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(no subject) [Mar. 20th, 2009|02:54 pm]
Manila International Night

Held in the poorest area in Manila, Baseco is an island that grew from garbage. As the Doulos Cultural Night crew arrived to set up the stage and the necessary equipment for the evening, children, too many to count from the 24,000 people living in the 52 hectares of Baseco came to watch. “SLOW DOWN” said the neighbourhood sign to warn the Doulos van drivers that precious children were around. A basketball court and make-shift stage where the Doulos crew performed cultural dances, songs, and more, showed that “bayanihan spirit” or the “community spirit” lives on. Kagawad Counselor Rey Campanera said, “Tonight, my hope is that the Doulos crew can help our children forget their problems, if even for a moment.”

A week ago or so now, but such an amazing night. It was crazy to look out into the people before beginning to perform swing, and seeing the faces of hundreds of children set upon the background of shacks, rubble, and waste.

That night was so surreal.
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Horse Carriage RIP-OFF [Mar. 19th, 2009|07:46 pm]
[Current Mood | thankful]

So Kaitlyn and I decided to head out to Yellow Cab to mack on some delicious, New York style, pizza before prayer night. Her stomach hadn't been feeling well and we came to the conclusion that ship food, a daily dosage of extreme carbs (rice, bread, and mushy peas) wasn't going to do the trick. We headed out and gorged ourselves until we were nice, fat, and satisfied.

Then, on the way back, we vowed to try and take a horse carriage if it was cheaper than taking a taxi. The man told us, "Yes, yes, 20 pesos." A normal taxi ride from where we were to the ship is roughly 40 pesos, so we stepped on.

At first, it was really entertaining, since the horse was super old and the carriage was super rickety, we felt like we were going to fall to our death - which I guess, when you're low on sleep, it's somewhat funny.

Then, the man begins to say, "Okay, I take you to ship. But I take you to my manager first. You pay my manager." Kaitlyn and I protested, "Wow there, no. Why can't we just pay you?" But he persisted and lead the horse carriage into a dark park where a group of Philippino men were gathered around a statue. We were praying so much. The men then headed towards us and surrounded our carriage.

"You pay my manager and then we go to ship." "Yeah sure, 20 pesos, no problem." ($1 = 42 pesos) "No, no, no. 20 US dollars. 1000 pesos." "You told us 20 PESOS." "No, give us 1000 pesos. Or 800 pesos."

By this point, Kaitlyn and I were just SLIGHTLY freaked out but both keeping our cool pretty well. She pulled out her last hundred, I lied and said I only had 200 pesos (I had a couple thousand in my wallet for emergencies). They ended up with 300 pesos and $1 US dollar that I found in my purse. The carriage driver eventually U-turned the horse, and we began heading back to the ship.

The whole time back, I was talking to the driver and rebuking him. I was SO annoyed, not only at the fact that we got ripped off but at his dishonesty. He kept acting innocent but I knew he understood what I was saying. I told him, "You know what you did back there wasn't honest. You KNOW I thought it was only 20 pesos. I'm telling you this not because I'm angry with you but because you should've been honest with us. He kept denying it and making up excuses about how he needs to feed his horse, which may be true, but doesn't change the fact that he should've been up front with us.

ANYWAY, WELL, THAT WAS AN INTERESTING DINNER. Kaitlyn totally thought we were going to be kidnapped as prostitutes and I thought we were going to be robbed and raped. So all in all, PREEEEETTYYY interesting evening.

Lesson learned: Do not take carriage rides in the Philippines. It's a tourist scam.

THANNNNNNK YOU JESUS.
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I SAVED A LIFE. [Mar. 19th, 2009|03:16 pm]
[Current Mood | energetic]

HALLELUJAH.

