2026 APA Visit to Missionary District of the Philippines

Monday-Thursday, April 13-16

Departing from Wilmington, NC and Greenville, SC respectively, Missionary Bishop David Haines and Fr. Paul Rivard began their journey to visit our global partners in the Philippines in the early hours of Monday morning. Meeting in Atlanta, they boarded their flight to Incheon, Korea just after 9:00 AM for the longest leg of the trip lasting just over 15 hours. A seven-hour layover in the airport led to the shorter flight to Clark International Airport just north of Manilla arriving just after midnight where transportation to the hotel had been arranged and was awaiting them. After a day spent adjusting to the jet lag which results from such a journey, they boarded the shorter flight from the island of Luzon, the largest of the over 7000 islands of the Philippines, to arrive finally at Puerto Princesa on the westernmost island of Palawan. Finally, the two met up with long time faithful priest and friend, Fr. Joel Arellano, the Vicar General of the APA Missionary District of the Philippines who was accompanied by Fr. Seth Galpo, another of the longtime clergy of the global partner who was born and raised on the very special island of Palawan. It was Fr. Seth's connections in Palawan that led to the gift of land in the forest outside of the town of Banbanan where the newly constructed Our Lady of Walsingham Anglican Church was beautifully situated. Fr. Seth's intimate knowledge of the families and the local culture in the area made clear both the desperate need for a church here as well as the fitness of Fr. Seth to be the main priest of this mission. However, since the parish was another eight-hour drive away, first on paved roads to Taytay and then on rough mountain roads to Banbanan, the group took their rest for the night, ready to begin their northward journey on Friday. Yes, it takes four to five days of travel to get from the United States to the village where perhaps the farthest reach of Catholic Anglicanism extends its ministry. And indeed, ministry has been very much needed there.

Friday, April 17

Days begin very early in the Philippines, and it is not unusual for journeys to begin at four or five in the morning. Such was the case that Friday, when Bishop David, Fr. Paul, Fr. Joel and Fr. Seth loaded the truck at 5:30 heading north to the historically significant northern town of Taytay. In centuries past, before Puerto Princesa became the central hub for industry on Palawan, it was Taytay that served as a port city giving access to the island. Though reduced in significance, Taytay remains a source for supplies to much of the northern region and as evidence, the group stopped for lunch at the house of the local hardware store owner, from whom most of the building supplies had been purchased for the construction of Our Lady of Walsingham Church. The value of local connections and tight community began to show here as the store owner turned out to be a high school friend of Fr. Seth from decades past. That trusting friendship, transferred to Fr. Joel by association, has allowed materials to be acquired sometimes before funding from the APA could be transferred.

Before continuing the journey, another stop was made at a local carpenter's house who had been preparing a pulpit, credence table, and tabernacle for Our Lady of Walsingham Church. His work also produced several doors in the church including the two front doors, all made from "ipil" (Intsia bijuga) wood which is extremely hard and heavy. Lifting the items onto the back of the truck was not an easy task and fitting all the baggage in and around the furniture was a Tetris-like puzzle which, when finally accomplished and secured meant that the group was ready to depart for the last leg of travel. This same carpenter will be hired to construct pews for the church, the transportation of which will be a feat.

The last portion of the journey to the new church is less than half the distance than that from Puerto Princesa to Taytay, yet it takes nearly as long to travel since the unpaved mountain roads are winding, traversing difficult terrain and routes weaving through forest villages and rice paddies. Vehicles on these roads stir up a cloud of fine dust, a symptom of the dry season which is evident everywhere in the hottest part of the summer in mid-April. Locals expect the rainy season to begin like clockwork at the end of May, turning the dust into mud and making the journey far more difficult. Most of the villagers ride scooters and motorcycles and it is hard to imagine how progress would be made on such roads in those wet months.

Finally, the group arrived at the church which is situated just a few feet from the road in a true "you can't miss it" location. Yellow bunting flags are strung zig-zag across the entrance to the property and across the road alerting passers-by to the special events of the coming days, and to the grand sign standing beside the property with a larger than life-sized image of Bishop Haines, a style of welcome that has become customary for these events.

