The Life and Ministry of the Fish Family

With Prayers and Blessings

2010-12-02T03:00:00.002+08:00

After NINE years of service as Missionaries overseas....
After much prayer and seeking God's guidance...
After praying about our needs as a family and what God's will would be for us now at this time in our life...
We have officially given our resignation...

THANK YOU for all your prayers and generous gifts that has enabled us to reach out to the next generation of Missionaries (the MK Youth at Faith Academy and at Black Forest Academy) as well as our German and Filipino friends.

We will be settling in the Kansas City area for now. We would love to hear from you! If you are travelling nearby we would love to see you!!

With many prayers and blessings ~ to you and your family,
Lovingly,
Erin, Christa... Paul, Samuel, and Amy

A4J update!

2010-11-10T03:19:00.004+08:00

Even tho we are on the other side of the ocean, away from our ministries in Manila, things need to go on without us...
This is the first year in 5+ years that Erin has not been with A4J, helping or running the program. He often mentions how he misses the kids!
Recently we recieved a note from our Missionary friend who is overseeing A4J while we are gone.

the weekly numbers are down from last years 300 to now aprox 150
Filipino seminary students who teach the Bible lessons were recently 'switched around' by the seminary- we lost 8 of the 11 teachers and were only given back 3, new ones.
The vendor who supplies the weekly fruit, took off with the large deposit of money given to him, and did not leave any fruit...

Please pray with us and the current A4J leader, for encouragement, for good attendance, and for God to supply the finances needed to run the program!

Below are some pictures from this years Registration Day.

kids lining up outside Faith Academy's property, getting ready to come in.

Leaders, preparing the tables of shirts to distribute to the kids.

heading up the steps to the covered BB court area, to begin the day

a favorite activity!!

Beginning to sort the kids by age group...

Activity time, coloring a paper with the Bible verse and lesson on it.

Thank you for praying for the kids at A4J!

Autumn Activities

2010-10-26T22:28:00.006+08:00

The month of October we have been busy visiting Churches and helping in a Missions Conference. But we have taken many opportunities to savor God's beauty in the Autumn season...

Our kids are enjoying the many piles of Fall leaves! A first experience for some of them!

Concrete Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-04T22:05:00.002+08:00

The first weekend of October we got to do something 'American' again!
After 6 years of 'NO' Autumn/Fall experience I (Christa) was excited to experience the little things that this season brings.
We took the kids to a nearby pumpkin patch and enjoyed picking out pumpkins.

We actually didn't get to wander in a REAL pumpkin patch, because they wanted to charge $7 per person to go farther into the property where the patch was included, so we stuck around in the greenhouse and had PLENTY of pumpkins to choose from.

God is good in that HE always gives good gifts. I am truly enjoying the sites and smells that His GOOD gift is sharing this Fall.

Festival in the Park

2010-10-04T21:59:00.002+08:00

In our neighborhood there was recently a Festival.

What a wonderful 'cultural' experience for our kids!

There were several days of fun activities including carnival rides, a Car Show, and a parade.

One evening the kids enjoyed several rides and at the end we all tried a funnel cake!

The kids had never had one, so it was quite fun to enjoy this experience with them!

Beginning of a New School Year

2010-08-26T23:46:00.003+08:00

Summer had a nice ending.

The kids enjoyed many hours of fresh air! We are so glad!

We enjoyed helping at a VBS during the summer and recently Erin was also able to share at a Church. We have seen many wonderful friends and supporters and its been enjoyable to be able to reconnect with so many of you!

Here is a quick picture of the kids on their first day of school. It was a last minute 'don't forget the picture', so its not the best, but at least we got it!

Paul turns 12!

2010-08-02T08:23:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday to a WONDERFUL young man!
We love you and are so proud of you!

GBC Vacation Bible School

2010-08-02T08:16:00.002+08:00

In July we ha the opportunity to share at VBS. Each day we shared a little about the Philippines plus each of the different ministries we have been involved in.

Erin did a wonderful job speaking to the kids. We hope and pray that the seeds that were planted will root and grow as God plans!

Paul enjoyed the opportunity to help out and be in charge of the Power Point!

What to do??

2010-06-30T23:38:00.004+08:00

Its Summer time--- so what should we do??

Maybe a little jumping?

How about a back hand-spring?

Perfect landing!

So much fun!!!

End of the School year 09-10

2010-06-30T23:22:00.003+08:00

This is almost a month late in posting.... but when you also pack up your home and travel to the other side of the world, I figure its ok :D

Paul is standing there on the far right. These were the 6th grade Student Senate Officers for the year. They each received a certificate of recognition for their work.

Last day of school.... hanging around before we went home.

The graduating class of 2010!

Coach Fish with some of the Varsity Soccer players at Graduation...

Amy's 8th Birthday

2010-05-26T10:02:00.002+08:00

Unfortunately this is out of order!
Amy's birthday was April 30th-- and I made the 2 previous posts before getting Amy's birthday pictures on here. Either way she still turned 8 and we still enjoyed celebrating it with her!

Amy enjoyed a swim party with all her 2nd grade friends
Here she is opening gifts afterward...

Annual Birthday picture!

Amy with her brothers

Going bowling after church on Sunday...

This year Amy picked an Ice Cream Cake. It was very nice since we have had a VERY HOT summer here in the Philippines!

Fareast Tournament May 2010

2010-05-26T09:42:00.003+08:00

May 15th-22nd was eight days of intense soccer and fun memories!

Our girls played their best... undefeated through the whole tournament-- losing in the championship game in double overtime-- at shoot out, by one goal...

What a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful group of ladies!

The season ends with 24 Wins, 1 loss, 2 draws.
Amazing job Coach Fish!

At the tournament, we were proud and blessed to be told over and over that the girls on our team had amazing character...

Paul's Baptism

2010-05-26T09:29:00.002+08:00

On May 8th Paul was baptized in our pool at the Condos.
Erin was the one who baptized him and Paul invited friends and adults that were important to him in his life right now...

Senior Day!

2010-04-29T08:57:00.003+08:00

Yesterday before the last home game, Coach Fish honored the Senior players.
This year, there are 5 players, one of which Erin has coached all 4 years of her High School career.

Thanks for praying for us during this season. Only two more weeks and the team heads to Japan for the Fareast Dodd's tournament. Please continue to pray for safety, good sportsmanship, and our testimony to the other teams we'll be in contact with...

Ministry Day ~ Faith Soccer Teams...

2010-04-29T08:28:00.004+08:00

Faith Academy soccer teams set aside one Saturday and invited local Filipino children to come on campus and play some soccer!
The players spent time with the kids teaching them soccer skills but then also sharing the gospel and a free lunch...

Varsity soccer player- Chelsea, sharing a 'gospel bracelet' with a young boy.

Snow cones were a fun way to cool down!!

Varsity Captain- Lauren, spends some time teaching various soccer skills.

~ Lots of smiles and lots of love

Snack time! Passing out some oranges to kids

waiting in line for a free snow cone!

Coach Clod shares the gospel with the kids-- using the 'Gospel ball'

Parents of soccer players helped provide lunch for all the kids that came

Cutts Cup Tournament

2010-04-29T08:03:00.005+08:00

In the month of April, Faith Academy hosted the annual Cutt's Cup tournament.
We had several Filipino teams participate.

Above, the Varsity girls (yellow), and the JV team (white) and a Filipino International team (blue) pose for a picture after the tournament.

These amazing girls are our captains this year-- one Junior, one Senior-- as Coach Fish always likes to do... Here they are posing with our 1st place team trophy and Lauren (on the right) with her MVP trophy.

Somehow-- Erin ending up getting wet...

Must have been the cooler of ice water that the team dumped on him :D

Congratulations team for a job well done!!
-> now on to the Fareast tournament!!

Elementary Track and Field Day

2010-04-23T08:35:00.006+08:00

A few weeks ago, the elementary had their Track & Field day...
We were grateful for a cloudy morning... but by afternoon it was pretty hot.
The day was divided into 3 sections, with different grades at different times.
Amy's class was in the first group and Samuel's was in the last group.

Here is Amy waiting her turn for the high jump...

Seriously-- how intimidating is it as a 1st and 2nd grader to be told you have to jump OVER that bar?? This morning the mat was wet from a small rain shower, so all the 'girls' were disgusted at getting WET when they landed. So funny!

I always HATED hurdles! You are supposed to run AND jump over a bar-- and then try to BEAT the other person?? Not fun... I could probably do these tho...

Frisbee throwing-- now that one I could do. Amy actually did really well in this one, also... :D

Fun morning!

Now its Samuel's turn-- but the sun has come out and is sharing all its bright, hot glory for everyone... so I pulled out our umbrella and Samuel joined me in our temporary shade.

I enjoyed watching Samuel, he is getting to be a great athlete. Love how I captured his 'form' in this picture.