After freaking wanting and waiting to give blood for the last FOUR years, and attempting to TWICE unsuccessfully, I finally did today! I love you Philippines Red Cross.
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MABUHAY MANILA [Mar. 6th, 2009|12:27 am]
[Current Mood | excited]

Aw, so our Cebu STEPpers just held their Goodbye Prayer Night :( STEP just means Short Term Exposure Program where people join the ship for 2 months and they get to serve with the ship wherever it goes. HINT HINT HINT COME ONBOARD HINT HINT. No but seriously, come visit me sometime, you're able to stay onboard F-R-E-E! Check your schedules you Taiwanese people, then check mine: www.mvdoulos.org

Anyhow, I came to the library to use the computer and I see there's an email from my boss, Walker. The byline is cut off but the beginning says FW: PLEEEEEEASE READ!!!! it was on the... so I figure, "Hm, must be pretty important!" Lo behold, it was a freaking chainmail in which he wrote, "Hey guys, I have no idea if this works but I guess it’s worth a go" Sigh, Walker Moller. What's more hilarious is that, as I scroll down, I see that he had recieved it from SEELAN who is one of the HEADS of the ship. The chainmail was one of those pass me on and you can win $100,000! Oh dear, we must be in a worse financial crisis than I thought :o Just kidding.

We arrived in Manila this morning. It's a nice place, very city-like. Roughly, Manila is to the Philippines as San Francisco is to California. Starbucks everywhere, cabs and sirens rushing left and right, and it has the Mall of Asia, which is the biggest mall in Asia.

To be honest, I dislike ports like this. Affluent city areas where we're simply immersed in fast-food chains, retail stores, and a constant smell of cigarettes. And it's funny, it's not necessarily the busyness that I dislike, or even how constantly rushed everyone seems, but the fact that I get sucked into it so easily. Just like at home, there's a comfortability in being incessantly on the run. To be able to look at my schedule and complain, "Oh nooOoOOoOo, I have sOOoOoOo much to do. I hate it!" ... but not really.

Also, only having malls near us to hang out in. At Barcolod, there were waterfalls and generally, just a lot more nature and local places to go. Here, once again, it'll be mall after mall after mall. HM! But it's funny, I think the need for the gospel to be shared is even greater in suburban places like here simply because people feel there IS no need.

I really don't miss home. I miss the people at home, that's a given, but when I take time to really think about it, I don't miss the structure or the comforts. Even though I had my own room, a nice car to drive, and everything I could possibly ask for; it's really being here, away from many of the things that I allow to distract me, where I'm really seeing what I should be doing with my life and what I will do with my future. Pretty sweet.

Tomorrow's our Official Opening (mayors and officials coming onboard, etcetc) AND there's a Presidential Renaming of a ship going on right next to us. Afterwards, hopefully crowds of children (school and street alike) and more coming to our ship. It's going to be a prettyyy crazy day.

I'm SO looking forward to it =)
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Crab Code [Mar. 3rd, 2009|12:20 am]
My new roommate Jenny found a miniature crab at the beach and has decided to adopt it as her own. Therefore, in the morning, I walked over to the shelf to grab my face lotion and heard continuous tapping from what seemed to be the wall. At first, I tried to ignore it. After awhile, my attempts were futile and I started wondering if it was morse code (Take note that this was 7AM in the morning). As I started squinting up and down the shelf, I found myself face-to-face with an ugly little beast (I exaggerate) looking out at me with its beady little eyes and tapping the plastic cup that it was imprisoned in.

Freaking crabs. Freaking Jenny. There's a piece of pasta in it because she had nothing else to feed it with. I'm pretty sure it's decomposing.



Each day is a new day.
I hope I don't forget about these little moments when I'm 82, married, balding and playing with my grandchildren. I bet they'd laugh... they better or they're not getting anything from me.

:)
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(no subject) [Mar. 3rd, 2009|12:09 am]
I HATE DANSGUARDIAN.

I want to check my friends page, so I click Friends Page (duh) and DansGuardian shows me this:

ACCESS HAS BEEN DENIED!
Access to the page:
http://vivifyy.livejournal.com/friends/

has been denied for the following reason:
Weighted phrase limit exceeded.

Categories:
Pornography, Pornography (Portuguese), Illegal Drugs (Portuguese), Legal Drugs, Weapons

DansGuardian is the worst and most sensitive proxy ever. Either that or, you guys, please stop posting Portuguese porn on livejournal. I'd be much obliged. I do hope that the correct reason isn't the latter.

--------------------

Tonight was so good. Frances and Erica, two of the girls I met here in Barcolod, took me out for supper (that's the dinner AFTER dinner) and we just sat around and talked for an hour (I had to go back to work at 9:30PM and Frances had to get home). It made me more or less nostalgic since Frances came from California and I do miss late night Denny's runs.

