Philippines Thanks

Dear Friends and Family,

I wanted to thank you so much for praying for us during our trip to the Philippines. The trip went very well. I’ll try to give both high level and lower level details to give a good picture of the trip.

Our trip began on June 23rd when we left Kansas City to fly to Minneapolis. It was then on to Tokyo, followed by Manila and finally the island of Cebu. Not counting layovers, our total flight time was roughly 16 hours. The time difference over there is 13 hours. So when it’s 8 pm here, it is 9 am there. The Philippines are located around 5 degrees North of the equator and as a result the sun comes up around 5:30 am and goes down around 6 pm. Temperatures generally hover in the 80s and 90s. Several mornings while we were there, we got up to see the sun rise over the ocean. It was very beautiful and provided a nice backdrop for a quiet time.

The food there is fairly tasty. Rice is a staple at every meal. They also had chicken, beef, pork, and fish. Native fruit there is mangos, pineapples, papaya, and bananas. All of the fruit was of a excellent quality due to the proximity of where it is grown. In the Philippines they have something called marienda in the morning and afternoon at which you have an in between meals snack. It’s important to pace yourself or you’ll finish the day quite full. They do have some American style restaurants there such as KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Star Bucks.

A few words in the native language (Tagalog) of the Philippines are: Magandag Umaya Po- good morning; Mabuhay (Welcome); and Salamot po (Thank you). Many people there know English and the majority of signs are in English so it doesn’t present much of an issue if you are unfamiliar with the language. In regards to cell phones, they use text messaging a great deal but limited voice calls due to the cost difference.

The Filipino people love music and dancing. You frequently will see people doing karaoke in the mall. During our stay, one evening, we got to see traditional Filipino dancing, a very neat experience.

The currency in the Philippines is the peso. An exchange of 53 pesos per 1 dollar is the going rate. We had the opportunity to interact with local merchants and it was fun bargaining with them. There is a striking dichotomy of poverty vs. wealth. As you drive along the rode, you will see a large number of shacks put up on the side of the road then immediately next to them will be a large house with a clearly more prosperous family. There really is not a middle class. This difference was especially apparent one day when we went to a basilica (like a cathedral) and many poor people were outside selling water or candles. Immediately afterwards, we went to a local mall. This was an enormous mall (around 4 floors) with many, many shops. The people here were clearly well off in striking comparison with those at the basilica.

Catholicism is the primary religion within the Philippines and can present a challenge when trying to talk with people about Christ. They have been raised in this system and do not see a need for any change. There is a great deal of worship of Mary. Many icons and statues were throughout the basilica with people praying to and touching them. They call people who are traditional Protestants “born again believers.”

The basic premise for our trip was to lead a camp for a group of middle and high school students. All of their parents are “employees” of “the company.” This terminology is used due to where some of them are located and security surrounding them. It was a conference for the “employees” and their families during which they broke into adult, youth, and children’s groups. Useful classes, worship, as well as just general filling back up, relaxing and enjoying themselves were the main focus. A group from Springfield, MO led the children’s group and one from Southern Seminary in Kentucky led worship for the adults. In total, there were around 200 people there. The “employees” were primarily based in either the Philippines or Korea.

Specifically, we led the youth through some material entitled “Life Hurts, God Heals.” It is designed as a study which helps them to walk through various hurts and issues in their lives. We usually had a larger group session where our speaker presented some information and possibly showed a video illustrating the principals and possibly a game or two. We then broke off into smaller groups to discuss the material in greater detail. I led a group of middle school guys along with one other person from my team. At first it was more difficult to get them talking, but as the week progressed we were able to dig down a bit and talk about some good things.

A couple fun games that we played with the kids included a fish and eggs game and something I titled “Water Monkeys.” The fish and eggs game is played by taking three eggs and placing them in pantyhose on top of a person’s head with him or her blindfolded. They are then given a fish and their objective is to attempt to smash the other person’s eggs with the fish. This can be fairly hilarious to watch. Water Monkeys is a basic game of keep the ball up in the air while in the pool. The monkey part comes in when the ball is dropped and it must be determined who the responsible party is. People usually present a candidate which is followed by whooping and hollering like monkeys while splashing the water and jumping up and down. (quite entertaining)

One of our tasks also included leading worship for them. We had a full band which played at night and our worship leader usually played a few songs during the day sessions. This trip was different for me in the sense that I have usually been the worship leader but this time played more of a supporting role. God definitely used the experience as a means for humility in allowing Him to use me in the way He wanted to versus what I thought I might be doing.

