Update on Tim!

Maayong Buntag! As Tim shared last post, he is currently traveling into northern Mindanao with people he just met yesterday! This picture just reminded me of the empty seat he's left here in our home....I miss him.

He left Saturday morning after meeting his contacts' cousin who took him to lunch and then boarded a bus to take him towards their final destination of Dipolog.

While he was boarding the bus, I had the pleasure of attending our last portion of orientation with Newlife at Outland Adventure. Yes, I had to go through the ropes course like everyone else...only I have been suffering from a bad urinary tract infection! So between trips to the CR (aka comfort room) to pee, I was climbing 40 feet towers, falling aimlessly into the arms of my peers and sliding down a giant zip line. We learned a ton about teamwork and I learned that I am way stronger than I originally thought! With the help of the other midwives-to-be, I climbed a wall and had team mates STANDING on my shoulders to get the tasks accomplished. I came home exhausted and with MAJOR bruises ALL over my body! Some in places I had no idea you could bruise! But the sad part was that I came home to an empty house. Tim was gone.

BUT, we have been texting via cell phones while he still gets phone service. He said that when he arrived at the first church last night, it appeared as though he was going to sleep in the church's rough kitchen on a bench....but then someone found him a bed in the room next to the kitchen (what a blessing!). But then people began to wake up around 3 am, rustling about in the kitchen, followed by the roosters crowing at 5 am as well as the cats whining.....not much sleep, but he was grateful for the bed.

Breakfast was fish and rice..... his favorite....I think his words were, "NOW I am a missionary!"

Then he headed into church to preach. He said he shared all that he felt he was supposed to, but the response was pretty lifeless. Then for lunch.....fish and rice....and they just kept feeding it to him, so I had to text him the cebuano word for "full". :)

Then this afternoon he preached again, but changed his sermon plans. He says that a text I had sent him earlier in the day changed his mind. I had said that His heavenly Daddy was proud of him and he felt like the Lord wanted him to share that with the next church. He shared about what an incredible privilege it is to be in the Father's House and with that comes the fact that we are His sons and daughters....and with THAT comes a whole host of blessing....the Kingdom of God. Good word. He said that the response was really good. That blessed me to hear.

As of now, he is waiting to board another bus at 3 am set to arrive in Dipolog at 4 pm Monday! That's a LONG time on a bus! While he is tired and still a bit nervous, he is doing well and listening intently to his Father's voice....He is so desiring to be a blessing to whomever he bumps into.

I am so grateful for Tim. He is a man seeking the heart and voice of his Father. While I have no right to be proud, I have to say that I am overwhelmingly proud of him. What a bittersweet joy to see him step out in faith.....to do things he's never done with people he's never met in a country he knows very little about in a language he doesn't speak...I miss him ooodles. Please continue to pray for him and for all the people he comes into contact with.....

Please also pray for me as I know that satan is trying desperately to disable us any way he can...my health has been poor and I know Tim has been worried about that. Thank you for uplifting us with your prayers. We so appreciate it!

Be blessed.

You want me to preach?!

I've spent this week preparing for my upcoming trip across Mindanao. I have been invited to preach on the 30th at a church in Kidapawan, a city about two hours from Davao. After I preach there, I will travel with a man named Bonifacio, who is an apostolic man who overseas many ministries around the island of Mindanao. We will be traveling to his home in Dipolog which is on the west side of the island, approximately 10-12 hours from Davao. Bonifacio says that we will stop in at several churches along the highway, but I'm not sure for how long or in what capacity. In Dipolog he says he will take me to minister to the poorest people in the Philippines. He will also gather many pastors, though I'm not sure if he wants me to preach to them, or simply meet them.

The whole thing is a little scary and overwhelming. When I received the invite I was tempted to decline, telling him that I'm not a preacher. But then I realized that I have been praying and asking God to throw me into situations where I am way over my head so that I must rely solely on Him. Sometimes it can be very frustrating when God answers prayer.

Please be praying for me as I prepare. I'm not even sure how many times I will be asked to preach. I've only ever preached a couple of times, so I am way outside of my comfort zone and my skill set. I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed because I there is a great deal that I want to share with them, but as far as I know I will only be able to preach one time in each city.

