ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER

It's true. In most cases, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Roselyn and I had such a great time on our trip to Cebu...but ohhhh it feels good to be home. To be reunited with the ones you love is such a sweet deal. The very last lady in customs (Mpls. airport) was VERY, VERY crabby, so it was especially great to see Allen and Steph waiting for us when we walked through that final door. What a great feeling to hug them! It felt like home. Later, the boys greeted us in Cambridge. I missed them a lot and by their reaction, it seemed that they missed me as well! :) It was fun to show pictures and share stories.

Rigo had a tournament yesterday. I didn't make it to the first game because I was at church with the other kids. When I showed up for the second game, Rigo's team was in the lead but he was "parentless" as Allen had already left to take Romeo to camp. Rigo was just going up to home plate when I arrived. I wanted him to know that I was there so I yelled, "C'mon Rigo! Knock it out of the park!" He hesitated for just a second and looked my way. Our eyes met and he gave me a big smile. One second and a smile. Priceless. It is really good to be home.

MANILA

Well, we are at our final stop on our trip to the Philippines. Let me say that yesterday, was so much fun. Allegre is located next to a marine wildlife sanctuary so there were many fish to be seen. We rented snorkel equipment and spent several hours with our noses in the water. I can prove it by the nice burn that I got on my back side. (Yes, Allen, I put sunscreen on, but evidently not enough.) Today sort of felt like I had the bun warmer on that couldn't be turned off in the airplane. A little tender to say the least...but alas, I was in good company! The other concern was my face... I was grateful to see that my mask marking had disappeared this morning. I was a bit worried last night when I looked in the mirror and saw the remnants of a snorkel mask outlining my face. Embarrassing, but true. Maybe I had it on a little too tight?!

Today was a travel day. It was a two-hour ride to the airport, an hour flight to Manila, lots of city driving (stop and go and stop and stop,go and stop) and finally to our hotel for the night.

We made a stop at the WW2 American/Filipino Memorial Cemetery for about an hour. We visited it with the kids the last time we were here... It is large, peaceful and very beautiful. Then, it was off to the mall for lunch and one last shopping stop. Our driver, Danny (who we have hired each time we have visited Manila) took us to the mall - a GIANT mall I might add! He dropped us off at about 3 p.m. The plan was for him to pick us up in two hours...OR I would call. I had his cell phone number and tried it in the van while we were still together to make sure it would work. We had a great lunch and did a little bit of last-minute shopping. As we headed back to the entrance, I called Danny to see if he could pick us up. Unfortunately, my phone wouldn't work. I tried calling some of my CSC contacts in CEBU to have THEM try the number, but my phone would not work for those numbers either. We watched and waited and watched and waited for about 45 minutes. You have no idea how many white toyota vans there are in Manila...but there are lots. All of the sudden, Manila was feeling pretty big and scary. I wasn't too scared myself, but I felt kind of responsible for everyone else. I could tell that people were starting to feel a bit nervous about our predicament...so I suggested we take a cab to the hotel which was just a few blocks away... The problem with that was that we would need to separate and some were not too comfortable with that. To make a long story short, Danny came to the rescue just in time. He parked the van because he was worried and came to look for us on foot. Fortunately, we hadn't hopped in another taxi yet. His first words..."What happened?" Poor guy. Can you imagine being responsible for 3 lost American women and their teenage daughters? We were all very happy to see each other and be on our way.

Chalk it up to another little adventure. Some people would call it scary. I would call it exciting and memorable. It's time to gather my stuff and try to get some sleep. Danny picks us up at 4:30 a.m. tomorrow a.m. so it will be a short night. It is 8:30 p.m. and as I look out the window to the street outside, it is pouring rain. There is something very cool about being here. These two weeks have been an adventure that I will add to my Cebu/Philippines memory bank. It has been awesome. Thanks for checking in on me! See you in the States!!

ALLEGRE

Disclaimer on the photos. I haven't done anything to edit these pics and have posted them in a hurry so...









Yesterday we made the 2-hour trek to our resort. It is very beautiful and relaxing here. Our driver said that they are only about 40% full with around 40 rooms so it is very quiet. Last night we at on a veranda overlooking the ocean all by ourselves! A vast contrast to the crowded streets of Cebu City. We took boat ride out into the sea with the hope of seeing dolphins. We saw ONE dolphin, but I was not at all disappointed. We saw many, many flying fish and it was just relaxing to be out on the water. Again, we were the only ones on the boat. No crowds here! The excursion was $20 per person. The same thing would no doubt be $60 - $100 in Hawaii or somewhere else. We road inside the boat for a while, but then the "captain" told us to take our life jackets off because it would get too hot. No problem. Then he took us around the outside of the boat (on a narrow little board) to the front of the boat...while we were still in motion. Seemed a little backwards and certainly not the American way, but it was all part of the adventure! :) The sea was very calm and we enjoyed it very much!