Back to the high jump again. Love his facial expression! But unlike the girls-- the boys LOVED getting wet when they landed. They even took the hose and MADE it wetter! :D

Again with the hurdles... doesn't it make you scared to fall? Who wants to be tripped and fall flat on your face??

There were other events such as softball and javelin throwing, but I didn't get any pictures of those. Everyone went home with a ribbon and congratulated in their own best event for the day.

Easter 2010

2010-04-23T08:16:00.004+08:00

I almost 'skipped' the egg coloring this year. I really actually 'forgot' about it, until Samuel asked "are we going to color eggs??". OOPS! So, on Good Friday Samuel and Amy colored some hard boiled eggs... Paul was 'too old' to do it (??) and was at a friend's house... :D

Easter morning-- before we zipped out of the house, we stopped to snap a couple pictures... Can't say I think they turned out the best with lighting, but at least we got the picture!!

~ funny picture...

after church we had dinner with some friends... while we were waiting Amy played a couple songs for us...

Erin and I entertained ourselves by making funny faces... sorta...

Progressive Dinner

2010-04-23T07:55:00.003+08:00

I (Christa) have a group of ladies that we have been doing a Bible Study together.
We decided to do a progressive dinner a few weeks back, on one of our 4 day weekends...
We enjoyed 'way too much' yummy food and I think most of us were full half way through the evening!

At our first stop for 'appetizers' here is a picture of MOST of us, though some are still missing from the picture... with husbands and all our kids there were a LOT of us!!

One of my good friends and her oldest!~ Don't they look a lot a like!!

Erin with a friend and Faith Alumni...

All our kids-- ages 18 and under!!

Trampoline!! There might be too many kids on here for US standards.... :D

Great friends, neighbors, and sister's of the heart... besides connected by an iPod.

Transportation for the kids! (except Amy had to ride 'inside' the cab...cause Mom and Dad said so...)

Waiting for dessert!! Are we still hungry?? of course!! can't skip dessert!!

Samuel turns 10!!!

2010-03-29T11:27:00.003+08:00

Samuel turned 10 years old last week!
What an awesome boy. He continues to grow and mature and we are blessed to be a part of his life.
This year he was able to have his Uncle and Aunt here for his birthday!
I think he had a fun birthday, as the pictures below can tell...

crazy kids getting ready to do some fun stuff!!

If you can't drive a REAL Formula1 race car, this one will do for now...

Root beer floats with classmates at school!

Opening the present he was REALLY hoping for-- Star Wars Legos...

Happy 10th Birthday dear Samuel.
Love,
Dad and Mom

Family Visit!

2010-03-29T11:14:00.003+08:00

Christa's brother and sister-in-law came for a visit this last month!
We enjoyed taking them around Manila showing them where we live, the ministries we've been involved in and then out of the city to a beach and a volcano.
We stayed busy and were so glad they could come...

riding the boat out to the beach....

enjoying some peaceful days....

getting ready for a bike ride up into some mountains...

Sunday after church, in the city...

Varsity Vanguard Soccer 2010

2010-03-12T09:12:00.002+08:00

The soccer season is underway!
We are excited for the season and all that God has planned.
We have a lot of upperclassmen and a highly skilled team this year.

Please pray for Erin as he coaches, guides and leads the team through tactics, conditioning, skills and most importantly how all that reflects our lives with Christ.

This is Coach Fish's 5th year coaching soccer at Faith Academy. The program has grown and improved through a lot of hard work!

Please continue praying for us as we seek to mold the lives of these young ladies....

especially this one :)

Ladies Retreat 2010

2010-03-12T08:57:00.002+08:00

February 26-28 all these ladies gathered together for a weekend away, to relax, fellowship and love our God together. We had 55 ladies for the weekend...

They are all women, mom's, or wives involved in ministry in or Manila and the Philippines. Such a wonderful mix of talents and gifts being used for God.

It was such a joy to work with these women this year, praying and planning for the retreat.
Thank YOU for praying as well!

Coming Soon...

2010-02-01T09:54:00.005+08:00

LADY VANGUARD ~~ SOCCER SEASON 2010!!

We are believing God will do AMAZING things this year.
Pray with us as we prepare for the upcoming season.

January ~ Playing on Ice in the Tropics!

2010-02-01T09:41:00.003+08:00

The first week of January we headed to a large mall down by the bay and spent a few hours pretending it was "winter"!
The kids had a blast! I think this is roughly their 3rd or 4th time ice skating. They all did really well!

Paul does a great job~ has great agility!

~Great friends....

Amy didn't think it would be a good idea for me to push her :)

Maligayang Pasko!

2009-12-26T07:54:00.002+08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

No Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-24T09:48:00.003+08:00

In our wonderful humid-tropical climate :( making gingerbread houses is impossible!! The frosting never hardens and it becomes frustrating instead of fun. In years past we usually decorate Christmas sugar cookies. This year Mom decided to combine the two ideas and capitalize on the "decorating" part-- which is the best part anyway, right??

Paul decorated a Christmas Tree...

Amy decorated a House...

Samuel decorated a house, also, but added a Christmas tree in the window and Santa with reindeer on the roof, PLUS a green M&M snowman in front... :D

EATING it was the best part!!

Elementary Christmas Program

2009-12-24T09:32:00.004+08:00

This year it was only Samuel and Amy in the Elementary Christmas program-- one of many different things as we all shift to Paul being in Middle School!

Samuel got to play handbells for one of the songs. He was excited about it and did a great job!

Amy (in capri pants and white shoes) loves to sing and enjoyed the whole experience. When they got ready to sing "Carol of the Bells" she looked right at me and smiled REAL big ~ cause she knows thats Mommy's favorite song! :D

Here's the whole elementary (kinder to 5th grade) singing together with their wonderful and talented music teacher in front.

A4J Christmas

2009-12-24T09:20:00.002+08:00

December 16th was the last A4J gathering for this year.
Our numbers were consistently low after Typhoon Ondoy came through-- and we would ask you to pray about that for next year. But this particular Sunday our numbers were up a little as we had special Christmas activities planned for the morning.

The younger kids went off in a separate group to enjoy some puppets and giant bubbles

The older kids enjoyed watching a Magician doing magic tricks (slight of hand) as well as sharing the gospel.

As everyone left for the last time, we were able to pass out bags with toothpaste, toothbrushes, candy, and a coloring book with the gospel in it.

Erin has been leading this for 5 + years and always enjoys the smiles he sees on each childs face as they greet him each Sunday "morning PO!"
Next year we'll be Stateside and our friend and co-worker will be running the program. Please pray for someone else to be willing to assist him. Pray also for sufficient funds to continue supplying the necessary materials needed.

Kids Soccer games

2009-12-24T09:01:00.003+08:00

Every Saturday in November and December we arrived at the Soccer field around 8:30 for two hours of soccer balls and lots of fun!
While the kids ran around the parents sat in the shade, visiting and drinking coffee!

~ now, can you guess how old our kids are??

They each individually chose their numbers for their shirts
They didn't know they all chose their respective ages, until afterward.

Erin's Birthday

2009-12-24T08:46:00.003+08:00

Erin's birthday was December 10th
38 years young!
He enjoyed lunch at his favorite restaurant-- Cyma's

Opening gifts from his wonderful kids!

...thinking of the Caramel Brownie cake he's about to eat!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T08:41:00.005+08:00

We are so thankful for all God has done and continues to do.
We look forward to next year and seeing so many of you.
Below are some pictures from this last month...

Paul participated in the Middle School Band Concert. He wasn't too excited about the "pink" band shirts that his teacher picked out, but he did a great job playing his clarinet. :)

The Sunday before the "real" Thanksgiving, our mission celebrated Thanksgiving together, with lots of food, some singing--giving thanks, and a Christmas movie afterwards... Below is Paul getting ready to play his guitar while we sing some songs. Samuel is in the orange shirt and Amy in the purple...

Erin, Paul, and I enjoying some delicious food as we visit with friends.

The actual day of Thanksgiving the 1st and 2nd graders had their own Thanksgiving lunch. Each year the 1st graders study the Pilgrims and the 2nd graders study the Indians. Then on the day of Thanksgiving they dress up as Pilgrims and Indians and enjoy a lunch together, as well as put on a short little program about giving thanks. Below is Amy in her "Indian" headress.

October Break!

2009-10-27T08:32:00.004+08:00

This year for October break, we headed out of the city with another family. We spent several days at a retreat center-- Rizal Recreation Center, ran by long-time missionaries Joe and Ruth Mauk.

While we were there we enjoyed losts of green grass and beautiful tall coconut trees!

The second day we were there, we were able to have front row seats while some Filipinos were "harvesting" some coconuts! This included a REALLY long bamboo pole, with a knife on the end, a loud THUD as eight to ten coconuts came crashing to the ground, and then six inch DENTS left in the ground from the impact of the coconuts! :) Quite fun! ~ just don't stand too close!

Most of the time our kids spent their free time running around barefoot (a rarity) and being able to go down the waterslide!

