Here's Lookin' at You kid

Yesterday we celebrated the 6th Birthday of my beautiful daughter Lydia. She has been talking about her birthday for months ... so it was wonderful when the great day arrived! We thank the Lord for our children every day. They are our most precious greatest gift and our greatest treasures.

She was so happy. She got up bright and early with a huge smile on her face. She opened her presents from her family and friends. She was so blessed ... she got a PINK little digital camera which she loves from one granny and granda. her other granny and granda had given her lots of things for her new room. Mummy and daddy gave her a small CD player because she is in the Cornerstone dance group now and Kirsty our spy found out that they don't have a CD player to practice with! So now they have and Lydia is over the moon!

Off she went to school to meet her classmates. At 9:30, mum and dad went down to give out the cake and juice at break time. The cake went everywhere ...the kids' faces were covered with blue icing! So funny. After school, it was change of clothes and off to the Children's Home to celebrate with them! Another lovely 'Disney Princess' Cake for all the children and staff. Mmmmm..... thus birthday deal is great!

At 5:30pm we were off again ... for Lydia to take all her best friends to McDonalds for her party. All the dance Group was there, kids from Sefton Village and other wee people. Of course, lots of big people were there too. The kids had a great party ... and every one of them were given balloons, tons of toys...and of course McDonalds grub! So good. And of course ... cake ... her third one (given by the big chicken!)

Biggest surprise was still to come! I went to pay the bill and the staff told me that the party was free! They said that they saw that I was always the one blessing others ... so today it was my family's time to be blessed! What a day!

Last thing ... all the kids came back to our house. I put up the big screen and projector and we all watched the Bee movie. Popcorn provided. All the kids loved it - none of them have ever been to a cinema -so this was the best thing ever!

They all went home so happy, full and thankful. Lydia was tucked up in bed - next to all her new stuff - a contented and happy wee girl. And mummy & daddy were so happy that the day had gone so well. We went to bed ... shattered!

At 5:15am this morning, a little boy ran through to our bedroom and shouted "Wake up, wake up ... It's my birthday today!" I thought I was having a nightmare! "Another two weeks son, another two weeks ..."

Give us strength Lord!

40-1 Years Old!

Well folks ... I have to admit it ... I am now officially only one year away from the big 4-0! Today was my 39th Birthday! I know, I know ... I don't look or act 39, but the facts are there to see. On 28th May 1969 (last century!!) an extremely young 18 year old young woman called Mary West Ritchie gave birth to a cute wee baby bot weighing just 6lbs! Incredible. And here I am, almost 4 decades later at the other side of the world!

But, hey, if you are into celebrating your birthday with style ... the Philippines is the place to be. There may be not a lot of money going around here, but Filipinos are BIG in love, care and respect. Birthdays are big deals here. In the UK you can almost go a whole day without anyone really bothering too much about your 'big day' but here it is the opposite! A year of life is something to be thankful for and cherished. In a typhoon hit - disaster prone - storm ravaged - country that is short on finance and food - a year is a 12 months survived.

So here was my day today ...

At 6am I was in the living room with the kids when I heard the strumming of the guitar and the noise of people singing. I went out and there were around 30-40 of my friends there - Cornerstone pastors and their families, Cornerstone members, some of the Sefton staff etc. They sang beautifully and had the biggest smiles! They came into the house ... laden with home made banana cakes, puto cakes, hot bread and coke! What a team! We just sat and talked and laughed for an hour. Fantastic.

They went and various friends and staff members popped in with cards and hugs. Sefton Village is becoming a 'huggy' place now after 8 years of trying to turn cold handshakes into warm hugs! Some of the kids from the Children's Home gave me some lovely cards that Lydia had given them. Check this one out from wee Cristina on the left...


But what she wrote inside made up for her glaring error...

At 230pm the cake arrived. Huge! It was made of 55 queen cakes with an iced topping. So instead of cutting a cake and making a mess we just took a cake off and made a mess of our faces! Check out these kids below! So cute.