Construction has proceeded at a fever pace since its beginning in November of 2025, just one year after the donation of the property. As of this visit, roughly ninety percent of the work has been finished on the chapel, which can house perhaps 150 people. The marble style tile floors, concrete pillars, immovable altar, beautiful icons, tremendous gothic stone reredos, and six-foot-tall crucifix comprise the structure which stands in stark contrast to the surrounding dwellings as a palatial refuge, both physical and spiritual. It is unmistakably a place of reverent worship, and yet, as the other APA churches of the Philippines, it doubles as a community shelter and gathering place for the many natural disasters that commonly afflict this country. Not infrequently, earthquakes, typhoons, floods and mudslides send the locals scrambling for a safe place to gather, and Our Lady of Walsingham now stands as a beacon of safety and sanctuary for both the storms of nature and the storms of life.

It should be noted that in this remote part of Palawan, as with another APA church in La Union, Luzon, the community does not yet have running water. Whereas in La Union, water is brought up the mountain and delivered via portable containers, here in Banbanan, Palawan, a two-inch-wide pipe has been run from a water fall a thirty-minute hike away. While locals are grateful for this, a further challenge exists in that there is not yet electrical infrastructure here, and all power must be provided via solar panels. This is not unique to the community as the very adequate accommodations that Bishop David and Fr. Paul were staying at also were powered only by solar panels, however, Our Lady of Walsingham lacks the more substantial commercial grade solar panels that larger buildings should have and instead uses small personal sized panels which are laid out on the ground. These allow some floor fans to run as well as phones to be charged but this leaves much to be desired after the sun sets. With wise foresight, Fr. Joel had the entire building wired and ready for an upgrade in anticipation of either acquiring sufficient solar panels, or the municipal administration finally upgrading the infrastructure. Conversation about the future of this area frequently includes talk of a paved road instead of dirt, an electrical grid instead of small solar panels, and running water. Factored into talk of these hopes is the recent purchase of a nearby acreage by a company literally called "Mega world" which plans to develop the area into a tropical eco-resort destination. The impending development is viewed alternately with optimism and pessimism as some believe the development would bring an infrastructure upgrade along with new jobs, while others believe the jobs will be given to outsiders and the pristine forest damaged by construction and traffic. For the foreseeable future though, the notable lack of a power grid is no great difficulty to the culture of the indigenous along with other locals who have lived without power for centuries.

Father Alex Abraham, a long-time faithful priest of the global partner, arrived shortly afterwards along with his sister donning flowers for the services of the next days as well as fish and cooking supplies for the coming meals, which had been purchased from a local market which they had reached by boat. Indeed, a meal was prepared in the modest kitchen that is built into a room behind the church's altar and the group enjoyed conversation and the home-made feast before returning to the place where Bishop David, Fr. Paul and Fr. Joel would stay for the next three nights.

Saturday April 18

The Saturday service began at ten o'clock and apart from celebrating the Mass, the main accomplishment would be the consecration of this new building. Those who have been to such a consecration service will be familiar with the liturgy where the bishop begins outside, knocking on the door with his crozier, much like what is seen at the conclusion of Palm Sunday processions. The doors are opened and the floor is marked with the sign of the cross before a psalm is read, procession made, the altar is blessed along with pulpit, tabernacle, and credence table. Chalice, paten, and ciborium are consecrated, and the dedication declaration is pronounced. With that, the Eucharistic liturgy begins.

Bishop Haines celebrated and preached to the great delight of the faithful which numbered between 90 and 110. Words of encouragement and exhortation accompanied the joyful sacramental nourishment. In the midst of the service a special gift presentation from the APA was made to the parish of a carved wooden icon of Jesus, (Christus Pantacrator) one of two which were completed by Gene Rivard and brought along to be a blessing for the two new churches.

During the service, one or two sparrows freely entered the open doors, swirling around in the high ceiling space and out again through the window frames as if the natural world visited with blessing the supernatural ministry. Accustomed to such close integration of nature and the supernatural, the congregation simply took no notice at all.

After the service a flurry of photographs preceded the feast for which there was a large amount of food prepared, almost more than double the amount necessary. It is normal to cook great quantities of food in the communities because leftovers are delivered to those who could not attend and several others would eat of the meal sometimes for days to come. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is wasted. Saturday's meal was comprised of goat, sweet adobo (pork belly), rice, and pancit - a Filipino specialty with rice noodles, carrots and cabbage, garlic and bell pepper, and a variety of meats which this time included pork meat and liver. Desert included a sweet and fruity macaroni salad along with a Yema chiffon cake, a light cake covered with special custard and topped with shredded sweet cheese. (Yema is a classic Filipino sweet made from egg yolks, condensed milk, and sugar, often flavored with milk for a rich, buttery taste). Following the feast the group returned to their lodgings to rest for the next day.

