Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night

So it is that time of year. Christmas trees, Lights and caroling. But caroling is taken very seriously here in the Philippines. Every one goes caroling and they want, no not figgy pudding, but cash! We have enjoyed many joyous songs but not so much as this one couple's rendition of Feliz Navidad! So as the woman sings, "you wanna wish you a merry Christmas from the bottle of my heart!" Merry Christmas! And may God our Father in Heaven be Glorified this Holiday season!

Our first gift under the tree!

Yes this is what we have under our tree. No Joke! Our Land lord (new one) sent this to us for Christmas! So Now we know we are officialy in the Philippines for our first Christmas! I don't know what to do send a Thank you card or consider it as an insult?!?!?!?

TOP SECRET! We are giving them to the homless ministry at our church! Totaly a regift gift! Hey just for fun, let's confess all our regifts that other people have given us ( I don't want to know if you have regifted anything I gave you!) and then let's compare! I think I will win with this one but who knows?

Did I ever tell you how great Justin is?

Let me just say I am married to a most awesome guy! I told him about my blog telling you that I didn't have any pictures of my place and he told me "honey I took pictures of our place last week." I was so excited! So here is my house! Isn't it huge!!! I love it!

Here is our bedroom, the window gives us a great breeze! It is the smaller but the other room has too big of windows. So this it perfect!

Our kitchen, the door leads to the "maids room" but it's really a hall way so we use it for storage. I love the bar under the cabinets! We bought S hooks to hang everything from! Very useful!

I love that I can hang my mugs but the round sink is kind of lame. Justin did get a new faucet that is taller so that helps! Praise God for all the space!

This is our living room and dinning room all in one but heck it is bigger than our entire old place! So we think it will work!

This is our dinning area there nest to the balcony. And there is our Christmas tree and our photos of all our friends and family!

This is our entertainment center. Justin had built it for our old kitchen and now we keep all our stuff on it including more pictures and our games and just stuff! The door on the left lead to the spare room and my bathroom! I love having my own bathroom!

So next time you are in the neighborhood stop by and visit me! I am mastering the art of home made Tortillas and pie so you might get a treat when you come!

Back to funny!

Justin and I were at the hard ware store the other day and found this! Did you know that washing your butt was more important than your face? My mom forgot to tell me this interesting fact. Well I don't think she told me washing my face was more important, she always just told to wash everything! Well now that I am a grown woman I guess I should read up on things myself and get educated because I guess it is important. Please if any one knows of other great things your mother forgot to tell you about let me know because my mom may have forgotten too! Thanks a lot! And mom if you are reading this don't worry it's not your fault your mom most likly didn't tell you!

Faithfulness

so I have been here for seven months and seven days and all I can say is God is so Faithful! When I heard him calling me here so many years ago I thought to my self why is this taking so long? But God had a plan. I am here with Justin and he is so good for me! If had come sooner I would missing out on this great man who is teaching me so much! And when God told me to sell all I had I was excited until I had to part with all my vintage pyrex and my stone ware. I was cringing every time a lady would ask me to go down on the price for my treasured nick nacks at the garage sale. I even cried when we had moved out of our house and were staying with family and friends for the last two weeks in the US. But that all had a purpose, I have new cool stuff here that isn't vintage or even nice but it is cheap and I get to use it while living in the Philippines! And those last two weeks were great because we were able to visit and spend quality time with people we love before moving here.
I am so amazed at how God plans things out for me. He knows me even better than I know myself. I find out information and get all bent out of shape and then when it is all said and done I am so glad it worked out the way it did, and God knew that it would! I am learning to look at my circustances with a differant perspective. I know how hold the world in his hands and nothing I face hasn't gone past his sign of aprovale frist. He is right here and will guide me and direct me and I can trust him!
It took me moving around the world to get so many things I never could quit grasp and I am so greatful to all the suporters who are ultimitly paying my way to be here and I get to study God's word every day and I get to share His love with kids and people who need it so badly. I am overwhelmed by HIS FAITHFULNESS!
I hope that as you go through your day weather it is going to work or changing dypers, or just checking your mail that you can step back for just a moment and think of all the times God has been faithfull to you and realize that he has a plan for your life too! Praise Him Thank him and Let's Honor Him for he is Faithful.
erin:)

good news/bad news/ beauty/ashes

Well what do want first? let's see I always like the bad first to get it over with so her it goes.
Our camera broke before I could take any pictures of our new place to post and we can't get a new one before we go back to the states so you don't get to see my new place :( so sad I know!
Well the good news is Granny and Uncle Chet are giving us enough money for our birthdays and Christmas to get a nice new one! A real one not a point and shoot but one that has lenses and options! We are so blessed! For those of you who don't know Granny and Uncle Chet, Let me explain trust me it sounds crazier than it is but here it goes, Justin's dad's mom married Justin's mom's uncle and well they only got married three years ago so Uncle Chet will always be Uncle to us and Granny will always be Granny! We love them both very much and have been greatly blessed by their generosity and God seems to always have them helping us when a camera is in need. The last time we got a new camera from them it just so happened that our old one had taken a trip to the Philippines with us in December of 2005 and when our paddle boat was sabotaged by our missionary friend the camera took a swim and died. So God knew what we needed at just the right time! God is good and Granny and Uncle Chet are great too!
So I have one other good news, since this story is about the new house and all. You see we were content in our nice little studio when our land lady (who is sick with Cancer) told us she was selling the condo. We were bumbed!!! But we knew God had a plan. We were able to stay in our same building, Praise God, and only had to move down stairs to floor 7. We checked out the only available unit in the place and wow is it big! It is a two bed rooms and three CR's (comfort rooms) yes three bathrooms!!! A lovely kitchen and a huge living and dinning area! We have three balconies and it is a corner unit so we get the nicest breeze that blows through the place! Which leads me to yet more good news! We were sad to leave the studio because we figured it was cheaper to keep cool but with the awesome ventilation we don't even need to use the fan half the time, let alone the AC. So in what we had to pay extra in rent we will gain back in electricity and with the big windows we don't use the lights except at night! We are so grateful to God for such provisions. We now have space to have visitors and we were able to buy a table and two chairs so we don't have to eat on the floor any more! I can't say enough about how great God is to us! He has brought us here and given us a place to stay that is wonderful. He has provided money for schooling. He has given us people to minister to and well he has blessed us with people back home who are praying for us and supporting us. We thank him every day for the goodness he has showered on us. Not a day goes by that I am not reminded that I have so much! We see people who have nothing and we can buy them lunch, but sharing the Gospel with them is the most important thing that we can do and we are free to do it! We have all we need to be able to live here and not have to work at a job and just go out and talk to people! I amazed at the opportunities we are given. Thank you God for this time in my life where I can study your word and share your love with these people who need you! Praise God for he is Worthy! He can take ashes like me and make them beautiful. He is mighty!