different shades of blue

spent two mornings in this amazing place in bohol. it was mother's 60th birthday and we wanted something special for her. so we brought her here. this is not our first choice. i wanted beach and ocean... but sisters insisted on this and we did not regret it. we cannot help gushing about how nice it is here. it instantly gives you a calm and peaceful vibe. it's a botanical garden of about 10 hectares. it was really beautiful. our 1 hour hike ended up on this scenic restaurant facing the ocean that looks like it has no end... heaven and earth meeting. different shades of blue in one look = awesome!

 entrance to the garden

cactus garden

 these two love birds kissed for about a minute before another one joined them. a three-some!

 les "expertly" playing the kulintang ( a native instrument in mindanao)

 kulintang - ... it gives a distinct, happy sound.

 sister and mother. they look good, yes?

 family.

 i wonder what it would be like to wake up to this every morning :-) awesome view. you can just sit here all day. 

faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden startling joys" - medeleine l'engle

week full in instagram :)

i've had a very busy past 2 weeks. juggling activities and schedules. it was a fantastic week; with lots of learning,  realizations and education.

 bachuchay playing outside SM mall while waiting for the ride.

 gin and tonic in the morning? lol

 i was accidentally thrown about to attend a child protection policy conference for compassion partners. i was not scheduled to but i end up appreciating it more than i expected. like many of the compassion's training programs, it made me re-evaluate my ministry and passion for the welfare of the children. 

 one sleepy moment during the conference. cheetos kept me alive.

 children's camp. 90 kids came and join. sleep over. too much hyper-activity in 20 hours. but the result is really life-changing. for the kids. for the staffs. for the australian visitors.

 output for children's artwork :)

 it rained 3 days out of 7 in one week. it was almost a storm. there was also a 7 point something earthquake. but we only felt a little shaking. thankful that it did not cause so much devastation like the last one though.

and i also had my first try of authentic korean food. spicy pork is awesome. and green chili is not as hot as i thought it would be.

 sleeping was a struggle. this was taken @ six in the morning. waiting for the sun rise.

wordless wednesday: quiet sunday

last week was a sobering one. ranley's dad was hospitalized and died after a few days. it is not an easy thing for him i know. there are some moments of helplessness in my part but i am sure that God is powerful enough to uphold and comfort him and his family during their time of darkness. 

sister and aliana 

live to the fullest

each person has a spiritual obligation before God to learn how to live well, to live fully, as opposed to knowing how to live comfortable. – luci swindoll

live to the fullest

ah, comfort. who doesn’t want to live a comfortable life? we yearn for moments when we can wrap ourselves in a soft comforter, grasp a mug of our favorite coffee or hot tea in our hands, and listen to the  silent drum beating of the raindrops on our roofs, watching our dew covered windows or for others, warm crackling fire in the fireplace. Or maybe your picture of comfort has to do with exotic climes and a hammock strectched between tall palm trees or mango trees.

when God provides such times of comfort, we can thank him for that gift. but when days come that are far from comfortable, maybe even painful, we can take comfort in the fact that God is teaching us to live well, to live fully. it is a known fact that we learn and appreciate life more when we have experienced and undergone the uncomfortable. never has our own selves been challenged than when we are in these moments. the best and the brightest in us comes alive during our toughest times. those people who have survived being hurt, being pained, being uncomfortable and has suffered became our best examples of courage, growth and tremendous faith. God did say, "he has given us everything (let me say that again)- EVERYTHING, we need for life and godliness". he has more for us in life than just to live comfortably. i can say  he may call us to take uncomfortable risks, or forego some of what is good in order to have what is best. above all, it means having Jesus, who came to give us life to the fullest.

by: sarah young

p.s. italics are mine :)

wordless wednesday: bogo trip

i was sick for three days and therefore was not able to go to work. i've been feeling claustrophobic the whole time. so when friends decided to go to bogo, a town 105 kilometers south of cebu, to visit with another  friends family, i did not hesitate to go even though i still have muscle pains and my head felt like extra heavy on my shoulder.

blurry marcelo h. fernan bridge @ 4:30 am

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ems and sweet

newly built catholic church in front of alex's house

bliezl

margie: mommy of bachuchay 

  

jen's silhouette

 

ironman philippines was held in lapu-lapu and cebu city last saturday. ironman is a triathlon competition that is held annually since 2009. i have never ever seen a big sports event like this before. what didn't make it better for me was the fact that this years competition was only a few minutes away from where i am. sadly, i was in no condition to walk or run to where i can actually see it. public transportation is not an option since the roads all around it was closed. oh well, i went somewhere nice. it was a good get away with friends.

not so wordless wednesday: shopping spree

it looks like she's on a shopping spree. this post was a backlog one from last weeks, when sister visited again and bought her god daughter, this smiling pumpkin pie, her dedication gift. found out later that the clothes was a wee bigger for her. oh well, at the rate she's growing it won't stay in the closet long. 

we were in charles and keith and looking for a sandal. she's helping out. truly. she keeps handing out random styles to mommy les and me to try. but sizes was lost on her though. lol.wasn't able to buy one here though, size 4 1/2 is really a struggle to find for sister. we did found a strappy gold one in payless. and guess what size? 2. i mean two. really. in the kids section. lol. enough said.

tita izing u should check this out. lol!! may pinagmanahan!!

helping her mommy les chose which sandal to have

a very enthusiastic shopping companion, i tell you

messing with shoes done. now for picture perfect smile :))