Live in the Philippines

Live in the Philippines helps expats with visas, moving and other services regarding the Philippines.

Luanne Shackelford, a long timer in the Philippines

Interviews / by

A few years back, I wrote this article for a different site, but I have decided to re-publish it here on LiP.  It is an interview that I did with Luanne Shackelford.  Luanne, also known as “AmericanLola” is a good friend, and also a former writer here on this site, back in the early days of LiP.  Luanne and her husband, Ed, are long term expats here in the Philippines, and she can teach us all a lot!

Not every foreigner living in the Philippines is the “typical expat”.  There are people of all sorts living in the Philippines.  Not everybody is here because the beer is cold or the girls are good looking.  Sometimes, I feel that as foreigners in the Philippines, it is important that we all support each other, regardless of our differences.  Today I am interviewing a friend of mine who does not fit the typical expat profile.  Her name is Luanne Shackelford.  Luanne and her husband, Ed, are missionaries here in the Philippines and have been so for quite a long time already.

Luanne Shackelford
Luanne Shackelford

I met Luanne and Ed maybe a dozen years ago already, and have always enjoyed their friendship.  I hope, and expect, that they feel the same way about me and my wife.

What is your name, and can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Luanne Shackelford (American Lola on the LIP site). My husband and I have been married 47 years and have raised seven children, 5 boys and 2 girls. We now have 15 grandchildren! We are both originally from Southern California, and we live in Cagayan de Oro. In the past, we have also lived in Butuan City, and Gingoog City. We are missionaries with a non-denominational mission organization.

Congratulatiosn on 47 years of marriage!  That’s wonderful!

How long have you lived in the Philippines?

We have lived in the Philippines for 31 years, always in Mindanao.

What do you like or dislike about living in the Philippines?

We enjoy the friendly, fun-loving people here. We appreciate that people are generally helpful and kind to foreigners. We enjoy the fresh fruits and veggies, and the reasonably priced meats. We like the lack of regulations and nit-picky rule enforcement. We like being able to help students go to college and have them live with us, becoming part of the family. We are glad to be able to help people who need help, and it doesn’t really take a lot of money to do so. We enjoy the relationship based culture (it helps that we are fluent in Cebuano).

I know that you know this, Luanne, but for the benefit of readers, it was you who really influenced me and made me decide to learn how to speak Cebuano as well.  Listening to you and Ed speak Cebuano with my wife, Feyma, it was very inspirational to me.

Like you, one of the pleasures that I have enjoyed most here is helping people go to school or do things in their life that would not have been possible without a little help.  It is very fulfilling.

On the dislike side, we get tired of being hot and sweaty (as do Filipinos). Traffic. It seems I will always be a California driver at heart! 🙂 The decision of who to help and how much is always a stressful one. I miss Mexican food!!! (I mean REAL Mexican food, don’t tell me about Mooon). 🙂

Now, Luanne… I happen to know that you are a good cook, and you make Mexican food yourself!  So, you can’t miss Mexican food too much! 😉

What made you decide to move to the Philippines?

We knew this is what God had planned for our family. With our love of hospitality, large family and non-confrontational style of inter-personal relationships, we felt we would fit right in here, and we have.

Did you encounter anything unexpected when you moved here? What was your biggest surprise?

Much has changed since we first arrived int he Philippines, 31 years ago. At that time a number of things were surprising: the largest currency was P100, worth $5.00, and everything was paid in cash. No phones. Frequent ‘brown-outs. No electricity = no water. House help made living here possible for me, especially in those early years.

I’ve been living here only 16 years, and the changes I have seen have been huge, I can only imagine the changes in 31 years!

Biggest surprise? Maybe it was how readily people would ask how much money we made, how much something cost, and if we would give them money. Yes, that was surprising, and we had to figure out how to answer those questions in a polite, respectful way… (Hint: Play slightly deaf, change the subject…)

Where do you live in the Philippines?

We are now living in Cagayan de Oro City.

CdO is a nice place that I enjoy visiting.

Are you happy there?

Yes, we are very happy here! We have been happy in each place we have lived.

