Hello all, I hope you have had a great week! It has been a busy week on our end. I think it will be pretty busy now through the holidays. Just like home.
To start off, Manang Laura came home on Thursday!! Yay!! She has only been here a few days but she is very sweet and funny. It will be great getting to know her. The day she came in was marathon day. If they had asked me to do all that the day I got in, I would have been so overwhelmed. The day started at 8a with a mad dash to get all some of the kids ready and in the in the car. Then off to pick up Manang Laura at the airport in Silay. Thankfully her plane was delayed a few minutes since we were late. Then we scooped her up, and drove to the funeral of a dear friend of the Rosmarino’s. Since we were late to that too, we stood in the side of the isles. Then we went with the funeral procession to the gravesite, stayed till the very end to say a few words to the widow, who was absolutely adorable!! She is Russian and the sweetest one I have ever met. Then back to the church for lunch. Which was craziness, being that we were around 20 people, we couldn’t find a table that would fit all of us, so we split up and sat where we could find seats. After all that, we had to go to the hardware store and the grocery store. We didn’t end up getting back till almost 4p. Manang Laura was such a trooper. I wouldn’t have been able to handle all that on day one.
Class has been good. The 2nd graders learned how to spell in sign language. I had each of them spell out a sentence for the other ones and they loved it!! We are going through different books in the bible. We did Jonah and now are on to Daniel. They love it. I do too. I’ll read it, then explain it, and they ask questions. The ask the best questions and reading the bible to them is like reading an action novel. They are so attentive and intrigued. Its amazing to see.
Last night, all the manangs picked our menita’s. it’s the ilonga word for secret. Like a secret Santa for Christmas. So now, everyone is dropping little hints of what they like, what’s their favorite colour, ect. Its so great! A lot of them make things for their manita. So I, who am craft handicapped, am going to have to learn how to do something or ask someone else to help me make something. Although, I did learn this week how to crochet a handband!!! Crazy I know, me crocheting. My nana would be proud. So all of you girls back home, once I buy some thread, you will be getting handmade handbands whether you like it or not J I will try to prefect it so none of you have a lopsided headband, k?
Let’s talk food. One of my favorite subjects. I have been helping in the kitchen more. Not just help in serving but actually helping with the cooking and its been so much fun and helpful to me. You all know I am craving burritos, but seeing how much work goes into each meal and how it is thought out has made me appreciate the food so much more. So while I still do crave food from home, I have grown to love their food here. And am starting to crave different things, like squash soup, white bean soup, mashed potatoes. Its all good. I treated myself this week and bought peanut butter to eat with our morning bananas and apples. It is so good!! Definitely a little piece of home for me here.
The Lord talks to me more than I ever thought possible. This week he kept bringing to mind Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” And with that for me to live simply. Yes after I just told you I treated myself to peanut butter and I am now telling you that I’ve been told to live simply. Doesn’t make sense right, let me explain. With the holidays coming up, it is hard being away from my family. But He has been showing me so much that it may not be the family that I grew up with, but I have a huge and loving family right here for my holidays. And that the season I’m in right now, is to love and be with my Filipino family. That I’ve had my season with my family back home and will have many more, but for now, its this wonderfully huge, loving and loud family. For living simply, I think I understand it more in context of food, but it goes into every facet of my life here as well. Sometimes I daydream and think how I can make or buy food that is like how I have at home. Here we have instant Nescafe for coffee. I’m still not used to it and constantly have thought what to put into it to make it better. One morning I was making it and thinking of putting cinnamon in it, and I had this thought that was like, you have everything you need, why do you want more or better. That was hard to take. It has happened at different times, where I’m given what I need and I want to make it better, and I think, when will it be enough Kelsey. And then its “oh sorry Lord, it is enough, thank you for what you have given me”. Its been great. On a side note, I don’t know how many of you know about Reality La. I am trying to keep up with the sermons, since I went there when I lived in LA. But they are going over Ecclesiastes. Its all about how we try to hard to attain what we think we need through different avuenes but nothing ever satisfies till we have found Jesus. Then with the right perspective, everything can be enjoyed. Its really been great. If you have a spare hour, you should consider listening to one. Ask my mom and dad, they love them.
Well I think that is all for now. We have a team coming in on Saturday I believe so lots to do to prepare. I love you all. Thank you for your prayers and love. I think about so many of you all the time.
Kelsey
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