The Village Church
Filipino Appreciation Meal

     The Village Church in Rosholt had a special treat Tuesday evening, Sept. 18th, 2001 provided by missionaries Roger and Dixie Shewmaker.  The congregation was treated to a Filipino dinner. The field directors, Roger and Dixie Shewmaker, have lived in Mindanao for 13 years and helped to reach one of their goals of establishing 400 churches by the year 2000.  Their new goal is to have 800 churches by the year 2020. They also operate Palm Haven, a home for unwanted children, which they take care of and are available for adoption.  The Village Church has supported the missionary work of The Ambassadors for Christ since 1995.  In appreciation of their support and prayers to spread God’s word, Roger and Dixie came to Rosholt and prepared various foods common to the Philippines. The meal consisted of chicken roasted with lemon grass & a tasty mix of pasta with lemon sauce. Pieces of sardines in tomato sauce were served with rice as an appetizer.  There was also a mixed vegetable dish and some plain rice and some garlic rice. The rice is their main food often topped with soy sauce.  Another food served was Boupou, which looked like an egg roll but tasted a bit different with a little meat and vegetables in it that you could dip in a jellied chicken sauce.  In a tiny woven Philippine basket in front of each guest was a dessert.  The dessert looked like a small piece of pumpkin pie but was quite different.  It was flavored with coconut and it was soft like caramel, a nice sweet treat. Everyone got to keep the baskets.  The dinner was enjoyed by all.
     While dinner was served, Roger and Dixie talked about the differences in culture.  For instance we usually have a drink with the meal.  But in the Philippines they eat their meal and then go to a water bucket and use a cup and drink some water signifying they are done eating.  Another fascinating difference in the Philippines is they shower & change into clean clothes before they eat.  Most shower two or three times a day.  However since they must carry water, they stand beside a tin wash tub of water to dip into and splash over themselves. This saves on the amount of water they use and have to carry.  They also manually wash their clothes every night so they have clean clothes each day.
    Placed on the table were various items that were not common to the group and all took guesses as to what they were but failed.  One item was a string and a rubber thimble with a snap hook at each end, it ended up being a rooster leash that went around its’ leg and spur. A smaller triangle string about 10 inches with square wood buttons on each end was to hook to a pigs ears like a leash.  Another item about the size of a rectangle block of cheese except it was empty with a slot on one side and it was hinged to open.  That ended up being a shaver for a block of ice, which they used to make a sweet drink. A coconut sliced in half was used to demonstrate how to polish a floor.
     Filipinos have limited electricity, plumbing and phone lines. Vehicles & wash machines are a luxury.  In the Barrios (countryside) it was even more limited.  The Philippines has over 7000 islands and 18 Million people.  A lot of good work and schooling is done at the complex of Ambassadors for Christ.
     The Village Church is very excited to help out and to see the progress that is being done.  The group was shown a short video of the things they do and the places they have built to help spread God’ word.  The Village Church expressed their appreciation to Roger and Dixie for fixing this dinner and sharing their experiences.  They also thank God their small congregation can continue to give to such a good cause as well as to their local community. 

 
 

PLEASE STOP BY.   YOU ARE Always WELCOME.
Home Page
Our History
Annual Events
Pictures
Monthly Schedule
Links of Interest
Sermon Schedule
What You Can Expect When You Visit
Contact Us