Towards the end of our visit, Mr. Mauk demonstrated his "Top" to a Filipino school group that was visiting. It is said to be the worlds largest Top!

JV Boys- Soccer Season

2009-10-27T08:17:00.004+08:00

This season Erin enjoyed the opportunity to coach the JV boys soccer program at Faith.

What a great opportunity it was to mold their lives and their skills for Christ!

At the end of the season the boys (JV and Varsity) were able to partake in a ministry trip down south-- to bless other teams and share God's love.

Erin has several more ministry opportunities on the horizon. Please pray with us as we plan and prepare for-- a soccer clinic at an international school, down south; a tournament with other Filipino schools in November; Saturday soccer games for elementary and middle school kids at Faith- beginning this next Saturday.

A4J-- up and running!

2009-10-27T08:02:00.004+08:00

With the onset of several Typhoons through Manila last month, the news of A4J beginning, kind of got skipped over! So, we'll back up a little and share how that ministry is going.

On September 13 around 470 local kids showed up to be a part of A4J- our local "Sunday School" Bible club.

We passed out all 400 t-shirts that first day and those who didn't get in were still able to enjoy some fresh fruit and a gospel bracelet.

After Typhoon Ondoy came through and swept away thousands of homes, many of the local missionaries have been sharing their resources to help these families to begin again. Some of these families are our A4J families. We are planning a "feeding" in an updoming Sunday, A4J meeting. Someone offered their time and resources and we are planning to feed all the children and their families a warm and nutritious meal. Pray with us for an effective outreach to their parents as the Gospel will be shared to them as well!

How do I describe the things God has done?

2009-10-04T09:50:00.018+08:00

How do I describe the things God has done?
GOD is GOOD. He is loving and compassionate.
This last week Typhoon Ondoy came over us, disguised as Tropical Storm Ketsana and dumped 15+ inches of rain in just a few hours.
The aftermath was a destruction of homes and the loss of many lives...
How is God good in this? Let me share the ways...

· An American friend, woman, missionary and mother of five-- Rides with a friend on his motorcycle as close as they can get before she has to swim through chest high murky water to get to her daughter who was waiting in the hospital to have her appendix removed. Meets her son “on the way” who happened to be waiting in traffic trying to get back home. They walk together and safely arrive at the hospital. Her daughter is doing well and recovering... God is Good.

· We watch from the fourth floor of our building as a landslide comes down the side of the hill behind us. God directs the flow down the driveway missing the parked cars and building. One car- in its path gets dirt in front and behind, but not into it... God is Good.

· Two single teachers head out early in the morning to run an errand, before the storm hit. The rains come, the streets flood and they must abandon their car and set out on foot. Texts are sent, calls are tried to be made, a friend is out looking for them... SIX hours later they show up at our building, soaked head to foot rejoicing that they made it back... God is Good.

· Volleyball teams and Cross Country teams were housed and taken care of as they couldn’t return to the school. Parents were separated from children or homes. All were reunited... God is Good.

· Thousands of people volunteered to shovel, wash, carry, clean, move, wash again... the homes and belongings of those that were flooded. People gathered supplies to distribute to the impoverished families whose shacks were completely wiped out. Medical teams gave of their time and resources to help the sick or injured. God is Good.

· The Filipinos across the city and across the nation gathered together to share their resources and to assist their “brothers”. The Filipino spirit to help and carry each other’s burdens is something to be honoured. Their perseverance and enduring spirit is commended. Their SMILE and compassion is an example the body of Christ should remember... God is Good.

This is only a FEW of the stories... there are hundreds more... there are stories that will make you cry such as a family of 11 all lost but one, families who struggled daily to survive—lost everything. But still, God is Good...

There is still much to recover and replace. If you feel led to help families—Missionaries and Filipinos alike—to rebuild their homes, you can send your financial gift to:

First Love International

PO Box 15836

Loves Park, IL 61132 USA

(815) 229-3065

Firstloveinternational.com

Please label it—FISH FAMILY and FLOOD RELIEF. They will send it to us and we will pass it on to families that are in need.

One last thing~ from a friend who’s first floor filled with five feet of brown murky flood water...
“...I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Phil 3:13b-14”

Typhoon Ondoy

2009-09-29T11:01:00.002+08:00

This last weekend of September we were hit by a good size storm-- turned into a Typhoon just after passing over us. We recieved 15+ inches of rain in one day, when normally we only receive roughly 12 inches in the whole month... AND it was at the end of the month, so much of our normal rain had already occurred.
A large portion of Metro Manila has been flooded with huge damage to many homes and businesses.

I'm trying to get some pictures pasted on here, but blogger is not cooperating. :/

So I will post some links for now:

This is a great video showing the flooding in the are we live in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V6uRHxtQUM

Here is a news link with details of the area:
http://www.philippinesnews.net/story/548106

When you here the areas of "Marikina, Pasig, and Cainta" that is our neighborhood.

The Fish Family is safe and doing well. We were without power for 3 days. We have food and water, enough for several more days. We had no flooding in our home, thankfully.
The hill directly behind our building had 2 good sized landslides-- wanted to paste those pictures on here. No damage to the building or cars, but we were blocked in for a while.

Please be praying for the thousands of families that have lost their homes and belongings.
Pray also for the ongoing need of supplies of food and water to be replenished.

School at Faith has been cancelled for the last 2 days. Not sure about tomorrow. Many areas of the city are still flooded, but water has receded a good amount.

We'll post more later if we can.

First Day of School!

2009-08-25T12:19:00.002+08:00

"Quick" picture before we headed out the door...

Summer ended for us on August 5th. The next morning we set those horrible alarm clocks and got up at 6 am to be ready for the first day of school!

This year Paul is in Middle School-- 6th grade; Samuel is in 4th grade; and Amy is in 2nd grade.

Another year older. Another year to make memeories.

Paul's Birthday

2009-08-25T12:14:00.004+08:00

The end of July was Paul's 11th Birthday. Yeah!
He has entered middle school this year. (6th grade)
Such an awesome young man!
God has great things planned for him.
We are privileged to be a part of his life.

Happy Birthday Paul!

Summer 2009

2009-08-08T09:40:00.014+08:00

This summer was lots of fun for the Fish kids! From camping, to bike riding, book reading to lots of Baths!! There were lots of good "summer memories" made to be stored up for later times... Now school is back in session, but below are lots of pictures of summer memories....

Once a week the library would open for a few hours for everyone to come in and check out books or return books. We had lots of fun finding fun books to read. THIS summer Paul had reading "requirements" since he would be entering Middle School. This of course was no difficulty as he is an avid reader and enjoys a good book (like his Mom!) Samuel on the other hand (shown above) could leave reading far behind if he had anything to do with it... He'd rather be out swimming or bike riding!

This Summer Paul and Samuel got to both attend camp in the same week (pictures below) and that left Amy home without any big brothers to "pester" her! So Mommy and Amy left Daddy to "wing it" on his own and we had our own little adventure for one night--- including FOUR baths at a nearby hotel! We don't have a bathtub so this was literally one of the biggest highlights for Amy!

The boys were at camp for 5 days and 4 nights. It really was not that long, but for Amy it seemed like a really LONG time... here she is anticipating the arrival of her brothers, coming back from camp...

Here is the "camp" bus pulling into the school parking area-- over an hour late...

Mommy and Samuel-- after his first experience at camp. LOTS of good memories and even tears on his part that it was already over. I'm so glad for him that he had such a great experience. He and his brother ended up not being in the same cabin-- which made Samuel a little apprehensive, but trusting God-- it all turned out well and he had a super time!

Paul turned ELEVEN this summer! Time continues to go by and we must celebrate each moment as it comes-- before long our oldest son will be heading off to college. But for now he's here and we are enjoying each milestone that he reaches and get to experience with him.
Here is Paul with his sister, Amy as she gives him his birthday present.

Paul and Samuel (too cool to hug, like their sister above)...

Blowing out eleven candles on his "Peppermint Angel Food Cake with White Chocolate frosting" (its gone now...!!)

Family picture 2009

2009-07-02T08:17:00.002+08:00

Fish Family June 2009

Graduation Day!!!

2009-06-04T09:33:00.015+08:00

That long awaited day finally came...
They walked through the doors of the new auditorium as the first class to graduate there...
When they came back out the doors, they were forever changed...

Out of 70+ students 10 of them received Outstanding Awards in various areas... 7 of them received sholarships from Faith Academy's various scholarship funds.

They were congratulated as being a class with 9 students with a GPA of 4.0 or higher--- lots of leadership skills--- and a class that caused some of the least amount of trouble.

All of the students have a special place in our heart...

Most of them we may never see again...

The Long Anticipated Senior Trip!!

2009-06-04T09:11:00.009+08:00

May 23rd we woke up bright and early and met on campus at 5am (!)...
We loaded 80+ people onto two buses and started off on our journey...
3 hours later and one bathroom break (plus coffee!) we made it to the port and began loading into 3 large "banka" boats....

