Weekend Reading

This past week I've been in Tacloban, the hardest hit area of Super Typhoon Haiyan. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to visit the communities receiving relief and rehabilitation efforts from E-CARE. I cannot wait to share more about my adventures there. 

Also, I turned 24 this past week. For some reason since I was a child, I've always had the idea in my head that 24 was going to be an amazing year for me. I can't really complain about year 23, though. But can't wait to see what life has in store for me!

Check out what other YASCers have been up to especially as some of their years come to a close.

Weekend Reading

The weeks have been flying by! I can't believe it's already the middle of June. I can count down the weeks now until I come home - 9 weeks! And next week is my 24th Birthday- CRAZY!

This weekend the Diocesan Staff is taking a short retreat to the beach of Dinadiawan, only a couple hours away. Then on Sunday I'm headed to Manila to fly to Tacloban, the area where Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the hardest. I've been wanting to visit ever since the storm hit and excited to give a firsthand report on the relief efforts.

A majority of YASCers are leaving in July, only a few short weeks away. Check out what they've been up to and how they're closing out their years.

Weekend Reading

While I'm enjoying the sun, sea, and sand, catch up on what other YASC volunteers have been up to lately!

Paul shares a sermon he beautifully wrote for Palm Sunday Evensong.

Alan traveled to Les Cayes to view another unique version of Haiti.

Sean started teaching English classes at ARI in Japan.

Spring has sprung in South Korea, Carlin enjoys the new season and cherry blossoms!

Watch this fun video of Julie snorkeling off the cost of Haiti!

Nina is settling in to her new placement in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rachel showed visitors around her school and tried out her green thumb with local farmers.

Joseph shares his Holy Week in Panama.

Thanks for reading!

Little Things

I'm in Palawan with my cousin, Lindsay! I'm super psyched to have family here and be on vacation! The two weeks prior, I was catching up on things around the office and cleaning my house - nothing too exciting. I don't even have many little things to share with you. But there will be plenty of fun stories and adventures to share upon my return!

{Please Welcome the new members of the neighborhood}

Weekend Reading

Happy Saturday!

As I mentioned in my last Weekend Reading post, I'm in Manila picking up my cousin, Lindsay! We will be heading to the island of Palawan for one week. I'm taking a true vacation and becoming a beach bum. But we'll also be doing some island hopping and snorkeling. I can't wait to share our adventures!

I'm still trying to catch up on my lack of Weekend Reading posts. The YASCers are doing many great things - too many to share all at once!

"Philippines: Mission in the midst of crisis"

You could call this another "guest post." Emily wrote another wonderful article about the ECP and the Diocese of Davao after our visit. Everyone knows about Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda which hit back in November. While it may have left the thoughts of many, it is still the present for a number of Filipinos. Even though it's been six months since the storm struck, the Episcopal Church has not stopped relief efforts. Please read on to learn more!

This article was posted on Episcopal News Service blog on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 and written by Emily Cherry, Communications Director for the Diocese of Virginia:

Philippines: Mission in the midst of crisis

Global partnerships deepen as typhoon response continues 

The island of Bantayan counts children in its team of volunteers. The Diocese of Davao

 supports a continuing relief and economic redevelopment project in Bantayan. 

Photo: Gideon Bustamante

Just over a week after the bishop of the newest diocese in the Philippines was consecrated on Nov. 23, 2012, Super Typhoon Bopha hit, killing more than 1,000 people and destroying homes and land. Almost 12 months later, in November 2013, came Super Typhoon Haiyan, killing as many as 10,000 people, making it one of the deadliest storms in the Philippines to date. As the Rt. Rev. Jonathan L. Casimina, bishop, put it, “We began our diocese with a typhoon, and we ended our first year with a typhoon.”

BE in the Philippines - Longest Drive

As the road trip continued, Monday, March 24, was our longest on the road. We made the 13-hour trek from Tadian to Manila with a stop in between.

The stop over worked perfectly as it was six hours between our two endpoints and was the location of another YASC placement. Yup, you guessed it – Baguio!

Before arriving there, the Philippines’ beauty continued to impress as we glided through rolling countryside and climbed towering cliffs where we skirted along the tops of the mountains through the clouds. I’d never driven this route before.  We made two stops to take in the fresh, cool air and the impressive views. One stop was marked the “Highest Point in the Philippines Highway System.”

Be a Shepherd of God's Flock

Every Monday morning the diocesan staff starts the week of with Morning Prayer. Two people are assigned to read the lessons, one old testament and one new testament, and share on them. It works out to everybody sharing once a quarter. Somehow every time I was scheduled to share, something came up and it got cancelled.

This Monday, Cinco de Mayo, I (finally) got my chance to deliver a sharing on 1 Peter 5:1-14.

1 Peter 5:1-14:

"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's suffereings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers - no because you must, but because you are willing to and wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 

Weekend Reading

Sunday Funday!

Not really, unless you count fun as reading in the warm sunshine and watching a movie you can barely hear as a summer thunderstorm pounds down on the roof. It may not necessarily be "fun" but it's exactly what I needed.

To show how much I've been on the go, last week was my first five day work week in three months. Maybe three and half months? I'd grown accustomed to it, that by Thursday it felt like Friday and I was ready for the weekend. At the same time, it's nice not to be go-go-go. I have two weeks to catch up on things in the office.

