I arrived in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, December 20th -- 5:20 PM, EST.
It was a trip that started when I left my apartment on Sunday, December 20th -- 2:30 AM, Manila time.
Yes, that was over 24 hours.

But, the trip went really well so I'm not complaining. :) I got an aisle seat ... with an EMPTY seat next to me for the entire flight from Manila to Nagoya and from Nagoya to Detroit. I landed in Detroit, had a yummy chocolatey treat and then got on my last flight -- where I was seated in first class!!

At the baggage claim of the Tampa Airport were my brother, sister-in-law and nephew waiting for me.

It's been good being here with them -- I've been wrapping presents, watching Christmas movies (yay for Hallmark, ABC Family, Lifetime cheese!!), eating well, sleeping A LOT, playing Trouble and thumb war, and having lots of hugs, kisses, snuggles and tickles.

It's really cold here in Tampa. REALLY cold.

Tomorrow some time my parents and sister should be arriving from Pennsylvania. Praying for good travel for them as they're driving down here. My mom is bringing with her a suitcase of winter clothes. I asked her to pack some stuff for me because on Christmas Day I head to URBANA!!!

YES!! URBANA 09!!!
That's how I got to be here for Christmas.

I'm so excited to be there. URBANA was one of the key experiences that God used to move me closer to getting more involved in the work of Wycliffe and moving me to Asia. I'm looking forward to how God will use the week again -- in the lives of participants that we get to interact with AND in my own life personally.

I've got two more days... then I take off for St. Louis!

Until then... sweet, precious family time celebrating Christmas. So very grateful for this.

When I'm up late and see Channel 2 sign off for the night, I get to see the Christmas season station ID -- the song, Star Ng Pasko. The song points to Jesus being the star of Christmas.

LSS (Last Song Syndrome -- a new term I learned from my friends here... hehehe) --- EVERY time I hear it, it sticks with me the rest of the day. It's a fun and catchy tune so really, I don't mind.

I finally Googled the lyrics -- no, I couldn't catch all the lyrics AND also understand it on my own.
And now that I have, I enjoy the song even more! Remembering that just a few months ago the country was devastated by typhoons, the lyrics take on even greater significance.

I've been enjoying my first Christmas season in the Philippines. This song is one thing I've especially loved!

Now, here for YOU... the Star Ng Pasko video with English subtitles. ENJOY!!!
(In this video you will see the "stars" of ABS-CBN, other celebrities, and "common folks.")

My job isn't the kind of job where I get up from the desk where I've sat for the last 8 hours and see a completed, finished, tangible something. Sometimes at the end of the day I think... what did I actually accomplish??

I think this is why I write lots of "THINGS TO DO" lists with even the tiniest of tasks written down.
Update team calendar. Reply to email. Register for training class.
I do a lot of email writing. Thinking. Reading. Planning. Writing plans. Making timelines.
In my job where I might not see a finished "product" for months, seeing check marks next to even tiny tasks at the end of the day helps me to feel like I've been productive.

Hmmm... so, what HAVE I been doing this week?

• I've been connecting with partners about an upcoming dedication of the first set of Bible stories in ONE of the Sign Languages used here in Asia.
• I reviewed videos that were produced as a result of work we did at the Kinaray-a Bible dedication.
• I worked with our production partner on plans for making some revisions to those videos.
• I helped fulfill some photo requests.
• I worked on making plans for my trip to the States.
• I got my fingerprints done. Hehehe!
  
• I did some follow up work on some stuff from my trips to South Asia last month.

Sometimes I get discouraged. Sometimes it feels like I have nothing to "show" for my work. This is the nature of the kind of work I do. So, I have to be okay with that. Simply putting a check mark by "Send email to So-and-So" sometimes is the most important and most productive accomplishment. And, I just need to trust that in the end it contributes to something greater.

The week isn't over yet... so, here's to more check marks! Ha!
(I know... I'm so task, performance-oriented!... God's working on that in me!)

