I added lots more photos in CUTE KIDS   and  ALL AROUND CSC  photo albums.   Added a few more to SIBLINGS as well.  ENJOY!!!!

      I have been back in Cebu for six months already!  My one year furlough in the USA seemed to last about 3 months....it seems to have been about one month since I arrived  back here.  TIME.  As I kid I was impatient for school to start, for school to end, for a neice or nephew to be born, for Christmas or for a special event, to arrive.  Adults told me that I should just enjoy the time and not wish away the days.   I didn't believe them.  I was wrong.

      This year will be our 30th anniversary of arriving in the Philippines -  since 1979 .   We had no idea what God had in mind for  us to do !  We got in the way of God's best  plans a few times I am sure,  but we have absolutely seen God's hand in the establishment and growth of CSC for 30 years!   It seems that anniversaries tend to make us look back as well as look ahead...that is what I have been doing recently.  Growing up I was so impatient to know just what I would do with my life....what would I be doing when I was 25?  40?  50?  Now that I know what I was doing at those ages I wonder if I used all the opportunities that God had for me?  I am sure that I missed some.  I  continue to be in awe of God and how He works his will into our lives (or our lives into his will )...sometimes with our permission and sometimes dragging us along - and sad to say sometimes us totally missing what God had for us I am sure.  If I could look back and change something about my life I really don't know what that would be - there are some things I would guess.  But I do love the opportunities that God has given me.  I know I can't see the opportunities that I am sure I missed along the way.  Of course there are days that are hard,  things that are not fair, things that make me mad and things that I would rather have just skipped over....but all the opportunities, good and not so good add up to what is happening TODAY.  And TODAY is good.   At my 75th birthday I wonder what I will be doing?     Hmmmmmm......

     Hey...we all need them!

     We were just blessed with over 600 pair of underwear and over 500 pairs of socks - all brand new of course!  Friends at Berean Baptist Church in Minnesota sent three fully packed suitcases with the over 1100 treasures!   It is a blessing...our stocks were getting low and our kids love new socks and underwear!   I love the way God takes care of our kids!   Thanks for being God's people to meet this need BEREAN BAPTIST!   Thank you too Vanessa and George!

 

     I guess that it has been more than a week...and I guess that I am not even doing well on my hopes to average a blog a week. 

,    I was able to enjoy almost a full week of 70' and low 80's degree weather here!  It was wonderful and I got used to it very fast.  But, sad to say, we are back to the high 80's again now and slowly working our way towards hot season - coming up in April.  YUCK - my least favorite time here.

     We have had three visitors here during the last couple of weeks.  We love having visitors of course - so we have to do some extra fun stuff and also make sure that they see all aspects of CSC. So we have been a little busy making sure our visitors get to know as much about CSC as possible! 

     We had the "soft opening" of our new infirmary building!  Lots of our local doctors came to help us celebrate. What an honor to share with them the blessings that God has given to us..they are part of that blessing. We are hoping to actually be able to have that building available to use in a few weeks!   The new home will be another few months after that.

     Our dear Paula (one of our kids) had major bladder repair surgery this week.  She has done amazingly well though, we know that all the prayers from around the world have helped make  her successful surgery and fast rebound possible.  She is counting the days to when she can come home..WEDNESDAY!!!  Thanks for your prayers  past, present and future!

     Tammy is in the hospital now too... so we have two people to visit when we go.   Tammy is still waiting for results of lab tests but doctors are seriously looking at either Typhoid or Dengue fever for her.  She was very sick a couple days ago but is much improved today.  She is hoping to come home tomorrow!  I told her that I would write my blog tonight in her honor - she ALWAYS writes on sunday's.  Pray that we find out what her illness is and that it will be quickly and successfully treated!

     One of my cats died last week....sad.  He was 14 years old.  My other cat spent a couple days at the VET's office because he was sick too.  He seems to be improving and is  back home, but is locked in my bathroom so I can monitor intake and output!  HA.

     And.....I got a new name last week!  My new name is AUNTIE RACCOON.   Hmmmmmmmm an explanation is needed I know.  One late and dark night before my cat died I was outside prowling around my back yard trying to find my sick cat.  I tripped on my lawn mower (one of the old fashioned rotary ones) and fell,  the handle of the lawn mower met squarely with my forehead as it came flying upwards and I went falling downwards.  My forehead lost.  A few days later I started getting two black eyes...and now have a real RACCOON look!  I have two huge black eyes..really does resemble a raccoons "mask". The kids think it is all quite funny.  A group of us were out to eat at a nice restaurant the other night.  Christine was one of the kids that we invited along with us....she sat staring at me eating my delicious hamburger for about a full minute before quietly but confidently stating  "a raccoon eating a hamburger" and then going back to eating her meal.  It was especially funny and precious coming from  darling Christine....oh my, we all laughed so hard.  Christine consistently comments on my new look...tonight she told me that I was a raccoon eating pancit.  It is kind of fun to have the kids so interested in my new look......but I don't recommend it for anyone to try!  And, NO, you will not get to see my new look here - you will have to let your imagination work. 

NEW PHOTOS of the kids to follow in a day or two!