Sorry about the Delay, Happy New Year!

December was just as busy as I told you it would be and January isn't slowing down yet. I have a feeling that things will be a whirlwind until April when I return to the United States. Hopefully that return will only be for a few months. The goal is to return for another school year and see what happens. Please, please pray for this. I feel that I belong here. For how long? That is the question everyone (including me) is asking. The answer of course is until God sends me somewhere else. Naturally I don't know when that will happen.

Let's talk about the Philippines. I experienced both Christmas (sort of) and New Year's here and they were interesting experiences. Christmas here is much less commercial. Gifts are given, but they aren't the focus. In true Pinoy fashion the focus of the celebration is eating. "Noche Bueno"is what they call it, and it is another meal around midnight on Christmas. The time leading up to midnight, and maybe after, is spent visiting friends and eating, or cooking and then eating, or maybe visiting family and eating. This is what they tell me happens. I was disgustingly tired from Choir tour and waking up for 5 AM devotions at Church the previous two days (one of which I spoke at) so I slept through Noche Bueno. New Year's eve was, naturally, more "fooding"and then it was "very fireworks." It was also my friend Kit's birthday so there was extra fooding for that.

Additionally, we have visitors from America, the Burns family is here right now spreading good cheer. It has been enjoyable talking with them and getting to know them. I met some of them back in September when I was stranded in Chicago for two days. One of the reasons they are here is a wedding, and so I met many new Pilipinos and Pilipino-Americans too. The best part thus far was that there was genuine hickory smoked ham and cheddar cheese at the wedding reception. I swear I ate half a pound of each before everything was said and done.

Our Christmas break ended this week at ABS, so we restarted classes, mid terms are next week. Time truly flies.

Please pray for my extended family, the Weltes lost one of their own last week to cancer.

God is good.