Later on in the afternoon I managed to take Mary for a wee 'merienda' or snack at a new place in town. We said on the way that we would not talk about Sefton Village or School (which has taken up Mary's attention for a wee while now!) Guess what? In the queue we met a parent from the school who wanted to sit beside us. She is lovely but she had about 101 questions about the school! Never mind ... we tried!

We came home at 530pm and at 6pm the Pastors arrived again with their families and food. Yup, its time to celebrate. I told Lorenz and Joy - our new Deans at SBTC - '"Don't worry, this Sefton family are always eating!" And we did! Around 50 were there - Pastors and their families, young people from the churches ... everyone and their dog (well two dogs to be exact). But it was a great night and it was so kind of them all to cook a meal, bring it here and fellowship with us. It's a big deal here.


So here I am, well fed and even more appreciative of the family I have here at Sefton. I really miss my own family - by the way 'Happy Birthday' to my brother Paul tomorrow! - but God has given us friends and family here that we feel part of and feel loved by. Their love is genuine and their care is sincere ... and for that I am so thankful.

I am thankful for a great wife that I am walking through this life with. I am thankful for two lovely kids that I think the world of and who are happy and healthy. I thank the Lord for great families at home who encourage, support and love us more than anyone knows. I am thankful for friends that are always there or us - even though for 90% of the time we are not part of their day to day worlds. I am thankful for churches that are not only behind our vision but are behind us as a family. I am thankful, most of all, to a wonderful God who has chosen us, saved us and called us to walk in His ways and extend His Kingdom... even in a far away land.

I am thankful. I am amazed. I am blessed. And I am tired!

Tomorrow I am well on the way to 40 .... but I will never forget my first day of my 40th year!

Live your dreams ...

Love ya

Mark

Our 3 Year Old Bundle of Fun!

What a fantastic time! Yup, so great to spend time in Singapore and Malaysia again. Went to the Cornerstone Pastors Summit in Joho, Malaysia from Tuesday-Thursday last week and there was a feast of great fellowship, tremendous preaching and encouragement. The Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Singapore, Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong was the speaker and he tackled the issue of Transforming a Nation, Revival v Reformation, Finishing Well etc. ... inspirational stuff.

Left Malaysia on Thursday night and met Michael, Alison & Jemma Rose in Singapore. Had an early flight to Manila on Friday morning and I was desperate to get home. It was my wee boy Josiah's 3rd birthday on Friday! And, even though Daddy didn't arrive until 9pm there were two very exited children peeping out of the window! What a welcome (although I am still not convinced that Lydia was more excited about the giver of the gift rather than the gift itself!)

Josiah had a great day, according to mummy. He opened lots of presents before school and here, if it is your birthday, you don't have to wear a school uniform. So he went to school all togged up with new clothes from his Granny Mary! At the end of class they all sang Happy Birthday and we ordered a beautiful 'Lightning McQueen' cake. Wow. He was so happy. And just to end a perfect day, Daddy brought home some more Lightning McQueen toys from Singapore.

On Saturday we had a lovely family day an finished with a special birthday McDonalds for the staff & kids in the Children's Home. Great stuff. Josiah is doing great now - thanks to your prayers. He is a wee comedian and loves to laugh and make people laugh. he is doing great at school and he is centre of attention (Mmmm, wonder where he gets that from???) He is a handsome wee guy and his 'thing' right now is to wear shades and spike his hair ... just like a certain cartoon character he loves. Well, at least he doesn't speak like Pingu any more!

He is doing well health wise as well. He has the odd snuffle but he is gaining weight and eating much better. Thanks for your prayers.

On Sunday we had Cornerstone United and many came to celebrate with us. Keith Pointon spoke about the 'Christian's Survival Kit' and many were blessed, challenged and ministered to. Great to feel and experience the power of God.

