We're back from Mexico

Glory Reborn Staff (most of us)

We made it back to Cebu safely on Sunday. Thankfully the trip went well and all our bags arrived intact. That's always a relief. We were happy that the authentic, solid wood (heavy!)tortilla press and kilo of corn flour made it intact, in addition to other goodies like Mexican vanilla, Canadian maple syrup (from Mom & Dad), coffee, and canned chipotle peppers.
While we had a FABULOUS time with all the nerds in Mexico (details of the trip to come in another post), I was actually feeling quite happy about coming back to Cebu. This was a happy feeling because even though we've left many times since we moved here, this was the first time I actually felt like it was good to be back "home." Even the fact that I could say I was ready to go "home" and being able to use that term to now refer to Cebu is significant. It means I feel settled here and that I have a life and community and work that I enjoy. At the thought of this, I am filled with gratitude. Only God could have set things up so perfectly for us here in such a short time. I really missed my work at the clinic and look foward to diving back in and learning all I can.
In fact I was at the clinic this morning for our weekly staff meeting. It surprises me every time when the midwives I work with greet me with such enthusiasm and seem happy to have me back.
Usually, our weekly meetings consist of announcements, perhaps a short teaching, and a time of worship. Today was a little different. After reading in Hebrews 10:24-25 about encouraging one another, we all drew names and then blessed the person whose name we drew by encouraging them in some way - like pointing out good qualities we see in them or something that we appreciate about them, etc. It was a really nice time and confirms the idea that Glory Reborn Clinic is not just a clinic but it's a community of women working together to glorify God by encouraging one another and by serving and blessing the women who come to us for care.
One such woman is Janice. Something else that we did today at the meeting was to pray for Janice. Janice is 24 weeks pregnant with her 2nd child. She came to Glory Reborn yesterday saying she hadn't felt her baby move since Saturday. Investigation into the status of the baby revealed that her baby had died sometime within the past week. Since receiving the news, her labor has been stimulated and she is now about 5 centimeters dilated and waiting to give birth to her stillborn baby. After Hilary explained to those of us who have yet to deliver a stillborn on what to expect and how to deliver a stillborn in a sensitive and appropriate manner, Janice came downstairs to be prayed for. We all gathered around her - about 15 of us - placing our hands on her back, shoulders, arms and knees and we prayed. We prayed for comfort and for a gentle and smooth delivery, and she cried quietly. We prayed that she would sense the presence of God with her and that she would know Jesus intimately.
During the prayer time I opened my eyes so that I could see with my eyes this picture of a woman being ministered to by many other women. The scene of this young woman being surrounded, prayed for and blessed is a beautiful one. It is a common picture in our clinic of midwives. So often the birthing woman is literally surrounded by caretakers. Some are the Glory Reborn staff; some are family members of the woman in labor. Family members of women who give birth in a hospital in the Philippines are not allowed in the delivery room. In our little clinic, the woman can have present whomever she chooses. Sometimes there are no family members, only us.
So many times I have reveled in this picture of a woman being surrounded with love and care. Many times a midwife must withstand the weight of a woman that leans on the midwife's shoulders for support while she squats to push her baby out. In this case the midwife and the birthing mother's foreheads are pressed together, sweat mingling. Another midwife may be wiping the mother's face or getting her hair out of the way. It's a lovely picture and I believe it is more than what it seems - it is through the care given through touch and the encouragement given through words that Jesus ministers. It is Jesus who is present and working in the lives of these women. We are just blessed to take part in what He is doing for them.
Tomorrow I'll be back on duty and hopefully I'll get to assist at another miraculous birth.

Nerdfest in Mexico

"Nerdfest"- A gathering of old friends that occurs on average every 18-24 months in various locations around the world. Originally started by Andrey and his college buddies years ago and now involves friends, spouses, kids, parents and grandparents.