God also taught me dependence on my group. Prior to the trip, we each shared about “masks” that we tend to put on in order to present a front to the world. I told about a mask of independence and not wanting to depend on other people. This was definitely changed during the trip due to some fairly intense sickness towards the end during which I had to rely on my team for help. Our team seemed to work fairly well together and complemented various strengths and weaknesses.

I highly recommend anyone praying about and considering going on some type of mission trip. In Matthew 28 19-20 Jesus tells us “go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Thank you once again for your prayers; they were heard and known. Please continue to pray for those permanently stationed there; prayer is very powerful and effective as they’ve seen time and again.
His child,

Andrew

For pictures please visit the following link: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/aallen30605/album?.dir=/b814re2&.src=ph&.tok=phSfvOFBiJJXkvtx
As a side note, I will be going to London, England beginning August 3rd to work for six months.

Miscellaneous Updates

The haiku recently posted on this very blog was awarded runner up status in the Hipster Haiku contest. Not all that illustrious since 200 others received the same status but still kinda cool since there were 800+ poems entered.

I've been digging the new Todd Agnew cd "Reflection of Something." He has a great way of going deep and cutting to the quick in his songs. I really like how he uses many references to scripture and in Isaiah 6, basically sings scripture. I'm also a fan of his usage of and allusions to hymns. Hymns are in the hizouse.

As of August 3rd, 2006, I will be traveling to London, England to work for 6 months. I'm very excited for the opportunity to go over there and experience that culture as well as having a spring board into seeing Europe.

I returned from the Philippines on July 5th. Still trying to get completely over jet lag. More updates to follow.

I've decided that I will never be fully operating at optimum unless I am consistently spending time in prayer and Bible reading. Not that this is a new realization, just a further confirmation. Those times really keep me in tune with the master conductor. Life makes much better music when checking back with Him on a regular basis.

Verse of the week

"The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them. O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" -Psalm 34:7-8

This especially hit home for me. While experiencing some spiritual warfare, I found comfort in the fact that when I abide in Him, He is faithful to provide His angels to protect me and that I'm not going the battle alone in the spiritual realm. Of course, having fellow brothers to fight alongside is very helpful as well.

Cool Website

http://www.usatf.org/routes/ This has got to be one of the coolest websites I've been to in a while. It allows you to map a running route and get the distance. I'm not 100% certain that the distances are entirely accurate but it at least gives you a nice ballpark figure rather than needing to drive a route with your car/bike. One very cool feature is the ability to save routes or search routes other people have created.

Georgia Aquarium

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. It was very cool. Lots of fish of all different varities. They had penguins, sea lions, otters, pirahanas, enormous grouper (ie 500 pounds) that would stare out the aquarium directly at you. One highlight was the whale sharks. These creatures are enormous. I believe the ones that they had were about 16 feet long. Allegedly, they will grow up to 60 feet. They are the only known whale sharks which live outside the wild.

Duel in the Disposal

Last night after finishing a delicious ear of corn, I found the need to dispose of it. The garbage disposal presented itself as a natural option. So, I commenced placing the cob in said disposal turned on the water then flipped the switch to watch its demise. The cob wasn't planning on going down without a fight, however. Upon encountering the blades of the disposal, the cob began spinning, sputtering, and shooting water and bits of left over corn in my direction. Caught unawares, the need for protection became quickly apparent. I quickly grabbed a plate and used it as a shield from the corn projectiles being fired in rapid succession. Not one to be intimidated, I held my own and persevered till this nefarious opponent was finished.

Favorite Saying of the Week

Big Hat, No Cattle. This refers to the person with lots of alleged bling but no real wealth as described in The Millionare Next Door. While a person may have nice things and look like they're living the high life, they may in fact have very little real financial value and could be heavily leveraged on debt.