Please pray that I hear the Lord clearly on what he would like me to share next week. Also, please pray for my general safety and well being. I am not traveling with anybody I know, so I will be feeling a little isolated. It would seem that in order to get to Dipolog, one has to travel through a large Muslim territory that some deem as unsafe. I feel strongly that the Lord is going before me and I am right in the center of His will, but that doesn't mean I don't need your prayers.I'm not sure how long I will be gone, but I will most certainly write all about my adventures upon my return.

Lastly, please pray for Bethany. She will be all alone here, and I'm not even able to give her an exact time for my return. People seem to like pictures, so I'll include a photo that I took last week at dawn from one of the local beaches.

Cheers,
Tim.

Break from Homework for new family time!

Remember this little one? Baby Glenn! I got to chart at his birth and hang out with my dear friend, Rezel.....Last night, Tim and I had the privilege of inviting some friends from our church over for a feast! I REALLY needed a break from my GIANT homework assignment....I have been in the birth room 4 times this week, too! So, I REALLY needed some time for play.

My friends, Nene (pictured just below) and Rea came over at 2 pm to start cooking for our feast....we cooked pancit (noodles with veggies and beef), sweet potato coconut something or other, squash soup, lumpia shanghai ( like spring rolls with meat) with sweet garlic dip, fried milkfish, coconut pudding, fruit salad, and brown rice! To drink...Calamansi juice!In addition to Nene and Rea, we had Mama Jo (Nene's mom) Nene's brother and his wife, Ruth as well as their two kids, Yanny and Alex. We also had Rezel (remember her?...she had baby Glenn!) and her hubby, Pastor Nelmar, their sons, too and Ludina (remember her? She's pregnant, too!) and her hubby Kalvin and their beautiful daughter, Keena. We had an amazing time learning Cebuano, singing, laughing....just hanging out!
Yes, we did Rea's hair....Rea is a fantastic cook and a great friend. She sings almost every Sunday at our church, too.
Mama Jo and the kids LOVED attacking my birth ball chair....they were a lot of fun!

Last Sunday, Pastor Manny had referred to us as 'visitors' and I told him that we were NOT visitors, but we were FAMILY now....and so we needed some family time. We have been so blessed by our church family here.

Only one more question to do on my homework (of course, one question takes about 2-3 days!) and then Tim and I plan on enjoying each other a bit. :)

Please continue to pray for us as we are still feeling a bit overwhelmed and have just started feeling somewhat homesick. As the fall begins in Vancouver, we are missing the changing of seasons....walks on the Steveston pier with our dear friends, Uncle Bob and Syl...missing our weekly walks on the Stanley Park sea wall.....the leaves turning color...pumpkin patches, cranberry sauce....Tim misses Sleeman's Honey Brown....and of course: Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice SOY latte, beautiful bridges, highways, and I miss my garden. But ya know, we still feel at home here, too...and we know we are right where we are supposed to be....

Be blessed.

First Assisted Birth!

This is lovely Gina and her new son, Kent John Christopher. Yesterday, I worked swing shift (2pm-10pm) and though I had class from 2:15 pm 'til 3:30 pm, I got to assist in my very first birth!
Now, some of you may wonder what "assisting" means when talking about birth....so let me explain.

The first step in the birth room is OBSERVING 10 births, then you get to CHART for 5 births, next comes ASSISTING for 10 births, after that.....you get to catch and handle the babies!

So, 9 more assists and I get to deliver babies...!

Ate Susan was my supervisor while Josephine was the handling midwife. As Gina was laboring, it was my job to check the fetal heart tones every 5 minutes, as well as get any supplies Josephine might need for the birth.
As Gina began to push, I got to continue checking the heart tones in addition to making sure that Gina was still doing well.
And once the baby's head was out, I prepared to get handed the baby to bulb suction and wipe down.....THEN KENT FLEW OUT sporting his umbilical cord around his middle, shoulder and neck! Josephine quickly unraveled him and passed him to me to suction his snotty, amniotic fluid-filled mouth and nostrils and meanwhile, dry him off and put him on his mommy's chest.

Then, I got to give him an Apgar score....he was at a 7 because he wasn't crying and his coloring was pretty blue....but I flicked his feet and poked his hands and he began to cry....then I gave him his Vitamin K shot and he HOWLED! Good sign....then I gave him another Apgar score...it was 8 by then, and put him to his mommy's breast. He started to feed a bit.