Sometimes, it's so hard being on the Doulos knowing that back at home, so many of the people I love the most are running on empty. But I trust You with them.
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Balut [Mar. 2nd, 2009|11:49 pm]
[Current Mood | okay]

One of the Philippino infamous delicacies is the balut. What eating a balut composes of is breaking an egg open with a half-fertilized chick in it and sucking out the contents in one go.


Honestly, I totally want to just for the bragging rights and to tell my children in the future. Yet, I'm afraid my gag reflexes will prove themselves to be much stronger than my self-control.

UGAHGHAHGG. It's seriously all mental. I heard the taste wasn't too bad but when you feel the body of the chick, depending on how developed it is, sliding down your throat... sick. From what I understand, the younger ones feel like swallowing a mound of mucus. The older, more developed, ones have feathers developing and soft bones, therefore, you may have to chew a little. Balut was totally on Fear Factor before, no joke.


TO DO OR NOT TO DO! I still have a month in Manila, Philippines to decide. DUM DUM DUMMMM.

PS. I wish there was a simpler way to upload my pictures so I can put them on livejournal. Freaking ridiculous proxies and laggy internet connection! You shall be the death of me.
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(no subject) [Mar. 2nd, 2009|12:42 pm]
Note to self: The Pedestrians Only courtesy applies solely in the United States. Everywhere else, you're asking to be roadkill.

Crossing the road here is like being challenged to walk on water.
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(no subject) [Mar. 1st, 2009|02:36 pm]
[Current Mood | crazy]

Andrea came into my room bright and early this morning, whispering (sorta, kinda, not really), "JENNIFER, CAN I SLEEP IN YOUR BED, I HAVE BEDBUGS." My first thought was, "What the crap, I'm so tired. I'm going to kill her." She's one of my closest friends so I'm allowed to think that hoho. Second thought was, "OH CRAP, WHAT TIME IS IT?!"

Of COURSE, Murphy's law was instigated this morning, and my alarm clock just HAPPENED to not go off. Stupid thing, I'm going to throw it overboard one day.

Anyway, rush to the 7AM prep meeting in an irritable mood. Was put in a MORE irritated mood by how I felt towards our lack of preparedness. Then our ride came, Terri, and we were taken to Calvary Chapel. All this is said to show you that this morning did NOT start well for me. I was definitely Cranky McCranky the Asian American Girl.

We drove an hour to Calvary Chapel Orphanage and when we arrived, the kids were outside already with signs saying, "Welcome Doulos!" There was still a half hour before the program began, so each of the seven of us began to talk with a group of the children. It was a lot of fun but I was just so so tired from lack of sleep and still in my "morning miserable" mood.

Then a girl, roughly 9 or 10 years old, came ambling up to me. She took her hands and started innocently reaching out at me. At first, I thought she was mentally disabled because there were many mentally disabled children there, but then her caretaker came up to me and told me she was blind. Out of nowhere, the girl just started to hug me. And it wasn't one of those brief, polite hugs. It was a long, please-don't-let-me-go, hug. Even when her caretaker sister became embarrassed and tried to take her off, she wouldn't let go and I told her sister it was okay. Throughout the entire worship session, she held onto my hand. Her name was Glory and man, that was a good hug.

The kids and the people there blessed me so much. It's an orphanage run by an American couple (FROM SOCAL, NO WAY!) for the last 30 some years and they take care of over 150 children from all different backgrounds. The thing that impacted me the most today was how much Calvary Chapel represents the church that is written about in the Bible. A body of people who really take care of one another, who struggle with various weaknesses, and yet, are united in their love of Christ first, each other second.

Calvary Chapel Orphanage was such an amazing representation of Christ on earth. That's the purpose of the church. Man, I freaking hope I'm as cool as Joe and Billie (Tatay and Nanay = Mom and dad) when I get nice and old. It's not easy for them to take care of so many kids, something they kept saying was, "God provided it all." and even while we were there, they were having a harder time than usual today cause one of their newest babies (4 months) was in the hospital with liver and kidney failure and the doctor said she wouldn't make it. Yet, they trust. I'm so freaking ecstatic that there's more to life than this short chapter of life on Earth. 'Cause it definitely sucks like no other sometimes.

Headache! I'm getting sick, hohoho. Friends that I made here are taking me out soon to see the local places of Barcolod, sweet :)
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SHOOPITY DOOP [Mar. 1st, 2009|01:31 am]
[Current Mood | numb]

It's 1:30AM and I have to get up for church team in another 5 and a half hours, shoot me in the face, actually don't.