Phillipines Prayer Request

Dear Family and Friends,

God has opened the door for me to go on a short-term mission trip with my church June 23- July 5. We will be working with missionaries and their families in Cebu, Philippines. My team will help lead a camp for high school and junior high students of missionaries. While there, we will conduct a variety of Bible studies, worship, games, and fun activities. This will be in conjunction with a conference for the missionary families to encourage and uplift them. We will be hanging out with the kids and investing in them spiritually. We also will likely have the opportunity to interact with some of the people who are native to the area.

During both our preparation, the trip itself, and afterwards, prayer will play an important role in the outcome. Jesus tells us in the John 15:16, “…I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” It is my prayer that we will be able to truly touch the lives of these kids and their families and pour into them so that they can continue to pour themselves into others and touch the Filipino people for Christ.

Please pray that we and the missionaries can proclaim Christ boldly as the Bible teaches and that false doctrine, which can be prevalent, will not continue to lead the Filipinos down the wrong path. Pray that we will know the types of materials to prepare which will be most effective in conducting the camp whether that be songs, Bible study material, games, or whatever else God might see fit. Pray that we will have wisdom in all decisions related to the trip. Please pray for safety in travel. Pray for rest when it is needed and that we will be able to quickly adapt to the time change. Pray that God will protect us from Satan and his powers and that Christ will be victorious and glorified through this trip. Pray that our attitudes will be in the right place and that we would not allow frustrations or petty differences to get in the way of God’s purposes. Pray that we will approach the trip with a servant mentality and to truly work as a team.

Please contact me if I can answer any questions you might have. I am looking forward to the trip and what God will do with and through us for His kingdom. I also challenge you to pray about going on a mission trip. I’ve found these to be times of great growth in my walk with Christ and spiritual milestones in my life.

Thank you for praying for us. I will be excited to report back the things God did through the trip.
His child,

Andrew

Phillipines Mission Trip

I'll be going on a mission trip to the Phillipines June 23 - July 5th with Pleasant Valley Baptist church. While there, we'll be conducting a camp for high school and junior high students. Looking forward to it. :-)

An Interview with David Crowder

Very open and honest. http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2006/davidcrowderband-0406.html

Running Advice Installment 10

Howdy Team,

Great job this weekend! I had loads of fun hanging out with y'all and watching you run. As far as post race running, hopefully ya'll have been taking it easy the past few days. I highly recommend taking a week off from running. If you still want to exercise, take it very slowly. Some light walking, exercise bike riding, or swimming would be good cross training. Depending on how you're feeling next week, you can start back gradually. In order to maintain motivation, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick out a 5k or something that looks fun just to have something to shoot for. Again, excellent running and keep it up. Please feel free to send me any questions you have at any time.

Coach Andrew

Country Music Half-Marathon

This weekend, I went with 7 of my runners and 2 support crew to the Country Music Half-Marathon in Nashville. Everyone finished. Yay! Phil Vassar serenaded us at a concert on Saturday evening. He puts on a good show. I am amazed at the amount of music going on in downtown Nashville. There was a band in literally every door. Even in the ice cream shop. I also got to spend some quality time with my cousin who lives in the music city.

A Haiku

Brown bagging my beans
Morning's scent tinctures the air
so satisfying

Running Advice Installment 9

Howdy team,

The race is almost upon us. You've all done some good training and I believe you're well prepared. Just a few last minute bits of advice.

At the race expo, there will be booths of people selling running equipment, nutrition items, and miscellaneous other things. Feel free to browse and check things out but under no circumstances are you to purchase anything and use it for the first time in the race. This can be a big time mistake which you can potentially pay dearly for. We want to stay to tried and true running shoes, socks, shorts, shirts.

The same goes for pre-race breakfast. If you ordinarily eat a bagel and bannana for breakfast, do the same for the race. We don't want to be trying new foods and risk an upset stomach. Eat at least an hour before the race to allow time for the food to digest. The idea is to give yourself some energy but not so much that things are sloshing around while you're running. Try to stay hydrated the next few days and eat meals that are relatively high in carbohydrates such as pasta, fruits, and vegtables. Don't forget to incorporate basic proteins such as chicken and fish. Your body will need some protein to assist in rebuilding from the rigors of the race.