Nerdfest this year is happening right now in Mexico and is therefore called Nerdfiesta. Since our last gathering in Thailand 2 years ago, we've been planning this trip to Mexico to visit our friends who live here.

On Dec 23 Andrey and I showed up in Torreon where our friends live. We spent Christmas with them, their children, and their parents who are also visiting. We all just relaxed for several days and spent at least some time every day on the trampoline in the back yard. On Dec 27 10 more adults and 2 kids showed up for the official kick off of Nerdfiesta. Since then we've taken a bus tour together from Torreon to a colonial city called Zacatecas where we stayed 1 night before continuing on to where we are now, San Miguel de Allende. We've been here for 2 nights already.

Tomorrow we leave for Guadalajara. We'll stay there 2 nights before traveling to Puerto Vallarta for the warm beach portion of the vacation. Andrey's parents will join the madness and we'll enjoy the beach for a week before heading back to the Philippines.

We are having a FANTASTIC time! More details to follow. This is just something to get the blog kick started again. Enjoy the photos.

Andrey and Andrew happy to be reunited- just after our arrival in Torreon:

View of Torreon:

The "giant Jesus" monument:

Dana's mom, Andrey, Dana, Andrew & little ones:

Bill (Dana's dad), Andrew & Andrey with new Mexican soccer jerseys on Christmas day:

View of Zacatecas:

Sam, Torie & Bennett:

Aquaduct in Zacatecas:

Bullring turned hotel in Zacatecas:

San Miguel de Allende Cathedral at night: more San Miguel de Allande...

Jen, Sheri & Torie with 3 delicious margaritas:

"Nerda?"

The adoption application is in the mail!

Although we hoped to get the adoption application in the mail weeks sooner, we did finally get everything together and were able to get it in the mail on December 6th. We have applied with Holt International which was the first US agency to do international adoptions. They have been around the longest and seem to have a great reputation. Right now we're waiting to hear from them saying they received it. Apparently it takes an average of 24-28 months from application to placement. It feels really good to have that ball officially rolling. And the thought that we might actually be parents in approximately 2 years is exciting.

Quick Update

Sorry for the long lapse in blogging. Our internet is bust at home and I've been out of town for the last week and a half. I've got a short time on the internet here at Starbucks so I'll just give a quick update.
Andrey and I went to Chiang Mai for a wedding. Andrey only stayed for the weekend but I extended my stay to last the following week. Being in CM was so much fun! I was able to get caught up with my friends and get to enjoy CM in the nicest time to be there - cool season. I really miss life there I gotta tell ya so it was hard at times not to cry about not living there anymore. I mean, it's a really nice place to live! But i decided not to let those emotions get too strong or else i might have never come back to Cebu. Well that's not true, of course Andrey was here and I was quite happy to get back to him. Now that I'm back I'm looking forward to the good things we have going on for us here.
In 5 days, we will travel again. We're headed to Mexico for Nerdfiesta - a gathering that happens every 1-2 years of 5 of Andrey's college buddies, their wives and their children - oh and at times, some parents. The last Nerd gathering was in Chiang Mai in December 2005. Since then we've been planning this trip to Mexico. Andrey and I decided to leave a few days early so we could be with our friends who live there for Christmas. We leave on the 22nd and return Jan 11. It's going to be a great time.
I'll post photos of my time in Chiang Mai soon...