I got to be the part of the captain today in an onboard program called, 'You are Special'. Oversized men clothing on a midget asian girl, yay! All the kids who attended have somehow been abused by their parents and now live with either their relatives or the organization. Man, it was SO much fun, especially when Laura had to pretend to fall 'overboard' and dunk her entire body into water before I 'saved' her. Most of all, the kids got really into it and I felt like they got a lot out of it in learning that each of them was special NOT because of their own merit or skills, but because Christ knows and loves them.

Sometimes ship life feels so hectic and overwhelming, then there's times (like in this port) where it feels like I'm on some dream vacation travelling the world. I don't know if that's a good thing, hohoho... Manila's going to be HECTIC THOUGHHHH.

'Cause I'm the one and only
no one like me
absolutely, super-special ME!'


The place I'm going to tomorrow morning is the Calvary Chapel Orphanage. There's been 2 teams who have gone before us in past Sundays and gotten to know them/play games with them. Our team this time really wants to leave them with the knowledge of the gospel. Yeah, games and songs are fun of course, but knowing a fun song isn't going to make an impact, isn't going to give them the knowledge of the Almighty God. I really am excited to PLAY and PRAY with them (oh snaps, so witty)! HAHhHSHAHhahahhHHAHAAHhah, I'm so so soooooooooooo exhausted.
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Retainers [Feb. 24th, 2009|11:51 am]
[Current Mood | content]

(Wrote up yesterday)

I woke up this morning with this nagging feeling running across my mind, "Where are my retainers?" I 'checked' my mouth (aka I knew they weren't there already cause I didn't drool all over my pillow) then I checked my case but it wasn't there. Feeling puzzled, I began questioning my roommates and an interesting conversation ensued with one of them:

Annoyed JenW: "OY DID ANYONE SEE MY RETAINERS?! I CAN'T FIND THEM."
Austrian Jenny: "You put them on last night, I saw you before I went to sleep."
Confused JenW: "Uh, no you didn't. I slept at 1:30AM, you weren't even back yet."
Austrian Jenny: "Yeah, I came back in at 3:30 or so, sorry for waking you up."
Really Confused JenW: "... You didn't wake me up, I didn't even remember seeing you get in."
Austrian Jenny: "Well, I came in and laid on my bed. Then, you sat up in your bed suddenly, walked over to your bag, put something in your mouth, I assume your retainers, and went back to bed."
Bewildered JenW: "... WHAT THE CRAP, I DON'T REMEMBER AT ALL."

So I ended up spending the majority of the morning scavenging my room looking for my freaking retainers. I even made the roomies check their pillows and bed sides, just in case I sleep-walked over to them and hid them there unconsciously. They were SO disgusted by the thoughtlmao. Then I went out for the day (AMAZING AMAZING DAY - UPDATE LATER).

Anyway, I came back and man, they were laughing so hard cause they were like, "What if you walked out of the room in the middle of the night in your underwear and like, handed your retainers to the nightrounds man (the guy who walks around the ship at night) half drooling/half naked and told him to take care of it?" Man, we laughed a lot but I was seriously worried cause I searched EVERYWHERE in the room! My underwear drawer, my bed, my pillow, THEIR BEDS AND PILLOWS, laundry bags, INSIDE SHOES, everywhere! Finally, to the amusement of Kaitlyn and Jenny, I was like, "I GIVE UP. I'M GOING TO PUT 'MISSING RETAINER' SIGNS UP AND OFFER A REWARD :(".

Right then, in the middle of my complaining, I grabbed my tea mug, this chunky-brown, clay-molded thing, and LO BEHOLD. A PINK TINT CATCHES MY EYE! I held it up to the light and I was like, "MY BRACES! HALLELUJAHHHHHHH!" Holy crap, we laughed so hard, I was so happy! I was scared that I was going to shortly resort to being BraceFace once again.


OKAY EPIC ENDING, GOODBYE.
Such a small joy compared to everything else that occurred today, BUT NEVERTHELESS, it made me SO ecstatic. My mom would've killed me if I lost my retainers.
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Shades of FABULOUS. [Feb. 19th, 2009|06:09 pm]
[Current Mood | good]

Been working in the Office and the Holds (where we store roughly half a million books) so I never really took a look outside; Also, because it's been ridiculously hot outside and each time I exit the room, I start sweating from all possible pores.