Then I palpated his mommy's abdomen (called the fundus) to make sure all the clots were out after she delivered the placenta (that was quite the job!) and then I gave her an oxytocin shot to stop the bleeding.

I checked her blood pressure, pulse and fundus every five minutes for 15 minutes and then I was done!

I cleaned up the birth room, the birth cart and the pink pads and thanked the Lord I hadn't made any drastic, devastating mistakes. The only one I made was forgetting to put on another set of gloves to palpate the mother's belly! Ooops.

Assisting a birth goes so fast and you really have to be on your toes....I was so grateful that Ate Susan and Josephine were so clear with their instructions and so gracious in their teaching. What a blessing! The best part was that Kent John Christopher is healthy and his momma is doing well.

Despite the crazy schedule, insane amount of homework, and my heading into the night shift this evening, I am doing okay......busy, but blessed.
Below is another pic of Gina, baby Kent, Gina's awesome bana, and her midwife, Beautiful Josephine. What a joy to be a part of their birth.
Please be praying for Mercy Maternity Clinic as we are being inspected by the Philippines Department of Health. It is a scary and stressful time. Please pray that the Lord's favor will reign down on the clinic, the Filipina staff and the patients. We really need the Lord's grace.

Please also pray for our health and finances as we have hit some rough times, too. Most of us are hitting some serious spiritual warfare right now, both internally and externally. Thank you for all your prayers, comments, encouragements, and e-mails! We are feeling well-supported and equipped by the grace of God to continue in this adventure. We are so grateful that the Lord is taking care of us as we do our best to serve Him in whatever capacity He desires!

Be blessed!

Visitors and Homework

Sorry we haven't written in a few days. We had our good friend Heidi visiting us for five days. She had been with Impact Nations on a Journey of Compassion in Manila and was able to fly down to Davao to see us. We had a great visit with her and I got to go diving with her. We also made a new friend, Eric, who was also with Impact in Manila and came to Davao for a few days in search of cheap scuba diving.

Eric was very kind and treated me to my first diving experience. We went for two dives on Sunday. For my first dive I went with an instructor to a depth of 25 feet for about 40 minutes. The instructor said that I did well enough that I could join Heidi and Eric for their second dive. On our second dive we went to a depth of 50 feet for 50 minutes. We saw lots of amazing coral and some pretty fish. I really enjoyed it.

Bethany has been working hard on a very large assignment that is due in a couple of weeks. One top of that she is still working 4 shifts this week. Please be praying that she will have the endurance to get through it all.

I am preparing for a trip across Mindanao (the large island that we live on) that begins in a week and a half. I'll tell you more about that in my next entry. I've also been working on designing a website for my photography. I don't know anything about web design, so it has been quite a challenge. I hit a roadblock last week and took a break, but I'm going to start to tackle it again soon.

Here are a couple of pictures from Bethany's camera. One of them is a photo of Bethany's class, the other is from our trip to Chow King with Eric and Heidi where we "enjoyed" halo-halo, a desert that consists of sweet potato ice cream, gelatin cubes, and ice shavings.

Cheerio,
Tim

"Orientation"

This is the 'balut' boy....selling balut (half-formed chicken still in the egg...feathers and bones, as well!)

For orientation this week, the Filipinas took us on a field trip out into the Bukid....outdoors, far, far away....we had a LONG DAY and it was A GAS! Here are some pics from our journey.
Me eating the balut. Gotta try it once, right?
Midwives with the golden David by the ocean....as midwives, we find this statue hilarious...even the Filipinas giggle!
Cutting open the famous "fruit of the gods" - - DURIEN! Smells like #%@&, tastes like heaven....or so I am told....I can't say I agree!
Mercy Staff and Students getting acquainted. 'Nuff said.
Our dear friend picking fresh buko (young coconut!) for us to cut open and drink.....Mmmmm!
The jeepney the Filipinas rented for all us newbie students to travel in for the day of Filipino fun!
Our Filipina tour guides: Josephine, Ate Susan, Ate Melody and Ate Estef.
Ahhh, there is my buko! MMMmmmmm! I LOVE BUKO JUICE!

