Whew....that's one deep drawl

I've noticed since we have arrived in the US I have slipped into a nice deep Southern accent. My friends in the PI would truly know I was from the South if they could hear me now.

I thought I would add a few more pictures of our time visiting in Greenwood.

Allan's first perscription sunglasses!
He's hoping to prevent cataracts from the intense tropical sun in the PI.

Traveling in the car
We have spent lots of time in my parents van.
Thanks mom and dad!

What happened to your head phones Emily?

Ahh...lunch at Zaxby's

For those of you who know me in the Philippines...
the picture above shows my nice straight American hair.
This is thanks to a hair dryer and lower humidity

Oh how they've grown

We have gotten to visit with so many friends this week. While most of the adults haven't changed in 2 years, the kids have gotten so much older. Friday we went to dinner with some good friends from residency . They stayed with us in the fall of 2003 when they moved here from Kenya. They have been very special to us. The kids had no trouble renewing their friendship. It was like they had never been apart. We tried to sneak a few pictures of them being silly together, but they always heard us coming. Finally, they decided to pose themselves for some pics.

They called this "The bookcase"

Here they are in the fall of 2003...
Haven't they grown?

After dinner while the kids played,

the adults sat around catching up at Chai time---
one of our favorite Kenyan traditions

A Night of Fun!

Last night we had the joy of attending a cookout for the 4.5 Sunday School class from our home church of S. Main Baptist here in Greenwood. We enjoyed getting to know this fun group better. They have been great supporters and prayer warriors for us during the last 2 years. It has been wonderful for me to come home and listen to Allan speak at different groups. Last night we showed our informational video that I made just before we headed to the PI. As we have stepped away from the frustrations of daily life in Manila, it has been a great chance to remember why we are in the Philippines, to remember that God has called us there. Our time in the US has been wonderful so far and it is tempting to want to stay, but God has placed us somewhere else. This time here has given me strength for the journey; to continue on in the place God has put us.

Going to Carolina in my Mind

Or as Will has been singing..."I'm going to carolina in real life!" If you ask Emily and Will where they are from this is the place they think of as home. I consider us from Georgia. We only lived here 3 years, but since the kids were older and it was the last place they lived, they consider themselves South Carolinians. We arrived in Greenwood, South Carolina last Thursday evening. It has been a full time of visiting with friends. The kids have had a blast! It's like they have never left. We have stayed with some friends who have 2 boys the kids ages, 3 dogs, 30 acres and a pond. When not off visiting others, the kids have enjoyed swimming, tubing and 4 wheeling. I think it has been better than a trip to Disneyland! Here are a few pictures of them in Greenwood.

Will plays cards at a picnic with some of his buddies

Emily sees Jessica for the first time in 2 years

"I love speed!"

Will and Justin tubing behind the bass boat

Allan teaches Em how to 4 wheel

The Open Road!

One of the things Allan has enjoyed about being back in the US is driving! He absolutely hates driving in the PI. Too much traffic, too many pedestrians, and too many crazy drivers. We rarely drive above 40 kph which is about 25 mph. It's no wonder it takes us so long to drive places. He has certainly enjoyed using cruise control. We have also enjoyed seeing and being out in the country. On our way from Elberton, Georgia to Greenwood, SC, I took this picture. Our Filipino friends would never believe it... a 4 lane divided highway that stretches out for miles with very few cars in site. Aaahh, It was fantastic!

Georgia on my mind...

Well we have arrived back in our homeland. After 30 plus hours, we arrived in Atlanta Saturday night. We have spent the last 4 days resting, recuperating, and hanging out with grandparents before hitting the road. The kids have enjoyed fishing and canoeing on the lake with Pop. Emily has caught 5 fish so far. One nice sized bass and 4 brim. She and Allan are in a competition. He won't admit how many he's caught, but the official documented count is 2. Mimi has fixed us some of our favorite dishes and we are enjoying American food. We have alreaxdy eaten at Zaxbys (on the way home from the airport) and Chick-fil-a.

Yesterday we left the lake for the next 10-12 days. Our first stop is to visit some good friends from residency. For us time in the US has seemed to stand still, but kids grow and change quickly and the baby is no longer a baby. It made our time away more of a reality. The kids enjoyed playing with their young friends while the adults really enjoyed catching up. Today we swam and played. I had the pleasure of driving their new toy... a convertible BMW. Emily and Will thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the ride. I love driving in the US and it was a truly great experience. It was my first time behind the wheel since we arrived back. What a way to enter!

Next on to Greenwood, South Carolina!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Well- the time has arrived. In 13 hours we will leave our house to go to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to depart for the US. After 2 years, we are headed home for a short visit to see family and take care of some business. The kids are a mixture of both sadness and excitement. They spent the last 2 days hanging out with friends. Today we are home finishing some last minute details. That includes spending quality time with their pets. Sargent Will and Private Maggie have been fighting the enemy out in the backyard while Emily has snuggled with Swirl. Will (and the rest of us) will miss Maggie, but not as much as she will probably miss us. In a little while, the kids and I are going to head to the pool to cool off and kill some time. Then we will have an early night to try and get some sleep before heading to the airport at 2:30. I think we will probably be too excited to get much sleep!

