Greetings!

It’s been almost two months since I arrived in the Philippines. I was afraid of coming here before I left the United States, and now I pray I am realizing God’s will little by little.

On August 28, I got aboard a plane at 6: 00 a.m. in Manila and arrived in Dumaguete City in Negros around 7:10 a.m. My first prayer in Dumaguete City was "Let me love this land and this people." That day was the founder’s day of Silliman University. I could see a celebrating parade in the street.

When I came to a house where I would live, I was startled by a lizard that was on the bed. Due to the hot and humid tropical climate there are many bugs and animals, including ants and lizards as well as mosquitoes. This house is old and needs so many repairs that I don’t know where to begin.

From August 29 to 31, I attended a church workers convocation held at the Divinity School of Silliman University and was introduced to the members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) partner: the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. (The Presbyterians, Disciples of Christ, Evangelical United Brethren, Philippine Methodists, and the Congregational Church officially formed an organic union in 1948.)

In early September, I went to Manila for a month’s orientation on contextualizing and familiarizing in this mission field. It was an excellent program for helping me to understand a new culture and adapt to a new environment. I learned about the history of the Philippines, including politics, economy and culture. Each day, I practiced what I learned through visiting historical sites, observing buying and selling at market places in Quiapo, and using transportation—jeepney (reconstructed Jeeps), pedicabs (bicycles with sidecars), calesa (two-wheeled horse-cabs), light-rail transit, and bus.

I visited Smokey mountain, where there was a dumpsite, and talked with the people who live there. I also looked around Makati, where rich people live, and contrasted the two different life-styles. The difference between rich and poor is very extreme in the Philippines.

In order to experience how Filipinos actually live, I had immersions in urban poor communities, mountain areas, and rural peasant communities. I ate with them, and slept on a bamboo bed and a wooden bed in a small room, with cockroaches and rats all around. I was surprised by the Filipinos’ kindness and warm hospitality—when I visited them during lunchtime without notice, they gave me food even though they did not know me.

I went to a dump in Payatas and stayed there three days and two nights. One family provided me a room next to a pigpen. I laid a sheet on the wooden bed (it’s better than sleeping on the floor), and tried to sleep, but I had a hard time getting to sleep because of pigs’ noise and stink (there was a roof but no ceiling, so the pigpen and my room are connected), and the mosquitoes. Although I was covered from my feet to my neck by a marong, which is primarily used for sleeping, mosquitoes bit my ears, eyebrows, and lips.

One day I climbed a mountain about two hours and observed the destruction of the mountains with Mr. Gabie, a clan leader of a village in Montalban. The next day, I climbed another mountain in about 20 minutes and visited Mr. Robinson, president of the Lucas Farmers Association. Then two fully armed people with handguns, knives, and M-16s came to us and investigated us. I thought they were military soldiers, but they were policemen. I still cannot understand why policemen are armed like soldiers. This is the present situation in the Philippines, particularly in rural and mountain areas.

Mr. Robinson’s rice fields were destroyed by bulldozers for quarrying. When Mr. Robinson, some other people, and I took a look at the mountain, there were no rocks, but only mud. They sighed and told me that the mountain would be a flat soon. Destroying the environment occurs frequently here.

From my house to school it takes about ten minutes by tricycles (motorcycle with sidecars). It’s not hard to go to school, but sometimes coming back home is a problem. Some tricycle drivers have refused to give a ride because my house is too far. I sometimes have paid more, or walked some distance and took a tricycle. Sometimes I get home on foot.

Beginning this month I am learning Sebuano—the language of the Visayas. Filipinos know English, but occasionally I have difficulties communicating with them in English. I need to learn their language—of course, it’s a part of familiarization. Learning their language is learning their culture. Learning language itself is a part of mission.

Second semester begins in early November. I will teach church history (second part) and one mission class. I would like to ask you to pray for me to be capable of carrying my teaching ministries, and for my health in order to stand the heat. Thanks for remembering me and for your prayers.

God bless you!

Sincerely,

Rev. John Eunsik Cho