surprise!

The move to Dallas has brought some surprises.  Like this sign at the trail head, reminding me that being in your home country may pose way more danger than living overseas.









The scorpion on the driveway was a surprise, too.  I have no photo of that, since it was at night.  But then there are largish lizards who also think the driveway is a cool place to hang out.








And there have been really wonderful surprises.  Like how many dear friends we've been able to see as a result of living in a place that's a hub for Bible Translation. Laura (below) and her family were in town in September, and they surprised me with a big cookie to help me celebrate my birthday!

 

 That meant that Michael also got to spend time with his buddy from Davao, 

catching up and sharing a little American culture.

This meeting with Donna was a total surprise.  She came up behind me with a hug as I served coffee at a Bible Translation conference.  I had no idea that she was even in the country! 
It was great to see you, Donna!  

 And there have been visits from other friends whose photos I neglected to capture, like Lorine and Xinia and Janel, and of  course those of you who also now live here in Dallas.  What a joy to see each of you!

Meeting Joan was incredibly special and planned well in advance.  Joan has been a wonderful resource person for us ever since 2012, but we'd never met in person.  When she found out that she was coming to Dallas, she graciously made sure to plan to get together in real life.  

What a delight it was to hug you for the first time, Joan!

 I had only "met" Joanna via her blog, but had been so encouraged for several years both by her blog and through emails.  I ran into her husband who let me know where they were staying (it happened to be the same fourplex where we were renting!) and for the first time we met - her family even invited us for lunch the next day!  What a sweet surprise to get to spend time with you in person, Joanna!

This is a place that teems with people who are passionate about making God's Word known

and available to every tribe and every nation.

It's a good place to be.

Bible Translation conference, October 2015

two worlds meet

 In 2010 we first began attending this little church under a mango tree

in Davao City.  

We never even dreamed that just 5 years later 

the pastor and his wife would be sponsored to join us in our home church 

here in Savannah for a missions conference!

Michael, Amy, Elise, Mark, Barbara, Cathy and Vic at the Missions Conference

 What a sweet week it was, having them in our home,

introducing our dear friends from the Philippines

to dear friends here.

 Cathy visited the girls at college, 

and we brought them home to share the joy for the weekend.

 We were so blessed to have you in our home, Vic and Cathy...

the meeting of our worlds.

God go with you as you continue to bring His Word to your people!

 

another year of His faithfulness

It's that time again, to mark another year of God's faithfulness.

Two weeks ago I celebrated another birthday...very different from my last one,

but still so very good.

Michael's gift to me was a beautiful flowering plant...thank you, Michael!

By Amy's request, I'm recording some of it here for posterity.

How blessed I was by the loving remembrances of so many...

from my amazing extended family, 

and cherished friends who showered me with love.

I am unutterably blessed.

Thank you to each one of you who took time to send

 fun emails and texts and cards, singing to me at church, 

making time to spend with me, and all the other creative ways you found to bless me...

THANK YOU!!

One of my most treasured greetings came from the O. family in Davao (above)

whose only way to contact me was to message Michael on facebook

and to tell him to wish me a happy birthday.

Sweetness.

 To top it off, that evening Mark, Michael and I drove over to have dinner with Amy and Elise.

After dinner at the school cafeteria, we came back to their dorm room for cake and ice cream.

The subtle sign above (Happy Birthday to you in Tagalog!) 

greeted us in the hallway outside their room.  :)

  

And inside they had supplied more decorations.

That's my girls! ♥

 Together again

 And though without transportation, these girls had found ways to bless me with gifts...

a cute mug for my morning tea (thank you, Lise!)

 and a water color rendering of one of my favorite verses (thank you, Amy!)

Mark was behind the camera for most of the time, but Elise did catch us together too...

 NO CANDLES are allowed in the dorms,

so we got a little creative with glow sticks... ;)

Fun memories.

 It was over too soon,

but then, most good things are.

I am blessed,

content, and grateful.

"To it all we say, by His loving enabling, I trust.  

Let us be content with our Lord's will, 

and tell Him so, 

and not disappoint Him by wishing for anything He does not give."
~Amy Carmichael

crossing paths

Our trip across the country included a stop in Dallas

for meetings at our organization's headquarters.

In addition, we had the added delight of a short reunion with co-workers

whom we had learned to know and love in Davao

but who we hadn't seen for the past year.

 It was a very sweet time to catch up with these brothers and sisters of ours,

to reminisce, and to hear how God is leading in each family.

 The kids picked right up where they'd left off...

all ages enjoying being part of that familiar missionary community again.