Sunday April 19

Sunday's liturgies aligned with those that most Anglicans are accustomed to on the day of an episcopal visit since mass was accompanied by confirmations which numbered fourteen, a few of which were a surprise. Also included in the service were sacramental blessings (including a church bell, crucifixes and images of Our Lady of Walsingham and Saint Patrick) and the service was followed by seventeen baptisms performed by Fr. Paul and assisted by Fr. Alex (holding the obligatory microphone) and Bishop David (holding the Prayer Book and holy oil). It was a big day especially for two of the adults who were Fr. Seth's relatives, a husband and wife that converted from Seventh Day Adventism. They both, together with their oldest daughter received confirmation, while their youngest son was one of those who were baptized on this day.

This day's feast included the aforementioned leftovers along with new dishes capped by a special sweet cocoa/coconut sticky rice cake also called biko. After socializing and packing things up for departure, the group returned to their accommodations to rest until the journey back to Puerto Princesa which awaited the following day. Before the sun set on Sunday though, Bp. David, Fr. Paul and Fr. Joel, had an opportunity to board a small boat and to head out onto the clear waters of Binga Bay where they were able to stop for a snorkeling excursion looking for mermaids, hidden treasure, and especially sharks. What they found instead was an absolutely astounding and seemingly infinite diverse coral reef, the highlight of which was two blue starfish, affixed to a mound of rock and coral that would be difficult to describe with words. On the return journey, the same area was surprisingly populated by perhaps millions of basketball-sized pink-jelly fish which covered perhaps acres of area. The "tomato jellyfish" clumsily rose to the surface with their tentacles dangling beneath their medusae. The captain of the boat, a young man named Mark Oliver, who was also the cook, assured the group that these jellyfish do not have a sting that seriously affects humans and that there was no danger during the earlier snorkeling, pointing out that these jellyfish were marketable and even edible. On this beautiful island of Palawan, the group hardly needed to be reminded of God's incredible creativity, and yet the jellyfish were a stunning sight inspiring grateful and worshipful awe. Passing by fishermen on narrow boats, pulling up lines from the seafloor, the group sped on back to the shore and towards the evenings rest.

Monday April 20

After packing up and having a light breakfast, the journey south began, first with the dust-cloud of a rough and rocky road and finally with the relatively better highway journey. The hardware store owners welcomed the team to rest for a while in their home at Taytay though they were not present, even ordering pizza for the three and pleading for them to make themselves at home. The stopover in Taytay included a much more significant appointment than the generous offer of pizza and drinks, for Fr. Joel had scheduled a meeting with the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Vicariate of Taytay, equivalent to a missionary district of northern Palawan.

Bishop Broderick Suncuaco Pabillo, the Apostolic Vicar of Taytay, awaited the group in the mid-afternoon and with warm greetings offered to personally serve coffee and hot fried bananas, a local treat. The bishop's kind and welcoming demeanor exhibited the best of a variety of responses that the Anglican group has received in the Philippines. He explained that the island of Palawan is not yet considered a diocese but instead is broken up into two vicariates, that of Taytay in the north and that of Puerto Princesa in the south. He pointed out that there are over 20 churches in his vicariate and about 55 clergy. Some parishes are on remote islands, the most recent visitation of which required him to take a 13-hour trip by small boat on the open ocean. Similar to other regions of the country, the vicariate of Taytay has set up chapels throughout the countryside which are unmanned except usually one day per month when an assigned priest, men who are often expected to service 13 such chapels, will visit and celebrate the mass and administer sacraments. One may easily see how precious the ministry of Our Lady of Walsingham Church will be to the surrounding communities, with services offered every Sunday throughout the year and a Palawan native priest living on site. The distinctly Anglican character of a local and relatable clergyman, a tightly knit congregation, and a family atmosphere will be a breath of fresh air in this region in the forest outside Banbanan. Nevertheless, without the expansive reach of the Roman Catholic ministry across Palawan, relatively few would be served at all. A spirit of ecumenical cooperation and appreciation is an important goal for future interactions.

With the visit at a conclusion, the group said goodbye to Bishop Broderick and struck out on the road again to tackle the remaining four-hour trip to Puerto Princesa. Arriving there a little early, the trio made their dining pilgrimage to Jollibee, the Philippines answer to McDonalds where the Bishop and Fr. Paul enjoyed cheeseburgers, fries, soda and ice cream sundaes while Fr. Joel ordered an incomprehensible and yet common Jollibee platter that offers fried chicken, spaghetti marinara, French fries, rice and gravy (orange soda and sundae not included).

