Wednesday, November 29, 2006

UPdate #7

Hi Guys,

This one was rushed and will have a second part. I have some pics to follow as well. Love you
b

The night is lit with a collage of lights each calling attention to tents holding their wares. Some selling clothing, others beads, a woman calls out from a tent lit by a string of light bulbs. Still others peer out at potential customers milling by assessing each stand of food and typical tourist garb. I stand on the boulevard my back to the crowd as I peer out into the dark sea occasionally illuminated by a streak of lightning. The crescendo of sound emanates from a string of karaoke stands and as I try to tune out the disorganized collection of songs, I can pick out a tune here and a tune there. One is singing Celine Dion, another Queen and many are just playing tunes with anyone singing. No matter how hard I try, I can’t hear the waves crashing and I am unable to determine how small the swell has become.

Ironically, it is this swell which has swelled the town to double its size; a surf competition to be exact. The only problem hanging ominously is the fact that there may not be waves to hold the event. Surfers from all parts of the Philippines have arrived in Lanuza to compete for the $10,000 grand prize, however at this moment the combination of beer and karaoke has pushed those thoughts out of their minds.

It has been four days since I left Cebu on the overnight ferry and this time I have come back to Lanuza to meet up with an English forestry volunteer. I come bearing gifts and the hope he can help us shoot some footage of the ‘legal’ logging in the region. I met Mathew on my last trip here and he was just beginning to learn surfing and we struck up some good conversation and a friendship. His job is to consult on how to create sustainable logging (although he has his doubts.) He asked me for some software from Cebu and that was my gift.

Software is not known as software in the Philippines since most of the software used is pirated. This fact has created quite a culture of terms and expressions for media. For example, DVDs are known as pirated or authentic and talked about as such. An authentic DVD will raise eyebrows; not the pirated version. Software is not known as such, but as pirated programs. Therefore, when I walked into the mall and asked the guard, “Where can I buy software programs?” He stared at me blankly. Finally, I bit the bullet and quietly asked, “Where can I get pirated programs?” His eyes lit up and he cheerfully informed me that those stores were hosted on the third floor. After browsing hundreds of programs and looking at thousands of dollars of software (had they been authentic), I made a meager selection of Photoshop and MS office and went on my way. I was ready for my trip to Lanuza.

Mathew said that there was an outside chance I could video a TLA. This area is one of the last remaining areas where timber license agreements exist. TLAs are governmental contracts with national and international companies to cut rainforest hardwoods. This agreement can last up to 20 years or more and have been a principal cause of rainforest depletion in the Philippines. In the 1960’s there was still about 30% virgin forests left in the Philippines. Aggressive cutting and population growth has brought the rainforests down to less than 3%. My point is not to give a lecture here but to explain why I wanted to video this practice. TLAs, although legal, have a secrecy policy and getting the permission to shoot (without being shot at) has been difficult. In fact, Mathew told me of entering the office on the TLA site. It took him an hour and a half to enter the perimeter with the mayor’s consent and he told me of a sign he saw in the office. “Our policy is secrecy. Anything seen or talked about must stay here when you leave.”

The beach still lies in darkness and after contemplating a song, I decide against it and wind my way through the barrage of lights and music and make my way to my $3-a-night lodging and sleep. Morning arrives and forgets to bring swell and the swell never really seems to develop and after a few days of surfing and some dead ends on the logging footage I relent and grab a bus back and prepare for another trip.

These trips have really bonded our team and I realize more and more the differences of where we grew up. For example, one of our biologists was telling us how she liked dissecting the frogs. “It is quite neat to see the organs,” she said, “but I really disliked having to kill them after we finished.” I was a bit shocked to find out that each student has to go out and catch their own frog and bring it. When it is time to dissect, each student, much like an assassin, chloroform their frog and then cut it open while it is alive – “to see all heart beating and the lungs in action” she concluded. If they would wake up, they would hit them with another dose of chloroform and only at the end would they stab them to death. Imagine getting to use chloroform in class? I find out a few more shocking differences as she launched into another story. In third year, the students have to dissect a cat. Oh yes, you know where I am heading, but it has humor. You can’t just go out and grab any old cat, it could be somebody’s cat. So, they went to the cat lady. She would give them a cat in a bag – alive. For the most part, you could chloroform it, beat it with a hammer or any other method of choice (just don’t damage the organs). The problem lies in the fact that sometimes they forgot to kill the cat before the day of the dissection, but there was a protocol in place for that. Anyone who had forgotten had to take the long hike to the fifth floor and launch their cat off the fifth floor. Maybe once, could be twice. Did it land on it feet? “It was hard to tell, it was still in the bag.”

Monday, November 27, 2006

a few more thanksgiving photos

this photo is for those who couldn't make it down and missing how pretty the farm is at this time of year. praise God for the awesome weather we had over the holiday weekend. it was sunny and 60s thursday through saturday. it's like i never left Florida. ;)
had to add this cute pic of jackson and jordy hanging out...you can tell these cousin love each other. though jordy was always getting jackson in trouble from helping him climb the fence to coercing him up the stairs. but jackson loved every moment of it. :)

More Thanksgiving...can we ever give too much thanks?

