It had been a good visit with family and friends, especially at the wedding, and here are some of the highlights:

Pampered: We had a taste of luxurious living for a week, staying in a lakeside condo in Santa Cruz and driving a Mercedes. Both were courtesy of a couple of friends from our church, Trinity United Reformed Church.

Family times: Since the condo was about 15 minutes from Tim and Chesney’s house in Scotts Valley and 45 minutes from Lem’s apartment in San Jose, we got together for some evenings together. We even babysat Caleb and Tyler one afternoon.

Disneyland: Lem drove with Rachel to LA to join Oli and Nem for a day trip to Disneyland. Although tired from the trip, Rachel thoroughly enjoyed her first visit back as a teen.

Wined and Dined: We’ve had several lunch and dinner invitations, and not being used to big meals have made us feel stuffed after the meals.

Unexpected gifts: I visited Harris & Associates, the company I worked for temporarily in 2005 and 2006, and the IT Manager, Ramon Guiao, promptly donated a couple of their spare laptops after I talked to him about Mars Hill Study Center’s needs. How God’s providence works. Thank you, Ramon and Harris & Associates!

New mission organization: We’re finally coming close to finalizing our affiliation as a tax-deductible foundation under Congressional District Programs. Details are forthcoming soon, hopefully before the end of November.

Preaching: I’ll be preaching this Lord’s Day, November 9, 9 am and 5 pm services, at Trinity URC. My texts will be Psalm 46 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

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(For a different perspective on the U. S. elections, please read “Time to pause, ponder and pray” in my other blog.)

Since I happened to be in California during the 2008 presidential elections last Tuesday, I couldn’t help but compare elections and campaigns in the States and in the Philippines. Evelyn and I quietly dropped our ballots in the mailbox a week before the actual election day.

• Unlike the Philippines, American landscape and streets were not littered with the candidates’ ugly posters, banners, and handbills.
• On election night, even before the polling places in the Mountain States, West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii closed, the whole nation already knew who the next president will be, and most of the U. S. senatorial races were already decided. Compare this with the 2007 Philippine elections: the final senatorial results were not known until 14 days after election day, while the presidential winner was not officially declared until two months after!
• I never heard of anyone killed during the two-year presidential campaign here, while every election in the Philippines result in scores killed and hundreds injured in election-related violence. Even in elections for the lowest public office of “barangay captains” (village chiefs), violence is commonplace.
• While elections in the States could sometimes be ugly and focus on personalities, the discussions mostly focus on the issues, and most of the electorate vote based on their conscience and on issues. In the Philippines, most of the electorate do not have an inkling on what the issues are, and the result is that movie and basketball celebrities and popular newscasters are almost always sure bets. I won’t be surprised if Manny Pacquiao (boxer) or Willie Revillame (noontime show host) ran for senator or president in 2010!

The chairman of the Philippines’ Commission on Elections, itself riddled with corruption, is envious of the American electoral system and process, noting how smoothly the voting and counting proceeded. Jose Melo also observed, “On the behavior of the candidates, they talked about issues and not personalities. Maybe we should be like that.”

Filipinos should take the cue from Melo to strive to emulate the civility, decency and order in which America conducts itself during elections. What is sad is that many Filipinos, after they read this post, would accuse me of being unfair and of “colonial mentality,” instead of asking themselves, “Since we have this problem, what do we do about it? What can we learn from the experience of other nations?”

Congratulations, Oli and Nem! May God richly bless you as you start life together “for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part.”

Here are some pictures contributed by several photogs.

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Many other photos are posted here:

Tim & Chesney’s Website

Dan & Katie Peckham’s Website

We’ve had no water for over two weeks now. The water company again busted the subdivision’s main. Since they’re now laying pipes here, we were basically told,

“We don’t just lay pipes, we improve lives by breaking your pipes. Just wait out a couple of waterless months. Sorry for the little inconvenience.”

Last Sunday, our phone went dead for some reason. I called the phone company last Monday, but as of Thursday, the phone is still dead. Here, it usually takes a few phone calls to get your phone service back. What’s strange is that our DSL is still working this whole time. Well, I’ll take DSL over phone for now.

No water. no phone. Can’t beat that. Stop grumbling like the Israelites in the desert.

Meanwhile, back in Congress and Malacañan Palace, everyone continues their navel-gazing, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’ s got the most money of them all.”

Update (September 23, 2008): From a letter we received from the homeowner’s association, our main was not broken by construction crews like last time, but is leaking badly. It’s also so terrifying to read that the subdivision’s water lines are 40-year-old asbestos pipes! Yikes! Now the water company is laying pipes in our neighborhood.

After much consideration, we felt that the financial obligations associated with membership in Action International Ministries are beyond our means and in view of the decline in our support over the last year, we do not feel that we will be able to meet ACTION’s requirements.

We are in the process of applying to another non-profit organization that has a lower administration fee, and we hope to complete this process by the end of October 2008.

From now until October 31, 2008, you can continue to send your financial support to us through Wycliffe Bible Translators:

Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862

Please write our names on the Memo or on a separate note.

To those of you who have sent your financial support to ACTION might have received a letter and your check from them, you can send your check to Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Please bear with us during this transition time. And we thank you for your faithfulness in supporting us with your gifts and prayers.