Saturday Morning Jog

In our experience in Cebu we have found no place outdoors that is even close to being appropriate for either of us to exercise. Andrey really enjoys running and he's been excited about a potential area in which to run on the weekends. Previously we noted a stretch of road on the outskirts of Cebu called the SRP (South Road Properties) that is probably the nicest "highway" in Cebu with very little traffic, right next to the ocean, and with nice wide sidewalks. In fact it's the only thing we've seen so far of its kind. This morning we thought we'd give it a try. We parked, Andrey ran, I walked. Aside from the usual stares, smiles, honking, and waving of people in cars as they passed, both of us were approached individually by someone who told us we were not allowed to jog on the road without a jogging permit that must be obtained from city hall. Andrey was approached by two different people and I was approached by one. As I reached the area where our truck was parked I was met by a police officer in a special "SRP police" car who informed me I was parked in a restricted area. Well we got the message and left once Andrey returned. There were no other joggers there this morning. I guess no one is interested in a jogging permit or it may just be that there really are few if any people who enjoy jogging or exercising outdoors. Hmm. I guess that option is out of the question for now or until we decide to get jogging permits. (We learned elsewhere that the SRP is actually owned by a Japanese development company that plans to build there someday. That explains why the road is so nice, why there exists adequate staff to enforce the rules, and why nothing like it exists anywhere else in Cebu.)

Smoked Chicken

Our good friend Matt Hayashi would be proud. We (Andrey mostly) made good use of the smoker this past weekend. We couldn't find wood chips but decided to take a chance on a bundle of kindling found on the side of the road for sale for 8 pesos (less than 20 cents). We had no idea if the wood was a type that would impart a nice flavor or not but we decided to give it a try anyway. 4 hours later: success! What a yummy chicken! What wonderful, smokey flavor! Way to go Andrey. It was a proud moment. Sure, we could have bought a nicely roasted chicken across the street for about the same price but what fun would that be? Actually that might be an adventure of its own - which we are sure to try at some point. At any rate, the smoked chicken was a real highlight of our weekend. On that particular day I was feeling sad and was really missing being around people other than my husband. Not that we weren't getting along, it's just that we really like people. We've decided as soon as we get friends, we'll invite them over for what might become a weekly meat-smoking afternoon each weekend. The outdoor patio & back yard really makes the experience because there's a nice view, lots of shady trees, and some comfy chairs that are perfect for hanging out and reading or chatting with friends. Here are a few photos of the event... Well I'm having trouble putting the photos up for some reason. I'll just send this for now and will try those photos again tomorrow.

What's So Funny?

Why do I feel like such a freak everywhere I go? Practically every interaction I have with anyone, especially staff people at every supermarket, mall, and coffee shop I go to seems to invoke funny reactions like embarrassed-looking smiles, staring, laughing and the subsequent not-so-subtle giggles and words among coworkers immediately after I walk away. Was it something I said? Is it my looks? What? Can you be any more obvious that you're talking about me?? Sometimes I just want to blend and go about my business as if I am perfectly normal!!! Just fake it people, I don't care. Just do it when I'm not looking or can't hear. On better days, I find this cute and I have the wherewithall to choose not to take it personal. On days when I'm having a hard time adjusting to this new place it makes me feel like never leaving my house and then I find myself dreaming about life in North America (which is never truly as perfect as I imagine in these moments).
I remember how experiences like these were exactly the same in Thailand, except harder because I couldn't communicate and I was adapting to Asia for the first time! At least the Asian part of the Philippines is somewhat familiar, it's just the Filipino-specific cultural nuances I am still quite ignorant about. Part of it is the fact that there are way fewer white women here than in Thailand. I rarely see any and I get a feeling that the average Filipino (at least here in Cebu) also rarely sees white women. So I'll just chalk it up to being unique. Yep, that's it. I'm interesting. An anomaly. But who likes to be seen as a circus everywhere you go??
Disclaimer: I would just like to note how friendly Filipinos are and that I really don't think their actions are ill-intentioned. This is just me reacting to the daily struggle of being a foreigner.

