took off his “white coat” and gave a 3 hour lecture on the history of religion. Dr. Ed and his wife Nell have visited more than 82 countries over the years. His lecture began with the “Fertile Crescent” and took the students through the beginnings of Judaism through to the birth of Christ. Another lecture is tomorrow. By the way let me rant about compatibility as it relates to computers. This is not a Philippine problem, it’s universal. Ed brought his flash drive with him for the PowerPoint presentation. While it plays fine on my laptop, the MAC wouldn’t connect with the Epson projector even though it said it would. Hey Apple and Microsoft, what is up? Eli Whitney overcame the problem of interchangeable parts in the 19th century. C’mon computer geeks, like hello, let’s keep to just one standard. Am I asking too much? We went through three computers before one of the local Pastor’s came up with a system which finally could run the program.

Thank-you for letting me get that off my chest. I feel better now. I did conduct a lesson for the journalism class which lasted nearly 3 hours tonight. The journalism teacher told me before the class I might have trouble getting the students to ask questions, so I was kind of concerned I might have to “tap dance” through the lecture. I’m happy to tell you the students had all kinds of questions, and very good ones at that. The nice part is the teacher invited a local newspaper reporter to come to hear me and afterwards he addressed the class briefly supporting all the advice I shared.

Carleton Cole