The Mission Life

     I remember sitting at Big Woods in Louisiana and listening to all of the teachings throughout Intake about life in  missions. The thought of almost being sent out to our post was both exciting and at the same time a little scary. What will it be like to be surrounded by water? What living arrangements will there be for us? What foods will we eat? After all, we were about to be sent halfway across the world! Yes, living on an island is what others dream of-- for two-week vacations but not months or even years! 

Mathew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

     I can honestly tell you that we did as much research that we could before coming here to Camiguin. None of the pictures of waterfalls, fishing boats, and palm trees match what we see here. It is beautiful! Probably the most beautiful island in the world! We see a people of such warm hospitality and happy to greet you with a nod followed by a “Good Morning” on our walk to daily Mass at 6AM. Oh, yes, the whole town wakes up very early and also shuts down no later than 6PM! All day long people can be seen working hard in their flower beds, going out in their boats to fish, and riding the motorelas to get to and fro. Everything seems to stop immediately when we walk by. An American family with six children?!

    When we met Fr. Joe Villamil in Cagayan de Oro- a major city on one of the main islands- he said something I'll never forget. After his warm welcome he said, ”You will like Camiguin but it will be no picnic.” “Wow! At least this guy is honest!” I remember thinking. It isn't too bad so far. Yeah, the mosquitoes are a nuisance and the constant change of sun-to-rain and then back again makes for an extra long “dry cycle” on the clothes hanging on the line. Oh and then there was this little thingy called a “Level 1 Tsunami Alert” the first night we were on our own and after we had just waved goodbye to Ms. Genie Summers, the Director of Family Missions Company.

He called us here for a reason and we have to remain with Him and be patient.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

    

     We have done pretty well I think adjusting to life without a fridge. Every meal has to be bought at the local stores all along the main road. We truly seek our daily bread. The first week though Fr. Joe has blessed us so much by providing all meals at the Convento just next to the Church in Sagay. We are currently staying in a one-room bamboo cottage with the ocean just outside our doorsteps while the new FMC missionary house is having the finishing touches put on it. A generous donor gave money about a year ago to go directly to this project. When the framing and layout work was started on it months ago, Fr. Joe walked up to it and immediately thought, “Oh, no! This is too big! We miscalculated!” He now says the Holy Spirit must have known a family was coming and that all is well in the end. And as a side note, we confirmed Father Joe's suspicion of Divine Intervention by showing him the street name this new home is built on-- you guessed it! Alvarez Street! No joke!