But anyway, MY POINT BEING, when Dev entered the office just now, I got a good glance of the sunset outside and it is gorgeous. So many different shades of colors blended, makes me think of home and Yoswirl yogurt... Aw man, I'm craving frozen yogurt so badly. Too bad that while it's a HUGE craze back in Cali, it's not a desired snack at all here in the Philippines :( Nor in East Timor, Malaysia, and Singapore - LE SIGH. The last time I had it was back in Australia, months ago! Bummer, wish I wasn't cooped up in the office but that's what my job entails today - PRESS ON (Phil 2:14-15).

My off day on Monday rocked. I went with Nikki, Hui, Sarah, Ian, and EZ to the Mambukal Resort. It's a local and cheap resort located in the mountains, much cooler than any 5 star Hilton can offer. EZ, a volunteer onboard, guided us around (thank God) so we took a tricycle, jeepney, and then the bus for 1 hour+ before we arrived! When we got there, we got to hike up to see SIX vunnnnderful waterfalls. WE ALSO GOT TO PLAY IN THEM! I jumped off this HUGE cliff into the water, something I've always wanted to do but never had the opportunity (or the balls).

We also got to go into the hot springs and see tree after tree of fruit bats flying around. All of this (+ transportation) for roughly $7. I love seeing the local hangout spots of a country and spending time with the people who reside there. It's so much more satisfying than going to some ritzy-smitzy resort; not to mention, a heckofalot cheaper which is always a factor onboard since we're all volunteers AKA no pay! Mamamia.
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"Duty Officer to Station 3!" [Feb. 14th, 2009|10:35 pm]
[Current Mood | amused]

Today was our first Saturday here, freaking 7,000+ visitors!

So we have many safety regulations onboard to ensure the safety of the people onboard. One of the alarms we use is the "Duty Officer" page. When someone smells smoke or when a smoke alarm goes off, the Duty Officer is paged and he has to race over to the smoke detector asap and check it out.

Yeah, I totally set off the Duty Officer alarm today right before dinner. What was hilarious is that Drew and Kaitlyn (also from the US) set it off 2 minutes before me for the same reason. They were baking a cake in the Forward Pantry and I was baking brownies for Anna (my K-group sister who's leaving soon) in the Family Pantry. All 3 of us failed to realize that the ship's system runs on Celsius, not Fahrenheit. Therefore, I pop in my brownies, read the directions which state to turn it to 350 F, look at the dial on the oven and think, "WOW what a weaksauce oven, only goes to 250! Whatever, I'll just have to keep it in there longer.

... Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah, long story short. My brownies came out looking like brown, wannabe, chicken pot pies :( The outside was crispy with crusty edges... and the inside was still molten chocolate. BUT THEY WERE STILL GOOD, I SWEAR. My k-group sisters laughed so hard when they saw them, but I made all of them try it regardless!

I had such a mixed feeling day today. I felt so incompetent for my new job simply because there is SO much freedom yet so much responsibility at the same time. But Walker and I had a good talk just now and he apologized for not briefing me on the job better cause the weekends are hectic. We talked over my responsibilities and all these things, I feel so much more relaxed now.

NOW BACK TO OUR K-GROUP GIRLS SLEEPOVER. Anna's leaving next Wednesday to go back to Korea so we're sleeping in the Volunteer's Lounge, pigging out like mad, and watching 50 First Dates. AW, SINGLES AWARENESS DAY VALENTINE'S DAY IS ALMOST OVER! :( I bet you watching this movie is going to make me feel super girly and mushy - le sigh.
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Crowd Control! [Feb. 14th, 2009|03:31 pm]
We had 5,616 people on our Opening Day yesterday (Friday) and right now, it's only 3:30PM and we already have over 5,000 people. CRAZY PACKED.


Oh and it's pouring animals (is that the saying?) outside... Okay, I'm not sure if that's the saying so I'll say it literally, it's raining very hard outside. I love this weather mMMmMmmm.

Happy Valentine's Day! I've pigged out so much on crap food today (Swiss chocolate, Doritos, gummy bears, the works).
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Hm [Feb. 13th, 2009|10:55 pm]
[Current Mood | pensive]

While we were out, we passed by this stunning Catholic church. All of us were walking on the sidewalk and my eyes were totally drawn to the beautiful glass panes and the gorgeous setup of the platform area.

