Joe and Happy Wipf
Ethnic backgrounds: Canadian and Filipino
For Joe
Tell us what you do for:
Work: Professionally, I manage a finance department for an oil and gas company. I’m a CPA, CGA – Charter Professional Accountant.
Hobbies: Running, biking, hiking.
Name of your kids, and age:
Althea – 9
Ariana – 4
Your favorite activities with your kids: Swimming
Birthplace: Rosetown, Saskatchewan
When did you meet Happy? 1999 at University of Saskatchewan through a mutual friend. We were in University.
First impression of Happy: The first meeting I was being a jerk. She offered me food, and I turned her down. She’s a nice lady and she just grew on me.
What attracted you to her? She was always friendly, very consistent, huge smile all the time.
How did you propose? I hid roses along the South Saskatchewan River. We went for a walk, then I grabbed the roses and proposed.
When did you get married? August 17, 2002
Three things you admire about Happy:
- She’s an awesome mom.
- When I’m irritated and angry, she stays consistent, and it helps me calm down.
- I admire how she interacts with people at church, work, and at home. She gets great reviews and feedback from work and She’s very innovative in how she interacts. One time, she had a client who only spoke Spanish. She used google translation to communicate with her client.
Your favorite family activities: We like biking, and going to the park. We take our dog for walks. We enjoy being out of the house together.
Biggest challenge regarding multicultural marriage: I don’t have an issue with the Filipino culture. It’s been an easy transition for me because I grew up in a Hutterite community. I was a visible minority in the way we dress. Although I was caucasian, I had to interact with different cultures.
It’s a challenge sometimes when my in-laws speak Tagalog. I just move aside when that happens.
Your advice to men on resolving conflict in marriage: Listen, and if you can talk things through to understand her perspective, that’s very helpful. I process stuff slowly, so it helps. Think first before you react and make a bunch of assumptions or become mad or say a bunch of stuff that serves no purpose.
Who are your biggest influences in your life and why? My brothers. I grew up as a Hutterite. Our education goes only to grade 8 then we join to the workforce. My brothers went out of their way to get their degrees. I look up to them. I left the colony and took my degree and now my CPA. I have the highest level of education in my family. My brothers inspired me to do that.
For Happy
Tell us what you do for:
Work: Dental Hygienist
Hobbies: Yoga, spin – stationary bike, singing, cooking
Your favorite activities with your kids: Swimming
Birthplace: Manila, Philippines
When did you arrive in Canada? 1992
First impression of Joe? He was a jerk!
What attracted you to him? Good work ethic. He persevered through all of his schooling. It didn’t come easy for him coming from a colony.
Three things you admire about Joe:
- Really hard-working. If he has a goal, he will get it. It doesn’t matter how long it takes; he will get it.
- He’s very caring. Great with our kids.
- Not afraid to try things. Very hands on. He’s always helping me our the kids. He even braids their hair. He loves his girls so much. He’s very handy in the house.
Your family’s happiest moments: Our dinners, when we eat out or at home, and Joe asked our girls how’s their day. It’s the conversations we have is my favorite.
Your favorite family activities: Swimming, and shopping.
Biggest challenge regarding multicultural marriage: It not a big of a deal for me. We speak English. Sometimes when he speaks German with his family, it feels different, but I don’t mind. I don’t see culture as a challenge.
He might not have the same appreciation of our traditions as I do but he tries everything. When he was in the Philippines, he felt at home there.
Your advice to women on resolving conflict in marriage: Pray first before you say anything. Think about it first then talk after.
Your advice for raising kids: Pray with the kids, and read the Bible with them. Always remind them that God is there for them. If they have faith in God, then they have everything they need.
Who are your biggest influences in your life and why: My mom and dad. They sacrificed a lot for me. They serve in the church. All their lives, they are always willing to serve at the church in whatever capacity.
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