I think some people are happy wherever they live, others are unhappy wherever they live.  Every place has it’s pluses and minuses, it just depends on how a given person handles those things!

Do you have any regrets that you can share with us?

Well, there have been a couple times when I have done something that sabotaged a friendship that was important to me. Once was by telling my close friend that her sister had stolen from me (small items) and asking her to look for them at home. This shamed her parents and they told her to avoid us because of that shame. The loss of the friendship was nowhere worth the value of those small objects. Hard lesson. Another friendship was crippled when I loaned a dear friend some money, saying I knew she would pay me back. She then avoided me because she could not pay me. Again, not worth the money. We have learned that we should never loan what we cannot afford to give, and then it is better to just give it, if you value the friendship.

Money issues can certainly be tricky to handle properly.  Experience in living here, though, helps us understand the proper way of handling these type of situations.  On the lady that was stealing, though, you might have been better off the way it worked out, because the stealing could have increased over time, both in frequency and value.

Is there anything else you want to tell us about your move to the Philippines?

Well, I guess my advice to those moving to the Philippines would be to remember that any move involves trade-offs. There will always be things you liked better before, and different things you like better now, in the new place. There is no point in focusing on the later, unless you plan to go back. Thinking about ‘the way it isn’t’ is a big waste of energy and will rob you of the contentment you so much need to make adjustments here.

You sure are right on that, Luanne!  If you are committed to make it, best to focus on the positive, and leave the negative aside.

Some would say we had it rough when we first came here 25 years ago, especially compared to now, But we had a lot of fun! Living here called for creativity and resourcefulness. We made our own bread, hamburger buns and tortillas. (Having helpers was a big asset here) Our kids got to do things they could never have done back in the States! They could play with fire, have a monkey (not recommended), a civet, an owl, explode fireworks, ride around town unsupervised, hitch a trike across town and snorkel almost every weekend. We had candle-light dinners almost every night…! It was interesting! It was a challenge! It was fun, actually! 🙂 We all have a lot of good family memories.

Sometimes, a bit of adversity leads to the fondest of memories!  Those experiences will be cherished by your kids for the rest of their lives!  The experiences also shaped them into who they are today.

But I will add this. We were not here on a whim. We knew this was where God had called our family to be, and knowing that gave us a perspective that others may not have. God is good, and the giver of good gifts, and we found them everywhere!

Luanne, thank you very much for doing this interview and for spreading your good words!  Also, thank you for presenting a positive image of foreigners here.  It is important that there are people like you and Ed to help balance out some of the negative behavior that sometimes gets attached to “all” foreigners.

I have truly valued your friendship over the years!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hey Luanne Shackelford, just wanted to let you know that your interview has been published on the How To Move To The Philippines website! Thank you very much for the interview!

  2. You are welcome! 🙂 By the way, we have a very good Cebuano teacher living here in CDO, teaching our new missionaries. He has free time in the afternoons, if you know anyone over here wanting to learn Cebuano. He is good, and will teach the grammar, not just phrases.

  7. Thank you Bob! It is an honor to be able to encourage all those who read your great blog!
    By the way, the sister who stole was already gone when this took place, so there was no possibility of more stealing! 🙂

    • It is my honor, Luanne! You and Ed are inspirational people, and more people should know about you.

      I have a friend here in Davao who is part of the missionary community. His name is Alan, I think you probably know him. He used to be the Principal at Faith Academy, and now works for Summer Institute of Languages. Alan and I get together on a fairly regular basis to compare notes and catch up with each other. Alan and I have talked before about how the expat community and the missionary community have so little connection with each other, and we both think it’s a shame. I think that both communities could benefit from having more interaction.

  9. Hi John – One thing I always hear when I meet people is “How is American Lola doing?” She has a following, for sure, even though it’s been a long time since she has been writing on the site. Truth is, I hear the same about you too!

