TooManyFlowers

It has been a struggle I must admit coming back to our sunburnt country…

As much as I love living here

As much as I am proud and honoured to be an Aussie

My heart has been changed and my focus has been tweaked!

Baseco has filled my eyes and heart with a new perspective and outlook

I will NEVER be the same again!

What a year 2009 has been………

I look back and can say with a peace that “It is well with my soul”

I look back and remember my goals and aspirations and say that I am closer to them than I have ever been.

I look at my kids and say that they have grown, even in size………my 16 year old is now 6ft1in!!!

But they have grown in stature and in character……

My older two children preached their first gospel sermon this year

I saw my other children praying worshiping and touched by God in intercession and simple passion for God

I saw them struggle and deal with their flesh and change!

I saw our whole family grow and enlarge as we launched out as a family to Manila….we will never be the same…..NEVER

I saw my 10 year old achieve and earn his first trophy in Highland Dancing

I saw my 12 year old in uniform with South Australian Pipes and Drums  and perform in various exclusive marches over the state

My 16 year old is ranked first in the state for side drumming

I saw my husband happy preaching and loving in Manila

I saw a resurrection of my Child Birth Education skills…not only in Manila but here in the Barossa where we fellowship

I see myself now enjoying the PARENTING and MENTORING side of my life emerging now

I saw a dear friend go to Jesus after a long struggle with a heart breaking disease

I experienced my first serious car accident

My 4 year old had her life turned upside down and my other kids learnt how to deal with it!

I saw babies live and I saw babies die

I felt useful and needed

I realised how much I love to Homeschool

I appreciated the freedom and diversity that my education choice gave me and my family and rejoiced in it!

I saw God

I learnt more about His love, His people and His calling

I saw the Body of Christ in action, every joint supplying

I learnt how to love my husband more and minister to his needs

I had moments of flesh despair and sometimes depression

I struggled to let Jesus be big when I wanted to let my flesh manifest

I felt sad and chastened at times

But exhilerated, excited and happy the others

This year was BIG,

This year was CHALLENGING,

This year was LIFE CHANGING

This year was a BENCH MARK

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.

Malcolm X
US black nationalist leader (1925 – 1965)

I NOW NEED TO BE CATAPAULTED IN 2010 WITH THE SAME PASSION AND ZEAL, THE SAME VISION AND CHALLENGE…

I WANT TO TAKE WHAT I HAVE AND APPLY TO THIS YEAR

GOD WILLING IT WILL HAPPEN

The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future.

Stephen Ambrose, in Fast Company
American historian and author (1936 – 2002)

You don’t need fancy highbrow traditions or money to really learn. You just need people with the desire to better themselves.

Adam Cooper and Bill Collage, Accepted, 2006

This was one of my favourite classes……the ladies around here were so lovely and responsive

Gasungan is an area by the sea wall (River wall….ummmmm both!)

The houses are closely packed on sandy gritty soil with lots of water in wet season

They have an outdoor church, under a shelter that an Aussie team erected whilst we were there…..perfect for meetings, classes, even washing!!

The only downer was the flies……they were thick as there! Dunno why, just are.

Here are my ladies……….one of my ladies had 16 children and she looked a million bucks……amazing

Gasungan Church simple and humble…makes our churches seem gaudy

Built in benches and shelter from the sun and rain……..perfect for classes too

Classes range from formal to informal in a circle, I even play games with them!

This class was on breastfeeding, what is exciting is when the LIGHTS go on in the people’s eyes, when they understand what I am talking about.

This was very apparent as we talked about breastfeeding, especially the bans that they are NOT subject to in the Philippines…….they were amazed at the deception of the multinational companies and angered at the advocacy of infant formula. Rewarding indeed!!

Precy my faithful, gorgeous interpreter……in the begining the scary embarrassing words were too much for her, but by the end she was confident and secure!!

We were having a Brainstorming session on problems after birth, eg breastfeeding etc

Breastfeeding in action……………..

An informal fun photo of kids and mums in my class!

They LOVE my baby doll and pelvis…the kids just love the WHITE baby doll

Matilda’s son just loves baby doll!!

Sweet Matilda who is an upcoming leader in Gasungan

Don’t you love bulging bellies!!

A final goodbye photo!!

Classes were a drop in the ocean……but it was a start, the leaders were certainly impacted and learnt lots of things…this I think was a victory, but a small one……..

Education must result in change that is my prayer!

The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.

Herbert Spencer
English philosopher (1820 – 1903)

This was one activity that surprised me in Manila…..

Manila is not known for rich tourist attractions despite it’s cultural idiosyncrisies and diversities which are fascinating

The money is not there to spend on such things

But the government is realising the lucrative tourist market is waiting to be tapped and have built this surprising and beautiful Aquarium which focuses on the ecology of the Island’s rich tropical aquatic life…it is actually a National Park in the Philippines (the sea that is)

Fascinating and extremely stimulating

To my upset I only had a mobile phone camera…..but you get the idea anyway

The tunnel was my personal favourite!

Enjoy

There were literally hundreds of these smaller tanks with the BIGGEST specimen’s of tropical fish I have ever seen!

Cheeky Boys

The BIG tanks chock full of amazing fish!

Look at Esther! These tanks are huge!

Monster Fish!

This is for my dad giant Travali Fish (not sure of spelling)

Now I could have sat there for hours!! Amazing feeling!

The teen and preteen bored look, but I think they liked it!

You walked under this BIG tank filled with hundreds (literally) of stingrays of all sizes!!

Of Course the Aussie Sharks!! hundreds of them too!!!!

It was a great day!!!!

I confess I am just in love

Manila did not help

Ever since I was a small child

A girl

A teen

A young women

A young mother

An older mother

I have loved “the baby”

Mine

Yours

Black

White

or

Chocolate.

My love affair is with the baby

It is who I am

It is what makes me tick

It is why I do what I do

Gorgeous Prince!

New baby Josiah

Sweet Kissable Delilah

Esther and I a few hours old

I am only just realising the power and impact a love affair can have on nations and individuals

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love.

Sophocles
Greek tragic dramatist (496 BC – 406 BC)

One thing that is a fact in Manila

That is

You learn how to wait!!!

Sometimes like this particular day we waited for a bus from 6.30am till 9.30am

A long time for all

Especially long for punctual westerners

So Mark just played guitar in the gutter what else do you do?????

What year and brand is your washing machine?

Mine is a Maytag, a front loader for up to 10kg of clothes

Here is Pring’s washing machine…………………………………………………………….

So you thought that your washing day was hard………………………….

Try to do this everyday………………………….

On your haunches, scrubbing by hand…………………………………………

It dries………………………….

The kids play in the mud and rubbish pile…………………………………..

You do it again……………………………….

Yet Pring always has a smile and good attitude…………………………..

She is content………………………………

She has peace in her heart…………………………………………………………….

We should look, listen and learn…………………………………………………………………….

Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.

Doris Mortman