Dancing with the King of the Ages!

Greetings from Cebu! I've been here for two and a half weeks now and I figure it's about time I showed off some pictures of things I've done. For the most part life consists of going from my hotel room to work and back. However, I'm trying to use my weekends well and get out to see the city. Last weekend I went to the Ayala shopping center, twice. I went on my on on Saturday and then Sunday my coworkers wanted to go, so I joined them again. Other than being a shopping center, they're several yummy looking restaurants and a beautiful garden in the center. Here's a self portrait showing off the garden. This fountain is at the mall too. Just a fun water feature. My favorite discovery so far... Gelatto! The first time I tried mango. It was SO good! I am absolutely loving the mangoes. They're fresh and taste so yummy! I have a mango shake or mango juice any chance I get :) I've started "collecting" the Starbucks mugs that are specific to the region ...

Can I just say, I love my job! I was just struck today by how amazing God has been to me. I was just sitting poolside at a grill restaurant in the hotel I'm staying at, in Cebu Philippines, eating molassis and pecan crusted salmon as this great tropical breeze blows by and I just have to be amazed. All of this is being paid by work, and all I have to do is my job, which I love! Never would I have thought three years ago that I would be on my second oversease business trip with this company. I dind't think I'd be there longer than 6 months and this month marks 3 years! I have been so blessed to be able to travel and do what I love. I've been to Asia 4 times in the last 4 years. A testiment to God's sense of humor since I never had any desire to go to Asia :) But if I'd gone to work anywhere else, my opportunities to travel probably woudln't have been available. So, things that happened today to make me write this... I had jumbalaya and fresh, as in I co...

It seems like I get the urge to blog about once a month :) Or maybe it just takes that long for things to change at work just enough for me to write about it. I'm not sure. Either way, it's been a while and things are on the move, again. Not a whole lot has changed recently. At least not concerning work, but I'll get to that... Stess and I are thinking about living together again, but it probably won't happen until the end of summer, maybe. She's teaching out in Sandy as a temporary sub for the rest of the year. It's nice to know she's got a steady job, but that's causing her some stress since she now has to plan a lesson every day as well as get her school work done. We don't see each other as much anymore since we're on the opposite ends of town. We're making up for it during the weekends though. Last weekend Mom, Dad, Stess, Crista and my Aunt and Uncle all came up to Portland to see Cat's the Broadway. I think we all agree tha...

Well, my trip to the Philippines is still a go! No, I'm not excited... Not even a little ;p I fly out around 2pm on Wednesday, July 29th. It's quite a long flight, but I honestly don't mind. I love flying! In fact, I was at the airport on Friday night, to catch a shuttle to go to Corvallis, and got excited seeing the planes as they land! I've always been that way though. I remember when I was growing up, my family lived near the airport and we knew all sorts of missionaries, so it was quite common for us to go to the airport to pick up people. This was all in the days of guests actually being able to wait at the gate and see the plain coming in. We have pictures of my sister and I standing at the big windows watching eagerly as the plains are taxing in. So, as long as I can remember, driving up Airport Way in Portland, headed to the airport gets me excited. There are so many possibilities! Anyway, I'm getting off track... I haven't written much lately,...

Right about now I get a little bit "home" sick. No, it's not for my childhood home or where my parents live, though I miss that home too. But today I miss my Mongolian home. For the past two years I've either been there now or headed there soon. Unfortunately, this year, I'm not going and that's sad. I'll readily admit I can see why and I see God's hands in this (especially since I'm going to the Philippines!!!) but still, I miss my Mongolian home. I've been looking at my pictures tonight and thought it'd be appropriate to post some. So, though you may have never been, I hope you enjoy them even half as much as I do! Ulzi and Moogi and their family. They're in the Philippines right now! Our breakfast table... Having fun in the river I'm pretty sure one of the kids was taking this picture... :) Turtle Rock in the background goofing off while playing cards... again, I think the kids were taking this picture. Ruthie's nickna...

About two months ago, an email went out at work. It went something like this on a Friday afternoon, "I (being my boss' boss...) am looking for a list of volunteers who would go to the Philippines for three months. There would be no time to come home for a break during this time. I need an answer to give to the Company by Monday." Being the somewhat reluctant traveler that I am (NOT!) my response was "something" like this... "I'LL GO!!! When is it?" Unknown to be was the fact I had accidentally hit respond to all, so every manager and every senior, saw how "un"willing I was to go... That was Easter weekend. I told my family, got all excited about the possibility, and moved on. Again, being the "reluctant" traveler that I am, I didn't get online and look at flights to the Philippines and I didn't try to find where I would be located. Of course I didn't look up World Venture Missionaries in the off chance that I...