Our team is starting to use a new online, shared calendar. I'm so excited. I love being organized and knowing what's coming up -- not just for me, but for our whole team.

I'm starting to put dates down in the calendar. I've blocked out time at the beginning of January when I'll be in the States. I've put down trips to South Asia at the end of January, end of March, and for sometime in August/September. I've blocked out time in February / March when my parents will be in town. I've penciled in the dates that my friend, Cheeryl, will be in Manila.

Busy already! And these are only the things that I know about -- right now.

Working with so many organizations throughout this huge region of Asia and the Pacific, there are so many opportunities!! But, there's only so much time. I'm anticipating that each of our calendars will be packed throughout the year.

There are lots of things that we are working on now to improve ourselves as a team and what we can offer to our partner organizations.
Photo-sharing website. Monsoon website. File-sharing network, Monsoon Central. Processes.

We're already working on some things with people in the area.
Branding. Communications strategy plans. Websites. Videos. Sooo many other projects.

We have some new team members joining us in the early part of the year.
Welcome, Rachel and Eric!

And we have some exciting ideas that we're pursuing.
Vision trip. Traveling training workshops. Journalism team.

I have a feeling...
2010 is going to be a great year.
Will pray for it. Will believe it!

The instructions were to bring...

"A reused, reduced, recycled gift --- yes, we'll have an exchange gift BUT with no price tags attached.
Meaning, you cannot buy anything. Be creative --- create something new with whatever you have around your house or office. Something Christmasy, something meaningful, something you!"

So, this morning at 7 AM (YES!! 7 AM!!) we met at Starbucks for our combo Christmas / Birthday Celebration. (Two of our teammates have birthdays this month. Yay for Cathy and Oliver!)

We enjoyed some breakfast, prayer for the birthday celebrants, sharing about our Christmas traditions... and our Christmas gift exchange!

I got a fun, fun gift that Dawn gave.
The card on the package read, "Enjoy this ready-when-you-are gift to go. Merry Christmas!"
It was a perfect combo of travel goodies! There were headphones (compliments of Thai Airways), toiletries (compliments of various hotels in Asia) in a little cosmetics bag (compliments of Singapore Airlines), tissues (a necessity on the road!), and socks (hmmm.. couldn't identify the airline on that one... I'm thinking it's the Delta blue). To round the whole package out perfectly she included the book, Around the World in 80 Days!

Oh, you can never have too many travel goodies... especially doing this job!

It's so fun working with our team. I find the people on our team to be...

• fun.
• creative.
• enjoyable.
• thoughtful.
• Christ-lovers.

Paperwork is in process for my visa here in the Philippines to be renewed.
I went today to get fingerprinted for my residency card.
Next week my passport should be ready ... and in it should be my new one-year visa!!

I really hope that it will be ready! I'm supposed to leave for the States next Sunday. Kind of need my passport for that. Ha! (Oh yes, that reminds me!! MORE ON THAT LATER!!!)

Sam and I shared a taxi to the Bureau of Immigration. I had to laugh when he reached back to put his seat belt on. Can you see why??

When we arrived, Kuya Jun was already there with all my paperwork in hand. All I had to do was follow him to the finger stamping lady. It took Sam and I about an hour and half to travel there... and took me less than 5 minutes to finish what needed to be done.
But, I'm definitely NOT complaining! It's great to have colleagues who take care of so much work on behalf of those of us who work in the area and help us know how to best go through these processes. "Yay!" for my friends in Visa Travel Services who track when when I need to renew my visa and help to make sure it all gets done right! (... and so many more other things!) Don't know what I'd do without their help!!

RANDOM: Tomorrow is our team's Christmas Party (7 IN THE MORNING!!! at Starbucks). We're supposed to bring an exchange gift ... reused, recycled -- nothing new or bought. I made theses magazine trees. Kind of fun. I didn't bring much crafty stuff with me and I haven't accumulated much in my house yet. So I was glad to find this fun idea online.