It continues to be very hot here! I think we all are trying to soak up the beauty of this place, because it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Tomorrow morning we will be gone. I also think that it has caused us to be a bit reflective about how it can be so nice in a place two hours from Cebu City where life is so difficult.

The one last thing I will mention is about the Filipino people. I truly think they are the friendliest people I have ever seen. Almost everyone, from the airport, to the market, to the poorest neighborhoods, to the resort has a smile to offer. In most cases, they are very gracious. I am going to head back to our "bungalow" and enjoy the day. Know that it is very hard for me to experience all of this without the rest of my family, but I will try! :) Maybe another time!

GOODBYES

Today was our last day at the shelter. It has been quite a week of many different adventures and experiences. This morning, we did a craft for the older girls. It was fun to share it with them. It was fun for them. We have been helping with some decorating in the three houses. My sister has been in charge of that one and she did a great job creating some cute wall hangings and such. It was John Ray's birthday (a 16-year-old boy with brittle bone disease). He had been deathly sick a few months back so it was nice to see him celebrating his big day. Finally, we had to say "goodbye". The children sing a touching song for us and there are a few words and a prayer of blessing. There are lots of hugs and a few tears.

There were a few times this week where I just stopped and looked around. I tried to imagine our kids while they were living here. It really wasn't to hard to do... I could see them running around, playing basketball, gathering around the table for meals, playing board games, roller blading (that would be Rigo!) and just be-boppin' around... I know that their memory still live here with the children and staff that are still here. I am so thankful for this place that they called HOME for three years. It was a good place where people loved Roselyn, Romeo and Rodrigo. It is so refreshing to talk with people who knew them and can share stories of their younger years. It helps to put a few pieces of the puzzle together. On the other hand, some days I am so sad for all the time that I missed with my children. There is so much that I cannot know and so many things that I don't know or understand about them.

Roselyn, Romeo and Rodrigo have already changed so much since the day they came. I know that there is only a small window of time where they are in our home and under our care. That makes me sad. I guess one thing that I am trying to learn as I reflect on this week and the last 18 months is to live one day at a time and trust God for whatever comes next. I have no control over their past, but I can try to do my best and enjoy ALL my kids today and help them make good choices for the future. I don't know why that should be so hard, but it sometimes is. There is a lot to absorb after seeing and experiencing things that are new and different, but I will keep trying to process it.

I loved this visit, but I am ready to start back to the rest of my family. I miss them! Tomorrow we are going to a resort for a couple of days then...the long trip back to Minnesota.

THE MARKET

Yesterday morning at 4:30 a.m., Roselyn and I climbed in the "truck" with the house moms to go to the market for this weeks groceries. The vendors bring their produce down from the mountain on Saturday morning. It was very crowded, smelly and dirty, but I loved it! Other than one man selling papaya soap, I was the only non-Filipino. There were a lot of stared and some questions about who I was. The market was crawling with people. We made our first stop at the fish vendor. There were many, many different kinds of fish...and many, many people selling. The entire market was huge...maybe a city block or two? It was hard to tell, but we walked around and around for a long time. Anyway, the meat (fish, chicken and beef) was all raw or dried and just sitting out. They would cut off the scales, etc and put it in a basket and put them in a basket.. You would never see this in the US! The vegetables and fruits were beautiful and there were so many kinds! Bananas by the bunch, mangos, and something called jack fruit. You can look it up if you want! :)...but it was all so interesting to me! Anyway, it was a highlight to see Filipino culture up close and personal. Hope I can do it again some day!

ROMELYN

Yesterday was an incredible day. Roselyn and I went to meet her older sister and children. We had just missed seeing her when we were here to pick up the kids so it was especially sweet to finally see her-especially for Roselyn. Romalyn is very beautiful - much like her siblings. We think she looks like Romeo! We met with them at the CSC office for about an hour and then brought them back to their home, which is the same neighborhood of our children. Before meeting with them we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some food. It was a very positive experience. When we got back to the neighborhood, people started recognizing Roselyn and we kind of gathered a crowd. They were so happy to see her and the pictures of the boys. They were all talking a mile a minute asking Roselyn so many questions about her new life. It is so interesting to me that they showed no resentment about her situation. They were also very kind to me. Roselyn handled it very graciously and like a pro. I was very proud of her.

I cannot begin to imagine what this must have been like for my daughter, but I am so thankful that we had the chance to make this visit. Tonight Roselyn and I will stay at the shelter and go to the market (at 4 a.m.) with the house moms to shop for the freshest produce. I'm excited about this adventure!

CEBU

Things are feeling a bit more settled. I just tried to download some pictures, but it was taking so long that maybe I will try again later. Yesterday was a good day. We took the city tour. Marlys drove us around Cebu City looking at neighborhood, downtown and through a cemetary. It is helpful for me to revisit these place. It is also interesting to watch other people see some of the sights for the first time. We spent a few hours shopping (mostly for fabrice) for a few projects that need to be completed at the shelter.