So here we are, just starting another week. So much to share and so little time to blog. As I was reading some other blogs that Michael showed me, it seems that most people who blog are always apologising for not blogging consistently! So I don't feel quite so bad now. Rumour has it that some of our visitors here at Sefton now are going to do a 'Guest Blog' in the next day or two, but we'll see!

Hey, if any of our visitors who were here in June/July - Singaporean or Scottish - want to write an article about their experiences here at Sefton then just email it to me and I will stick it on the blog. That would be a nice change ... so come on Deborah, Faye, John, David, Kirsty or any of the team members ... up for a challenge?

Goodnight ...

p.s. - Had to laugh the other day. Our internet was off for a week ... again ... and the phone company informed us that our line had been cut and that the thieves had stolen our whole cable - over 300 metres of it!! This is the 3rd time this year. Only in the Philippines ...

MALIGAYANG KAARAWAN (Happy Birthday!)

Well, it's true. I am now 38!! Seriously ... 37 sorta feels youngish, but 38 sounds truly-almost 40! If you think I feel old ... what does my poor old mum think? Every birthday she starts off by saying, "I can't believe I have a _ _ year old son!" You'd better believe it mum, I was born in Summer of '69!

As I have said on previous blogs, Birthdays are BIG events here. They really push the boat out. Here's what happened yesterday ...

At 4:30 (yes, that is a 4, not a slip of my fingers) I was awoken out of my sleep by a loud droning noise. I thought I was in a bad dream until, half awake, I recognised the dulcet tones of Pastor Alex from San Isidro! And there they were, singing " Through It All" on my porch in the dark! Around 20 lovely folk from Cornerstone San Isidro. They are so wonderful, led by their handsome leader Pastor Adonis. They sang a few songs and we brought them inside for a cup of tea. To my surprise they produced this huge basket of homemade cakes. Yum. They prayed for me and disappeared into the night sky ...


Later, the kids wanted to get a MacDonald's breakfast for daddy's special day. By the end of this, I was already feeling a bit full up. Next, I was invited to go to Pastor Marlou's house for a fellowship time with all the Cornerstone leaders. Again, we talked and ate ice cream and hotdogs. At 11am, I was shocked to find Cristina setting up the table outside as we talked. She produced two huge portions of Peking duck that she had cooked ... amazing. I only took a wee bit ....

...'coz I knew I had to be home at 1130 for a special birthday lunch at the children's home!! Sure enough, the table was full of amazing food and all the kids and staff were excited as they waited. What a meal! Beautiful. By this stage, I had met so many people and eaten so much food I felt a bit groggy!

In the evening Winston & Mary Jane took the kids out and Mary & I went for a lovely meal by ourselves ... a rare treat! After we got home I watched some of the Derby v West Brom game and had a cuppa. What a day! Good old Derby! (I wanted Derby to win because my sister in law Alison is from there and is a big supporter. Also, they have a Scottish manager ...)

In the Philippines they don't have a lot to share, but they have huge hearts. They always want to give their utmost. Their attitude is to make special days special. To all you Filipinos reading this - you're the best!

I just want to give a quick 'Happy Birthday' to my younger brother Paul who is 36 today. He is a special guy with a great family and I am so excited because they are all coming out to the Philippines in October.

Please promise me that none of you folk from the NE Scotland will show this blog to my nurse Nicola in Fraserburgh. If she finds out what I ate yesterday ... I may not see 39!

p.s. - here is a funny story from Keith ...

"Last Sunday morning we were at a service in Nagassican, one of the outer villages within Santiago. During the service a group of young people was performing a dance. I noticed that one girl had a coin in each ear. Thinking it might be some kind of folk medicine for sore ears, or some other traditional custom, I asked the pastor why she did that. "Because she doesn't have a pocket," was his reply. Ah, well, ask a silly question ...."

13 ... And Certainly Not Out!