These are the smiles GB and I still had on our face despite sitting in 3.5 hours of traffic. 17 hours after leaving STL, we arrived in JAX safely. Needless to say, we both felt we had been hit by a semi in the morning. But most importantly we had fun and we would do it again just to see our family and friends...and to spend more time road tripping. :) We truly had a blast!
Jst a sample of the crowd at the farm for Thanksgiving. As you can see we were surrounding the table where we had just finshed eating a delicious meal prepared by mom and completed with dessert by Aunt Donna. Thank you to you both for the excellent food. :)
The boys from big to small headed to cut down some trees.

Armed and dangerous...Dana looks on with proudness. Jordan and I sharing a laugh.

results

"Jesus died for smoker's too"
"Be a light unto the world, not light up the world."
I guess they misinterpreted Job 41:20 "Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth."
"What would Jesus smoke?"
"When I was a kid we had to use beads when saying the rosery: Jesus and his seventeen holy brands"
" The Father, Son and the Holy Smokes."
"And so it is written, Jesus turned away from the four temptations in the desert. Uhhh, make that the three temptations"

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Thanksgiving (Part Deux)

I couldn't get all of the pictures into one blog--here are a few more.

Spencer and Audrey posed with a very cheerful-looking Robby. Marcia and Jordan tested out Rob's bike.

Cameron was awarded the holiday Brat Award this year, but Nana has promised to have his attitude adjusted when he goes down to visit in 2 weeks. I think she also said something about potty-training since he can now walk...

Thanksgiving

Okay--what would a winter holiday at the farm be without Spencer and Heidi sleeping on the couch and all the guys "chopping wood?" In this case, we actually have proof that Don picked up an axe...and, for the record, I didn't see Heidi's eyes close once today. However, in all fairness, if I were a log, I'd be far more afraid of Aud!

Below are a couple more pictures of the wood-chopping crew. I must admit, I stayed inside to "help" Cameron take a nap. I was not successful--but I got out of wood-splitting and horseback riding.

Dad and Randy supervise the wood splitting.

The crowd gathers to watch...

Meanwhile, Jackson felt refreshed enough after his nap to lead the cousins in a jam session. He seems to have also learned the skill of strategic ad placement and hoped that the WAL-MART logo in the lower right-hand side of the shot would earn him royalties.




Annie (Matt's sister) was new to the area and hadn't yet learned that certain family members should not be given too much attention or they do not leave you alone. After her torture was complete, Jorge moved on to Uncle Randy. Jackson wanted her to spend the night at the farm, but Papa was having difficulty summoning up the proper enthusiasm. :)

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Don't wash your feet at sink

Or so they tell us in Iraq...


It is tough to read in the background but that is what the writing says on the wall behind me. Apparently that is a big problem here :-)
And this is where I wish I could spend my entire deployment:


But no such luck for me...I am stuck in the palace, but it is really no paradise. Everything is going well out here for me. As you heard I didn't get picked up for EOD, but that is just how stuff goes, I think I am actually too old!! Never thought I would say that at 28 but the Navy had other ideas. I am looking forward to my mid-tour leave, which (fingers crossed and praying fervently) should occur over the Christmas break. Nothing is in stone though.
These pictures were all taken on the trip that I took over the last 10 days or so. We were travelling to many different sites in Iraq, all over the map, in support of the on-going inspection on Human Trafficking (That's why I was in the bathroom there in the first one). We are looking at the living conditions and contracts of the 300,000 + foreign nationals working in Iraq, and making sure that the companies that hired them are giving them all a fair shake. It is very interesting and we have met all kinds of people from just about everywhere in the world. I hope you all like the pics! Love,
Matt

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Christmas FYI

I have drawn names for everyone's Christmas gift-giving. I'll try to email them out to everyone in the next day or so. I just threw everyone (including children, excluding Mo and Po) into one bag. That way, there is a little variety. Christmas lists go to Mo for distribution.

This year, it would be fun to include a special message or memory in a card to your recipient. Maybe, we could read them out loud as we give each gift. It would also be nice to write down some of our favorite childhood memories of Mo and Po to put in a Christmas scrapbook. Renee, you're creative--maybe you can organize this??

The Big 4 (Not 40!)



Here are some pictures from Jordan's big day. She is still confused as to why
today is her "real" birthday, but accepted her cake and gifts anyway. She
enjoyed playing with the new Ken doll Mo and Po got her. She couldn't figure out
his relationship with her Ariel doll, so I told her he was Ariel's brother.

Here she is (top and right) with her new roller blades from the
Reynolds. She said they were "Way awesome!" However, I might be replacing
the lapshade again as she practices in the living room.

She got a tent from Sister (Spence) and a shirt from Cameron and the Little Mermaid movie (of course). She enjoyed blowing out her candles--again. Now we can start the month-long celebration of Don's birthday

!

Pictures from LCS Homecoming

Life Christian School had its homecoming last weekend. Since they don't have football, it was kicked off with a girl's basketball game and then the boys'. Spencer was nominated to the Homecoming court, but dodged having to wear a tiara for the evening.

