Bright Fellowship

My last night in Baguio was absolutely delightful. It was Wednesday night chapel and they asked me to be the "preacher." I talked about the importance of understanding God's love in one's own life and giving of God's love freely to others not because anyone deserves to be loved but because God loves everyone and sent Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for everyone. I was so excited to give the message because it is something about which I have been feeling really keenly lately: the supreme importance of God's love and how one wants to be where that love is displayed. The Happy Family Overseas Training Center in Baguio is a place of light and warmth because they have learned how to give love like God loves: full of generosity and unassuming blessings.

The students danced for me and we ate sagobe, which is my favorite Filipino treat of purple yam, sweet potatoes, bananas and tapioca, all cooked together in coconut milk. Yum!!! We all danced and laughed and fellowshipped until I had to go to the bus station. The staff gave me presents and the students wrote funny little letters that made my soul smile. At the bus station, the staff waited with me, saying goodbye in the Filipino fashion--for 20 minutes--but it was more of a "See you later!" than a real goodbye because I will certainly be back. (Hopefully 2013 after my foray into the wilds of Africa!) What a wonderful vacation, replete with relaxation and refreshing for my spirit, body and soul.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Going Bald So I finally went through the shaving of my head, which I have wanted to do for a long time. It was a really interesting experience: I did it while I was in Bicol because I wanted the staff to see me without any hair, as I had been discussing it with them for the past month. They are so great! No one said that I would look bad without hair or that I would be a disgrace or something, but they had some practical questions I needed to consider. One said: “You shouldn’t shave your head because the mosquitos will get you even worse!” And another said, “Are you sure you want to shave your head? You are going to need a lot of extra sunscreen!” Both of these comments are certainly true. Without hair, one loses her natural protection against the elements, but I was too set on shaving that I simply laughed and had a good time with their comments. I cut my hair short in stages, which you can see from the pictures. (The first was taken in May 2009 at my college’s research symposium. The...
Read more

Glimpse of Beautiful Ecuador

Image
In Cotopaxi National Park --> Since arriving at the end of September, I had been almost exclusively on the farm in Ibarra, in northern Ecuador. Although I have loved being on the farm, dedicating my efforts and time to the activities of this peaceful milieu, I was happy to be able to explore some fantastic parts of Ecuador. My boyfriend, Alex, joined me for a nine-day adventure around central and eastern Ecuador. We traveled to Cotopaxi National Park, where the second highest peak in Ecuador is located, to Tena and La Selva Vida (the rainforest) and to Ba ñ os, a breath-taking area of waterfalls and green-gilded mountains. I found this snow-capped peak quite mesmerizing, as it appeared from and disappeared behind the clouds. Cotopaxi National Park is about one and a half hours from Quito, the capital, so it was our first stop. We stayed at a fabulous hostel in the middle of nowhere at 11,000 feet, where all our meals were provided. Even though we did not summit t...
Read more

College Friends in China and Los Angeles

Image
Starting the walk up and down the Great Wall at Mutianyu Dinner potluck party at Esther's home My friends from high school and college are all around the country and the globe, so I was blessed to see three college friends this past February before starting a new vocation on Raspberry Hill Farm in Sullivan, WI. I started the month with a two-week trip to southern China to pay a visit to my friend, Esther, who works for the State Department at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, a city of 18 million people. She will be there for two years, starting back in November, so I was glad to have the opportunity to see her in her new realm of work and society. While she worked most days, I took my time to read and do CrossFit work outs, knowing that once I returned to WI, I would have a lot of items on my plate, transitioning into a new career. I enjoyed seeing her home, meeting her friends and eating and cooking together. She even hosted one of my friends from high school, who happen...
Read more