A Few Changes

It's been a crazy few weeks since my last entry. Actually I don't even think it has been that long; it just feels like it. My last week in Chiang Mai was full. Andrey had already left and I had a week to get rid of some last things, get our house ready to hand back to our landlords, pay bills, cancel accounts, sell our truck, make two trips to the dentist, and spend time with friends. There was just no time to do anything on the computer.
Thankfully, with the help of a very kind staff member from Andrey's former office, the truck was sold and all the paperwork was done just 16 hours before I left for Cebu. I was so happy to have it taken care of instead of having to deal with it long-distance later. I am so thankful to God for helping us with this.
What a contrast my life is now to what it was so recently. The evidence is in my appointment calendar I keep in my purse. Look at last week for example. It is full of writing and scribbles listing meals & meetings with friends, appointments, to-do lists... and then this week in my calendar looks quite different. It is completely empty. This may sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself or like I'm complaining. I'm not. Observing this helps me to understand why I feel so awkward and out-of-sorts. Yes, there is some adjustment that is taking place right now. Once again life has changed. It is time to embrace the new, while at the same time release the old. The life we were blessed with in Chiang Mai is over and will never again come to be. This may sound dramatic but when I was experiencing something similar having first moved to Thailand, I found it helpful to realize that my life previous to moving overseas was gone and would never be the same. It validated my feelings of loss. It enabled me to grieve - and it was a very normal, healthy process of grieving. I felt sad for a few months, allowed myself to cry when I needed to, and over time I stopped feeling that way. This is what I expect to experience in the coming months.
Gratefully, I know that moving to a new place is not all about loss. It is also gain - new work, new friends, new experiences, new ways in which to grow and learn. There is an excitement in the uncertainty. The Lord knows best that I like surprises. He created me this way. That's why I am excited for the surprise around the corner; that is, what I will be doing here and what life will look like for me specifically and for Andrey and I together.
I am thankful for opportunities. I realize I have so many opportunities, so many things I could do here with my time. This is something I can and have taken for granted in the past. There are so many who have no options, no opportunities. For me, my prayer is that whatever I end up doing, that it will be something that I was clearly led to do by God. Until then, I intend to learn to rest and enjoy life as it is until God shows me exactly what is next.

Tuesday's Dinner

I forgot to put this photo on earlier. For Andrey's last full evening in Chiang Mai we went to our favorite Italian restaurant (Buonissimo) for dinner with good friends. We had a wonderful time. Andrey left the day after but I'm staying in Chiang Mai until June 1.

Jen's Birthday/Andrey's Last Day in Chiang Mai

Yesterday was fun! Andrey was able to arrange for a later flight out of Chiang Mai so he could be here for most of my birthday. We went out for breakfast and coffee in the morning, ran some errands in the afternoon, had a quick dinner at the local market, and then met our friends for birthday dessert (yummy mango cream pie). Here are some shots from the day...

Dinner at Thai Market

Andrey saying goodbye to friends
Jen's Birthday Pie

Group Shot: It's gotta be the heat

Leaving for the airport, friends throwing themselves in front of the truck.

Moving Day

There are boxes and packing materials all over our house today. A half hour ago there were 10 Thai men wearing yellow shirts here in a bluster of activity packing up our things. They've all gone to lunch and Andrey has run out to get us some coffee since the coffee maker is packed. I hope he hurries b/c I have the beginning of a wicked headache. So I'm here with my kitty Starla for a short time of quiet. There's a nice breeze floating through the screen doors. It is overcast today and not too hot. Tomorrow, Andrey will be on his way. I leave on June 1. Tonight we'll visit our favorite Italian restaurant once more.

