Manila this time of year is wonderful! When I think of where I was this time last year in the cold windy city I am so thankful I wasn't called to Russia or someplace with extreme cold.
I have to apologize for not updating my blog recently, life has been crazy, my computer has been down, and apparently since I moved only a couple floors down in the condominum I can no longer have internet at my house. I've had my fair share of internet troubles, and it seems like I have to give, for at least this year.
I wanted to just quickly update you on what God has done since I last wrote, it seems like so much has changed, friends have left, God has answered prayers, the holidays have come and gone and life goes on. School is back in session and I can't tell you how ready I was. After a long break I was so excited to see my kids again and get back into the classroom.
Over break I was fortunate enough to have found a good deal on a car. It's nothing really fancy, but it gets me from point A to B. I'm so blessed to have been able to afford a car, it allows me independence that not everyone can have in the Philippines. I also moved into a new condo with a new room mate. The place is small, but cozy and now that we're settled in it feels so good coming home to a place that is my own.
For Christmas some of my friends and I went to a small island resort off of the island Cebu. It was a wonderful time with friends, although it wasn't all that I had expected. The island was there specifically for divers, and since I'm not a diver there wasn't a ton to do. The place we were staying at had no air-con, no hot water, and in fact the water that they did have wasn't even fresh.. haha showering in salt water was a new experience I had never had before... I guess I was wrong in
assuming there would be fresh running water.
There was also a lack of security, apparently, when one night, as I was getting into bed, I noticed a man's shadow in my window. My bed was right under th window so I got really nervous, and while everyone else was alseep I watched as this man came onto my porch and shut my window and then left... strange.
Last week school started, and my schedule has gotten busy again. Friends have started to announce their decisions of whether they're staying next year or not. This last weekend was kind of a reality check of what next year could be like. Life as a missionary is always filled with good-byes. I'm praying that the Lord would keep me from becoming jaded or closed off.
In light of these announcements this week, I've been really missing my friends from back home who have always been there. If I'm completely honest I'm nervous that things will have changed so much that relationships will change or become awkward. As I was telling someone the other day I've entered this place in my life where I will never be fully satisified in where I am. In the Philippines I will always have a part f me that will want to go back to Seattle, but then when I go home there will always be a part of me that would love to return to the Philippines. As I've been processing this I've been reminded that I will only be fully satisfied through my Savior (psalm 107:9). Thanks for taking the time in reading this blog. I'm encouraged every time I read someone's comment or email back!
Here are some pictures I've been able to take in the last few weeks.
These were some squatter kids who were living on the beach. They came over everyday, and on this day they discovered I love frisbee, so we were having fun playing frisbee and taking jumping pictures. The kids here are taught to beg and ask for money from the tourist, so I was thankful I could give to them in another "non-material" way.
On one of the last nights I kept on hearingthis whimpering and my friends and I found this puppy lost and trying to climb up to our porch... I couldn't help but include this picture, it was such a cute puppy!
Me and the guys... they were real cute.
A huge lizard we found on our ceiling... I've gotten used to finding geckos everywhere, but this guy was a little too big for me. yikes!
My friend Sharon and I on Christmas morning... that's right, in my bathing suit :)
The Manila skyline on New Years... I have never seen anything like this. The sky literally lit up on New Years, there were hundreds of fireworks going off. Faith is on top of the hill so we sat up on the soccer field and enjoyed watching the sights!
My new friends Sarah, and Val.
I thought I should include a picture of my new car... Filipinos are also known for their accessories in their cars, and so the guy before me decked it out with a really nice system.
We joke that my car has tv, but my house doesn't...
My old room mate Ruth on the left and my new room mate Karen on the right. Hopefully I'll be able to visit Ruth one day again, she is such a fun girl!