After getting off the bus-- we loaded our luggage onto a van-- then walked down to the boats-- unloaded the luggage from the van-- rode the "Banka" boats for an hour-- then transferred 80+ people to smaller boats to get to land... :)

The students had a blast enjoying the sun and each other! Some of these pictures I borrowed from our class ;)

Our last night there we were able to enjoy dinner on the beach! Tons of fun!

One last "group" photo before we headed back to the "real" world!

Thanks class of 2009 for such great memories!!!

Seniors Ministry Day

2009-06-03T09:31:00.006+08:00

May 22nd was the Seniors first day after their last day of school.
It was their designated "ministry" day. As a class we headed to a neighborhood called "Welfarville" (literally!)
We took about 10 vans and 70 students -- all wearing red shirts -- and spent several hours blessing the families of Welfarville...

Some of the activities included passing out apples (left) and painting a mural at the local community center (right).

Several of the guys played basketball with the neighborhood "pros" (left) and another group passed out lunch to over 100 kids (right).

Other activities included cleaning, photography, kids games, and more snacks....

We teamed up with a ministry center there-- working with their volunteers-- and donating all our supplies to their organization.

It was a great class experience and a great blessing to the neighborhood.

Girls Vasity Soccer Season 2009

2009-06-03T09:06:00.009+08:00

The 2009 Soccer season has come to a close...
Here are some highlights of the last few weeks..

The last home soccer game-- Coach Fish honored the Seniors for their dedication and hard work...

After doing several fund-raising activities, surviving grueling practices, and playing numerous tough University teams-- The Varsity Girls are packed and ready to head to Japan for the DoDDs Tournament...

They played tough and gave it their all-- after 5 days of games, 8 games in all-- the girls came away with 4th place as well as the Sportsmanship award. The Referees noticed and appreciated the good attitudes of the girls whether they won or lost-- therefore they nominated our Faith girls for the Sportsmanship award.
Here they are with Coach Fish, their last night in Japan and their last night as a team-- after finishing team devotions...

Third season Sports Awards night-- Coach Fish is honoring the team for their hard work and godly attitudes, on and off the field. It was a great season-- filled with great attitudes and great achievements.

Here the Co-Captains are honoring Coach Fish for his Christ-like example and love for their team. They appreciated all he did for them and taught them... They gave him a painting they found of Faith's soccer field and Manila skyline... It hangs in our home now as I write this...

Thank you Captains, for your leadership as godly young women and your love for "Football"!!

Junior/Senior Banquet

2009-06-03T08:53:00.006+08:00

May 9th was this years Junior/Senior Banquet.
As Senior class advisors we had the privilege of attending and enjoying the evening with the class.

The evening was fun and enjoyable. We enjoyed the slide show presentation with pictures of each student in the class--- good memories~!

Amy's 7th Birthday

2009-05-02T11:33:00.004+08:00

April 30th was Amy's 7th Birthday. Such a big girl!
On the day of her birthday we brought a snack for her friends at school.
Here, she is helping me serve her friends, before they go play at recess.

We had a fun afternoon with Amy- took her to do some of her favorite things and the highlight of them all.... getting her ears pierced! :D

Happy Birthday, Amy!!

Varsity Girls Soccer Team

2009-05-02T11:07:00.007+08:00

At last, a team picture!! :D

Introducing the 2009 Varsity Girls Soccer Team!!

15 players this year, one manager (not pictured), one GREAT Soccer Mom :D and also one REALLY great Coach :D

In the Philippines its either REALLY sunny or REALLY rainy- either way, bring your umbrella!!

Part of the Soccer team at a fundraiser- serving dinner...

They are planning to go to Japan for the DoDDS tournament (Department of Defense Dependant Schools). funds that they raised will help pay for their food, lodging and transportation costs while they are there...

Easter and Holy Week

2009-05-02T10:34:00.004+08:00

Easter was a nice weekend for us. In the Philippines everything shuts down for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday. The week leading up to Easter is called Holy Week and is taken more seriously and with more customs/traditions/celebrations than the actual day of Easter.

School was out for us on Thursday and Friday so we enjoyed a four day weekend as a family.

On Easter Sunday we dressed up, went to Church and celebrated the day...

A Day with Daddy

2009-05-02T10:20:00.006+08:00

Erin and Amy spent the day together a few weeks ago-- I don't remember all they did, but I know they went to a nearby mall, had some ice cream and on the way home- the van broke down :D This was BEFORE the van broke down...

Senior Seminar

2009-03-31T08:05:00.003+08:00

Last week, the Senior class headed to Rizal Re-Creation Center for 3 days and 2 nights. Libby Stevens with Interaction International- led the class in the annual Transition Seminar for Seniors.
They had a great time-- lots of long talks-- about life and changes they will be facing.
We appreciate Libby and the valuable wisdom she brings to MK Youth.

The Senior Class of 2009 :)

Girls Varsity Soccer Team

2009-03-31T07:56:00.002+08:00

This last weekend the girls played against the Philippine National Team.
It was a hot day, and many were tired but they put up a great fight and held their own. We played against the "A" team as well as the "B" team. We didn't win either one :( but it was great experience for the girls. The Coach from the other team enjoys playing the Faith girls, because he says we are respectable, well behaved, and have great skill! That's a great testimony.

Between the two games, we found some shade and had lunch. One of our seniors, Janine, led the team in a devotional and prayer time. Janine injured her leg at the beginning of the season- tore a ligament in her knee- and is out for the season. Since she is a senior, that finishes soccer for her for her High School career. She gave a great testimony about God has His best planned for you (as she is sitting there, with a brace on her knee...)

The girls divided up into smaller groups and spent a few minutes praying for each other.

Its a blessing and a joy to invest in the lives of these girls.
Pray for Erin as he coaches-- on the field-- and off the field...

Samuel's 9th Birthday!!

2009-03-24T11:53:00.005+08:00

March 23rd~ Samuel turned nine years old this year!!

Here is Samuel with his Cheescake~Birthday Cake. (YUM!)
We love you buddy!

Paul's Band Concert

2009-03-24T11:28:00.006+08:00

This year Paul began learning to play the Clarinet. This last March was Faith Academy's "All Bands Concert".

This is a picture of the 5th grade band, Middle School Band, and the High School Band, all together!~ Paul is in the front row... 2nd from the left... kind of hard to see though, sorry.

Here is Paul with a classmate. Black pants, white shirt and tie were the dress code for the evening. :) Don't they look sharp!!

Ladies Retreat at Rizal Re-Creation Center

2009-02-25T11:54:00.005+08:00

After many weeks of planning and praying~ more than sixty women gathered at Rizal Re-Creation Center for a weekend of laughter, fellowship, and worshipping our Lord.
I was on this years retreat committee, along with several other wonderful ladies. We enjoyed seeing- so much- how God worked together all the little details and touched many lives in the process.
We were also blessed by these wonderful ladies (pictured below) who came from Colorado Springs, Colorado and Pheonix, Arizona-- to bless us and share God's love to us.
I was personally blessed by our main speaker- Mary- (light blue) as she shared wonderful, godly truths.
What a blessing it was to have these stunning women come and love on us!
Thank you~!!

Elementary Basketball

2009-02-25T11:43:00.006+08:00

Here are a few pictures of Samuel and Amy playing Elementary Basketball.
Samuel has really come to enjoy basketball and we have enjoyed watching his games!
Amy is not sure- though, she loves the "social" aspect of it and being "a part" of something!

Paul opted not to do basketball this year, as he has become more devoted to soccer and is enjoying some Saturday mornings with friends.

Annual Talent Night

2009-01-27T10:49:00.007+08:00

It was a year ago that Erin and I were (ok, mostly Erin!) were scrambling around as our (then) Junior class was working through the final details of putting together the Talent Night fundraiser.
This year we thoroughly enjoyed being able to just "sit back" and watch the show. Another joy was that this was the first year it was in the new Cadd Theater! It was a great night of showcasing God's gifts...

Some "wannABBAS" performed Mamma Mia's "Second Chance". Great performance, lots of laughs and lots of fun!

Our ADMIN put together an entertaining "Dusty Pete" for all to enjoy...

Amy's young ballet group performed a "Little Swan" dance. They were adorable! Here they are with "Teacher Ron", a talented Filipino ballet dancer who travels weekly to give our MKs at Faith, inexpensive ballet lessons.

Amy and Mom waiting before her ballet dance...

Korean Kate J closed the evening with her talented singing. She is a Senior this year, so this was her last performance...

December Review...

2009-01-27T10:10:00.014+08:00

I didn't get our blog updated in December, so here are a few quick pictures to give you an idea of what were a few of the things we did... The previous post to this one has a couple pictures of Erin's birthday.

Amy's First grade class put together chapel for the Elementary students, in December. Each class is assigned a chapel date throughout the year. They did a great job singing songs, reading verses and doing a cute skit. Amy is here with her class singing songs and then also reading a verse.

