The LTO has provided an almost endless source of amusement during our time in Cebu. If you remember from The Fixer, the LTO (Land Transportation Office) is the equivalent of our DMV in the States. One year, when it was time to renew our driver’s licenses again, we decided to go to an office that…
Heaven, Hell, and Ants
“Poor, poor piggy,” sweet little three-year-old Timothy repined from the back seat of the car. The four of us were dressed up and on our way to church on a Sunday morning, driving through the busy streets of Cebu, where it is not uncommon to see a pig speared through with a large bamboo pole,…
Funny Fillings
Languages are interesting things. For example, did you know that Cebuano, the language spoken in the central region of the Philippines and used on our beloved island of Cebu, was first documented by an Italian explorer from world-circumnavigator Magellan’s expedition in 1521? What I find really interesting is that when it was put into written…
The Fixer
“What’s a ‘fixer?’” I asked my husband as we sat sweating together under the relentless sun with the hundreds of other unfortunate souls renewing their driver’s licenses. Bored to tears from the hours of waiting and miserable from the heat, I had taken to scrutinizing every detail of my surroundings. (This was pre- smart phone…
Of Eyebrows and Fish
Language learning. Communicating in a new culture. After fifteen years on the field, I’m ashamed to say that this is still the biggest stumbling block for me. Oh, I took lessons in Cebuano when we first got here, and I practiced. But it has still eluded me. I thought I’d be an expert and fluent…
The Doctor’s Visit
The first few days after we arrived in the Philippines were a blur. Imagine the jet lag of traveling halfway around the world, and then compound that by doing it with a two-year-old. Our son’s body clock just did not want to budge. So it was that I was up in the middle of the…
THE MEDIOCRE MISSIONARY 