Yesterday we had a happy day ... we celebrated the 13th Birthday of Pepito Castigo here in the Children's Home. He is a trophy of grace and he has touched the lives of so many people who have met him. He is the best friend of my son Josiah and even though there is a great difference in age .. there is not so great a difference in height! They are inseparable (even sharing the chair at Pepito's Birthday Party! - above) and Pepito feels like an adopted son because he is in our house so much!

He has almost gone to be with the Lord on a few occasions but the Lord has spared his life. I believe his life has a purpose and Pepito is doing great in Cornerstone Church. There are great days and good plans ahead .. but there are also difficulties and big issues because of his health problems. But he is doing well health wise. He has a very strict diet and has only a few tablets to take daily now. He still gets regular monthly check ups with Dr Francisco.

We are desperate to find Pepito a family. We had a family who really wanted him but two years have passed and there are no signs of progress. He is available for international adoption now and so we are praying that this special little guy finds a place to call home.

If you have a message to send to Pepito on his birthday, or if you have met him and want to share about him ... then please leave 'comment' at the bottom of the blog.

We have a lovely close friend from Cornerstone Singapore called Maureen. She has been to Sefton many times and last year she did her 2 month placement from Bible School at Sefton. She loved Pepito and wrote a wee article for her church magazine about him. I leave you with her words to challenge and inspire you.

Cry of Faith: The Story of Pepito Castigo Junior

By Maureen Low

Pepito Castigo Junior was five months old, malnourished and ill when he was admitted to the Helga Mosey Children’s Home in Santiago, Philippines. This ministry was run by Pastor Mark Ritchie and his wife, Mary.

Four years ago, when Pepito was eight years old, he came face to face with death. He fell very ill and was admitted to a hospital for two weeks but showed no improvement. His frail body continued to swell and bloat up. The hospital discharged Pepito and Pastors Mark and Winston decided to take Pepito to another hospital in the city of Manila.

On the way to Manila, Pepito suddenly lost his sight and suffered a seizure. To prevent him from biting off his tongue, Pastor Mark immediately stuck his wallet into Pepito’s mouth. The pastors were at a loss as they were travelling on a mountain and the closest hospital was more than an hour’s drive away in San Jose. Both pastors wept and cried out to God for help.

They finally arrived in San Jose but were not able to locate the hospital. Pastor Mark approached a man for directions who turned out to be a security guard at the hospital that they were looking for. The man offered to direct them to the hospital where Pepito was admitted to the emergency ward. The guard followed them into the hospital but subsequently disappeared. The pastors wanted to thank him but were unable to find this man. Interestingly, no one in the security department knew who he was. Could he have been an angel?

As Pepito had suffered a seizure for a long period of time, the doctor feared that his brain could have been damaged and proposed a transfer to Manila for further checks. When Pastor Mark heard the news, a sudden surge of faith began to rise up within him and he declared that, “Nothing that happens tonight will damage the life of this child!”

Pastor Winston rushed down to the City Hall for an ambulance and with God’s favour, a paramedic agreed to send Pepito to Manila and one of the nurses accompanied them in the ambulance.

In Manila, Pepito was warded at the Intensive Care Unit and it was discovered that 67 per cent of his kidneys had been damaged. Pepito was treated and slowly the swelling subsided, with no trace of damage to be found in his brain as well. This was indeed a miracle!

Many missionary friends of Pastor Mark came to know about Pepito and soon he had many visitors, some of whom blessed him with money. One morning, Pepito asked Pastor Mark for the money and explained that he wanted to give the money to the girl lying next to his bed, as she had no money for her treatment. Pastor Mark was very touched that, despite his own ordeal, Pepito could still show love and care for others. Finally, after three weeks of treatment, Pepito was discharged from the hospital.

Today, Pepito is 13 years old and up and running. He is currently on medication and a strict diet but despite his physical conditions and limitations, Pepito has not uttered a word of complaint. He wears a smile across his face all the time.