This is most of the kids who participated in 6 Saturdays of "Parent Run" soccer. The picture is a little small-- but Paul is in a blue shirt, behind the grey shirts, Samuel is in a grey shirt with red shorts (probably the easiest to see), and Amy is in the front row with a red shirt... Erin was able to coach Samuel's team, and they had lots of fun with that.

We spent the week of Christmas at a Missionary Retreat place. It was SO nice to enjoy 60-70 degree weather, wear a light jacket, and have a fire in a fireplace!

We enjoyed yummy S'mores every night!!

The kids played outside in the clean air and we all played board games.

On the way there and back we enjoyed the view of the beautiful mountains!

Erin and I -- possibly around his birthday... !

Erin's Birthday-- 30 "Something"!

2009-01-27T09:59:00.005+08:00

December 10th, we celebrated Erin's birthday... He took the day off & Erin and I (no kids!) took the train downtown and spent the day together.
His birthday "dessert" was an Apple Cream Pie... the candles in no way depict his real age. ;>

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-27T13:35:00.001+08:00

Merry Christmas to you all! We love you!
~from the Fish Family

A4J Christmas Finale!

2008-12-14T20:11:00.008+08:00

December 7th was the Christmas finale for our Sunday Bible club for the local squatter children - A4J (All For Jesus)
Preparations began the week before as we bagged up 480 Christmas bags with candy, toys and a Bible story coloring book inside each one.
Sunday morning we arrived early and went over last minute details before the children arrived.
We had a guest speaker come and do illusional magic tricks and another speaker do a fun bubble show.

Here are some of the volunteers we had this year-- roughly 20 adults and about 85 High School students. Erin took the time to thank them for their dedication and love for the children. He also recognized the Seniors that had been helping and would be graduating. We had about 5 Seniors that had volunteered all 4 years. The picture on the left is most of the volunteers, listening to Erin and on the right are 3 of the Seniors who helped this year.

Here Erin is thanking the Filipino Seminary students who have been helping us this year by teaching the Bible lesson each week in Tagalog. We are so grateful for their love of the children and their desire to serve in ministry. We gave them a thank you gift to help them in their tuition or any other personal needs.

This particular Sunday we had a total of 420 kids come on campus- all wearing their A4J t-shirts. These pictures show the primary and junior ages, the kinder aged children were in a different location.

We are so grateful for the many volunteers that came to be the hands and feet of Jesus to love on these children. This is one of my favorite pictures! Those big loving arms holding such a precious little girl!

Please continue to pray for these children and their families as they live in impoverished situations.

Elementary Soccer

2008-11-24T10:20:00.006+08:00

This year Erin has been able to coach a team for Paul as well as a team for Samuel. Paul was involved in an older more competitive team and they finished in October. After October break Elementary Soccer Intramurals began and Erin is coaching Samuel's team. This year all three of our kids are playing-- in three different divisions... so Mom has to keep busy walking the field to see all the games!

Here is "Dad/Coach" with Samuel's team-- the "Tigersharks".

Amy is having lots of fun on her team... they do a great job following the ball... all together... everywhere... :) Amy has asked to be the goalie quite often and has lots of fun doing it, as you can tell by her true "Amy" expression in the picture above.

Paul is doing intramurals also, even tho he just finished the other, older soccer league. This is much more relaxed and informal-- but good practice for him. He'll tell you he'd rather play more competitively and he enjoyed having his Dad coach his team...

Mom stays busy with Gatorade and Sunscreen-- then the occasional umbrella if it rains... :)

October break!

2008-11-24T10:03:00.007+08:00

October break came and we were so happy to take a break and play together!

We made a quick drive to a guest house for Christian ministry workers, in the city of Tagaytay... We enjoyed cooler weather, cleaner air and quietness-- with the exception of a wedding reception and a neighbors dog. :)

Erin made his chili~ and in the cooler climate we enjoyed warm slippers, light jackets and a bowl of chili...

We spent lots of time playing the game "Sorry" and "Uno"

plus drawing and coloring....

Dedication of Faith's Cadd Fine Arts Theater

2008-10-21T08:39:00.005+08:00

On October 8th the Faith Academy student body, staff, parents and invited guests from the community gathered as we thanked our Lord for the provision of the new Cadd Fine Arts Theater. Our theme was "Lift Him Up" as we praised our Heavenly Father and dedicated this new building to HIM.

The completion of this building has been in the works for over 20 years! We are excited to see God's hand of provision from a Church in the USA who donated all the funds for this building!

There were many people and many hours involved in planning and preparing this beautiful facility. In and through all of that many, many prayers were sent to our heavenly Father to see us through this project.

Around 1,000 people were in attendance on Wednesday afternoon, as we gathered together for the first time in the Cadd Theater.

Our Superintendant Tom Hardeman presented a plaque to Helen Cadd in honor of the years of service she and her husband worked at Faith Academy in the Fine Arts department. The theater is named for the both of them.

Below the new Cadd theater is a multi-purpose room. After the dedication we gathered for a Banquet in celebration of the dedication.

Erin and Marla (to the left of me) were on the committee who helped put the dedication together. They are smiling because they are finished!!!

A4J Begins A New Year!

2008-09-22T12:05:00.007+08:00

Sept 21st started this years A4J (All for Jesus) Bible club for the local squatter children.
We host 450 children ranging from ages 4 to 12 years old, roughly...
We have 25 adult staff and 80 High School staff that will be helping every week.
They meet on Faith's campus every Sunday morning from 7am to about 8:30 am.
There are 10-12 Filipino Seminary students that come and give the Bible lesson in Tagalog for the children. The children also have a game time, fill out an activity sheet coinciding with the Bible story and then are given a nutritous snack as they leave-- such as an apple.

Below Erin is giving some final announcements before the staff will go down to the gate to welcome the children on their first day.

The dark blue shirts are the "Staff" A4J shirts. Later, the children are given a colored A4J shirt which will be their "ticket" in order to get in the gate. This year the color is purple.

Here are SOME of the children lined up getting ready to come in. They start arriving a couple hours before the gates open, in hopes that they will be the first 450 to get in. Our Guards are a big help to us in keeping them "orderly" to some extent :)

Here is Erin as we begin to let in 5 children at a time, find out their age and get them a t-shirt.

Here are some of the older kids waiting anxiously to be let in...

Here are our staff, with shirts set out, according to size... Shirts are used to help cap how many children can come in-- in order to keep a good child/adult ratio. Otherwise if there is not enough leadership, there is too much chaos and the Bible lessons will be lost and our time is wasted!

Checking for size and preparing to go up to their class...

Some of the children going up the steps to meet their teachers...

Staff Retreat 2008 at Caliraya

2008-08-12T09:36:00.024+08:00

All around the world staff and teachers gathered together as we looked forward to another year at Faith Academy. Aug 7-9th we met at Caliraya for 2 nights and 3 days of Fun and Fellowship as well as much Prayer as we begin the 2008-2009 school year.

Last year we had 130 attend the Staff retreat. This year we had 270!!!

We had a lot of fun-- we began the weekend with some "Olympic" relay races! Amazingly, our team-- Led by Erin :) won 3rd place out of 10!

Paul and Samuel enjoyed all the outdoor activities, especially the ZIPLINE that they experienced for the first time!

This is the awesome view we enjoyed!!

Mocha the bunny (3rd try!)

2008-08-12T09:36:00.017+08:00

This summer we bought 3 little guinea pigs, one for each of our kids. Two days later, Amy's died :( so we had to make another trip to the pet store to replace it! Two weeks later Samuel's little guinea pig got sick and died. Daddy asked if he could wait (he was in the States) then he would take him to get a bunny when he got back... So a few days after daddy arrived, they went to the store and got a sweet little bunny. The next morning it was dead... :( SO!! Back to the store for a THIRD try at a pet for Samuel.

Thankfully "Mocha" is still alive and kicking after several weeks of being loved and cared for in her new home! :)

Paul hits the TWO digit mark!!

2008-08-12T09:36:00.014+08:00

This year was a big year for Paul. He finally got two digits in his age! Paul turned 10 years old on July 27th. We kept reminding him how he would NEVER EVER again have a single digit age! He thought we were trying to depress him :)

Below is our first born son. He's growing up quickly, but we are blessed to be able to love him and influence him as he grows into the man God has created.

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY Erin Paul! We love you, Dad & Mom

Grandpa and Grandma come to the PI for a visit!

2008-08-12T09:36:00.008+08:00

This summer after Erin returned from his whirlwind trip to the US, he brought back his parents and one of his brothers. We were excited to be able to show them where we have lived for the last 4 years and where their Grandchildren call HOME!

We spent several days swimming at the pool at our apartment. Below is Amy kissing her Grandma Vickie!