As is so typical of my friend Leanne,

she opened her home to us, even though her husband was out of town,

and she suggested a time of prayer for us girls in the back room.

 Yes, I took a selfie to capture the moment.

Veronica, you may have never TAKEN a selfie, but you're in one now!

:grin:

The time was bitter sweet, as we all went our ways, 

not knowing when our paths may cross again.

But we know Who guides our paths,

and we thank Him for allowing us to walk alongside these precious people

at least for a little while.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

whirlwind of transition

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind

as we prepare for our departure from the Philippines.

Along with many other things, we've treasured time with friends,

cheered as Michael celebrated his 8th grade commencement,

Michael (front and center) with the rest of the 8th grade class

moved from our house to a guesthouse,

Amy and Elise on an early morning run with their friend, T

 treasured more time with friends,

Michael's buddies

and another Michael buddy who brought a sweet going-away gift

visited Immigration for more fingerprints,

prepared for finals and...

GRADUATION!

(tomorrow!)

our sweet friends pick up the items they bought

and dispersed the last of our household goods.

 Transition is never easy.

But we give thanks for God's goodness...

for our health and strength,

for Elise's braces that came off last night! 

that Amy and Elise have been asked to walk in graduation with the senior class,

(though they are part-time students)

for this guesthouse - a quiet, cool harbor through the transition,

and for those of you who are praying for us through this process...

thank you!

It is well for us that, amidst all the variableness of life, 

there is One whom change cannot affect; 

One whose heart can never alter, 

and on whose brow mutability can make no furrows. 

  ~ Charles Spurgeon

a new nest

It's the season again to sell what we own...to take apart the twigs of our nest.  

Eager shoppers wait for our garage sale to begin!

These bits and pieces of furnishings and possessions were individually not of that much value, but they had been gathered over the past 5 years to compose our home, our family's haven. 

Amy prepares for the flood of customers

Since we will be moving on to another phase, a new position in a partner organization, we won't be returning here to Davao. So we laid all of these elements of home out to be gathered by others who came to pick up fragments that will be of use in their own homes and families.

While friends and strangers browsed and bought bits of our home, some commented that they had come to find mementos of us.  And as they left with this and that to feather their own nests, I realized that it's not the things I'll miss - it's these sweet people and the friendships we've grown.
 

Sweet friends come to shop and to visit

In a sense it's a sad thing to again have no home, to be reduced to the minimum, 

flying away to find a new spot, 

to build a new nest, create a new place for our family.  

The sale was almost like a party, friends staying for an hour or two to shop and talk and help one another!

 But I have a feeling it's also the very best place we could be.  

Purged of the clutter of these temporary possessions,
we have a new vantage from which we can look all the more eagerly
for the eternal home being prepared for us.

 As if that's not enough blessing, in God's comforting goodness,

He painted a picture this week right outside our kitchen window
of His perfect care for us.

An olive-backed sunbird

built her little nest

right here.

Just where I'd see it

and be reminded that it really doesn't take much to build a new home.

Only a little courage and time,
a few twigs and feathers,

all supplied by the One Who cares for me,
and filled with family and love and His nearness -
not one of which are lost in this move.

 And He said, 
“My presence will go with you, 
and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14

Thanks so very much to all who have helped us, 

and prayed for us through these transitions.  

Please keep praying...

the transitions are challenging, 

and we treasure your intercessions.

♥ us5 

all very good

As part of the Holy Week Retreat last weekend,

our family joined the church on a very special excursion.

We met at the dock and boarded a large pump boat, 

off for the day to visit coral reefs and a beach where we could together enjoy the beauties of this country.

 I was surprised at how many of our friends had never been on a similar boat trip before.

We've had the privilege of doing this many times, and I'm afraid that we sometimes take it for granted.

 Because it was so new to many, it was all the more fun,

as we savored it in a fresh way through their eyes.

 And while we sat out enjoying the sun,

 our beautiful Filipino friends carefully slathered on the sunblock,

since in their culture, light skin is coveted!

 At one of the dive spots, Michael hangs out on an outrigger with friends.

 There was some great snorkeling, (Elise and Amy above)

with multi-colored coral and fish.

 Many tried snorkeling for the first time,

 and others were content to hang out in the shade, enjoying the water and the fun!

We reminded our Filipino friends that there's nothing like this in our home country -

 God has graced the Philippines with much beauty.

And we will miss the beauties of these people and of their land.

But they will continue to be reminders of the goodness of our Lord,

and of the far greater loveliness of the eternal fellowship in the place that He is preparing for all of us!

God saw all that He had made, 

and behold, 

it was very good. 

Genesis 1:31