Then we played games! A heavy competition, but fun for all! (Blue team won.) :(
Blue team....Ate Susan, Jenna, Elisabeth, Jordan, Jenn, Carmen, and Stephanie....
Yellow team: Holly, Janelle, Naomi, Tiffany (not pictured is Ate Mae, Ate Estef, Charity, and Jane)
Green team: Sarah, Rose, Ate Ermie, Michelle, Ate Ana, Jenny, and Laura, Jessica
Pink team! Lois, Heather, Bethany, Jonna, Serena, Ate Elai, Josephine! (Genevieve on end taking Medea's place!)

Pray for me this week as I am swamped with homework...but I am excited that my buddy, Heidi is here to visit!

Tim is well...as are bunnies! Just stressed and swamped! Keep those comments coming! We love 'em! Be blessed!

Isla Verde

Well, things are really kicking in to high gear for Bethany. She has been involved in a whole bunch of different orientation/getting-to-know-you activities with the other new students this week. I'm sure she'll tell you all about it in a couple of days, but I thought I would write a blog today since she's got lots on her plate. Oh, and she told me to.

About a week and a half ago, Dad and I went to visit a place called Isla Verde, which is populated by a people group called the Badjao. These people are sometimes referred to as "sea gypsies" and "God forsaken". In fact, the origin of the name "Badjao" is actually "bad Joe", which is a thinly veiled suggestion that they are unwelcome aliens.

The Badjao are extremely poor. They are squatters on government land, living over a sea of garbage along the shores of the Davao Gulf. If you're a Google Earth user, you can see the overcrowded neighbourhood at: longitude 7° 4'15.00"N, latitude 125°37'29.00"E. Their homes are suspended on stilts, six to ten feet over the filthiest mess I've ever encountered. All of the garbage that ends up in the storm drains of Davao City (a city of 1.3 million people) eventually winds up under the homes of Isla Verde.

The neighbourhood is a maze of strange make-shift walkways that are also suspended above the filth. If you need to catch up on your prayer life, I suggest you go for a nice leisurely stroll through Isla Verde. With each step upon those thin, wobbly boards, I wondered if any man of my mass had ever ventured along this path. With each shift of the bamboo supports, I contemplated the consequences of a plunge into the primordial soup. I was later told of another foreigner who "took the plunge" and contracted typhoid within 24 hours. Silly me, I was just worried about my camera.

The children of Isla Verde negotiate those pathways without a care in the world. They seemed truly perplexed when Dad and I stated that we could go no further because the 12 foot stretch of sagging bamboo that stood between us and our destination was more that we dared to attempt. At times the Badjao seemed impatient when we caused traffic jams with our hesitations. There are better pictures at the bottom, but this one gives you an idea of what the walkways are like:
They are a beautiful people though. As always, they loved to have their picture taken, so I was a very welcome visitor. Our guide was a man named Mordegai. He is an African missionary who served the Badjao for many years. He took us to a home to visit some old friends of his. The house was simply one room, approximately 15 feet square. The floor was made up of bamboo slats that had enough room between them that you could easily see the debris that floated far below. The entire structure swayed to and fro every time somebody shifted their weight. We were invited to sit on the floor of their home while Mordegai did a bit of translating for us. We had a chance to pray for them, and I think our visit was a blessing to them.

I hope to go back there a lot in the coming months. Not only are these people very poor, but they have been rejected by the surrounding community. It seems to me that more than anything, they simply need someone to love them. Jesus was always hanging around people like the Badjao. If I want to be like Jesus, I think Isla Verde is a good place to start.

I'll tell you more about Isla Verde in the coming weeks. I have already returned there once since my first visit and Bethany was there today. For now, I will leave you with a few photos of our journey. You can see the garbage in the background of some of the pictures.

CATCH UP! (Long post)

Greetings! Last post I shared that Tim had bought a bunny for our anniversary...for about $1.50, we were able to get a bunny and create a make-shift cage....that was on Monday. We noticed that the bunny we chose, while cute, was pretty lethargic (kinda like us...that's why we picked her!). We had no idea that she had a virus that by Saturday made her so sick that she couldn't keep her head straight. She died in my hands. It was pretty tough.

Even more on Tim as this was his very first pet EVER. He cried a bit. It was a pretty awful and tragic death. So Saturday night, Tim decided that we needed another bunny.....right NOW. And this time he said he wanted two, just in case.

