The four of us took off one morning for the hike up the mountain. It took us nearly 1 and 1/2 hours to make the nearly 5 km walk from the town of Pugo up to the Boado Family home, Ayosep. It was a beautiful walk. Most of it was up a winding dirt road. The final kilometer was off onto a weed and vine covered pathway. As we came up over the last small rise and rounded the last vine covered tree, we looked across a rice paddy and saw the small family house about 100m away. I could hear voices and see people standing around. I was thrilled to be in this beautiful and remote place. It reminded me of growing up in the mountains of Colorado.
As we approached the house, I saw a young man outside helping cook the food at the fire. I found out later that he was Pastor Andrew's brother, Mike. I remember being impressed that he was cooking. (And that wasn't even on my list!!)
All four of us hikers were welcomed into the Boado home as if each of us had been given personal invitations. I was amazed at their hospitality and kindness. We were given cold water from the flowing well and a place to sit down. We sat on a bench made out of a log. All of this next to a small pond surrounded by coconut trees.
What really stands out in my mind is the evening meal. I was given a plate with a frog on it. Yes, a frog. Not just frog legs either. The entire green frog with legs and skin and head and ... well, a frog. It had simply been boiled. As I stood there with the frog on my plate, I wondered what I was supposed to do. My mind was going 100mph -- Do I eat the whole thing? Do I eat the head? Where do I start? Do I use my fingers? -- So many questions were rambling around inside my brain. I just stood there wondering and waiting.
As I waited, Pastor Andrew came up to me and challenged me to eat the frog. I looked at him and without blinking said: "Ok, but you go first." I figured I would allow him to eat ahead of me so I could watch and learn exactly what I was supposed to do.
He said: "Ok." I watched wide eyed as he first picked up the frog by the head with his fingers. Next, he stuck both of the legs completely inside his mouth. After that, he clamped his teeth down on the legs right before the body of the frog. Then, he simply pulled the frog legs out of his mouth. As he pulled the frog legs out of his mouth, only the meat stayed inside. I watched as he ate the meat with a smile on his face.
I too had a smile on my face. If you could have heard my thoughts it would have been something like this: "That is all? I only have to eat the legs? I don't have to eat the entire frog? God is so good to me. I can do that."
Pastor Andrew looked at me and said: "It's your turn." I then took the frog and did exactly what he had done with a huge smile on my face. Everyone watched, laughing and clapping for the Americana who had just eaten a frog.
After dinner I remember going outside to be alone. I was fascinated by the brightness of the stars. At that time in the mountains, there were no electric wires and so no electric lights. The lack of electricity made for brilliant stars in the night sky. I was mesmerized.
Pastor Andrew's brother, Mike, found me outside enjoying the sky. He said: "I can take you up higher and you can see the stars even better." So, the two of us walked up and away from the house about 30 meters. We sat in the tall grass and looked at the lights. Two hours later we were friends. I had heard all about his life in Manila and Baguio and his quest to become a Catholic priest. I had heard about his girlfriend, a nurse in the USA. I had also heard about his love for the mountains and his desire to have a coffee plantation. Wow, a mountain man who spoke beautiful English and was easy to talk to. (I do believe those things were on my list.)
That night, along with many of the others at the reunion, I slept on the open back porch of the Boado Family home. It was a bamboo floor elevated above the ground. The space under the porch was a useful storage facility and also home to several animals.
As I fell asleep, I remember thinking to myself: "Mike Boado has knowledge of God but no relationship with Him. When Mike Boado opens his heart to Jesus, he will be a powerful man of God." I began to pray that God would become real to Mike Boado.
I also remember waking up several times in the dark of the night -- What was that sound? Where am I? Why is it so dark? -- I glanced about the porch and saw the silhouettes of the other people still sound asleep around me. Ahhh -- they were all used to the fact that a rooster crowing right underneath their bed was a normal everyday occurrence. I, on the other hand, had never slept with a rooster before. Needless to say, I was not bright eyed and bushy tailed the next morning.
As I walked down the mountain after the reunion, I knew that I had learned some more valuable lessons. I also knew that I had found a place that would always be special to me -- Ayosep, the mountain home of the Boado Family. I knew in my heart that I would return. I didn't know when, but I knew that I had fallen in love with the beautiful mountain place. What I didn't know was that I was also falling in love with the mountain man -- Pastor Andrew's brother.
