A Sword

This morning in church my little sibs, age five and nine, pulled out two paper-cutout crosses, turned them around and waged battle against each other with their "swords". The Cross of Christ as a weapon. So we made them stop, obviously a full out war in the back of the Sunday service would be disruptive. But more than that, I was embarassed, red-in-the-face that they would move to violence with such a terrible and sacred image.
This is the world we live in, this is in our broken-nature. Violence flows out of us as easy as a smile. And more than just their would-be war, I realized that we have never taught them that those who wield the Cross ought not to wield swords. And that our faith must never ever be a weapon, that the Way of the Cross is a way of Peace. Because Christ has called us to much more, and much better.
We all have so much to learn.

Winter + Family = Christmas

All Daddy's girls in one place for the first time. We took advantage of the weather and went for some morning sledding on Christmas Eve.
Mom and Shye.
We could be sisters. Wait, 2 of us are.
Dad and Dakota.
"Sisters, sisters, never were there such devoted sisters."

Into the Grey

After another great Sunday at Church I headed out with friends to enjoy lunch and their good company. We settled into BP's lounge and discussed many things like cats and hammers, psychopathy and patriarchy, cultural conditioning and Christmas plans. When towards the end of our round of Stromboli sandwiches, we struck a deep note and began to probe our views on life's grey areas. The Truth and truths of Jesus as The Way, the canonization and legitimacy of Scripture and the validity of other gods. It was quite a discussion.
I've missed that. I've missed healthy, deep wrestling with people who might not all think as I do, who might have something to teach me, who might need to hear what is in my heart, just as I need to hear what is in theirs. And perhaps that's just more cultural conditioning, perhaps that desire in me might speak more to how I've been raised and to my culture, then it does to any human need. I never experienced any such discussion among Filipinos, perhaps I was oblivious, perhaps my language was too limited. Or perhaps the value of individual beliefs and the obsession with truth is a cultural trait limited to where I have been raised. Perhaps.
It's all tying together, all our topics swirling in and out in some sort of mixer dance; what we said, and how I'm talking about it now, inextricably linked and confusing. We reached no conclusions, and no one won or lost, but we made a date for next Saturday morning to go at it again over coffee. I've missed this.

Being Home

Things I love about being home:

• layers of heavy blankets at night,
• long sleeves, fuzzy sweaters and mittens,
• big, beautiful containers of vanilla yogurt,
• not waking to find roach and gecko carcasses in my home,
• making phone calls - not texts,
• great sermons and having communion,
• driving again, driving a truck(!!),
• pecans and almonds in great big costco-sized bags,
• cupboards full of baking ingredients,
• being invisible on my street, at the store, anywhere,
• constant access to my fam,
• having a new little sister!

Things I don't love about being home:

• the weather,
• my skins reaction to the weather - (think lots and lots of lotion),
• getting into frigid vehicles,
• the rude and self-centered side of this country,
• the lack of easily accessible, cheap, public transportation,
• having cold feet, hands and nose - always!

Finally

I am Home! And that is as exciting and cold as you all imagine! Will write more later. Thanx for all the prayers that saw me through this year and the many, many flights to home!

Manila-Land

Manila, again, I'm back. And oddly arriving last night felt a bit like coming home! Not like the excitement I have inside when I think about Thursday. (Yay!) But just this comfortable happiness at seeing all the familiar places, the traffic, driving past all the malls. I've noted that perspective must play a lot into my vision, living here I never romanticized this city into a happy, pretty-lights kind of place. But enroute to loved ones and Canada, my eyes see good things.
Until of course I ventured out with a dear friend this afternoon to attempt my last minute purchases. Big mistake! Sunday afternoon, Christmas season, 18 million people! Such a bad idea! And then trying to find a cab, my aching lungs, mixing with the experiences of the day, reminded me, that all is not wonderful in Manila-land.
But I am happy to be here, enroute, visiting friends and my Manila family. And happy to God for those friends, and to be going to a place my heart's been wanting for a long while. I'm blessed.

The Beach and The Nuns

Well, it worked out for me to go for a wee travel to round out this year. And so another missionary and I have been travelling southern Negros for the last few days. Starting off here in Dumagette on the harbor.

There's this amazingly hilarious statue on the sea walk, of the nuns arriving on the boat from France. Only they don't seem to have a united front. One is evangelizing the sharks while the back one seems to be trying to keep it at bay. The middle one seems to be hailing a tricycle.

We hiked way up into the jungle to see the lighthouse, and we were not so impressed. It looks like a fat street lamp!

And then we found the old one, which slightly redeemed the journey.

This is the spot we stayed at, looks rough I know! But unfortunately Lonely Planet told us this beach was gorgeous white sand, and what's actually true is that it is white shell and rock! Sore feet! I wrapped my camera bag in plastic and climbed all the way out to the giant rock below to catch this picture.

Sunset behind the Black Rock, rather unlike the one on Lost.

Glorious skies!

The uninhabited side of Apo Island.

We found this awesome spot to spend the afternoon on the river! It felt just like a summer day in BC, except for the palm trees!

Looking good, feeling good!

Lindsey at Forest Camp.

The kinda sort swinging bridge at Forest Camp.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I finished my last shift this morning. My work and practicum are officially over. Tapos na, humana ko. Here are all the lovely ladies I've been working with these last six months, they've all taught me so much. I started off the year working with the beautiful Mercy midwives in Manila, and I'm finishing it with the beautiful Glory midwives here in Cebu. And as they all pointed out (very jealously), I am extraordinarily white in this picture. But do not worry, I'm on my way this very hour, to spend the rest of the week fixing that! I have my backpack with me, in this little internet cafe, and in a bit I'll head out and meet my near-stranger traveling companion. I love traveling, and I really like doing it with near strangers too! I have seen many corners of many countries with people I barely know, and great pictures always result. Someday maybe I'll travel with dear friends, until then I'll take adventures with whoever is keen.