Pre-Move Reflections

So the race is on. That is, the race to spend time with as many friends in Chiang Mai as possible before Andrey leaves on Wednesday and I leave a week later. The past few days have been full of breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, coffee meetings, and dinner gatherings, with the rest of the time packed full of activities related to moving. We off-loaded a huge amount of unwanted stuff at a community yard sale yesterday. The movers are scheduled to come on Tuesday to pack up and send our stuff. There's a 'For Sale' sign in the window of our truck.
Needless to say, we're tired. We're tired but we're not slowing down. We're not wasting time. Not while we are here with so many people we love. We are taking advantage of every moment in Chiang Mai, which we also have grown to love and appreciate.
Andrey and I were reflecting on our time here this morning. We remember moving here 2 years and 9 months ago when it was difficult to leave our precious community in Seattle. We remember how difficult it was to start over, to adjust to a new culture in a new place with a new language, not knowing anyone, and not having much to do (outside of Andrey's demanding job). We compare this to our life here now, which is and has been for some time, so full of quality, meaningful friendships; rewarding work (for both of us); and the familiarity with Thai language, culture & food. Chiang Mai has become home. God has blessed us and given us more than we ever expected. Our experience of community here has been a true highlight of our life together so far. The uniqueness of being in a foreign place with others experiencing the same things resulted in deep and meaningful relationships forming more quickly than usual. These friendships have been a surprise to us. Our closest friends here are people we could call on for anything, absolutely anything, and they'd be happy to show up and help without any hesitation. Who just "finds" friendships like that? No one does. You can't just create friendships like these. They either happen or they don't.
For us it is evidence of God's love, provision, and blessing for us. It is his reward for following his leading and stepping into something uncertain and difficult. It is his reward for trusting him.
We don't feel worthy of such wonderful blessings and rewards. Moving to Thailand wasn't as hard as it sounds. Moving here felt right. As we chose to walk into the path that became apparent, God's grace led us. His peace comforted us. He went with us. When it was difficult we were comforted by the knowing that God prepared this for us and had asked us to go. Therefore it would work out.
Never did we expect to learn so much, to be stretched so much, to change so much, and be blessed so much. I would not change this experience for anything.
Soon we will move into the next adventure. We are again sad to be leaving a community we love. We once again wonder what kind of work I will get to do. We wonder if we will find meaningul, life-giving friendships. We wonder if we'll find a good church community. We wonder if we'll be able to connect with the local culture and assimilate into it in some way even though we will always stick out at least physically.
And then we remember how Chiang Mai has become home; how I found incredibly rewarding work to do that matched my skills and gifts perfectly; how we became part of a community here and enjoyed truly life-giving (& fun!) relationships with some of the most amazing people; and how God has blessed us richly - more than we ever imagined.

Phase 1 of (pre)Moving Done

This morning two men from the moving company came to estimate the size of our shipment. This means Andrey and I had to have gone through everything we own and decide what we're keeping, what we're getting rid of, and what we're taking on a plane with us in 1-2 weeks. This job was a bit stressful since I just got back from the border on Monday. But now that it's done I feel a sense of relief albeit temporary. We now have both guest rooms almost completely full of stuff we are getting rid of. We've put our truck up for sale. We're hoping it will sell soon.

Tonight we will go to the last high school bible study that we've been leading/chaperoning for the past two years. We haven't really been involved the past few months since we haven't been here but it will be good to go and hang out with the kids one more time.

The movers come next Tuesday to pack up and send our things which hopefully will arrive at their destination within two months. We're housesitting for the first year so we won't need most of our things anyway. Between now and next week we plan to spend time with most of our friends and hopefully will have sold lots of stuff at the huge community yard sale that is taking place this weekend at an international school. Andrey is leaving a week before me so he is out of here the day after the movers come (next Wednesday). It's all happening so fast! I only have two more weeks with my sweet kitty Starla who will be moving as well to a new home. Our landlord's mother will be taking her in. I have been enjoying every moment with her these days. sniff sniff.