The night before the race try to go to sleep at a reasonable time. It is also important to get a good night's sleep over the next couple of nights so that your sleep resevoir is well stocked.

The night before the race, get your race gear in order, lay out socks/shoes, shorts, etc. Pin your race number to the front of your shirt. (putting it on the back labels you as a neophyte ;) Do not wear the race t-shirt during the race. This is sacreligious. You'll also have a timing chip to attach to your shoe lace. You can either unlace one of the eyelets and put the timing chip on the inside of the shoe or use the plastic attacher to securely attach it to the shoe lace. I'd probably recommend the latter as you'll need to give it back at the end of the race and won't feel like bending down and digging around with your shoe. People will be there to assist you with this.

On the day of the race, plan to get to the starting line a minimum of 30 minutes prior to race time (7:00 am). Feel free to do some light stretching and jogging to warm up. However, don't let the large numbers of people doing their own thing intimidate you and get you doing something you're not used to. Just treat the race like a regular workout. Do whatever you would to prepare for a workout.

There will be lots and lots of runners there. You have prepared and deserve to be there as well. Be confident and visualize yourself striding purposefully along during the race.

At the start of the race, there will be several groups seperated out. Just settle in to whichever group you are assigned to and make friends with someone around you. Be careful as you approach the starting line as this can be one of the more dangerous points of the race due to the massive amount of people trying to get going. The key here is to stay on your feet. When I ran cross country races, I always repeated to myself at the beginning "don't fall, don't fall." The temptation can exist at the beginning to zoom out of the gate and zip along. Resist this urge. It is much better to go a bit slower at the beginning and then have energy later on than to go fast for the first couple miles and die at the end. You'll have plenty of time to settle into your groove as the race progresses.

Speaking of grooves, make it your own and not someone elses. While running with others and focusing on someone's back in front of you can be helpful, it is important that we not let them dictate our pace. Just monitor how your body is feeling throughout the race.

Water/Sports drink stops will be throughout the race. One good way for connecting with a volunteer is to make eye contact with them and initiate the hand off. Try to say thank you if you remember, volunteers make the race world go round. Pinching the cup so that it makes a spout is a useful technique which will allow you to continue running while drinking. Feel free to use this time as a brief walking break as well. If you don't need the whole cup, you are welcome to throw it on the ground. They will have a crew to pick these up after the race.

At some point towards the end of the race, there will be photographers taking pictures. Be sure to smile, or look intensely focused, whichever is your preference. :) You'll want to preserve this memory.

At the end of the race keep walking to avoid cramping and be sure to drink water and/or sports drink to replenish supplies. If you are so inclined, you may want to schedule a massage for Monday when you get back. It is better to wait a couple days to allow some of the deep tissue muscle damage to repair. Light massage is ok if you would like right after the race.

I am proud of all of y'all. You've done great work in your preperation. If anyone has any questions please feel free to give me a call. During the race I'll be out on the course cheering for you somewhere. Go team!
Happy running,

Coach Andrew

Word of the Day- April 23, 2006

agog \uh-GOG\, adjective: Full of excitement or interest; in eager desire; eager, keen.

The runner's were agog with their new found athletic prowess resulting from intensive training.

Running Advice Installment 8

As you engage your long run this weekend, it would be a good idea to incorporate drinking water and/or sports drink during the run. Hydration is a key factor when running for lengths of time exceeding much more than 20-30 minutes. This can especially come into play as we encounter warmer temperatures and consequently more perspiration. The muscles and body need a frequent renewal of liquid when pumping it out on such a regular basis.

If your route allows you to return to a central location, store a water bottle there. If not, consider stashing a few water bottles along the way or identify public places which would allow for drinking fountains (i.e. library, community center, church, etc.) Obtaining water from private citizens garden hoses cannot be endorsed in this installment. However, I won't tell if you won't tell. ;)

During the race, there will be water stations along the way with cups of water and/or some type of sports drink. See the following webpage for details. http://www.cmmarathon.com/course_info/course_info_support_locations.html It looks as though stations are approximately 1.25 miles apart.