BE in the Philippines - On the Farm

"Go ahead, take a whiff," encouraged Erwin Alawas referring to smelling the fermenting organic fertilizer. 

{It actually smelled a little like bourbon - not bad}

One of the main reasons we were scheduled to visit the Tadian Training Center and Demonstration Farm was to see Andrew and the work of another YASCer. Unfortunately, Andrew got called away to the United States at the last minute. However, we still stopped by the farm, about an hour drive from Sagada, to check out his placement. His partner-in-crime, Erwin Alawas, was a wonderful host and guide.

BE in the Philippines - On a Rock

“It’s called St. Simon Peter because the church literally sits on top of a rock,” explained Bishop Brent.

He wasn’t kidding. When we drove up it was exactly as he said. The Sagada part of the trip wasn’t planned, but flexibility is always called for during trips like these.  

Little Things

Last week I attended a baptism, a wedding, and a funeral. Now that's celebrating the true circle of life.

{Funeral of Fr. William Codpayas celebrated by Bp. Wandag}

The YASCers of the Philippines

You could call today a "guest post." I'm cheating a little bit! I'm at Bishop Brent's son's wedding in Bontoc and didn't have time to put together a post. I shared the link a few weeks back via Facebook, but if you missed it here is the ENS article written by Emily Cherry about the three YASCers in the Philippines!

This article was posted on Episcopal News Service blog on Friday, April 4, 2014 and written by Emily Cherry, Communications Director for the Diocese of Virginia:

Young adults form faith through service in the Philippines

As part of her work with the Episcopal Development Foundation of St. Mark’s in the Diocese of Santiago, YASCer Ashley Cameron visits with market shop owners who receive small business loans from the church foundation. Photo: Emily Cherry

Almost everywhere you travel in the Philippines, you see rice: steamed and served in heaping bowls on every table; unhusked and drying in the sun alongside roads; bagged and ready to be milled; packed into trucks along the highway; and growing in fields and towering terraces across the landscape of 7,000-plus islands.

BE in the Philippines - Take It Easy

Take It easy, take it easy 
Don't let the sound of your own wheels 
drive you crazy 
Lighten up while you still can 
don't even try to understand 
Just find a place to make your stand 
and take it easy 

If you are planning a road trip in the near future, I highly recommend creating a CD or mixtape (#oldschool) of 94 Eagles' songs with some live versions mixed in.

{Buck, me, and Emily at Banaue Rice Terraces}

BE in the Philippines - Preschool Graduation

When I asked about the time of St. Mark’s Graduation on Saturday, March 22, I received a “it starts at 8:30am, but come at 9am.”

“So does that mean it starts at 9am.”

“No, it starts at 8:30am, but come at 9am.”

Oh, the beauty of Filipino time. Well, we got there a little after 8:30am and it didn’t even start at 9am. But no worries, Buck loves being the ultimate jungle gym, while I became a model. I thought my smile was going to permanently plastered onto my face after how many pictures.

Holy Week

One of perks of working for the Church is a nice long weekend for Easter. The offices closed on Thursday and Friday. All I did was sleep, watch movies, read, and attend church services. Most of the people on the compound visited their families, so it was pretty quiet.

Below is a short photo diary of my Holy Week. I actually missed Good Friday service because a local priest died that day and they moved the time of the service without telling me. While, I had all intentions of going, it didn't work out.

It was a quieter, simpler Easter than I'm used to but I greatly enjoyed the break after all the traveling I've been doing. And it was simply TOO HOT to do anything at all.

{Bishop washed my feet on Maundy Thursday} 

Lent Reflection: Do Not Be Afraid

It is Holy Week! The last week of Lent and the last week of the YASC Lenten Reflection Blog. I hope you all have been reading and enjoying it!

Tuesday, April 15, today, is my third reflection. Here it is in case you missed it on the YASC Lenten Blog.

"And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching." 
-Mark 11:18

“For they were afraid of him.”

Lent Reflection: Worthy of Love

The Lenten Reflection Blog is still going strong! I hope you all are enjoying reading it!

Thursday, April 3, today, is my second reflection. Here it is in case you missed it on the YASC Lenten Blog.

"The LORD said to Moses, ‘Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” ’But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, ‘O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, “It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth”? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it for ever.” ’ And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people." 
-Exodus 32:7-8, 11-14

We all have a desire to make connections. We all have a desire to belong. We all have a desire to be loved. It’s part of being human. We are hardwired for it.

Little Things

There's something about a visit from friends that recharges you, gives you a new surge of energy.

As some of you may have seen on Facebook, Buck Blanchard and Emily Cherry from the Diocese of Virginia came to visit me for 10 days. Not only are they former co-workers but also friends. So while it was a work trip for them, it felt like a mini vacation for me.

{Buck, Me and Emily at my placement}

Church Feast Day

Did someone say "Feast"?

In the Diocese of Virginia, it's an uphill battle to get a bishop to come on the day you would like them to come confirm, baptize, and/or receive members of the church. With so many churches and a limited number of Sundays, bishops are in high demand.

Here in the Diocese of Santiago instead of picking a random Sunday, the church chooses it's patron saint's feast day to have the bishop confirm, baptize, and/or receive congregation members. Yesterday, happened to be St. Joseph's Feast Day, where I spent Christmas Day. The Bishop invited me to come along with him, Penny, and Ma'am Sandra.

{Padi Aura, Fr. Ralph, Bishop Alex, Fr. Eric, and Marina}