Friday, January 11, 2008

Back to blogging


Whether we are in the Philippines or in Thailand, December proved to be the busiest month of the year for us. This is the reason this blog has not been updated for a while. Nevertheless, our hearts are full of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord as He has given us an opportunity to celebrate Christmas and New Year in a special way. 

We spent Christmas Eve at the church, fellowshipping with believers and non-believers alike in a Christmas program that we helped to bring about. It was the first Christmas ever in the church that the Nativity had been reenacted. We did a lot of rehearsals for the presentations and carol singing days before Christmas that kept us up the whole night. So, we took a couple of days to catch up on our sleep after Christmas. Since the church’s primary school too had its break, we seized the time to fix the van’s seat upholstery which was in bad shape. 

The children deserve a comfortable ride from daycare/primary school to their homes and vice versa. We received a call from Ate Imel Tabije (fellow Filipino missionary ministering in Chiang Mai) and invited us to celebrate the New Year with other Filipino Christians in Chiang Mai. And although we really wanted to go, we were hesitant at first because we didn’t have the money for the trip. Ate Imel’s financial assistance eventually enabled us to go. Thus, we were reunited with old friends and met new friends. The time we spent with them was indeed refreshing and encouraging for us. 

 We also visited and spent time with Jeph and Apple’s ministry at Hope House and their tribal outreach. It was the second time we celebrated the holidays away from home and we miss our family very badly. The children missed their cousins (which are not too many) and the thrill of opening gifts from their ninongs, ninangs, lolas, uncles and aunties. They also missed the fun of giving gifts to their friends and loved ones. 

Last January 5 we marked the second year of our stay here in Thailand. Two years of God’s faithfulness, living in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We recognize that our stay here as God’s witness. We want to thank you all for your prayers and generosity. We are looking forward to a more fruitful partnership and hoping we can meet you all here in Thailand someday.

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