Today we decided to go "authentic" and give the group a taste of true Filippino life. We met at 6:00 a.m. for breakfast and enjoyed garlic rice, chicken, and other Filipino breakfast dishes.

After breakfast, our first stop was the public market which at 7am was already bustling with sights, sounds, and smells that are very hard to capture in words. Here, workers were busy preparing all sorts of meat and seafood - big and small, live and dead. It was interesting to watch how they prepared their meats and even made sausage. After a short visit at the market, a few in our group vowed to be vegetarians. :) Yet, the market place, like the rest of the Philippines, was filled with friendly helpful people who made our visit a real joy.

After the public market, we made our way to the office of Iloilo's mayor, Jed Patrick Mabilog. The mayor was extremely kind to us and spent quite a bit of time with us. He took us to his office where he discussed some of the future plans of Iloilo as well as some of the city's past successes. The mayor is good friends with Missionary Ricky Martin and spoke very highly of Iloilo Baptist Church.

Our next stop was the Iloilo Police station. The police chief, Chief Garbanzon, was also very gracious to us and gave us a tour of the station's facilities. We then drove to the Breakthrough Restaurant where we enjoyed an amazing seafood meal and a picturesque view of the ocean. Everyone in our group agreed that the marlin we were served was the best fish we had ever tasted. While we were waiting for our meal, many from the group walked around to neighboring houses visiting with the sweet people of the area.

The last "authentic" thing for the day was riding the public jeepneys. We all piled into a jeepney and drove back to the hotel. Driving in the Philippines is hard to describe. But, let's just say the people here enjoy the horn more than the brakes. However, there is no road rage to speak of.

We were able to enjoy a little down time before traveling to Iloilo Baptist Church. Upon arriving, we were greeted by the amazing sound of the IBC Orchestra. There is no comparison to the beautiful sound of this church's orchestra. The singing and special music blessed hearts as it was centered around the theme "In His Steps." Pastor John Wilkerson of Long Beach (also a GSBC professor) preached during the evening service. He gave the testimony of his son Tyler's Homegoing. The Lord used this example in his sermon as he described the godly way to go through trials. Bro. Wilkerson wife's also sang a few of songs during his sermon. Bro. Wilkerson and his wife are a living testimony of God's amazing grace. We were all blessed to overflowing by the night's service.

After the service, we enjoyed a time of fellowship (and a delicious American meal) with Bro. Martin and his family at their house. The Martins are always so gracious to our visiting groups.

Yet, our "authentic" activities of the day could not have been complete without watching college student, Chris Shattuck, eating Balut, a Filipino dish that deserves to be on "Fear Factor." What a sight!

Make sure to check back tomorrow!