Tuesday April 21

Filipino mornings are notoriously early and Tuesday was no exception. With travel back to the main island of Luzon as the central task of the day and a final destination of the accommodations near Tarlac City, the day sped by. Time between breakfast and lunch was spent composing the account of the first week of this visit and then, after returning the rental vehicle, checking in at the airport, flying for just over two hours to Clark Airport and boarding a transport vehicle, sights were set on completing the second portion of the overall itinerary.

Awaiting the group at the airport was Deacon Ryan Egipto, whose ordination to the priesthood on the upcoming Saturday would be the key event of the entire journey. Deacon Ryan, a long-time schoolteacher in Mindoro and an assistant at the APA church there, accompanied the group to his family's home in Tarlac, just under a two-hour drive away. Arriving there just after six o'clock, Demi Egipto, Deacon Ryan's mother, along with the rest of the family, awaited with a dinner prepared of roasted milkfish, another broiled fish prepared with sweet and sour ginger sauce, stewed vegetables, rice, and a beloved summer treat of the Philippines, an icy concoction of about six different sweet fruits mixed with flan, purple ube paste, shaved ice and evaporated milk stirred up together and called "halo halo." The Egipto family was excited to see the day of Ryan's ordination finally approaching and for their beloved relative to have this sacred ministry of the priesthood finally bless a life dedicated to serving others. It was revealed that a number of family and friends from various parts of the country would be attending on Saturday.

The day concluded with arrival at the accommodation establishment not far from the church which consisted of more than a dozen small cottages that would be filled in the coming days with those arriving for the festivities. Tarlac's central location makes it likely that this will be a recurring meeting place for future synods and major meetings. Fr. Joel alerted all clergy that their attendance this coming weekend is required and all are dutifully present or on their way. In the end, all clergy (Fr. Joel Arellano, Fr Alex Abraham, Fr. Seth Galpo, Fr. Edel Amarante, Fr. Ruel Sugbo, Fr. Agustin Agos, Fr. Salvador "Buddy" Miaque, Fr. Jason Tolosa, and Deacon Ryan Egipto) will attend along with longtime key lay leaders and land donors from across the country.

Wednesday April 22

Wednesday was a day filled with errands as the construction of the church was still in the last stages. The hardware store, the bank, the grocery store and the coffee shop (hilariously named "Old Rich Coffee") were all visited along with laundry and other necessities taken care of and intertwined with another visit to the Egipto house for lunch and one more round of halo halo. Having just arrived from Mindoro, Fr. Edel Amarante joined up with Bp. David, Fr. Paul, Fr. Joel, and Dcn. Ryan for the second half of the day which would culminate with a visit to the new facility, St. George of Lydda Anglican Church, where Fr. Ruel had arrived as well as Fr. Seth and Fr. Alex. These last two had taken a boat from Palawan to Manila (a journey of more than 24 hours across the open ocean which Fr. Seth reported was as still as glass) and a bus from Manila to Tarlac. Deacon Ryan prepared Chicken Adobo and rice for the clergy supper accompanied by more than a dozen balut - fertilized duck eggs, boiled to perfection.

The construction of St. George's was moving along at a fevered pace, as work had only begun at the beginning of March and already the end was in sight. The pattern of construction here matches that of the church in Palawan with a few minor differences, a style that is attractive and reverent, and once again, perhaps the most stable publicly accessed structure for many miles around. Here is yet another refuge for both the bodies and the souls of those who hope to find all the benefits of the fullness of Catholicity found in the Anglican tradition along with the relatability of a pastoral ministry that is consistently present and not aloof. Nevertheless, it will require a more determined clergyman to excel here as the property is closer to major city centers, and the nominalism and spiritual disinterest that so often accompanies large urban centers is reportedly more present in the culture here than for instance, in the forests of Palawan.