Thanksgiving 2007 in Cebu City

Living in the Philippines was not going to stop us from celebrating my favorite holiday. So last night we had a feast! It was so fun. We had 12 guests join us for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Our guests were either midwives from Glory Reborn Clinic (GRC) where I work or friends from our church - the Cebu City Vineyard. Since a lot of people from the clinic go to our church, most everyone knew each other. The menu included an 18 pound (8kg) turkey (of course!), stuffing, gravy, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cream cheese corn, lemon almond green beans, cranberry sauce, whole grain buns, and apple and pumpkin pies complete with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. For many of the Filipinos who joined us, it was their first Thanksgiving meal ever. They told me they were so happy to get to experience such a special occasion and were glad to be a part of it.
Filipinos always say that a meal without rice is not a meal, it's only a snack. They say they never feel full if they don't eat rice - even if the "snack" is a plate of spaghetti or a greasy cheeseburger with fries. Apparently they still feel hungry and long for their next real meal. So I respectfully challenged this with our Thanksgiving dinner. I thought if the the Filipinos still feel hungry after THIS meal, then I'd concede that what they say is really true. Well after inquiring about this post-meal I can say that NOW, the saying goes something like this: Filipinos do not feel full after a rice-less meal, EXCEPT when they eat Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings and especially when they go back for seconds! Yes! I feel so accomplished.
After dinner we all gathered and shared what we are thankful for. I shared that being surrounded by 12 friends (there were many others who couldn't make it) was evidence of God's blessing on us in such a short period of time (5 months) of living in Cebu and how thankful we were for the friendships and community we enjoy here. I shared how grateful I am to God for the privilege to be a part of the work that goes on at Glory Reborn clinic and to work with so many talented midwives. It was a rich time.
So today, I'm looking forward to tapping into those leftovers. We have a ton! Praise God for His abundance!

Stuffing the turkey...thanks, Andrey for cutting off my head

Kim & I and the turkey that's about to go in the oven

Me, Kim, and GRC midwives Tess & Nhing peeling apples for pie

Tess & Nhing asked if I'd teach them to make pie. It was my pleasure and it made the whole process easier and more fun.
I love you apple pie
Hello delicious turkey getting a gravy bath
The pre-dinner rush. Nhing is on gravy duty. Thank God for helpful friends!
Our guests:

Weekend Plans

This afternoon the admin department at Andrey's work is taking a team-building retreat and they've invited me and Andrey to come along. We're excited because we get to stay at a pretty nice resort for 1 night. Apparently there's going to be a karaoke competition (yes!) which I, in particular, am excited about. It will be hard to compete with Filipinos who no doubt LOVE their karaoke. At any rate, it will be good for team-builing...err, unless I lose and then become angry and throw a fit (have i done that before?). Wait, that only happens when I lose to Andrey so unless we go head to head I'm sure I'll keep my cool. Besides he can't beat me in karaoke! No way!
So we'll be back Saturday evening so Andrey can play basketball (he just joined a league with a bunch of local pastors, he has a uniform and everything!) and I'm on for a 24 hour shift at the clinic from Sunday morning to Monday morning.

The Road to Adoption

Many of you know that Andrey and I have been considering adoption for some time now. We thought we might be able to adopt a Thai child while living in Thailand but that was around the time when we realized we might not be in Thailand for much longer. Since we've been in Cebu we have been researching the possibility of adoptng a child from here. We learned that applying for a domestic adoption is not possible prior to living here for 3 years. That brought us to exploring the possibility of an inter-country adoption.
We've been in contact with an agency based in the U.S. that does inter-country adoptions. We've learned that it is potentially possible for us to adopt a child from the Philippines as U.S. citizens living overseas. That means the process would be similar to what we'd go through if we were living in the U.S. and wanted to adopt a child from another country. After months of compiling information and a lot of prayer, we are currently preparing our application for adoption. We hope to have it in the mail by the end of the week.
This is incredibly exciting for us, even though we know it means we will have to wait an average of 2 years to receive a child. It is also an emotional journey, for me especially. I can't help but think that it is not normal to have this much time to contemplate being parents. The usual scenario does not involve decisions regarding what kind of child you want - what ethnicity, what age, what situation, what emotional and/or health issues you think you might be able to handle. The typical scenario does not involve having to present yourselves on paper to strangers and hope that you come across as a potentially good parent. Especially when you have no idea how good or bad you are at it yet!
So I'm posting about this because I would like to share my thoughts and feelings regarding this journey with you. Most of you know our situation and have encouraged us over the years. We have taken those encouragements as words from the Lord that he has a purpose for us in this time of waiting, that he will in fact fill our desires with good things, and that we are to trust in Him fully. For us right now that means not pursuing fertility treatments. Right now we sense the "go ahead" to pursue adoption. Through these things, our intention is to give God all the room he needs to work a miracle. It is a miracle that we are trusting him for - however he chooses to do it - and knowing that he will get all the credit.