So we traveled to SM Mall and found two female bunnies...one older than the other just a baby and for $5, came home with two bunnies and a water bottle....the water bottle cost more than the bunnies! Crazy! And then we built a new make-shift cage.....our pics give you an idea...we worked hard on it...so the buns are wedged between the file cabinet and the wall in the office area....suspended by bricks and chicken wire...comforted by my dish towels and cardboard boxes. We're pretty proud of our accomplishment! If you even need ideas on how to creatively build any animal cages out of stuff you can find in the third world...let us know! :) So here are the buns.....
Bun-Bun #1
Baby Bun #2

Then this passed Friday, we picked up the rest of the new single students entering Newlife School and Mercy Maternity for the Fall semester! Complete with all of their personals, Janelle, Sarah, Holly, Michelle, Stephanie, Serena, Jordan, and Jessica walked outta the airport all smiles and ready to face Filipino life. They are coming from all different walks of life to spend the next two years learning to be midwives while serving this amazing country. Please pray for us as the next two weeks are filled with orientation, classes, homework, and adjusting to our new schedules. It's busy already! But we are itching to get back into the clinic to work with the Filipinas again..... and by the way....my dear friend, Rezel, and baby Glen are doing fantastic and all is well. Thank you for all your prayers.


And last, but not least...the day we got the bunny that ended up dying, Tim took me to dinner for our anniversary! Seen here is the owner, Claude, who has lived here for 14 years and is originally from France! He speaks fluent English, Cebuano, Tagalog and French!


We had a lovely meal at his restaurant and because we were missionaries celebrating our anniversary, he gave us a great discount and blessed us so much.....you see, I have been aching for some cilantro....yes, it seems weird, but I LOVE cilantro and it is impossible to find it here. However, I noticed that Claude had put some cilantro in a salsa that we had with our bread and I just had to ask where he got it.

He said, "Oh you can't find it here....I have to grow it in my garden!" I told him that I was craving it and was so blessed to find it in my meal....he said, "Well, come by my house and I will give you some roots to grow your own!"

I was overwhelmed! What a gift! So the next day, Tim swung by the cafe to pick up my roots and Claude graciously packed three planters with three beautiful cilantro plants! Not just the roots, but the WHOLE plant....and THREE of them! They are growing great in their planters on our porch and I am so enjoying cilantro in our food. It's the little blessings that remind me that God is DAILY working! We had such a great time getting to know Claude and are praying that the Lord touches him in a very special way.

In other news, while I have been sludging through orientation, Tim is ministering in the Badjao village here in Davao. I will have him write next post and share with you pics and details of this completely different culture within the Filipino culture. Quite the story......

Be blessed and please comment, so we know who is reading! We love the encouragement and the news from the other side of the ocean!

Enjoying a new family......

Greetings! Sorry it has taken a while to post something new.....things are bubbling over here. It's a good thing, but definitely a different season up ahead! I start school this Friday as all the new students arrive! I am a bit nervous and mildly excited....struggling to get more excited just because I have so enjoyed getting to know all the Filipinas and the older students and I know that once school starts, relationship building will be far different and difficult to make time for.

But we did have one last "hurrah" at our house on the last night of Steve and Christina's stay here.

Jenn Germain and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the Filipinas outside of the clinic as the stress of the birth room is no where to be found! We have a great time learning their culture better, hearing their stories, and laughing hysterically as they play little jokes on each other in love. It's great.

So last Sunday night, we invited as many Filipinas from the clinic as possible. We had no idea who would come, but we wanted to try our hand at cooking them an authentic Filipino meal and have them truthfully tell us how we did...well....

We cooked yummy vegetable beef curry pancit (a thick noodle that is FANTASTIC) with fresh market veggies found here along with Chicken Adobo, rice, coconut pudding and fresh fruit. We waited for them and at 6 pm we had 16 people at our house! We were pleasantly surprised!

They let us know what they thought by sitting VERY close to the kitchen table where the food was spread out and eating seconds, thirds and fourths! We were blessed! We passed the test.

Then we all sat in a circle giggling and laughing and then I handed Ate Elsa Tim's guitar.....she hesitated, but only for a moment....and then she began leading us in some silly songs....

Christmas comes early here...September 1st marks the beginning of the season! So Ate Elsa and Ate Susan led us in some traditional Filipino Christmas Carols like "We wish you an Americano"! We laughed so hard!