The Blessing of the Karen

Well, it's done. My work with Babies at Risk is nearly done. I've taken my last trip to the border and now I just have a few loose ends to tie up here. I was able to visit the two main areas where BAR has been set up and is seemingly thriving. In both areas we are blessed to have trained health workers who are so eager to do this work. Together they have registered over 150 babies under the age of two. Registered babies are those who are underweight and malnourished. In addition to education that all women with infants receive, registered babies and their families receive more focused education and additional nutritional support. It is wonderful to hear the stories of babies who are no longer underweight and their mothers who have more energy and are feeling more confident in caring for their babies. Although there are still many babies who are not growing well, I am encouraged that more will be positively impacted as the program continues. Like me, my partner Kelly in the UK is being led to move on to other things and will no longer be working with BAR. The program will now be led by its founders - the couple who started Hand in Hand for Asia.

On Mothers Day, I was asked to take part in a church service that also celebrated and honored mothers in the village. During the service the mothers were called to sit up front to receive gifts. Naturally I was not expected to be ushered up front. As Nana (the head of the local clinic and senior BAR worker) began to pull my arm in the direction of the stage I said, "I'm not a mother." She quietly whispered to me, "You have many babies in Karen State." So, I sat up front, I said a few words and they gave me gifts, all the while feeling slightly out of place (which is not uncommon for me anyway in these situations).

I have had the privilege of working with the Karen and learning from them but this is not all. They have become my friends, my brothers and sisters. Their lives are not easy; full of uncertainty and physical insecurity. Most of them have already seen and experienced more pain and trauma than most of us will ever know of in our lifetime. Yet they remain joyful and happy to serve those around them.

They tell me we've given them so much and they've given us nothing. This is clearly not true. They have taught me about giving thanks in all circumstances, being content, and experiencing joy in the midst of trial and despair. Also, they have taught me about hospitality and service. I am completely amazed at their ability to love and to praise God in the most desperate situations. I will forever be changed by knowing and working with them. I will never forget the Karen and promise to pray for them continually.

Finishing up BAR

Tomorrow I will take my last Babies at Risk trip to the Thai/Burma border. I am quite sad about letting this work go but am encouraged that the work will go on without me. I'll be gone for 4 full days that will include about 20 hours of driving (and I'm jet-lagged! Lord, help me). I am really going to miss the wonderful Karen people I have been so blessed to know. I'll let you know how it goes when I get back.

Safe Return to Thailand/Trip Highlights

Sorry for the lapse in my blogging. It's been a busy few weeks. We just got back to Thailand after being in the US for the past 3 weeks. I've already commented on most of our time in the DC area. One thing I didn't mention was seeing our good friend Rena whom we knew from Seattle years ago. She is in her 3rd year of med school at Georgetown and came by to see us before we left. Here's a shot of me with Rena.

After being in the DC area, we got to spend 4 days in Seattle with our closest friends there. Andrey was one of the speakers at the annual Seattle benefit dinner (fundraiser for the organization he works for) and he did a great job. Because of that we got 3 bonus days over the weekend to hang out with some of our favorite people. We flew into Seattle in the late morning last Thursday. Looking out the airplane window the air looked so clean and clear. The mountains were beautiful and I felt very nostalgic. I really miss living there.

As usual, our most excellent friends Matt & Colleen (and Baby Tru), Danny & Taj, and others made time to see us. Being there with these dear friends was so very relaxing for me. I felt like I was "at home" again. I'm not actually sure what that means anymore. All I know is that being in Seattle, for me is the closest feeling I get to being "at home." I guess it means that I feel the most relaxed, at ease, and truly able to just be myself, knowing I am loved and accepted- in addition to having such a good time and laughing a lot. What beautiful, dear friends we have!

Included in these fantastic friends are those who drove down from Canada just for the day to see us on Saturday. The Rehmans (with Baby Bennett) and the Voses (with Ayden & Matthew) made our day by coming to see us. I know I sound like I'm bragging but we just realize how blessed we are to know these people who for some reason chose to waste a day (driving for most of it) on us.