Erin's Dad spent a lot of time in Subic Bay, while in the Navy- during the Vietnam war. So while they were here we drove up North to Subic Bay and stayed overnight on Grande Island where Grandpa Bob shared lots of memories. Here we are on one of our hiking trips around the Island.

Another day we took a ferry out into Manila Bay to Corrigidor Island-- famous during World War 2 where the Japanese took control for a time and where General MacArthur had to leave, but promised he would return... Below is one of the smaller guns used on the Island for defensive purposes. You can see the marks in the gun from shrapnel.

Below is one of my favorite pictures from Corregidor. It is a statue/memorial entitled Brotherly Love-- It depicts the Love of the Filipino and American Soldiers who worked together to help each other-- and is a true example of the love Filipinos still have for Americans this day! Here are Paul, Samuel, and Amy-- Americans by passport, growing up in the country they love, the Philippines.

Another day, after Church-- we went nearby to the American Cemetary. This is a memorial for all the American and some Filipino soldiers who fought beside them. There are several large map rooms made by mosaic, depicting the many wars that occurred around the world during World War 2. Below is Bob and Vickie looking at the maps, with Erin describing some of them-- in front of Vickie...

There were 1,000s names written on the walls. All soldiers lost in the war. It lists their name, rank, nationality (American/Filipino) and what State in the US they were from.

SUMMER FUN!!

2008-07-12T18:37:00.008+08:00

So, day after grad-- Erin had to take off for a 6 week whirlwind tour of visiting Churches, individual supporters and of course family. We said a teary goodbye and sent him off with much prayer!
As the kids and I settled into our summer routine, we found many fun things to do!
Both Paul and Samuel did 2 weeks of a soccer camp-- 3 days a week and enjoyed that.
Then after that Paul was off to camp for a week...

Here is Samuel saying one last goodbye before Paul gets on the bus behind them...

Since Daddy AND Paul were gone, Samuel discovered he was now the only boy in the house :) Amy and Mommy took advantage of outnumbering him....

We spent many, many hours talking to Erin/Dad on the phone...

Paul, Samuel, and Amy enjoyed riding their bikes up at school...

Amy learned to ride without training wheels and was SO pleased with herself!

Paul enjoyed camp and camp back VERY tired! A sign of a good week! :)

~Erin comes back in just a couple days. WE ARE SO EXCITED! God has blessed the kids and I here in Manila-- as well as being with Erin as he travelled 3 different States! Thank you for praying for our family.

Girl's Varsity Soccer-- Far East Champions!!!

2008-05-27T12:40:00.007+08:00

On May 16th and 17th the Varsity Girls Soccer team flew out of Manila and headed to Japan, for the end of the season soccer tournament.
The military bases in Far East Asia hosted their Soccer Tournament in Japan and this year Faith Academy was able to raise enough funds to attend-- and to walk away with the Championship!!!
We are so proud of the girls-- they played their best ever, implementing all the skills Coach Fish worked with them through out the season.
Other coaches complimented Faith for their skills in passing and were marked early on as "the team to beat".
The Faith girls even thanked their Coach for all those sprints and 3k runs they had to do-- as that was so helpful in their tournament play, allowing them to continue with energy and skill..

Varsity Team in Iwakuni, Japan (Erin on back, left side)

Team after the championship game!! :)

A proud Coach!! Great job girls!!

Jr/Sr Banquet: "Reflections of You"

2008-05-27T12:40:00.003+08:00

May 10th came as a wonderful day-- threatening to rain-- but to an ending to a year of planning and a pleasant evening...
The Junior Class advisors and the Junior class committee (made of students) arrived early to a beautiful venue for the Banquet.
It threatened to rain throughout the day and began early in the afternoon, so all outside entertainment had to be moved inside-- only gliche to the evening.
Otherwise everyone was pleased with the beauty of the place and the program for the evening.
As Advisors Erin and I introduced the idea of giving "tributes" to the Seniors in the form of a song, funny skit, or video, etc. The Junior class took up the challenge and it came off wonderfully!
It was a great evening of honoring the Seniors through laughter and tears. Everyone was blessed and the evening went off with many staff saying that was the best Jr/Sr banquet they had attended.
Thank you for praying!!!

A view of part of the veneu, showing some of the students, the buffet table, and the dining room.

Erin and I-- enjoying the evening together, after many months of planning and coordinating things with the student committee!

4th Grade Class Chapel & Amy's 6th Birthday!

2008-05-01T19:45:00.007+08:00

This last month Paul's class was in charge of chapel one week. They did an awesome job and we were so glad to be able to see it! They sang songs and performed some funny skits- then closed with a wonderful power point presentation with pictures of the kids....

Here is Paul and his class-- leading music with Miss Van

A close up of Paul and Miss Van. Paul did a really great job! He really enjoys his guitar.

April 30th Amy turned SIX years old!! Amazing! Here she is dressed in some of her "Princess" things that she got for her birthday!

Samuel's 8th Birthday!

2008-04-02T13:08:00.000+08:00

March 23rd- Samuel celbrated his 8th Birthday! This year was the only year that his birthday was the same day as Easter!

Paul, Samuel and Amy

Taal Volcano and Pineapples!

2008-04-02T13:00:00.008+08:00

We made a trip out of Manila to the city of Tagaytay. Its higher up in elevation, cooler, cleaner air and lots of stars at night! Behind the kids, in this picture- is an island- it contains the crater of the volcano Taal. The water around it is an "outer crater" and they are standing on the "ridge" of the volcano. It is still considered an active volcano.

We made the 3K+ hike up to the crater of the Taal Volcano. Our first Volcano we've ever seen-- "up close and personal"! Enjoyed seeing it on peaceful terms-- hope that is the only way we see one!

the kids and I with the center crater behind us. You could feel the heat coming up from the sulphur smelling water!

On our drive out of the city we passed several fields of Pinneapples. Very interesting to see-- Did YOU know they grow on the ground, not in a tree??

Here's a close up-- they grow on TOP of the plant...

Faith's- Varsity Girl's Soccer Season

2008-03-03T09:43:00.003+08:00

This year is the first year that Faith Academy has two official Sports during this time of year. Previously only track ran during March to April-- but as a club and not an offical Faith sport. Its a new year and a time for some adjusting and changing.

The girls are excited for the upcoming Soccer season, as they have waited all year in anticipation! Try-outs were done, uniforms were ordered and team captains have been placed. We are all set up for another season of Soccer. For Coach Erin this is the second team to coach this year- as he stepped in for the boys soccer season, while the previous coach is on furlough. But he is looking forward to coaching this well developed and skilled team-- the fruits of his labor in teaching skill and technique. They hope to compete and beat the University teams they will be up against. Pray for Coach Erin and the team-- that they will glorify God and remember "Its all about HIM".

Christa has been asked to head up a small lunch-time Bible study for some of the girls. One of the Jr class girls approached her and asked her if she would do it. They will begin this week on Tuesdays-- meeting for 30 minutes, sharing praying requests and reading a few verses from scripture. Pray for Christa to have wisdom in mentoring these young ladies.

Talent Night 2008 "Faith's Got Talent!"

2008-01-28T10:32:00.000+08:00

This year the Jr class put on the annual Talent Night show. As the class advisors we helped and assisted the class officers as we planned what performances would be presented as well as prepared a dinner for all those attending.

Our theme this year was "Faith's Got Talent"-- a spoof off of the American Idol shows- in that we had 3 students sitting as "judges" as each performance came out, supposedly to "try-out" for the Talent Show... in reality we were "live" and they were actually performing! There were lots of laughs-- minor gliches-- and lots of wonderful perfomances. From piano duets, singing, bands, guitar soloists, ballet performances, The Brady Brunch, and The Beatles-- we had quite a variety.

The Junior class pitched in and worked together to cook Hamburgers and Hot Dogs for dinner- a long with a drink and chips. At intermission Dairy Queen ice cream sandwiches were sold and popcorn popped. All money received for the meals as well as the tickets for the show will go to the Jr/Sr Banquet later this semester.

The class worked late into the night to get everything cleaned up afterwards. I think Erin crawled into bed around midnight...

Coming up-- Girls Soccer Season and the Jr/Sr Banquet... many details to take care of!

Please pray with us:
*Hot season-- the Girls Soccer program will need to focus on hydration and plenty of rest as the practice and play games in the Tropical Heat. Pray with us for safety and good health!
*The end of the school year is fast approaching-- graduation will soon be upon us, which means for our seniors some tearful goodbyes to friends they may never see again. Please pray for God's strength and love to fill their hearts. Please pray with us that they will earnestly seek to live their lives for HIM....

Maligayong Pasko!

2007-12-18T16:09:00.001+08:00

Merry Christmas~ from our home to yours!

Thank you for your love, your prayers and your financial support through this last year.

May you be richly blessed for all your generosity.

Please pray with us through this next year as the Peso/Dollar exchange rate continues to hurt our support.

Have a wonderful Christmas season!

FIRST TOOTH!