You may wish to practice drinking while running by enlisting the help of a buddy to hold out a cup while you run by. I recommend taking in at least a portion of your hydration via sports drink in order to replenish glucose stores and provide a bit of a boost to the muscles. Recommended quantity and frequency is 4 oz every 15-20 minutes. Use your best judgement but keep in mind that if you are thirsty, you're already on your way to dehydration.

Over the next week, try to stay hydrated throughout the day as well by drinking plenty of water, juice, milk, or sports drink. Try to minimize the intake of caffeine as it is a diuretic and can cause more frequent trips to the rest room as well as a reduction in net hydration. Great job on all y'alls training. Only one week to go!
Happy running,

Coach Andrew

Running Advice Installment 7

Howdy team,

In this segment, we'll be briefly discussing sidestiches (aka cramping of the abdomen). It is notcertain what causes this although some theorize itcould be related to air pockets. This can be fairlyintense in pain and may feel like a knife stabbing inthe side. Essentially, there is a constriction of theabdomen and we need to stretch it out. To perform thisstretching, take a deep breath with your abdomen(belly breathing), hold for a few moments, then blowout rapidly through pursed lips (like a fish). Thishelps to stretch out the abdomen. Repeat severaltimes. If this does not seem to help, stop to walkuntil the cramping reduces. Something else to keep inmind is to limit eating immediately before running.
Happy running,

Coach Andrew

Running Advice Installment 6

When training on hills, there are two topics to discuss, uphill and downhill. Uphill can present challenges in the sense of increased level of effort. One way to help get up a hill is to pretend you're on a bike and just keep on pedaling and cycling your legs. For some reason, this seems to help. Another tip is to avoid looking at the top of the hill, this can prove daunting and downright disheartening. Just keep your eyes straight ahead.
If you find the temptation to look up too great, instead of looking all the way to the top, try to pick out objects along the course and tie your eyes to it. Use this imaginary rope to pull yourself up the hill.

Downhill presents an entirely different challenge. While perceived effort is much less, it behooves us to be careful when running downhill. Downhill running increases the likelihood of injury due to increased pounding on the legs. A trick to maintain good form while going down hill is to kick the heels back in a slightly exagerated back kick. If you are familiar with strides that track, baseball, football, or soccer teams may perform, you may be familiar with this exercise. These concentrate the impact to the quadriceps and reduce the potential damage invoked by the downward pounding.

Downhills are not entirely bad. They can provide a few moments of rest. The key is to not allow the hill to carry you away but instead approach it in a more controlled manner. Allow the hill to pull you downward but don't let the hill own you. Own the hill. Up and Down. :)

A side note on a somewhat related subject. Running behind another runner can be beneficial by allowing that runner to set the pacing and cut the wind. This helps a good deal psychologically and can help to pull/push you along when feeling less than fresh and feeling the burn. Focus your eyes on the middle of the person's back and just stick with them. Clearly, you should not allow them to completely dictate your pace but it can be a useful technique for persevering.
Happy running,
Coach Andrew (Dre)

"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 3:14

Prayer

I am convinced that prayer is powerful and that it is a means to truly communicate with God. It helps place my heart and mind in a different attitude which can both humble and lift me up at the same time. I may be frustrated or confused but coming to the altar possesses a way of breaking me to the point where God can begin His work. How great is our God. Let His work continue and breakdown all pride and selfishness in me.

One thought that occurred to me after the prayer walk at church on Saturday is to begin praying for people I come into contact with whether it be for a few moments or something on a more long term basis.

Banking Some Per Diem

If traveling, and the entity which is sponsoring your trip is willing to pay per diem, it is possible to come home with some extra cash. On top of the fact that you do not need to purchase food at home, you also receive this money. So even if you do not bring home additional cash, you save the opportunity cost of purchasing food. A bit of frugal spending can leave your bank account a bit healthier. One other nice feature of per diem is that it is not taxable. So, assuming the taxpayer was in the 25% tax bracket and brought home $100 during a trip. This would be the equivalent of $125 gross pay. Did someone say bling?