Tim's gone....

Greetings! And Merry Christmas! While it has been the Christmas season since October 1st for us "Davao-dwellers", we know that most of our family and friends have to wait until American Thanksgiving is over to pull out the Christmas cheer! I only have to wait until Tim is gone!
And so, Tim left yesterday for Manila to join up with Uncle Bob and Syl to work on water filtration and serve the poor. He will give you updates later, I am sure....he arrived there safely and is enjoying seeing our dearest friends!

As for me....I finally finished my assignment from the place of eternal punishment....it was a loooooong one! But praise God it is done! Test next Wednesday so please pray! And so that freed me up to find all the Christmas decor left here by the missionaries before us plus some things Tim and I had brought and go Christmas-nuts!! Listening to Christmas Harry Connick Jr. and trying to feel cold and festive, I decorated our place.

It's really hard to FEEL Christmas when it's 90 degrees outside, fans blowing every direction and mosquitoes biting any uncovered flesh....

But you know, I had a wonderful time with the Lord....it was so peaceful.....as I cut paper snowflakes and hung them from the ceiling, I felt a joy bubbling from my intestines.....I know it was them because they ached earlier, but they started to feel great!

Then I got a text from the Orange House where all the other students live saying that two of them wanted to come over and study....I was glad to have the company....and even having them over with the Christmas lights felt festive....we had a great time....

Christmas will certainly be different this year, but I am looking forward to learning how to celebrate Filipino style.

Pictured below is dear Christine and her new baby girl. The crazy night swing shift I worked last week resulted in transferring this young, dear patient of mine. She was not a happy camper when we had to transfer her. But her amniotic fluid had been leaking for 15 hours already and we were concerned, so we sent her to be monitored by the hospital.

I went looking for her at DMC the next day to see if she had delivered and see how she was doing, but no one knew anything.....not even the OB ward! I was a little concerned.

So I finally paged her bana and he came running to me to give me the update that she was just now being prepped for a C-section! That's almost 48 hours with a leaking bag of waters! BAD news. I was really concerned by that point, but promised him that I would return the next day to see her and her baby. I prayed for him and gave him some food and he went scurrying off to the surgery waiting room.

Well, yesterday, I found her! I walked through the lined-up beds at DMC looking at every face checking for Christine....because I had been there just a day prior, everyone knew who I was looking for and where I was from...they pointed me in the right direction....and they giggled. White chicks are funny here, I guess.

But I found my dear friend, Christine, sleeping with her new baby girl....she's feeling a bit of pain, but doing great and LOVING her new baby. Praise God. He is so faithful.

Sometimes I feel like I have nothing left to give here....so tired and worn....wanting to just sleep....feeling like what I have to give is broken and ratty....but the Lord keeps reminding me of Luke 21 and He tells me that all He desires is what I have....even if it is the "widow's mite" because He can turn it into the "widow's MIGHT". In my time of greatest weakness....He is the greatest strength.

Be blessed.