i'm an aunt!

I'm officially an aunt to the cutest little baby girl!  she was born, well i was informed of her birth in the middle of a workshop in the philippines. I didn't think I'd be that person showing off her kid or niece of nephew but I was... hahaha...  

I guess if I was to be replaced as the princess of the family, I would be honored that she would be the one!  (girls are special in our boy heavy family on my dad's side...).

A couple days before her birth my mom sends an email to the family: 

Mom: How are you feeling, Tien?  Our little princess still too shy to see us yet?

Me: excuse me but your little princess is in the Philippines!  :)  haha… just kidding..

And my mom replies back: You were a little princess at the beginning and then suddenly one day become a laughing queen.  Hahahaha...........!

on another note... it's fun watching my parents become grandparents.  i wonder if this is how they acted towards us when we were born.  and this kid.. in her first and second week of life... has been to some fancy restaurants already... high roller baby!  so thankful i got to swing through vancouver on my way back from the Philippines. My parents were also able to go around then as well... we got to celebrate her 1st week of life all together there!  She's so cute!  I may be biased..

why did the chicken cross the road?

On my weekend trip to Lipa, I had some family time with my friend and colleague whose family also lives in Lipa.  We visited a little nature park for some r&r... and, well, what can i say... I am just so easily entertained...

date with my Filipina aunty

I took a weekend trip out to Lipa, a few hour bus ride outside Manila, to visit my dad's colleague whom he worked with for years... since I was a baby to the time I was in college.  She retired at some point and was spending half her time in the Philippines where she still has family and then NJ/NY.  I haven't seen her since I was in high school so it was great to see her again!  She had all these articles and pictures to share of her time working with my dad.  Good times.  Sweet times.

the beauty above the mess

It has been a REALLY long time... I have much to post from the past few months, which I will do when I have a chance, hopefully over the next few weeks, but in the meantime... instead of getting even further behind... let's try to live in the present.

I'm back in the Philippines. Lots going on here. There's the work here, there's responsibilities with my org in general and our other partners around the world, there's church, there's family, there's friends... i often feel so unproductive because i'm juggling responsibilities in the US, both personal and professional, and responding to things in that timezone, then taking care of the work here in the Philippines which also has multiple tentacles tangled together, and I often find God placing me in relationships with bros and sisters here that have put me into a confidant/counselor type role... and that takes time, energy, and a connection with the Spirit, which I often forget to seek.  So unqualified, so lost, so lost for words, yet so equipped and empowered by Him. Just open your mouth... just obey. just have faith. listen. speak.

Earlier this week, God gave me this reminder of our minuscule life here on Earth in our universe.  The picture below doesn't do it justice, but basically... I stay in a condo on the 34th floor in downtown Manila.  We have balconies but I can't say I ever get out there except for a quick glimpse, and usually not at night.  The other day a few of us were hanging out. As I looked out, I could see the clear delineation of the hazy, polluted sky line just below, with the vast clear dark sky filled with stars just above.  It's hard to describe, but it was just such an amazing scene.  The pitch black star filled sky.. so huge... so vast... stretching as far as the eyes could see.  And then there below... city lights... gray, red, brown skies... a thick layer of... stuff. It looked so small compared to the skies above.

So thankful for that moment to just sit and stand in awe... and so thankful and encouraged... as if God was saying, "don't get bogged down in that earthly gunk... that polluted world that you live in, don't be distracted by the noise, the voices, the sin, the crap, the muck... don't get stuck in that junk... don't get bogged down... don't lose hope... don't forget your mission lies in the heavenly realms... do you see the stars in the sky... press beyond that worldly mess, peek your eyes just through the cloudy crap... and remember it's not about this world. stay focused. thanks for that glimpse.