Will and Maggie defend Fort WAGS

"Give me back my gun!"

"Wave bye, Swirl!"

Be Careful What You Pray For...

One day last summer, as I was filling a perscription for Allan at the clinic I had an idea. In the shipment of boxes from the hospital that had closed down in Illinois were some empty medicine bottles. We had begun using them with our patients that return monthly for on-going medical care. Instead of the tiny plastic zip closed bags we normally used, our regulars would get their meds in a nice bottle. We asked that when they returned to bring the bottle for their "refill". The success rate of returns was about 60% I guess. Ling Ling, especially loved the new bottles. It was really great when we gave out meds that had to be cut in half because those didn't get crushed that way. So my grand idea was to ask my mom to start saving their bottles when they were empty. Now I don't consider my parents old, but they are grandparents and like most grandparents they take some medicine. I thought that in the few months before their visit they could gather up a few. I was thinking 10-12 at the most. Our system of returns was working well.

Unfortunately, as you may remember, our internet was gone for most of the month of July, so one evening in early August I asked Mom to begin saving her empty pill bottles until their visit in November. Mom, thinking that if 2 grandparents saving pill bottles was good, surely a whole Sunday School class would be better. Wouldn't we be surprised if she could bring a quarter to a half of a suitcase of bottles. A few Sundays later, she stood up in Sunday school at First Baptist Opelika and presented her request. That day a member of the class mentioned he knew someone who worked at a place that manufactures bottles right there in their hometown of Opelika, AL and he would see if any were available. A few more days passed and Mom and Dad left for a 10 day trip to West Virginia.

When they returned there was a message on the answering machine from the president of their Sunday School class. A couple of boxes were waiting in their Sunday School room in the music room of the church. So one afternoon, Mom and Dad went to pick up the boxes. As they walked into the choir room, a staff member was there doing some work. She told them what they were looking for was over in the corner behind the piano. Over in the corner were 4 large boxes of medicine bottles. Now when I say large, I don't mean a good size. I mean so large that my dad couldn't carry them. In all it looks like there were close to 4000 pill bottles, maybe more. Taped to the top of one of the boxes was a note that said "Be careful what you pray for." Mom, Dad and I have giggled and giggled over the overflow of bottles. Mom decided they would pack up a "balikbayan" or door to door box and ship as many as would fit- this was about 1600. When those get low, she will then ship another. For now they have a closet full of pill bottles waiting and we have an overflow here. Ling Ling was really excited about our abundance. So if you visit our clinic, you will notice that more than just the "regulars" get their medicine bottled.

Pictured is just a small amount of the pill bottles now at the clinic.
The rest are in the back storage room.

Thank you Ledbetter Sunday School Class at First Baptist Opelika, Alabama

It's that time of year

It has been a crazy, busy last few weeks. The end of the school year always seems to be filled with lots of activities. Added to this, we were a family of 11 for just over 2 weeks. The son of the doctor we replaced, really wanted to spend the final semester with his graduating class at Faith. He actually finished high school early so in January he could come and spend time with kids he has known since 3rd grade. This is a common thing for Faith kids who have to move on before graduation. Lots of them return to end their high school days here or visit during graduation time. Steven has been living with us and the Nelsen's off and on since January. His Mom, adopted Filipino twin brothers, his sister, her husband, and 10 month old baby all joined us for the last 2 weeks. It has been a great time. Will and the twins, Josh and Caleb, enjoyed picking up their friendship from Greenwood days. They are so much alike and the 3 of them would disappear for hours playing legos and anything Star Wars. It was fun to experience life in the Philippines through Billie and her family's memories and experiences.

The missions life is constantly changing, but one thing stays the same....the never ending parade of Goodbyes. The end of the school year at Faith Academy is a great period of change. Families leave the PI head back to their homelands. Some for just a month or two during the summer, others for a year or more furlough, and some for good. Both years our kids have been at Faith, they have made good friends who have left at the end of the year and will not return.

One of the hardest goodbyes was to our neighbors from the fall, the Brewers. They headed back to Kansas on Monday, May 26th to work at a Christian school in Wichita. We enjoyed spending our last Sunday together, eating out at the one Taco Bell in Manila, shopping, visiting, and taking care of a few of their last minute errands. The kids are really going to miss Mark and Megan and Allan and I will miss Matt and Mary. We will all miss Michael too! Emily and I will definately miss our tennis partners.

Some goodbyes were definately hard on the missions community as a whole. Just before the final week of school, we said a final earthly goodbye to Dennis Gunderson. Dennis and his family run a birthing home and orphange close to our house. He and his family are special to us and our ministry because his orphanage is where the Holmes adopted Josh and Caleb. Dennis became ill suddenly and passed away at a local hospital.