I've been missing having "Christmas" in my house. I don't have any Christmas lights up. I don't have a tree. I have no decorations.

I've been wanting to dress up my place for Christmas, but honestly I'm just too lazy and there are other things that NEED to be done. So, buying or making decorations is at the bottom of my priority list.

I came into the office today and was sooo HAPPY!!!
Decorations!!
I spend most of my awake time in the office, so seeing decorations hanging up around my desk made me smile.
I have Christmas music loaded on my iPod so it makes for a fun and festive work environment.

Thanks to Kuya Noel for making it merry on the 3rd floor!



Favorite Christmas Albums to listen to this year:

• Where God Wants to Be - Northland Church
• Elf: The Soundtrack
• When Harry Met Sally: The Soundtrack

This past weekend I got to spend time with some family. It's been a long while since I last saw them (September?).

I think that is one of my big disappointments of my first year in Manila.
When I was preparing to move here I was so excited at the thought of being able to spend time and get to know family here. Growing up in the States, I didn't even meet most of my family here in the Philippines until after I graduated college. I'm really thankful that I've had the chance to meet most of my cousins during different visits to the Philippines. Now that I'm living in the Philippines it's my hope to spend time with them and get to know them.

Unfortunately, in this past year I haven't been able to spend a lot of time visiting with family. In this past year it's felt like I've traveled a lot. And, when I've not been traveling I find that I take my weekends to just veg out -- meaning... stay at home and have movie marathons while wearing my PJs. Hehehe.

I have loved when I've been able to spend time with family. Hopefully, I'll be able to do more of it in the upcoming year!!!
Rivera connections. Starbucks. Brothers Burgers. Yum treat of Crepes and Cream. Nieces and nephews sleep over. George Foreman "toaster." CCF. Day at Podium. Non stop eating and drinking. Heavenly Mary Grace Cheesecake. Pizza and Pasta Dinner. Hearing the testimony of God's faithfulness. Free WiFi Fun.

Ann and Oliver work with Monsoon. I spent most of the day today with them and their 3 girls.

We took the morning to take some photos of their family and followed their photo session with some fun. We had free donuts at Krispy Kreme, lunch at Trellis, grocery shopping at Metro, and browsing at Fully Booked.

We went to one of my favorite places here -- the Serendra, Market! Market!, High Street area. It was so fun to have "family time" there with them. I enjoyed watching the girls play hide-and-seek. I liked having lunch with a full table with a family around it. It was fun seeing the different personalities of the kids and see which parent they seemed most like. It was a fun day.

I love being able to take photos of people for them. When I was in South Asia, there were some kids who wanted me to take their pictures and asked me to send copies to them. (Eek! I still have to do that!) I want to improve on taking photos so I can give more / better to people. I enjoy doing it. Capturing moments. Sharing images.

Hoping to actually do something about this desire in 2010!

The Philippines does Christmas season... BIG TIME!
The season started in September (during the "...ber" months)!
Christmas music was being played, stores had their Christmas displays up, and we were already getting notices about our office Christmas party!

Tonight felt like the "official" kick-off of the Christmas season here in Ortigas.

"Christmas of Hope" -- the celebratory lighting of 2 huge Christmas trees in the center of the city.
A local band kicked off the celebration playing Christmas carols and other fun tunes. After a few words from local officials, the Christmas lights were switched on, music was played, free food was given out and FIREWORKS were set off!

It was a lot of fun! Kind of made me wish I'd be here for Christmas... but there's always next year! (more about my Christmas plans ... later!)

As always, the challenge this time of year is enjoying the festive mood and celebrations... while remembering and staying focused on the One we're celebrating.

Happy December!
Blessed Advent...

Ok, a pretty horribly taken video off my little camera... but just to give you an idea of what the night was like in Ortigas.