2007-12-18T16:09:00.000+08:00

Amy was SOOO excited!~ "Mom, Mom my tooth is loose, my tooth is loose!" It was so hard to wait for the actual "falling out". She anticipated that it should happen within minutes of learning that her tooth was loose. So, she walked around with a napkin "just in case it fell out"... well only a few days later-- and 100 times of "Mommy, is it ready to come out now?"... It finally came out! (with help from Daddy!)

She was so pleased!!!

Christmas for A4J

2007-12-08T18:39:00.001+08:00

A4J has finished for the year. Our last day- and closing day- we had around 420 kids attend! We had a special Evangelistic Filipino group come for the morning and share the gospel message with the kids. They used a unique picture of lines-- filling it in as they shared the gospel. The leaders of this group commented to Erin that they were so surprised at how well the kids knew the Gospel message already! What a great compliment to our adult staff and leaders who have been working with the kids each week!

We collected stuffed animals to give to each child on the last day, as a Christmas gift. They received in a bag: the animal, a Bible story book, and some candy.

The Friday before the last A4J day, we spent 6 hours working in the High School office putting together 450 bags for the kids. Paul, Samuel and Amy helped also! They did a great job!

We also were able to pass out "gospel bracelets" to each child. These are similar to the wordless book by using only the colors of: Black, Red, White, Green, and Yellow. The kids were VERY excited about these!

It was such a blessing to see the Faith community come together to support this ministry. We had around 100 staff helping and many others who contributed financially to keep the program running!

We are looking forward to seeing what God has planned for next year!

Lizard "Tales"

2007-11-14T09:51:00.001+08:00

Just for fun: Thought I would post some pictures that we took a couple weeks ago...

Living in the tropics we share our home with a few other creatures than we were used to in the midwest. One of them are "geckos", little tiny lizards. These guys are friendly and we like to have them around, because they eat little bugs that WE don't like! Sometimes, though, these little lizards pick some unfortunate places to hide.....

This first little guy lost his head... literally. As we were packing lunches one morning, I shut the cabinet door overhead and immediately something "plopped" down on the counter in front of me...

it seems the little guy was peeking out the cabinet door JUST as I shut it!

...here he is "peeking" out for one last look.... (pun intended!)

This next picture, is our front door... this little guy has been here for several months... He's a little dried out now...

This close up picture shows where he was hiding when the door was shut! He has been there so long that he has left a print on both sides of the hinge!

The moral of the story?? Be careful where you hide! You never know what door might close on you!!

Tournament in Taiwan

2007-11-14T09:51:00.000+08:00

In October the Varsity boys travelled to Taiwan for their end of the season tournament against Morrison Academy and several other Universities in Taiwan. Coach Erin Fish and Coach Stefan travelled with 19 players. They played hard and played well. The final outcome was 2nd place by one goal in the LAST minute of the game. Very disappointing, but the team had a great attitude. Coach Erin was pleased to see the young men having come together more unified as a team throughout the season.

First Banquet of the Year

2007-10-22T08:34:00.000+08:00

This last month STUCO (Student Council) put together a banquet for the whole High School. We were asked to be Chaperones and enjoyed hanging out with the students for the evening. The location was "The Mango Farm" which had beautiful large Mango trees all around...

We enjoyed sitting with our friends the Foutz's. Brian and Carol are long time Missionaries here at Faith... Carol is the elementary Librarian and Brian is the High School principal...

Please pray for Brian as he faces decisions and dificulties in his day to day responsibilities.... We sometimes have very challenging students and even staff! Pray for God's love and grace to shine and to give Brian wisdom and insight into God's will for the Faith Academy High School students.

ALL FOR JESUS (A4J)

2007-09-24T10:41:00.001+08:00

A4J started a couple weeks ago. This is a ministry to local poor/squatter children. We open up Faith Academy's campus every Sunday morning from 7-8:30am for a Sunday School lesson and snack for the children. The orange shirts are their "ticket" to come in. We have 450 children that come each Sunday and around 100 Faith Academy students/adults who help assisst them.

Each Sunday they have the opportunity to hear a Bible lesson in Tagalog from local Filipino Bible seminary students. They have fun worksheets to apply the lesson they heard as well as a game time.

As the children leave they are given a snack of fresh fruit-- usually an apple to take with them.

Please pray for these children that they will see the LOVE OF CHRIST shown to them. Pray that they will accept HIS gift of salvation. Pray also for the volunteers each week as they assist and help with the 450 children, that they will show Christ's love to each individual child.

VARSITY SOCCER

2007-09-24T10:41:00.000+08:00

Here is the 2007 Boys Varsity Soccer Team! (Coach Fish and Coach Obbink, not pictured!) They have been working hard to unify the team and improve their skills. They've played quite a few games already. Won some and lost a couple. Pray for them as a team to be unified and to glorify God in their words and actions! Pray that they would shine as a testimony of Christ to all they meet.

Crazy first week of school!

2007-08-20T11:31:00.002+08:00

So here's a quick run down of the first week to two weeks of school thus far!!
Tuesday (Aug 14th)- first day of school! lots of fun!
Wednesday- no school for Kindergarteners (normal day off), Paul and Samuel go to school.
Thursday- school cancelled because a Typhoon was near. Turned out to be a nice day.
Friday- Had school. Rained all day. School let out early so school vans could get kids home before flash floods. *Amy gets a fever.
Saturday/Sunday- Amy has no fever, just sniffs and coughs.
Monday- no school- Filipino holiday. Amy's fever returns.
Tuesday- Back to school. (except for Amy) Samuel has fever at end of day.
Wednesday- Samuel and Amy stay home. Paul gets caught in a downpour with Dad after school. Has fever during the night.
Thursday- ALL THREE kids are home. Dad leaves on High School retreat (Mom was supposed to go... but....!) Amy is fever free all day, just coughs. Paul and Samuel sick.
Friday-(today) Amy returns to school! Only her 3rd day of school so far! Paul and Samuel stay home with fevers and coughs. Dad is at retreat...

Coming up-- Monday is another holiday!
(someday soon we'll ACTUALLY attend school 5 days in a row!!)

Pray with us.....
*that the High School retreat will reach these students to live their lives for Christ.
*that the Teachers and Staff will make themselves available to impact the lives of the students they work with.
*for the many unsaved Youth here at Faith Academy

Theme for this year: FOLLOWING HIM BLINDFOLDED

Pretty good theme, I think! So much to work with...

School Begins!

2007-08-20T11:31:00.001+08:00

August 14th, Tuesday, the kids woke up early and were dressed and ready to go, right away! Paul is starting 4th grade, Samuel is starting 2nd grade, and Amy is starting Kindergarten!! (She is so excited!)

Faith Academy had their traditional flag raising ceremony the second day of school. Since it was raining, the 5th graders carried the flags into the gym where our Superintendent, Tom Hardeman, led the school in the ceremony. His father, who has been a missionary here for 50 years now, led the school in prayer. Then, Tom officially announced the 2007-2008 school year to have begun!!

On Thursday of the same week (so two days later) school was actually cancelled because a Typhoon was coming close by. Nothing happened, so Friday we went back to school, but then the heavy rains kicked in and school was let out early because of flash flooding possibilities for the van rides home. Then we had the weekend and THEN Monday was a Filipino Holiday! So now today is Tuesday, AGAIN, but it is only the 4th day of school! Crazy!

Here we go!!

2007-08-12T21:48:00.000+08:00

We have just returned from a great all staff retreat and it is time to begin. We were encouraged to be a "community of grace" at Faith Academy. It was a great time to spend together as a staff and to get to know the new staff before the busy year begins.
Now, it is time. This year will be full; we know that already. We will be involved to our limit but hopefully not beyond. The Lord will give us strength and wisdom through so many people praying for us to make it through those busy and stressful times. Paul will begin 4th grade, Samuel begins 2nd grade, and Amy begins Kindergarten.
Highschool students will work on the final registration for their classes on Monday and school begins for all classes on Tuesday.
So here we go!

BACK TO SCHOOL

2007-08-07T13:00:00.000+08:00

The summer has quickly come to a close! Last weekend we picked up two new staff members plus some friends, and also helped send Erin's brother back home to the States.
It was a great summer, not too stressful, but good.
Erin spent most of his time on college work, while the boys enjoyed Soccer camp.
Rainy season is in full swing, bringing lots of clouds and flash flooding. Yesterday afternoon I came home to a soaked balcony, as we had left the windows open and it had been pouring for a long time!
Orientation is in full swing at Faith, for new staff...
Erin has been back in the office all week working on the school calendar and some School Handbooks. On top of that he is getting material ready for the next A4J season, as well as preparing for the Boys Varsity Soccer season.
As class officers we are already starting to have meetings with the Junior class about the JR/SR Banquet, second semester.
So, here we are about to walk through the doorway of another school year. Please pray with us that we will impact the lives of these students- to live for Christ.