Then my eyes zoomed out and I saw a bunch of beggers crouched by the entrance of the church. One woman was squatting in an uncomfortable looking position, holding a hat to collect money that she hoped people would spare. There was another man with two kids leaning on the pillar across from her, he looked like he was sleeping.

What's funny is that in the US, I don't even see that very often. When I head out to San Francisco, even then, I don't often see beggers in front of churches. And I think it's because Christians all around the world lack, no, hold back love from those they deem unworthy. And American beggers have smartened up and gone for better corners to sit at.

We as believers really need to GRASP the mentality of grace, of showering people with love that they may not deserve, not because "even though I don't know him, he might have kids" or "though he's on the street, he's a smart guy, lots of potential". But simply because we get the same type of grace each day from God, and the ultimate grace through Christ's death. I hate how people percieve the church today as the least "grace-full" place to go to. Yet, it's not my job to use my mouth and argue with them but to show it to them through a "grace-filled" life.

Being on the ship, one of the hardest things is to see each person I meet with "grace-filled" eyes. Trying to see each person as a person that God loves, not based off of their lives or their abilities. You'd think I'm just talking about people I meet in other countries, strangers, but I'm talking about people on the ship too. Living with so many different people is frustrating as heck sometimes, but when you take confrontations and really seek the end result as something that will glorify God, it's such a huge story to outsiders of God's power.

In Muslim countries that we go to, where we're completely banned from evangelizing (we'll be kicked out in 24 hours), people still come to know God. It's because it's so crazy for people to see other people from 50 different nations interacting, living, and loving one another - even if at times, we want to throw them overboard. And they ask us, "How?" and we tell them, and it impacts them.

...
So many things flow through my head in the span of a day, I hope someone invents a brain-reader machine in the future that writes down my thoughts. It'd make livejournal-ing so much more convenient.

Just got my first yellow slip since I've been onboard, HAHAHA.
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The Life of a Missionary [Feb. 13th, 2009|10:38 pm]
The life of a missionary is quite tricky. One of the predicaments we (as in the roommates and I) get ourselves into on the Doulos.

Scrounging the room stealthily for any remnants of toothpaste at 2AM with 3 of your roommates while the last one is passed out, exhausted, on her bed. Finally, locating a miniature tube but realizing there's literally NONE left... SO cutting open the tube, dividing it into 3 tiny pieces, and scraping the corners so none of you get cavities. It was so pathetic and we stood in our underwear laughing for ages. Oh my, how sad.

Anyway, I started my new job yesterday as the Section Coordinator of the Bookshop. Honestly? I was major stressing the day before because there's only 3 other people that work in the Office cause it's jobs with big responsibilities and I really didn't have any confidence in myself, especially because I looked at my age. I got really embarrassed when everyone was like, "WOOO Jennifer's our new boss! Give us something to do boss!" Red as a red ant (such a good simile, I know). But I'm really getting the hang of it and it's awesome to work with Walker, Etsuko and Devanand - super chill. And I get my own hours, but I'm going to stick with 9-5PM just so I can keep a pretty regular day and be more disciplined in my time.

Our ship is now in Barcolod and I love it here. We're stationed in this countryside port (weirdly phrased) and it's so peaceful outside for once. For the first time in awhile, there's not people clamoring the fences and the lines every time we step outside. Played badminton at Pandong Badminton Center tonight for 3 hours, sweated like a pig; probably looked like one too - one attempting to fly or something, haha. I SUCK at badminton. You guys know.

I'll add y'all when I have time, curfew's in 10 minutes and by the time I open the "add/remove friends" page, I'll have gotten a yellow slip!

OH YEAH, RIGHT BEFORE I CAME TO THE COMPUTER ROOM. I MET MY TWIN, FREAKING WEIRD. We came back to the ship and collected our badges. I was just about to go back into my room to drop things off when Shirley and Analyn yell out, "JENNIFER, COME HERE." I was caught off guard but headed over anyway and there's this GIRL named FRANCINE who's from CALIFORNIA, born and raised, talks EXACTLY like me "DUDE" this and "DUDE" that, and man, so weird. You guys don't realize how apparent our Californian accents are until you're away from it for 6 months.
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postpostpostpost! [Feb. 12th, 2009|12:10 am]
[Current Mood | restless]

I'm going to be utilizing this journal from now on for anything and everything that comes to mind. I've taken a lot of you off my friends list because I didn't know if you still used your livejournal (since lj is almost COMPLETELY dead) or if you wanted my posts spamming your friends page.