We ate at a traditional Filipino restaurant last night. Lots of different and interesting foods. I loved it! And then... believe it or not, we girls (plus Marlys and another staff person) went to get massages. It was very interesting. Seems like the wrong thing to do while we are here, but we were just trying to go with the flow. Roselyn and Megan spent some time helping at the school and hanging out with kids. The children are so happy to see Roselyn. I brought one picture of me and my kids and they love to look at it. Lots of comments about how handsome Romeo is!!

Today we will have a meeting with Roselyn's older sister. Not sure what to expect! I will definitely take a few picture. She has two little children which we will meet as well. The staff is wonderful in trying to help us make those connections. It is almost surreal. Sorry about the pictures, but I just don't have a lot of time. I'll keep tryihg. Tonight we will finish out the day with tacos at Teacher Amy's house.

CEBU

It is 5 a.m. and I can't sleep. I have been awake for about an hour just trying to get back to sleep... I think I give up. My sister is sitting across the room on her computer as well. Seems like a good time to blog!

Well, our trip so far has been good. Other than a REALLY long journey, we are all hear in one piece. All of the flights went well and were pretty uneventful except for the Minneapolis-Tokyo leg. A couple of hours into the flight, we had pretty sever turbulence! The pilot even said that in his 30 years of flying, he had never experienced such an unexpected rough ride. Thankfully, after the 20 -30 minutes of roller coaster riding, things settled down. We checked about 19 pieces of luggage between the 9 of us.

We are all trying to get used to the heat and the time change. It is very, very hot!. Yesterday, we ate lunch at the shelter and took a general tour. The best part for me was to see Roselyn reconnect with the kids that are still here! They were very excited to see her! Many things have changed but they had so many things to talk about... They had lots of questions about Romeo and Rodrigo as well.

Last night we went to Mitch's house for pizza with a bunch of the staff. Today we will take a city tour and start on a few projects for the shelter. We will go out to eat this evening so it will be another long and busy day. Of course, I can't find my camera cord, so I won't post any pictures now. I'm sure it will show up!

On Thursday, Roselyn will be meeting with one or two of her relatives. I am excited but anxious about what that will look like. It makes me happy to see Roselyn so happy. She is definitely in her element.

I miss Steph, Rigo and Romeo so much, but am thankful for texts and phones which make communicating not so difficult. Thanks for praying for all of us. I would say that the biggest concern for us is to accclimate to the climate. (Annie, it reminds me of Ukraine!) For now, that's all! Thanks for reading!

CEBU, HERE WE COME!

Roselyn and I are leaving for the Philippines later today. There are so many things to do before leaving on a big trip like this, but I think we are almost ready to go. We are going with another mother and daughter that are friends and my sister is also joining us. Please pray for us as we travel and experience CSC with new eyes. I will try to post some pictures and blog a bit, but it will depend on how tired I am... Thanks to all of you who have sent your well-wishes and offers to help while we are gone. We are looking forward to reconnecting with some people back there and are looking forward to introducing CSC to some new people! Next stop - Cebu City, Philippines.

MILESTONES

Last week we celebrated Allen's parent's 50th wedding anniversary. We spent a few days together just remembering, celebrating and catching up. His family is located mostly in Minnesota, but also in Arizona and California so it was a real treat to have us all together. We met up at the Twin's game on Wednesday and had a family dinner and celebration on Thursday. Grandma Mork pulled out her wedding dress after 50 years and we enjoyed a little fashion show by some of the granddaughters. Very fun! Time flies and things change, but its the shared memories of the past that give us roots. I wish we could get together more often, but I guess that is why an event like this is so special.

Allen and I celebrated OUR 27th anniversary on Friday and Lindsay and Bjork celebrated their 1st anniversary earlier in the week! Lots to celebrate and so exciting to see three generations of healthy marriages. I'm looking forward to many more years of adventure with Allen and the rest of our family. Who knows what is waiting for us around the next bend??

EIGHTY-EIGHT!

What is it like to be eighty-eight years old?? How does it feel and what does it look like?

We celebrated my dad's 88th birthday last week. I feel so blessed to have had a mom and a dad for almost 50 years! It is such a gift. I love that they are so social. I love that they love doing things for and helping other people. I love that they love their grandchildren! People often come up to me (it just happened again last Sunday) and tell me how much they enjoy my mom and dad. It has given me a new appreciation of what wonderful people they are.

We had a little birthday celebration at our house for my dad. Rigo, of course, loves birthdays, parties and celebrations. My dad picks him up after school every Wednesday and they sort of... hang out for an hour or so. I love that they have the Wednesday "connection". Rigo is 8 and my dad is 88 and they are buds! I think it's pretty cool and it makes me smile.

My dad also loves the ladies! He was in seventh heaven as three of his granddaughters gave him kisses all at once. There are some really great things about being 88!