I don’t know what it is about Saturdays. My mornings are free, the first obligation I have it kid’s ministry at 2 pm. I try to avoid doing much of anything “out” on the weekends, so there is no reason for me to wake up early. Apparently, my internal clock hasn’t gotten the memo. So,… Read More Talk About a Cheap Date…
Boy, that title sounds like the name of a college course or something. Don’t worry, I’m not that technical, even if I tried. It doesn’t stop me from hearing the voice of my college Econ professor though when I read it. In the States, we worry about living “paycheck to paycheck”, hoping our money will… Read More The Culture (and Economics) of Living Day to Day
They said it would happen. I was prepared. I was warned that visiting the United States after two and a half years would serve up a hefty dose of culture shock. And for the most part, they were wrong. There were a few glitches here and there, our first trip to Walmart was probably a… Read More Time-Release Culture Shock? Yep, It’s a Real Thing!
Or…alternative title, “How We Were Almost Arrested Doing Kids Ministry”! OK, a tad dramatic, but yes, we did have a bit of an interesting experience with the TSA as we were leaving the United States. I am just now over the trauma enough to talk about it. OK, a tad dramatic again… When we were… Read More We Are Back in the Philippines!
Yes, I realize Christmas is less than 5 days away, so last Sunday should not have shocked me. But let me preface this by saying, I never want to hear anyone whine and cry about having to wait in line at Walmart for 10 minutes again. OK? I was part of an intrepid shopping team… Read More ‘Tis the Season…
It’s American Thanksgiving here in the Philippines! What does that mean for us? It means the bank is open, the mail is delivered, and every store is open. Some restaurants, primarily owned by foreigners, offer Thanksgiving specials that cater primarily to other foreigners, but for the most part, it’s business as usual. Recreating a “traditional”… Read More Thanksgiving Is Sort Of Here!
A man was stranded in the ocean. As he struggled to stay afloat, he knew he needed help, and fast. A large boat approached, and the captain yelled, “I’m here to help you!”. “What a relief!” thought the drowning man. The captain said, “Hold on, I have something to give you, it will help!” He… Read More How (Not) To Give After A Disaster
One of the more popular comments we get from people about living overseas is “You are so lucky! You are living my dream! What an incredible way to live!”. They’re right, it’s pretty darn amazing. When we made the decision to move to the Philippines, we knew there would be issues, inconveniences, and life would… Read More 20 Things No One Told You About Moving Overseas
Well, we made it through Typhoon Haiyan (locally called Yolanda, not sure why it’s called something different locally, but that kind of sums up life here…it makes no sense sometimes!) We woke up to cloudy skies that slowly made way to the partly sunny skies we are more accustomed to this time of year. A… Read More Bittersweet Thankfulness
This morning, we woke up to cloudy skies, a light breeze, and cooler temperatures. All three of these things are rare here in Davao, and they are normally welcomed with open arms and celebration (“Yay! Only 80 degrees today!”), but it’s eerily reminiscent of almost one year ago. December 6, 2012, Typhoon Bopha roared onto Mindanao,… Read More Typhoon Haiyan
Beware the Comfort Zone! 