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robatienza

Roberto Atienza was born in Taal, Batangas, Philippines and immigrated with his family to Southern California where he spent his formative years. Initially pursuing medicine (as many young immigrants are encouraged by their parents to do) he came to faith in Christ as a college freshman and soon after felt the call to enter into the ministry. Heather was born and raised in NE Montana in a small Mennonite farming community. After two years at Dickinson State University she transferred to Cal-Poly Pomona where she earned a BS in Chemistry. California is where Roberto and Heather met and where their journey as husband and wife began. Roberto was called to serve as the Music, Youth, and Young Adults Pastor of the Filipino American Christian Church in 2005, has served as their sole pastor since 2011, and was ordained to the Gospel ministry by Converge Worldwide in April, 2013. In 2019 he was called to serve as the Field Director of the Children's Shelter of Cebu, an orphanage for 75-100 orphaned, surrendered, and neglected kids in Cebu City, Philippines. Roberto and Heather have four kids—Dietrich, Tessiana, Juana, and Bastiaan—all of which are homeschooled, 3rd culture, hapa, PK's, MK's ... a reflection of the beautifully interwoven mess of culture and identity that characterizes our family.

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Hapa comes from a Hawaiian phrase which was initially a derogatory way of referring to someone who was half-Hawaiian and half "white foreigner." Now-a-days, the term hapa has come to refer to anyone of mixed-blood origin that is typically part Asian/Pacific-Islander and part something else. ​ Our family is hapa in many ways. Roberto was born in Taal, Batangas, Philippines and immigrated with his family to America at a young age. His experiences are similar to those of other 3rd Culture people (a 3rd culture person is someone raised in a culture other than that of their parents or their country of origin). ​ His wife, Heather, was born and raised in NE Montana in a small Mennonite farming community. How small? It was recently scientifically proven to be the middle of the middle of nowhere. After two years at Dickinson State University (North Dakota) she transferred to Cal-Poly Pomona (California) where she and Roberto met and married, adding yet another culture to the mix. Her Mennonite heritage is rich with tradition, tasty foods, and a joyfully unique sense of humor. ​ Their children are definitively hapa by blood and 3rd culture by circumstance. Roberto has recently taken the position of Field Director at the Children's Shelter of Cebu in Cebu City Philippines. They were all born in America, raised in a cross-cultural home, experienced life as PK's (pastors kids) in a multi-cultural church, and are now leaving their country of origin to return to their father's. ​ So what is Pure HAPAness? It's the pure happiness we experience as we embrace the God-given tapestry of identities that make us who we are. ​ "We created this blog so that you could find out more about the Children's Shelter of Cebu and the work that we will be doing there. We want to share with you the joys, nuances, trials, and triumphs of being an expat missionary family, and we also want you to know how the Lord is working in Cebu. You're invited to join us in this amazing undertaking; this calling that God has placed upon our hearts. Follow our blog, and if so inclined, support our work through prayer and with donations to the Shelter. Online giving can be set up through CSC’s website. All gifts given in the States are tax deductible. Truly, we wouldn’t want to do this without you, and we look forward to forging a lasting relationship with you for God’s glory." -Roberto and Heather ↗
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