  13. And I still can’t help feeling being left behind knowing that there are foreigners who speak Cebuano. I sometimes wonder if my learning Spanish and German is the productive thing to do. 😀

  14. Ha ha… I can’t speak Tagalog, though! 😉 Filipinos always tell me things about Americans being so good and such… or smart… and I tell them that almost all Americans can speak only one language. Most Filipinos can speak many languages. That proves that Filipinos are way ahead of us! 🙂

  22. Ronin Wolf, there are atm’s in the philippines with “taglish” as a language option. also, most tagalog movies are in taglish with english mixed with tagalog…you can almost get the gist of the movie without knowing tagalog. our family enjoys tagalog movies, especially comedy with english subtitles, lol

  26. Hi Luanne And Bob,
    I got busy today and so I am late reading the interview But I must say that Luanne and I share pretty much the same values and observations as do you Bob. I found it note worthy that she mentioned that she found it better to focus on the way life is here rather than the way it was back home and that is my opinion as well. Glad to here she lives in CdO as that is not too far away from here And I may get a chance to go there later this year. It would be nice to meet with another Christian family while I am there. I too try to help others go to school and occasionally with food to those in dire need so i know a little about the many great needs and the few that can help. I like to think I am one of the few and I know you Bob and Luanne Are certainly among the few. I have always believed that I as one man will have little impact on making things better here in Mindanao for the local population but as a group of expats working a little bit at a time ,We might well be making a difference in lives of the very needy. Nice read Luanne and Bob. I always enjoy reading LiP and all other posts on Bob’s many sites

    • Hi Joe – I agree with everything you said. When you go to CdO, I think it would be good if you could meet Ed and Luanne, I think that you guys would really enjoy each other’s company, and see eye to eye on many issues.

  31. I am curious and this may be a strange question, but Luann, how do you folks earn money, especially for over 25 years?

    Just wondering. What delightful story your life has become.

    • Hi Joe – Thanks for stopping by. Luanne may or may not come back and see your comment, but I thought I’d give an answer. I am not speaking for Luanne, because I am not 100% sure that this is true for her and her family, but I am about 99% sure it is.

      Luanne and her husband are Missionaries. Most Missionaries are sponsored by a Church or religious organization back where they came from. A specific Church or a group of Churches may sponsor them. Most Missionaries will go back home on a regular basis, maybe once per year or once every few years. When they are home they will go to the Churches that sponsor them and give a report on their activities and also use this meeting as a way to possibly increase the sponsorship, or at least continue the sponsorship. They will also meet with other possible sponsors if they are needing to get additional money to support their Missionary activities.

      • Thanks Bob.

        I might add that this site is shaping up pretty well, but perhaps some additional questions might be in order since folks are always curious about details.

        IE: How do you support yourself while in country

        Whats the worst thing that has happened to you in country

        Whats the best thing thats happened

        If you could rewind your move, what would you do differently?

        …or questions along those lines.

        i realize most interviews are dynamic, but I am just suggesting a more detailed approach. I really like the concept you have here and I hope my input helps you out.

        Thanks again.

        • Hi Joe – Thank you, I think you have some good suggestions. In fact, some of what you mention are things that have already been on my mind. 😉

  32. American Lola ….. wow that’s a new name.
    this article sure is a ways from Painter Ave. Sure was good to read about you guys
    do you remember us?

    • Susie and Louie! Yes, of course I remember you! I would love tone in contact! Bob let me know you had commented here! I cannot se your contact address here, but you can find me on Facebook! 🙂

  33. I was just praying for the Shackelfords and since we had lost touch decided to Google them. So good to find your interview. Thank you for allowing me to catch up.

    • Hi Linda! Bob let me know you had commented here! I would love to be in touch! I cannot see your contact info here, but you can find me on Facebook!

  36. What a happy surprise to see this interview published again! Thank you, Bob! Your answer on how we are supported is correct! We just got back in October from one of our ‘home assignments,’ and a glad to be back! It was so good to spend time with our kids and grandkids! One of these days we will be in Davao and would love to see you and Feyma again. It has been too long!

    • Hi Luanne – Thanks for dropping by! It was my pleasure to bring this post back for a bit of refreshing, and to be seen by a lot of new eyes. Would love to see you in Davao some day soon! That would be great.

      How about another stint on LiP? 😉

  37. Nice article. I think one of the most important things an expat has to do is adjust their perspectives and expectations when deciding to settle down in the Philippines.