Two Suitcases and Two Boxes

I haven't allowed myself to sit back and fully comprehend the fact that I am leaving. I finally looked at airfare rates yesterday and looked at one-way ticket prices. I picked a date - September 20. I will be flying in Economy to the tune of approximately $ 700-750. Or twice the price if Kyera and I leave together.

But things might change and I might leave sooner without her. Everything depends on God's timing and favor.

For the first time since the season we pursued happiness, I am re-discovering what it means to be fully dependent on the Sovereign God who truly, madly, deeply loves me with an everlasting love. It's humbling for a control freak such as myself to have to relinquish the reigns. But if i am to get this done, who better to be in charge than Jesus?

I now begin the task of uprooting my life by starting with our apartment. Thankfully, we hardly have any furniture at this point in our lives. Over the last ten years since my mom's death, we have gone from a five-bedroom house to twelve different condos and apartments, the last being our present rented two-bedroom two-story row house that is barely furnished save for a given dining set, a given bed and recently purchased shelves that would have been the beginning of our never-commencing plan to fix our home.

And yet, for all that we no longer own - a TV, a car, coffee tables, etc. - how do you fit twenty-six and seventeen years into two suitcases and two boxes?

By ruthlessly leaving behind what will weigh us down.

I expect to cry a lot these next six weeks as I sift through the remains of my life in the Philippines. Thank God for His ever present help and comfort.

song playing on itunes: beautiful lord by leland

Seventeen Days Later and My Life as a Strawberry Blonde

Life is finally starting to return to normal at work. With our Every Nation World Conference, EN07, over and done, I can now re-focus on the most important task at hand - moving back to the US!

The birthday was last Friday and it was uneventful save for my feelin' the love from text messages, calls and tweets. I was at work all day. My boss and an officemate took me to lunch at Teriyaki Boy for sushi and tofu. Kids from church surprised me with a chocolate cake that evening before Kyera and I headed to Ratatouille with friends.

My mind has been set on my daughter hearing back from the embassy by mid-September since I submitted the readiness document only last July 13. But to my surprise, she just got word today that she's scheduled for an interview at the end of the month.

(insert excited shrieks here)

I've been randomly trawling cyberspace sporadically to take my mind off the huuuuge mind map I have for our move. So I logged into my old friendster account and found this photo on a good friend's profile. (Thanks, Arnel Carrion!)

It's me from my stint as an actress for Repertory Philippines during their 2000-2001 season.

This is me as 5B in Murder for Rent. The hair is really mine. And it wasn't a requirement for the role. It did, however, fit my eccentric character. Just her... I'm as normal as can be... *wink wink*


So please pray for my daughter that her visa will be approved. And that someday, her mother will get to act again. Or dye her hair some strange color one more time.

song playing in the office: the violent clapping of thunder outside

Step Two: The Funny Thing About Serendipity

Woke at 5AM and headed to the US Embassy to submit a document that says K is ready with her papers. Something that I actually could have done last week. Or ten days ago when the Visa application arrived.

It would have saved me my acidic stomach and the stress-relieving trip to the stylist to chop off my hair.

But it was my fault.

R and J paid me a surprise visit at my office yesterday! Since I haven't been able to drag my but to their side of Makati, they came unannounced and we got to do our long overdue, albeit brief, catching up, while they killed time before heading to a recording.

Of course, the topic of where I am in the process of getting K's papers in order came up.

They recalled their timelines of official documents arriving, and interview dates being secured, and it was revealed to me, and reminded to them, that one of the papers can be submitted as soon as possible even while still completing requirements. And no fees are needed yet.

Yay!

So off I went this morning. I arrived at ten to seven and was told to wait until eight for a certain window to open. Said window opened and I was then told I was at the wrong window. The window where I was supposed to go had no lines and all I had to do was hand over a piece of paper.

guard made me wait at the wrong window for more than an hour only to be told to go to a different one where i spent FIVE seconds. about 2 hours ago from web

Funny how I have been worrying about the $ 400 when I don't actually need it yet. All I had to do was fill out two forms and submit it at the embassy.

Who would have thought that out of the blue, two of my best friends in the world would come to see me on a whim, bearing information I didn't know I would need, in order for me to do something I had been agonizing over when to do?

I truly am not in control.

Thank you, God, for knowing all the tiny details that I don't, and for orchestrating long overdue visits with friends in the nick of time.

Now the wait for K's visa interview begins.

Someone's Birthday This Way Comes

Looks like I found yet another new toy. Shouldn't Kyera be the one doing these things? You may be asking yourself. She would be if only our crappy internet at home would work...

SmartBRO sucks eggs. Eggs!!!

That's one thing I want for my birthday - a decent connection at home.

And of course, a plane ticket, a place to stay, Kyera's Visa approved, and lots of cake and ice cream.

And maybe a pretty bouquet of flowers.

And a trip to the beach.

And an iPhone.

Since I Don't Have an iPhone, Let Me Entertain Myself with a Blogthing...

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything. You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word. Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world. You get along well with: The Pinky Stay away from: The Index Finger

What Finger Are You?

The ball is now in my court. Visa Application papers are waiting to be filled; official, local government documents are waiting to be procured; my bank account is waiting to be credited.

Waiting.

Almost feels like the wait for the iPhone that I didn't actually wait for but waited for vicariously with my Twitter friends in the US.

You know what I mean?

Now all I need is to find a Pinky and I will be a happy girl.

podcast on itunes at work: joel osteen's Trust God to Do It His Way

When Push Comes to Shove

Real Life has been unkind to me these past days since my last post. Not in a bad way mind you. We did, after all get great news in the mail!

But with this fantastic package comes the reality of my massive TaDaList getting even loooooonger than it already was. Am now having to add the mundane task of cleaning out and sorting out our apartment before leaving in two months. Two months!!!

I am so grateful that in the years following my mother's death - and our subsequent moves to twelve different apartments - I have subtracted and/or lost so much of what I once used to own. Having inherited a fully-furnished, four-bedroom house, K and I are now down to two beds, a given dining table, a computer table, a fridge, and a various assortment of this's and that's.

My task is not as gargantuan as it would have been had I not downsized considerably since 1997.

I have documents that need to be secured from government agencies; entertainment for a world conference that needs to be organized; books to be given away; a video collection that needs to be sold; furniture that needs to be donated; and a mini-dachshund that needs to be adopted.

All this while still deciding on where to live in the US.

The choices are now:

1. Orlando, Florida
2. Tallahassee, Florida
3. Jersey City, New Jersey
4. New York, New York

And I haven't even started allowing myself to think about the possibility of having to leave K for a month or two first before she follows.

Without this peace that transcends all understanding, I would certainly be partially insane by now.

Thank God I've been through worse!

This is nothing.

I am in the water, untethered to anything that keeps me safe, thankful that the One who commands the wind and the waves is with me.

Where would I be without my Jesus?