Silent for a While

I know that I've been pretty quiet when it comes to posting here on my blog. Some time in the later half of 2006, I felt that I was blogging faster than I was processing. Over the past several months, I have processed a whole lot of info. I've also had some incredible circumstances happen in the last few months. I just got back from my trip to the Philippines. I've needed the past few days to recover from jetlagging. I also happened to get a respiratory tract infection during most of my trip. So I was sick most of the time I was over there. I'm still at around 80% of my true self so I hope those of you wondering what's happened can be a little more patient.

I plan to post a series of thoughts on the gospel, discipleship and the church as it relates to our new church plant. Please keep this in prayer. February 4 is the big day when we will have a lot of people over to the house to share the vision and plans for a fresh movement of new communities in Ottawa.

Hopefully, I'll see you back here soon...

(The picture is me with NUCOMM's Executive Pastor Jon Soriano and his new wife, Billie. I married them on December 30, 2006)

My Trip to the Philippines

Well, I am back in the Philippines. Won't be going back to Ottawa until January 18.

I have to say that getting here was one of the toughest travel experiences I've had. Basically, I was en route for 36 hours! I had a 3 hour stop over in Toronto, a 3 hour stopver in Seattle with a 2 hour delay, and a 7 hour stopver in Taipei. That's 12 hours of waiting in airports!

In Seattle, I had to walk back and forth from one end of the terminal to the other...twice! The earthquake in Taipei messed up China Airlines' computers so they did everything by hand...and the ticketing agent ommitted certain details on my boarding pass so security sent me back twice! I told the China Air ticket agent, if I have to come back a third time, you better put me in first class! Alas, it was not to be.

From Seattle to Taipei, the seat I was assigned was too small. I was in the front row where they put the bassinet for babies. Well, those seats have armrests that do not adjust! I knew that they would have to use pry bars to get me out of that seat if I stayed there for the whole 13 hour flight! So they switched me with a man from the very back row. That seat was better but still uncomfortable. I did not sleep the whole flight into Taipei.

At least my Taipei to Manila flight was fine. But when I landed in Manila, I hadn't slept for over 40 hours.

I'm gonna go back to sleep now....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

May God's favor rest upon your life in 2007...and may you discover the joy found only Jesus Christ the Lord.