Then they taught us some beautiful Christmas songs that can only be found here....beautiful.
Then Ate Elsa passed the guitar to Rose (another Filipina midwife) and we worship both in Cebuano and English....then Tim played followed by Josephine (another Filipina midwife). It was awesome. I felt so privileged to have the Filipinas worshiping in my home. I felt as though while they were singing, the Lord was plastering His presence on my walls. I was so grateful.

Then we prayed a blessing and gave big hugs. What a joy! I love these Filipinas! Jenn and I had a really great time and we know that this will not be the last time we enjoy the presence of God with our new family.

Much to Tim's chagrin, it is almost time to set up the Christmas tree! Sweet lovins I LOVE this country!

I will keep you posted on the goings on....
Here are pics from our wonderful evening with the Filipinas and our newest addition, Jill, the bunny (married to Jack, the Germain's bunny).
Be blessed and please continue to pray for us...we are feeling somewhat overwhelmed, a bit tired, and needing a fresh touch from the Lord....

God is so good!

Greetings! As I shared last post, my dear friend, Rezel, from our church was having some labor pains and this morning, I got a text saying that she was on her way to Mercy!
So Jenn and I ran to Mercy to meet Heather, Rezel's scheduled midwife. Rezel was in great spirits and we had a wonderful prayer time for them before scurrying off to prepare for her son's birth. After a LOOONG labor and much pain, baby Glen Robert Sumatra was born at 3:03 pm on September 3!
Named after pastor Glen Knight (note from previous posts), this little guy was HUGE and healthy! Praise the Lord! Rezel did an amazing job and kept a smile on her face almost the entire time. What a joy to be with her and her husband, Nelmar. They were such a blessing to us.
Here is baby Glen with his daddy, Nelmar....very proud father indeed! My second continuity, my 11th birth seen here at Mercy, and a VERY special family to me.
So praise the Lord for His faithfulness and gracious provision of a safe and healthy delivery and please pray that Rezel heals quickly without any complications. Thank you!
In other news, Tim's parents left today and this evening, Tim bought a bunny to celebrate our anniversary....a LIVE bunny! They're less than $2 and our new lady, Jill, is great company when having to do homework alone! I will post pics later....we needed something live other than cockroaches and geckos in our house....the bunny was just a natural progression. :) She's cute! AND we may put her together with Jack, our friends' bunny to make some Jack and Jill babies! Fun for their 7 kids!
Have a wonderful week and next post I will have Tim write....he's good at it!
Be blessed!

Good news!

Good morning! Maayong Buntag! This morning, Tim and I got to got to Faith Baptist, our church here, with Steve and Christina. It was a good morning, but the highlight for me this morning was being able to see my beautiful buntis friends, Rezel (due this week at Mercy) and Ludina (due in October). Please pray for them both as they are excited and nervous for their up and coming labors! The two of them have been such a joy to spend time with. They are both very different individuals.....

Rezel heads up the kitchen staff at a seminary here at Faith Baptist, and is very shy...she has a beautiful smile that she always covers up with her hanky...she is a beauty....gentle and gracious....silly and sweet. What a joy to know her! I get to be at her birth, too!

Ludina is a firecracker! A stubborn, quick-wit lady who goes to a church way out in the mountains and has to stay at the seminary here because she has a low-lying placenta. She works as a secretary here at the seminary and rides on the back of motorbikes all the way down the mountain! So now she must stay in town to rest. She is a fantastic lady and I can't wait to see her hold her new baby in October. Please pray for strength and health for her.

And then this afternoon, I got to go visit dear Janeth at the hospital. Like I posted last night, Janeth was our patient from yesterday who had to be transported for a c-section.

This afternoon, I got to visit her and her new healthy baby girl named Blessy. She is rosy and chubby....a big baby indeed! Here is Blessy with her momma and Grandma at the hospital. All went well for these two and though Janeth is in pain from the surgery, she might be discharged in 3 days. Pray they go fast for her.....DMC is not a fun place to be for very long.

Praise the Lord for a healthy delivery and for His gracious protection! God is so good. I am so grateful for His tender mercies. Blessy is a blessing and Janeth had a gorgeous smile on her face when I visited....no doubt she is going to be a great mommy.

Have a great week! Be blessed!