I used to really care about comments (I admit it, total simplexlove lj-whoring) and was totally sensitive about whether an entry recieved comments or not. Now, not so much, though drop me a comment from time to time when you have a thought or response - I'd like that. I just really needed a place to write out everything that was happening each day for my future reading pleasures.

So, if you'd like to be added or taken off, comment and let me know.
But let this be a heads up that your friends page WILL be majorly spammed with going on's and thoughts of Jennifer Wang. Also, for those of you who aren't Christian, realize that you will be reading a lot about the God that I love; really, it's not because I'm trying to online-convert you, but because He is the King and I believe that. Yes, because He's totally changed my life, my family, and my heart, but even if He hadn't, because He is God and I really do live for that truth.

TATA, Ugly Betty marathon-ing on this voyage with the roomies! :) Also, though I'll be uploading a lot, I probably won't be responsive with comments cause the internet on this ship is sSsSloowwWw, or as I put it in an old entry I came across, "slower than poop coming out of a constipated turtle". My oh my was I an eloquent teen.
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REWIND [Feb. 11th, 2009|11:27 pm]
[Current Mood | amused]

Many of you have been asking, "Jennifer... where are you and what are you doing!?"

Well, well, well. :)
I don't know how many of you were facebook friends with me 4 years ago, but 4 years ago, on October 23rd, Operation Mobilization came to Home of Christ 3 and changed my life (HAHA so dramatic sounding). Long story short, they came and presented on their ship ministry and their own experiences on the ship. At the time, there was the Logos II and the Doulos (now there's the Logos Hope), ships that sailed around the world to different countries; their purpose being to bring knowledge, help and hope to the countries.

Knowledge, being that we have the largest floating bookshop in the world.
Help, in that we have doctors onboard and many supplies that 3rd world countries have a hard time supplying.
& Hope, in that each person onboard has a living, breathing relationship with Jesus Christ.

That night (click it!), a huge burden was lifted off my heart and I knew that this was what God wanted with my future. I was worried, yes, because I was only in sophomore year, 15 years old, a "Buddhist" mom and an atheist dad and no financial support whatsoever. But that night, I went into our dinky little church library, and prayed with all my heart, asking God to give me peace that this was truly where He wanted me to go, and He did.

From that day on, there's been so many ups and downs, lapses of faith, nights of doubt wondering, "How is this going to happen, God? It's impossible." But God showed me that as I obeyed His calling, He would open the doors, and He really did.

When I began seeking of ways to come to the Doulos, very few people believed in me. Most found I was too young, too inadequate, too insert negative adjective - yet, I knew God believed in me. And I decided to trust Him on it.

He opened the doors all the way.
In the last 2 years, my mom came to know and fall in love with Jesus.
In the last year, my dad (click it!) ended an affair and came to know Jesus Christ. His whole life is changed and I see it so apparently.
In the last year, my parents came from being one step from divorcing to falling in love with Jesus, and falling in love again with each other. I go downstairs now and see them praying together instead of arguing and fighting. It wasn't their own "self control" that changed things. It was grace.
In the last year, the church members at my church, Home of Christ 3, have come to stand behind me in both financial and prayer support.
...And in the last 4 years, I've been praying my heart out. Many times thinking God wasn't listening, that it was utterly and completely pointless, but either way, trusting Him knowing that He had control. Knowing that it was only Him that changed me from this perverted, constantly love-seeking, insecure girl to the daughter of Christ I am today.

So yes, I'm serving on the Doulos ship after never EVER thinking that it could happen.
It is a ship filled with 350 people from over 50 different countries and it is absolutely freaking amazing. There's no salary for anyone, not even the captain, cause we're all volunteers who had to raise support to be on the ship. Each of us have a job onboard working roughly 8 hr shifts. We have anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of visitors a day. Our ministries include feeding ministries, children's ministries, prison ministries, orphanage ministries, and so much more. It's not a easy thing, to serve with so many people from all different backgrounds and cultures, but it is these same things that make it such an unbelievable place to be.

