guapas

In Cebu, pretty girls are called "guapas." As in most Asian cultures, pale skin is desirable, so they call all white girls guapas. And they stare at us a lot. And they tell us over and over again how beautiful they think we are. We're kind of used like a sideshow attraction sometimes. One lady told us that the guys would see us at some program or event and say "The guapas are there! The guapas are there!" and then they'd want to come to the thing. And then they hear the gospel, all because they wanted to come stare at the white girls. It's annoying sometimes, but I see that God can use it.

This story is not about God using us so much as it is about men staring at us and making us laugh. We have on the Doulos what we call the Sundeck. It's above the Boat Deck where the lifeboats and bookshop are, and it's open, so that you can go there and get some sun (thus the name). Today Kris (who is American but of Dutch heritage) and I were sitting on the Sundeck, leaning against the railing. We could see the people walking past to go to the bookshop. One of the men walking past happened to glance upwards, and he saw us. I didn't see him at first, I was reading a book and not paying attention. But Kris saw him and he was making eyes at her. He continued walking while looking up at us and trying to flirt. He was doing well with that for a while. But those sneaky lifeboats...sometimes they just jump out in front of you! He walked straight into my lifeboat (that's lifeboat 6, the biggest one on Doulos, we call it the Life Ship), dropped his shades and phone, the phone fell apart, and he was feeling really dumb. That's when I noticed him, when he ran into the lifeboat. We laughed, a lot. So did the security guard who was guarding the entrance to the bookshop. Maybe that'll teach him to stop staring at pretty girls.

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Rachel