Happy New Year!

New Years Eve is probably the biggest night of the year in the Philippines. There is a party everywhere. Fireworks have been for sale for the last month and have gone off here and there with loud pops, but this left us unprepared for what the night would bring. They must add something to the fireworks here to make them 3 times as loud as in the States. We have often wondered if we were caught in the middle of a gun fight. We knew this would escalate as New Years Eve drew near. We had been told that the place to be New Year's Eve was the kid's school-Faith Academy. Faith is about 15 minutes from our house and also outside the metro Manila area. Metro Manila is a city of 14 million people in an area smaller than Los Angeles county. It is the most densely populated city in the world. It is shaped somewhat like a basin surrounded by hills and "mountains". We live outside of the Metro area, up in the first set of hills. Our house looks over Laguna de Bay and the city of Alabang, but Faith looks out over Metro Manila.
Our view upon arrival was of a beautiful city at night. The lights of the buildings shimmered in the distance and there was the occasional firework to light up the sky. By 10 o'clock the sky was aglow with fireworks big and small filling the air here and there. Some as close as the soccer field below us and 1/4 mile away, and some tiny pinpricks in the distance. As we moved closer to midnight, the number of fireworks grew and grew. Explosions lighting up the night sky. By 11:45 the lights of the city had disappeared due to the smoke and all we were left with was an amazing display. You can not imagine this scene. There can be nothing like this in the states. Mainly because what densely populated US city would let people shoot off that many fireworks. The final 10 minutes of 2005 and the first few minutes of 2006 were welcomed with bright colors exploding all around us. Being first timers, we were amazed, but sales of fireworks this year was down and our Filipino friends have told us this was nothing compared to years past. Disappointing it may have been for them, but we were thrilled. Words cannot adequately describe this event so we would love for you to come experience this with us next year.

So we have begun a new year in a new country. Allan made the comment New Years Day that we will most likely not see the US during the year 2006. It was a depressing thought so we won't think about it. We will be leaving tomorrow to go to a conference for New Tribes Missionaries. Allan and I are leading the Elementary Children's program. We are excited for a few days away. We have spent everynight for the last 5 months in the same beds. I think that has to be a record for our family. It will be great to breathe some cleaner air.