Thursday April 23

Thursday seemed to be a day left open but once again Fr. Joel proved his silent mastery of administration had not allowed a single hour of this week in Tarlac to go by without submitting to his plan to produce fruit of one kind or another. Until this day and throughout, an amazing feat of planning had gone flawlessly as guests both international and from across the nation had their travel plans, accommodations, and meals accounted for and supplied for as simultaneously, construction and building preparations continued without delay, most elements of which were carefully overseen by Fr. Joel. Additionally, apart from the soon arrival of many guests in addition to the clergy, all of this has been accomplished with just one vehicle. That trusty vehicle, Fr. Joel's small aging Mitsubishi straight truck, was loaded up again for a return to the Egipto house on Thursday to load up many bags of rice and flour, enormous cooking implements, water, fuel and everything else needed to cook for the expected 150 or more guests of Saturday. Bishop David and Fr. Paul reflected at the end of the afternoon about how the culture moves much slower in one sense, because of the limitations of transportation and money, and yet on the other hand, so much can be accomplished in such a short amount of time. Here, a new church is nearing completion after only two months of construction, just a few short months after the donation of the land in 2025. The snail's pace of daily life in an agrarian culture and the great challenges of poverty and undeveloped infrastructure are overcome with the tireless efforts of clergy and lay leaders laboring in a community-oriented culture that is indomitably cheerful, patient, generous, and understanding. For instance, the notable lack of reliable roads, law enforcement, or even traffic lights and signage on the highways is overcome by people trusting and even caring for one another. When a farmer has decided to dry a portion of his rice crop by literally spreading it out on a section of the right lane of a four-lane highway, people dutifully move into the left lane and keep their eyes open for the swarms of motorcycles and scooters that are likely also occupying that lane. Where such an occurrence would have members of a more organized culture slamming their steering wheels, shouting obscenities and calling the police, here everyone seems to understand that the farmer does not have a better option, everyone needs to make a living, and the police wouldn't do anything anyway. The "road rice" does not cause an accident or even the slightest concern, let alone "road rage." It does mean, however, that transportation involves very little time of consistent speed or trajectory. Left, right, fast, slow, fast, fast, left, brakes, gas, horn, signal, brakes, stop, start, etc. When people say that they are tired after a long drive here, they aren't kidding.

The days errands ended with another modest clergy meal at St. George's and conversation about notable improvements of the laborers work on the building. The previous night, Fr. Paul used WhatsApp to contact Fr. Juris Kangihade, an APA global partner priest from Indonesia, and via video call he was able to meet several of the Filipino clergy who are truly just a hop skip and a jump away from where he lives. On this night, Bishop David was similarly able to contact Bishop Richard Kumar Panem, head of the APA global partner church in South India, so that he too could meet some of the clergy and see the newly built church. With the meal, conversation, and other items addressed, the team turned in for the night in preparation for the following day which would involve the arrival of the rest of the clergy as well as a conditional ordination to the diaconate of a new priest transferring in.

Friday April 24, 2026

Until later in the day, Bp David and Fr. Paul remained at their accommodations as tasks of preparation concerning construction and readying the church began to turn towards the first ordination service which would take place later in the afternoon on this day. Fr. Jayson Tolosa was being received from another jurisdiction called the Old Roman Catholic Church (ORCC) about which there remains some question about orders and so the Bishop would administer what is called "sub-conditional ordination." Blended with the Evening Prayer Office, the ordination service was completed after the Bishop and Fr. Paul were able to hold a brief interview with Fr. Tolosa. Having already gained the full trust of Fr. Joel and Fr. Alex, what remained were introductions and a conversation about the reasons for Fr. Jayson's transfer. Expressing great thanksgiving for the welcome he was receiving, he touted the several benefits of the APA Missionary District of the Philippines which included a positive, collegial, and selfless atmosphere amongst the clergy, a devotion to orthodoxy and pastoral care, and a uniquely healthy prioritization of true Christian ministry. With only two clergy yet to arrive, the service of conditional ordination to the diaconate went ahead in what was, even at the later hours of the afternoon, a sweltering residual heat in an open-air church following a day reaching 100 degrees.

At this time of the evening, it was not unusual for a strong wind to pick up and blow through the church as the atmosphere transitioned from the dry heat of the day to the cool of the evening. And so, as the sub-conditional ordination took place, gusty winds blew through the open doors and windows of St. George's, an occurrence unmistakably reminiscent of the "sound of a mighty rushing wind" witnessed in Acts 2 as the Holy Spirit descended on the Church."

Following the service and a small meal, Fr. "Doc" Agus arrived. His flight from Cebu City to Clark Airport was unapologetically redirected to Manila Airport and all passengers were offered 500 pesos (less than $5.00) to take a bus to their scheduled destination for which their tickets were purchased. Nevertheless, the joyful convergence of these eight clergymen along with their two American guests was just the kind of rare event that could sweep away any annoyance or irritation.

