Erickson’s Philippines Updates

This week Michael is focusing solely on finishing some projects around FTC and next week, Jenn and David (editor and admin) will be “out of the office”. What does this mean? Check back after June 11th or 12th for some new content and possibly new photo galleries. We’ll be back in the blogosphere in a couple of weeks! Meanwhile, feel free to check out some older posts and galleries you may have missed! Be sure to leave a comment if you have something to say!!

We would like to welcome 11-year-old Jessalyn! The DSWD in Alaminos (another town about 15 minutes from San Pablo) called me yesterday and told me about an 11-year-old girl who was in need of our assistance. I got together with the FTC staff and after hearing her story and background, it took us about 30 seconds to agree that she should come. Her mother is dead and her father left her with a relative. That is where the problems started and we were called to care for her. We have found amazing favor with the DSWD in Alaminos! The case worker told me her supervisors suggested that we would be the best place to send Jessalyn. Praise God! Here are some things about her:

Favorite color: Red — Favorite food: Chicken — Favorite game: Tag

In the first picture, Andrea reassures Jessalyn that everything will be alright, and shows her which bed is hers. In the second picture, Jessalyn and Babylyn (off to the right of the picture) sort through Jessalynʼs belongings. Last night Jessalyn stayed at the house of the legal notary in Alaminos. Before last night Jessalyn had NO belongings to call her own. You can see that they really blessed her during the one night she stayed there. The third and final picture was just taken in my house. You can see she is smiling and happy to be here. We love you, Jessalyn and we know that God has great plans for your future.

Just in case there was some doubt, I would like to clarify that Josiah loved the three-day, two-night convention as well. In the first picture you can see him learning the strategy of chess. The second picture shows him mastering his skills at a game where the four geese pieces try to trap the one fox piece in the corner (does anyone know the name of that game?). The third picture shows Josiah finally getting some time to rest his mind after all of the strategic thought he had to use in the two games.

I would like to make an amendment to my last article, entitled “Vacation or Convention?” The actual name of the resort is “Rizal Re-Creation Center”. I put ‘recreation’, but for sure the Christian American couple who own and have run the resort for the last ten years truly glorify God with everything He has given them, including the name. They have a church on site, and are constantly hosting Christian groups and other groups all year round. When we first arrived, the husband, Joe gave an awesome gospel presentation by spinning tops on the palm of his hand. The heaviest spinning top he held on his hand was 5 pounds! People told him for a long time he would never be able to spin a top that heavy, but with God’s help and Joe’s persistence, he is now a master (at least in my book).Anyway, here is a photo gallery with 43 pictures from our three-day, two-night retreat. As I look through the pictures, I realize that we did not capture some of the greatest moments. I will ask around for others’ pictures and see if I can get another gallery up soon. To view this gallery, just click HERE.

Andrea and I, accompanied by five FTC kids (Jennilyn, Cristina, Babylyn, Judea, and Jefferson) and some of the staff here at FTC (Oreck and Sheila Del Monte and Mark Klyne), will be taking off for three days and two nights to Frontline Worship Center’s leadership conference. It just so happens that this conference is being held at Rizal Recreation Center, a resort about 20 minutes from San Pablo :-). This is just another example of how we are willing to sacrifice our own schedule and activities for the sake of leadership training.

Seriously though, this should be a great event! I am very happy that we are able to bring five of the FTC kids to this event (although Judea will primarily help watch Josiah so Andrea and I can participate in at least SOME of what is going on). I will be sharing on the first night about…drum roll please…worship! There will also be some sessions headed up by respected FWC pastors Max Beloso and Romeo Del Monte. Alan Woodroffe (one of the funniest Britain-born, Canadian livin’ guys you will ever meet) will be joining us and sharing as well. There might not be any new posts for the next 4 or 5 days, but when we get back you can expect a photo gallery and some exciting news from the event.

San Pablo City just celebrated their ‘Pistang Kristyano’, which roughly translates to ‘Christian Festival’. Most of the churches in San Pablo, including Frontline Worship Center, took part in this celebration at the Plaza (a well known place where they set up a stage in the middle of the town for concerts and pageants….things like that). There were many different activities during this three-day festival, including a ‘rap battle’ by John Pessina and me, street dancing and tambourine dancing in the street (pictured above). I could not get to a better vantage point to get a picture of all the FTC kids involved, so you will have to take my word that Cristina, Jennilyn, and Shylla (daughter of a staff family) joined in the dance. From sleeping on the streets to dancing in them for the Lord. What a great testimony!

FTC would like to welcome the newest slave…er…uh…laborer…um…hm… staff member. Mark Klyne is a single, twenty-six-year-old Canadian who will be serving here in the Frontline for…LIFE. His heart is to be a mentor/father figure to the kids here at FTC. He is also skilled in carpentry and other valuable trades that will make him a real asset to FTC. Welcome Mark! We know that God has brought you here and we celebrate the years ahead that we have to “work in the harvest”…together.

Just the other day we had a thunderstorm that seemingly came from know where, flooded the camp and the streets, and only lasted for about two hours. Pictured above is Andrea and the kids playing in the rain. I am the one under the umbrella taking the pictures and praying we do not ruin the camera. You can see the street behind them was transformed into a six inch current that forced many of their sandals off of their feet and swiftly took them down the mighty stream. Of course, we made them chase their sandals down, catch them, and then carry them back to their dorms so they did not get permanently lost.