I'll be here for 2 years, so please, if you're a fellow God lover, when you speak to God, remember to talk to Him about me too, cause He's listening. I'm not perfect, not even close, yet it's been Christ working in my life from the very beginning to now. I'm excited for the future.

If you ever have any questions about OM's Ship Ministry or the missions field in general, please contact me. I might not have the answers, but I'm sure there's plenty of people onboard that do!
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Port Report: Cebu [Feb. 11th, 2009|11:07 pm]
[Current Mood | contemplative]

So before I type up a little somethin' somethin' on what I'm doing and where I am, let me write about the Port Report tonight!

What Port Report is, as the name signifies, testimonies from us on the ship about how God worked in the port that we were in. Right now, we're on a 8 hour voyage (TOO SHORT) to Barcolod, Philippines and I'm excited to do more loving.

Tonight's Port Report, many people shared:
Becca Harrell shared about how she came to Cebu on the Doulos a year ago and, coming back a year later, the kids still remembered her. How so many of the children live on the streets with and without families, in cardboard houses. Yet, when we spend time with them in the weeks and months that we're there, we impact their lives.

Marli shared about her IDC (Intensive Discipleship Course) Faith Trip and how they had to go 3 days without food, shelter or water. In those 3 days, they met a blind couple with a 12 year old daughter. They lived in a structure that is more of a chicken coop than a house of any kind, with foil blocking holes in the ceiling. They spent a lot of time talking to them and just getting to know them. When Marli came back, she decided that she needed to go back and help the family in any way she could. Her and a couple others went back and helped repair the roof of the house with tin, bringing donations of food and clothing, and just spent the day with them.

And a lot more.

My own time in Cebu was amazing. I became friends with so many of the street kids, staying out late to play volleyball with them, talking with them, bringing them on the ship to play games, and just sharing my life with them. It was so difficult some nights, when I already worked all day in the blazing sun, to make the effort to spend time with them too, but I know that it really made their day.

I was able to share my testimony and the gospel with a lot of people in our time here. It's funny, one of my favorite groups of people to chat with were the taxi drivers. We got from place to place either by Jeepneys (openside truck things) or taxi's. Many of the taxi drivers work 24 hour shifts, sleep for a few hours, and then go back to work in order to support their families. I got to talk with so many of them about their families, their lives, how they were doing, and pray for them too. It was such a blessing for God to give me those opportunities to share and it's weird to think I never saw it as a ministry before.

ANYWAY, more later. Leaving today was really hard. There were at least 300 people on the quayside waving goodbye to us. A lot of the kids I got to know closely were yelling, "Auntie Jennifer!" and blowing kisses. Many of the children and some of the adults started crying when our ship started leaving the quayside.

I'll miss you Cebu :( Barcolod, here we come!
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(no subject) [Feb. 10th, 2009|12:56 am]
[Current Mood | rushed]

As I sit sweating in front of the computer, all I can say is that there's not much more I can take of this extreme Philippino sun exposure. I've seriously gotten so tan since we've arrived in Cebu. Before, visitors would say, "Excuse me mam, how much is this?" Now they say something like, "EXCUSE ME MAM, magkano ito?! While I stand there, completely oblivious. I AM NOW PERPETUALLY TAN.

Anyway, today was my off day and I went out with some friends from my K-group family! I had such a fun time even though I was exhausted from last night. There ended up being almost 5,000 visitors yesterday, 11,000 euros made, and no sleep for Shift 1 until 1AM. We worked 12 hours straight yesterday - NUTS.

SO CONTINUING, I fished for my first time today! Much waiting, yanking, screaming, and laughter ensued in my time at D'Pond. I'll post pictures sometime maybe. I've officially decided, after this experience, that I can probably never go fishing again unless it was life or death. Ugh, I just imagine if it was a hook going through my upper lip and the silent screaming they're probably doing.

Sicknasty!... Plus, I only caught midget fish that got thrown back into the water anyway :(

It was these two, middle-aged women, named Jane and ____ (DANG YOU SHORT TERM MEMORY + CURFEW) that took us around all day. They're both Chinese and missionaries in Cebu, Philippines. We were treated to Sunburst Fried Chicken and then taken to swim at one of their fellow church member's houses. All in all, such a relaxing day. THANK GOODNESS.

OKAY for those of you who have had no idea WHAT in the world I've been talking about or WHERE in the world I am, I'll brief-update cha soon!
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