Merry Christmas....

It is hard to imagine that it is only 2 days before Christmas without any snow on the ground and my habitual application of 45SPF. However, there are many decorations and Josh and I were able to ride around on the motorcycle and look at lights hanging from the trees and surrounding people’s houses. It was beautiful.

This past week was really for recovery. However, we both got terrible head colds and sore throats after returning from Tacloban and Josh has still not regained his appetite. In Bohol it is always very humid and hot, it does not rain for long periods of time, and it is exactly what you would wish the tropics to be. However, Tacloban is almost always raining and very chilly, well chilly for the tropics. I believe that going so suddenly from super hot to rainy and cold back to super hot in such a sort period of time really took us out.

Despite feeling groggy and out of it we were able to see the famous Chocolate hills, the tarsier (world’s smallest monkey that only habitats in Bohol), and my favorite water fall. Every moment was a blast and we are thankful we have been able to spend this time together.

It is Monday morning at 5am and josh is still sleeping. The Catholic church near my bungalow woke me up at 4am with sweet tunes of Christmas songs for their 4am Mass. Starting 10 days before Christmas all the Catholic churches have services at 4am. It is beautiful. I don’t mind waking up to that. However, Josh seems to be able to sleep right through it. The water is turned off and I am contemplating making breakfast and leaving dirty dishes for 2 weeks in my sink. Probably not.

We fly to Manila at 9am this morning and meet up with my friend Irvin. We will be staying at his apartment for the next 2 nights before Josh flys out to America and I leave for Indonesia. I am so thankful to have such great friends who are willing to share their homes with me during this holiday season.

I miss all of you great friends, and I want you to know that I am ever so grateful for all of you as well. Merry Christmas. As I spend this time in a Muslim home, pray that I will not forget the reason for this beautiful time and the fact that I can travel to these places with His grace on my life.

....
I had typed that before we left Bohol and then my computer crashed. we have been in manila now for 2 days and we have had an exciting time. Both of us are feeling much better. Josh leaves in the morning and we are at a Starbucks in what they call 'little New York' here in Manila. It is beautiful.
Things we did in Manila:
went to the Mall of Asia
road in busses, vans, tricycles
ate at Krispy Kreme
went to a huge market and bargined with the locals
walked around Manila
made an american meal for my friend Irvin
Drank lots of Coffee
continued to remind each other that is in fact the week of Christmas even though there is no snow and we are wearing shorts...

I hope to update from Jakarta... but i will not bring my laptop with.


Love you!