My Balae

Languages are funny. Being surrounded every day by people from 20 different countries, I am often asked, "How do you say this in English?" And sometimes, there just isn't a word in English.

One of my favorite non-translatable words is the Tagalog term gigil, which describes the way you feel when a baby is so cute that you just want to grab him and hug him or pinch him, and you absolutely cannot control yourself. I have been searching for a translation for that one for many years and still come up empty.

Another one is the Tagalog term balae. It's easy to explain, but I don't have an English word for it. Balae refers to the parents of my son-in-law or daughter-in-law. Of course, we English speakers HAVE this relationship . . . but apparently don't consider it important enough to label.

This is a photo of us taken last night with Dick and Ros Albright, our balae, along with their two youngest kids. They lived in the Philippines for about 20 years, but are now based in Wheaton, Illinois. They came back for a short visit, and we were able to connect and share a meal. We have a lot in common with them, beginning, of course, with our love for Jim and Michelle, and our excitement about the December arrival of Baby A, the first grandchild for all of us! But we have many other things in common too, and can easily talk non-stop for hours. It was a fun evening.

New Students, New Stories

Isn't this a cute little guy? This is Benny, with his parents Israel and Jemi from India. One of the best parts of working at IGSL is that every year we get a whole new group of people whose lives will be intertwined with ours during the next few years.

I always find myself looking at the new students as they arrive, thinking "I don't think I will ever be able to love you as much as the ones who just left." But as the weeks go by, things start happening, the mentoring begins, the stories unfold, and somehow, every time, they hook my heart.

The last two weeks have been full, as we have helped the new students get started in their life at IGSL. I love my job!

Coordinating Shirts

This is one of my current favorite babies, Suyog from Nepal. I think you remember the post about his birth last November. We go to the same church. It just so happened last Sunday morning we both showed up for the morning service wearing red shirts with blue and white stripes. So of course, we had to pose for a quick photo.

My other current favorite baby, of course, is my own grandchild, a.k.a. "Baby A" whom I haven't met yet. I am SO EXCITED about going to Texas in December to meet him/her. Please pray for Michelle who is still feeling awful -- those early months can be pretty miserable.

These days are full of excitement at IGSL -- the new students are still going through their orientation. I love this time of year. We have many new students from all over the Philippines and from countries all over Asia. They are going through lots of adjustments, and it's my privilege to be part of helping them survive. (Sometimes that just involves sitting down for heart-to-heart talk, saying, "You can survive!") Other times it's, well, a little more complicated.

One of my highlights last week was talking to one student who came a few weeks earlier than his classmates. He kept telling me he could not stand to live with other students, and that he wanted to move out of the dorm, and that the adjustment was just too hard. When all the other students arrived, I saw him one day in the midst of a laughing crowd of first-year guys. He caught my eye and grinned at me and said, "Forget everything I said. I'm fine now!"

Yesterday I met with a brand new international student, who, because of the situation of believers in his area, had never been part of a church before. I asked him about his hopes and expectations for his time in IGSL. With great excitement, he said, "I want to experience a real Christian community!" I long to see that happen too . . . although I know that along the way, the "real Christians" that he meets will be a disappointment to him. And then he will learn about forgiveness in the real Christian community.

It's an amazing experience to watch the students go through the unique curriculim that GOD has planned for each one of them. He is absolutely committed to make them into the kind of servant leaders He can use in His kingdom work.