Her friends Stephanie and Sarah Bergt caught a ride to the dance in Boyd's luxurious Ford. It was quite a sight to see three dressed-up girls rumble away in a F150.

I captured Spencer in action at the homecoming game.--she's number 33. The girls took the victory handily, while the boys' team learned to be gracious in defeat.

Spencer had tryouts for 2 select VB teams on Sunday, and made the St. Louis Powerhitters team. She impressed the coaches in attendance and as the director said, "Height cannot be taught!" She obviously didn't get any of her athletic abilities from her mother! (It must be from her aunts.) She will have 2 practices a week through May and 2 tournaments a month. The school offered to pay the club fees, which was a great help since the dues aren't cheap. I will post the tournament schedules that may be of interest.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Praise to the Lord

Don's mom called this afternoon to say that her PET scan revealed no cancer. She does have some swelling in her neck, but it could be her lymph nodes. This is good news since she won't have to go back for another scan until next year (since she is cancer-free). She has also been feeling a bit better since the doctors have adjusted her thyroid medication. Thanks for your prayers.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

post pictures?

anyone else having troubles posting pictures? i can't do it the last two attempts.

neighborhood children

please pray for our neighborhood children. 4 of them came to church with me tonight. one went to AWANA and the other 3 went to youth group. all came out very happy and excited about going back next week. the oldest, 14 year old girl, has questions about how we can know the Bible is true, etc. she attends a christian school but still left with many questions. i encouraged her to read the Bible herself and to pray for God to show her the truth. please pray i make myself available to all of them and a continual witness to them and their parents.

Dianne Enke

We would like to ask prayer for Don's mom who is having a scan tomorrow to see why her preliminary test have come back abnormal. She had thyroid cancer 6 years ago and there is some concern that it may have come back. She is trusting the Lord but discouraged by her lack of energy and constant fatigue. She should have some indication tomorrow after the scan what is wrong. Please pray for her comfort and that the rest of the family would be drawn to the Lord as well.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Some PIcs




HI all,

Here are a few pics for you.

Just a shots of the flying fox and me showing how to do a pan and a line of motorcycles

Talk to you soon

b

Sunday, November 12, 2006

I also made it


Well, I'm catching up to the 21st century...slowly. Here is the latest addition to our family. I know that it goes against pickup tradition but time is a factor plus it has an electric rotisserie with which I cooked a pork roast today....oh so good. But alas, I know that gas by itself is not good enough so I do use smoke in the form of hickory chips. Thanks Wendy.

dream home


this is my home being built on St. Simon's Island. All are invited when it is finished. :) it looks better in person so you have to come and see it.

horse on the beach


i took this picture this weekend when i was at st. simon's island. i thought of mom. :) the horse was on the beach and in the water. you won't find monty and robby near the water or that many people.

I am here!

i just figured out how to get on and contribute thanks to wendy's help via instant messenger. now let's see if i can send some pics.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

The Ariel (Little Mermaid) Party


Jordan had her long-awaited 4th birthday party tonight. The suspense was almost unbearable as she saw her Ariel cake with pink roses and balloon bouquet. Her friends Paige, Tate, David and Johnny came over for dinner. Their little siblings came along, so there were a total of 8 kids, not counting Spencer. "Sister" gamely oversaw the kids table which was very loud, even before chocolate cake was served. I felt like Dad, yelling hoarsely over the commotion, "Could we keep it down a little?" The kids watched "The Emperor's New Groove" while the adults finished up dinner. The group from bottom around clockwise is Paige, Jordan, Johnny, Tate, and David. We had a treasure hunt in our unfinished basement, which was a big hit with the kids. Jordan got a new outfit (pink, of course) and a magnetic "paper" doll set. She could hardly sleep after everyone left.

Here she is blowing out her candles, with little brother standing behind.

We sure missed our family though. Can't wait to see you all at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas.

Finally logged in

Hi family
I have finally logged in and am ready, although I don't really know what to blog as of yet...Im in. Miss all of you

b

Thursday, November 09, 2006

More Pictures of the Fam

The famous, funny kitty litter cake photo!



Adam playing soccer in Central Park (September 2006)


Sledding to church on Sunday during the big blizzard (Feb. 2006)


Jack with his barn tent birthday gift from the Enkes (June 2006)


Jack with Nana and "Pops" at the farm (Summer 2006)

With Aunt Patty and Uncle Rob (September 2005
)

Adam and Jack with Aunt Shush, Aunt Aud and Uncle B (Christmas 2005)

Jack and Jorge at the farm (Christmas 2005)
Dudey in "wifebeater" down by the river.

Happy Halloween from Adam and Jack




Hi All:
We miss you but hope this blog helps keep us all in touch. Here are some recent photos from Halloween.
We went via subway to Grand Central Terminal for a Halloween bash. The boys went as Captain Hook and Peter Pan. The costumes I ordered (Incredible Dash and Jack Jack from the Incredibles movie) arrived via Murphy's Law on November 1. So Jack has been wearing his costume ever since as (expensive) pajamas.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Pictures