"George?"

Check this out. We saw this billboard yesterday on the side of the road. ACT is a school that trains nurses and then arranges visas for them to live and work in the US and Canada and other English-speaking countries. But who knew George W was in on the recruiting? We couldn't pass it up.

Short Week Long Weekend

It's been a short work-week for Andrey. Monday was the day for neighborhood elections and so was declared a national holiday, Thursday was All Saints Day and today is All Souls Day; both of which a very big catholic holidays. Most Filipinos spend at least some time with family visiting their deceased relatives' graves.
So Andrey was home with me again today which was nice. We've had quite a lot of time together having just come off of a month furlough. We recently remarked that all the time together has been good for our relationship and hasn't caused us to become sick of each other. We're thankful for that.
We had a fun day yesterday. We stayed home in the morning with our usual Saturday-morning-like routine of making breakfast, drinking coffee, listening to music and working on our computers. We even called some friends in DC and I had a good talk with my mom. In the afternoon we picked up our friend Kim and went to try out the pool at our friend's housing subdivision. Unfortunately it was closed for the holiday so we ended up going for a walk in the neighborhood which happens to be up a mountain. There are some nice views of the city up there. We went to Starbucks after for a treat and I saw a gal there I had met briefly in the past who I knew was a single missionary so I asked her to join us for dinner. She came back with us and we enjoyed some yummy chili, cornbread, and salad. It's nice to make another friend.
Today we went to look at a house for rent. We don't need to move until March but the owner of the house is eager to find someone now who can commit to renting her house beginning in March. It's super close to where we're living now. We weren't that excited about the place, as it's kind of old and dingie but we may be able to make it work since it's in our price range. We'll see.
So the rest of today we really just were at home together working on our computers. I'm finally starting to get caught up with things and with keeping in touch with people. Oh we did manage to go downstairs and play 2 games of pool. Andrey beat me both times. I don't like losing but i'm getting better at handling it like a mature adult - an impressive skill at 32 don't you think?
We may watch a movie soon. I'm extremely tired for some reason and it's only 8:45pm. Lame. Let's see if I can talk Andrey into watching the romantic comedy (Licensed to Wed, i think it's called) instead of Transformers.

Climbing for Coconuts

It's Thursday morning and we're both at home because today is a holiday at Andrey doesn't have to go to work. We're sitting in the living room after breakfast relaxing and enjoying our coffee. Andrey looks out the window and sees a man climbing a very tall coconut tree just outside the lot that our house is on. Then we realize there are two men climbing two trees. These guys are incredibly agile! We think the trees look to be at least 60 or 70 feet tall. What they do is climb the tree, kick the coconuts down and sell them. Here are a few shots. Look close for the climbers. This guy is still climbing

This guy is perched at the top kicking the coconuts down

Haenlein Family Reunion in North Carolina - Photos

, Mom & Dad

Aunt Jeni with Morgan & Maddie

Jen & Paul

Saying Goodbye

View from our cabin - Blue Ridge Mountains

Hike with Morgan, Zack, and Maddie up to Looking Glass Rock

Resting on top of Looking Glass Rock

On top of Looking Glass Rock

View of Looking Glass Rock

Luke, Dad, Paul, & Andrey

Andrey, Paul, Jen & Luke

One of the several unsuccessful attempts at a family photo

Mom, Morgan, and Jen

Luke, Jen?, Paul?, Morgan, and Dad