Saturday April 25, 2026

Saturday was to be the heaviest of the journey so far with a 3:00 PM liturgy involving the consecration of the new church of Saint George's, two ordinations to the priesthood, a full Mass with a twenty-voice choir, an expected 130+ number of guests, followed by a feast for everyone. All this was to take place in an open-air worship space with only fans to mediate the nearly 100 degree heat. The blanket of heat could not dampen the spirits of the faithful however, and the joyful service went off without a hitch. Bishop Haines carried every element of the liturgy on this day as consecration, preaching, ordination, and celebration were all assigned to him on this long-awaited day adorned by graces that only a Bishop can confer. First the doors, then the altar, then the pulpit, then the lectern were consecrated. The sermon preceded the Mass into which the priestly ordination liturgy was interjected, the Veni Creator sung, hands laid upon the deacons, and words spoken which changed these two men, Ryan Egipto and Jayson Tolosa, into priests forever after the order of Melchizedek.

The choir, all members of the Egipto family, happened to be an award-winning choir that has taken home several competitive trophies over the years and their voices, which were heard several times throughout the liturgy, were easily amongst the best choral accompaniment any continuing Anglican church has ever enjoyed. Singing to God on behalf of their beloved family member on this special day, it was a moving experience for all to say the least. By the time the last pictures were taken and the clergy sat down to enjoy dinner, it had been a three-and-a-half-hour event.

Unique to this event and as a harbinger of things to come, the customary photos take with clergy after a service like this included calling attendees up to the front from each of the five principal community churches now completed - Masoc, La Union, Paluan, Banbanan, and San Jose. The miles travelled from all over the country to attend this ordination was incredible, and while many who could afford it stayed together in the nearby accommodations that Bp David and Fr. Paul were staying at, others, perhaps twenty or more, slept on the floor of the church in anticipation of the Sunday Mass the following day.

Sunday April 26, 2026

Sunday's services would feature not only the "Thanksgiving Mass" of Fr. Ryan Egipto (his first celebration), but also six confirmations and fourteen baptisms. Arriving at the Church, Fr. Ryan quietly declared to Fr. Paul that he had just heard his first confession. Truly his priestly ministry was underway. Conducted entirely in the language of Tagalog, Fr. Ryan did a wonderful job on his first day as a priest. Sharing some of the liturgy with Fr. Jayson whose previous experience in the Old Roman Catholic Church had him well prepared, the two young priests serving together were a vision of God's providence for the future of the APA Missionary District of the Philippines. The baptisms administered by Fr. Paul were received well by docile youngsters and with writhing, terrified, and shrieking resistance by infants in their parents' arms - terrified as they were by the wildly bearded foreigner clearly reaching for them. Confirmation was administered to much more reasonable youth and teenagers who dutifully knelt before their apostolic minister, whispering their names, often inaudibly, into the ear of Fr. Joel who would repeat them aloud to the bishop so he could speak directly after laying hands on them, saying "Be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" and anointing their foreheads.

Another feast awaited the gathered crowd of more than 130 after the two-and-a-half-hour service but folks dispersed much more quickly than the previous night as the true heat of the day began to set in around noon. After several farewells were exchanged, Bp. Haines and Fr. Paul returned to their accommodations for a well-earned Sunday afternoon rest and cool down. Meanwhile, Fr. Joel spent the afternoon shuttling people and equipment back and forth from San Jose to Tarlac City and Clark Airport. The driving, interrupted only by dinner with the remaining clergy, continued late into the night and began again early on Monday morning. Repeatedly, Fr. Joel has proven himself to be a tireless servant of Christ in these churches, and he is truly a treasure of a clergyman from whom seldom if ever is a complaint heard.

Monday-Tuesday, April 27-28

The final full day in the Philippines involved packing all vestments, books, clothing and sundries into luggage and readying for a journey back to the airport for a flight that would depart at the unkind hour of 1:35 AM. With some time to kill and with Fr. Joel's knowledge of how rush hour traffic would inconvenience the trip to Clark Airport, a little time was spent at the very lively Tarlac City Mall, an experience reminiscent of a time in America when malls seemed to be the center of the commercial universe. After a meal of rotisserie chicken at a thrivingly popular Asian restaurant called "Kenny Rogers Roasters," (yes, that Kenny Rogers) the three finally loaded the little Mitsubishi one last time. With goodbye's said, Bp. David and Fr. Paul entered the airport to begin a more than 30-hour journey with layovers shuffled between three flights bringing the two back to Wilmington, NC and Greenville, SC respectively. It had been a very successful and fruitful visit to an APA Global Partner Church that is truly doing well.