Grades, Rates and Days

2007-07-23T13:56:00.000+08:00

I am shocked to say that am bringing home some of the best report cards of my life. I haven't even heard the phrase, "If Erin would apply himself..." On my summer course (16wk course in 8 wks) I was concerned about my grade dropping below an 'A', because I thought I did poorly on an assignment that hadn't been graded yet. So I did an extra credit assignment. Then I received the graded assignment (an A); so with that and the extra credit I received a 101%. I am very glad, but now I feel I must hold up to my straight "A"'s in the future courses. Such pressure!!

With the dropping exchange rate I will likely have to stop taking courses for a while. The rate has now dropped to 44.5 pesos - 1 dollar. That is now over a 20% decrease over the last year. It has hurt our budget a lot. We are very thankful that the giving from supporters has not dropped much, or else that would be a bigger problem. But it does make us face the future with a little more uncertainty.

There are only 22 more days till school begins. We are busy in the preparations for the year and are finallizing all of the projects that I need to have done. We will have a few special days coming up. Tomorrow, the 23rd, is our 14th anniversary. We already did a little to celebrate, but we go out on a date (with each other). Paul's 9th birthday is on the 27th and he is excited. He has made all of his plans, which include traveling to one of only 3 TacoBell's that are in the Philippines.

Please continue to pray about the exchange rate. Really, it is good for the Philippines, but it is bad for us unless support goes up.
Pray that we will get all the things ready for the school year.

Email letter July

2007-07-11T15:17:00.000+08:00

We have had a nice summer here in Manila so far. We enjoyed lots of swimming, almost daily—until the rains began to set in more often.
Erin has kept consistently busy working on college courses through Moody.
Paul and Samuel have been attending a Soccer camp that meets 3xs a week at Faith Academy.
We pulled the kids’ bikes out of storage and let them ride a little on the nearly deserted campus. Normally we don’t have any place for them to ride.
I, Christa, have begun to work on the arrival and orientation of new First Love staff that will be coming in a few weeks. Please pray for Michelle, Kate, Betsy (3 single girls) and the Moody family (w/ 3 children) as they each are preparing to leave the States and work at Faith and in the community this next year.

Around 30 more days and the 07/08 school year will begin!
Please pray with us that God will move and we will BE moved by His presence.
Pray for Erin as he continues in his role as Activities Coordinator.
Pray WITH us as we strive to “Impact the next generation of Missionaries”.

End of the School Year

2007-06-05T09:30:00.000+08:00

School is over, the flags have been lowered, good-byes have been said and tears have been shed. So ends the 5oth year of Faith Academy! We are so grateful and thankful to God for his provision and protection for so many years for this school of Missionary Children. (note the Christian flag beginning to be lowered during the closing ceremony- in the picture)

Many families have packed up and are heading to the States for furlough. Some will be gone just for the summer, some for 6 months and others for a year. Others have said final good-byes as they leave permanently, heading down new and different paths than what was here. Paul’s best friend has left with his family and will not be returning. This was a bitter end to the school year for Paul.

Overall the school year went well. We were sophomore class advisors, which was a lot of fun and a great way to interact with students. Our last Class party had a sad ending to it as the news was announced that the father of a classmate was diagnosed with cancer that day… We spent a lot of time, as a class, in prayer for that family. Please continue to pray for the Dowell family in this time of need. They have all flown back to the States to receive the best care possible. We are all praying for healing for them.

The Bible Studies Erin and I both had been leading, individually, died away in the second semester. Please pray with us, that God will provide opportunities to reach into the lives of the MKs here. They are a hard group of students to reach into and make a fruitful impact. We are hopeful for next year, and open to whatever God brings our way as opportunities to impact the student’s lives. Please pray with us as we watch for God’s will and what HE wants us to be a part of.

We were praying and hoping that Erin would be able to fly home this summer—using airline miles, for a ticket. Unfortunately we were short just a few miles to make this possible and there is no possible way for us to afford the tickets by purchasing them. We felt we needed this opportunity for Erin for several reasons: The exchange rate between US Dollars and Philippine Pesos has dropped quite a bit, resulting in losing 15% of our needed financial support. We hoped to be able to reconnect with Churches that were new supporters and strengthen our support base. There was also a Soccer Clinic, near Kansas City, that would greatly enhance Erin’s coaching abilities (he will be coaching both boys and girls varsity teams next year) and lastly to be able to attend the wedding of some great MK friends that are getting married in July (they were students at Black Forest Academy when we were working there). But, it seems it’s not God’s will for Erin to go back to the States this summer, since we couldn’t get a ticket with airline miles. Purchasing one would have been around $1400! Please pray with us that God- who controls all our finances- will keep our account strong, in light of the falling exchange rate. Where we used to be able to get 57 pesos for $1, now we get 46 pesos for $1—just in this last year! We need to pray concerning what to do if the situation doesn’t improve- either through the exchange rate or support. These are just realities we have to pay attention to and seek God’s guidance for. Please pray with us!

Erin finished the year well as Activities Coordinator, ending with a BUSY week of Graduation! But, we were disappointed that a few changes that we had hoped to be implemented for next year had to “tabled”. Pray with us that God will give wisdom and that some of these things could be implemented during the next school year.

Over 70 Seniors graduated this year at Faith Academy. Please keep them in your prayers as they are dispersing throughout the world to new homes or colleges. Please pray that their faith would grow stronger and they would not succumb to the ways of the world and the empty desires satan entices us with. Pray that during their transitions and adjustments they would seek God for strength.
If you come across a new MK transitioning back to the States—tell them God loves them, ask them if they need anything, and tell them that you will pray for them! Then do it…. You never know how much it might impact their life!

Every year the US Embassy sponsors a Memorial Day Service at the American Cemetery. We thought this would be a great way to celebrate an American holiday in Manila. There are over 17,000 soldiers buried here. At the top of the picture you can see white walls. There were 4xs that many walls with names listed top to bottom on both sides. And of course over 17,ooo of these white marble crosses stretching across several large lawns. It was a good morning and a great way to honor our American Soldiers!

Thank you to all who are praying and supporting us financially! We are grateful to each and every one of you! Have a great Summer!

April update

2007-04-03T18:01:00.000+08:00

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,

It is hard to believe that April is already here! What a full and exciting year this school year has been. I remarked to Erin just the other day- “It almost feels like it has been 2 years!” In this past year we have been involved and busy with life at Faith Academy and the various activities involved…

We continue regularly to pray for the students and even the staff at times. God’s grace is sufficient and is also greatly needed in so many ways! We pray continually for the salvation of many MK students here at Faith. We pray regularly for Christ-like attitudes in the hearts of many other students. We also pray for servant-led hearts instead of self-filled hearts. What we have experienced so often is that the many of the students seem to have hard hearts. Hardened for various reasons, the students close their hearts off to so much input from others, staff and the Lord. Our hearts ache with a burden for these students.

Currently the Seniors are looking to grad with excitement and dread as they look towards independence as well as many goodbyes. This time of year we see the strong emotions of “transition” beginning to emerge as many students as well as staff that are leaving begin to “disengage”… Please pray with us that each person leaving will work towards a healthy goodbye and transition into the next part of God’s plan for them.

The ongoing NEW AUDITORIUM / CLASSROOM project:
God deserves all the praise as the funds for this were donated from a Korean Church, desiring to help Faith Academy to fill the needs of its growing school. At this current time Faith does not have any auditorium for Graduation, Concerts, or Plays. The completion of this auditorium will greatly enhance the school facilities. Please pray with us as this project is ongoing. We are looking towards another year still of construction before its completion.

March 23rd was a very special day for Samuel! He spent the day with friends eating ice cream, swimming and opening Birthday gifts. Samuel turned 7 years old this year! When we first moved overseas he was only 1 year old!!! He, along with his sister and brother, has spent more time overseas than in the States…

PRAISE: Calvary Bible College’s Basketball team recently spent a week here in the Philippines doing some outreach. We enjoyed being able to visit with their coach, Jason Smith, and other friends of supporting churches! They stayed very busy but made many valuable memories!

PRAYER REQUEST:
Please pray for the students here at Faith, specifically the seniors. The end of the school year is coming and many will be moving on to colleges in other parts of the world. Please pray that God will continue to work in their hearts and that others will continue to water the seeds that have been planted by the staff here at Faith.
Please also continue to pray for Erin in the many decisions he must make along with the school leadership. The stress increases in Erin’s office as the year comes to an end. There are several proposals waiting approval for positive changes for next year; some submitted by Erin. Pray that the Lord’s leading will be sought with all these decisions.

Thank YOU for your prayers, your love and your continued support! God’s spirit is moving here at Faith and we are excited to be in the midst of His work. Thank you especially for your prayers- it provides continued protection from Satan’s attacks as well as provision for daily needs. Thank you!

Many Blessings,
Erin and Christa Fish
Paul, Samuel and Amy

Activities Coordinator, Faith Academy
Member Care, First Love International Ministries