Tempus Neminem Manet!!

Already? The first half of the year is over? I can't believe how time just whizzes by sometimes! Truly, time waits for no one! I mean, do you ever get the feeling that you're forever trying to get on top of things? Well, such is the story of my life. Or at least it has been these days, anyway..

For several weeks now things have just seemed a struggle to manage, timewise. First reason (or excuse), I suspect, is because we went on that trip, rather unexpectedly; and consequently having to battle that affliction we were all hit with for quite a considerable period after we got back. And second is because the first few months of the pregnancy (as it is with any) was such a trial. These things have definitely thrown me off my "groove." Now it seems that I've never really caught up with stuff, especially with schooling. We're about 2-3 weeks behind!!

Be that as it may, I fight back the urge to get stressed, though I do have lapses here and there.. :D Knowing Someone is always in control of things, and therefore anchoring all of one's hope and faith in Him will tend to make everyday challenges more bearable and this maze of a life much easier to navigate. EVEN IF it is all under time pressure!

Multae cogitationes in corde viri voluntas autem Domini permanebit. (Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.) - Proverbs 19:21

On the Threshhold of Self-sufficiency

Most of us have read and/or heard about GMO products and how bad it is for our health. Still, some of us feel somewhat defenseless, especially because 80% of what we find in the grocery stores and supermarkets these days is composed of foods that have been genetically modified. Shockingly, a large percentage of the foods we have always thought of as being "natural" (such as fruits and veggies) are intentionally altered and manipulated at the very DNA level which actually renders it more harmful to us than being healthy or helpful. In addition, besides GMO, we also find a large bulk of produce that are routinely bombarded with toxic chemicals shortly before they are harvested and transported to the shops.

Even something as seemingly harmless and innocent as milk is now considered as a "dangerous beverage" because of all the bacteria, viruses, other substances contained in it and the active hormones, antibiotics and vaccines that are given to the cows (just like pigs, chicken and other animals used for meat) that cumulatively, individually and collectively - for those who consume milk - cause several diseases, not excluding cancer!

Being confronted with this reality and the enormity of the problem, some of us might just find it easier to pretend this is not happening, and may very well choose to go about our normal lives ignoring these facts.

Denial, however, will only get us into deeper trouble. And when it comes to certain things such as the health of the family, I believe knowledge IS power. So, having gained a deeper awareness of GMO products and how much harm they do to the body, we felt we could not turn a blind eye and a deaf ear. Almost immediately, we switched over to organic food. Yes we were instant converts. However, as most informed or "practicing" families would tell you, consuming purchased organic foods is not a cheap approach. But being totally convinced we could not go back on our decision, we knew we had to supplement and do something else, something a little more sustainable without it being too much of an economic strain.

About the middle of last year we converted a few of our garden patches into veggie/fruit/herb beds. We are very thankful that we got a little bit of help from a good friend in establishing our "food garden"... (Ok, ok, a LOT of help!!!) The following months were quite exciting as we witnessed how the seeds germinated and grew into little plants, then big plants, and some we inspected regularly to see them starting to grow fruits and veggies! Of course we already had fully grown guava and mango trees that yield lots of fruits on a regular basis. (Last year's mangoes were particularly big and juicy, not to mention S-W-E-E-T!!)

Among several vegetables we have been able to harvest and consume thus far are: buk choy (pechay), rocket, capsicums, chilli (fruit and leaves for tinola), tomatoes, cauliflower, sweet potato (leaves or camote tops used, so far), malunggay, kangkong, snake beans (sitaw) and others. Our calamansi tree which never gave us any fruits in the past seemingly got lots of encouragement from its neighbouring flora and decided to dance to the music and bear lots of fruits, too! Yes, we have been able to harvest baskets-ful of calamansi used to prepare jugs of vit C-loaded lemonada and some to squeeze over pancit, bistek, arroz caldo and other favourite Pinoy dishes! (The following pictures taken some months ago are of the early stages of the garden and the first batch of veggies we harvested. We have since been able to harvest so much more and mature up some seeds for planting next year; and now that winter has started the garden is going through a "transition" period. Soon we will be looking at suitable plants to grow during the cold months ahead.)

Growing and harvesting your own foods is definitely worthwhile, to say the least. Truly, there is nothing fresher, tastier and more beneficial than produce consumed a short time after picking. For us it is proving to be quite enjoyable, rewarding, convenient and healthy, especially knowing that none of them have been altered / modified in any way nor sprayed with any harmful chemicals. Besides, whilst we are careful to buy CERTIFIED organic products from the supermarkets and specialty shops, we cannot be any more certain about how organic our food is than growing it ourselves! What better incentive is there than that? Our children especially enjoy talking about the fact that this thing or that was "grown and picked fresh from our garden in the backyard." (Of course we had to make sure we only used organic / heirloom seeds to plant. And although the plants have had their share of pest infestation, we still managed to use and consume a good chunk of each harvest. Perhaps in the future we might look at using our own homemade mixture of pest spray such as garlic or vermin spray, etc. to keep the old pests under control.)

Undoubtedly, this tremendously fruitful exercise has given us a foretaste into the kind of self-sufficient lifestyle that has been beckoning us for a long time. And of course, this has been further compounded by obvious health reasons and the desire to stay as far away as we can from "franken-foods" that seem to be springing up everywhere we look. Whenever hubby and I talk about it, we cannot help our minds from wandering into the time when we are able to establish our farm in the countryside, some distance away from suburbia - where we would be able to grow an even larger range of fruits (yes, a fruit orchard sounds perfect!), beds of vegetables and herbs (both culinary and medicinal) sprawled over several acres; and of course raise some animals, too: goats for milk and cheese, a few milking cows and some for beef, a handful of pigs for meat, a pond full of fish, yabbies and other fresh water creatures good to chuck in the barbie, chooks and ducks for eggs and poultry and even several horses for the kids to ride around and play with! And what a life it will be!

This, for us, has been in the cards for a long time now, but God willing, we'll get there sooner, rather than later.

Oh well, we can dream, can't we? :D

Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genitrix; nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitabitus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta!

Corpus Christi 2010 in Pictures

Litany of the Saints

On this vigil of the Ascension, and the last of the 3 Rogation Days, I am sharing a video I found featuring one of the most beautiful versions of the "Litany of the Saints" that I have come across (many thanks to the uploader) which the Church traditionally prayed in preparation for the great Feastday of Ascension.

Enjoy!

Tribute to Mothers, World's Great Cathedral Builders

I came across this beautiful piece some years ago, via an email. I read it again today, and it still made my eyes well up. To all the mothers in the world, enjoy the beautiful gift of motherhood. Really, we do not need acknowledgement or validation, but the mere assurance that GOD SEES ALL is encouragement enough to help us forge ahead in spite of our perceived "invisibility" sometimes.

INVISIBLE MOMS

I'm invisible.

It all began to make sense - the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I am on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Kids' Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please." I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going - she's going - she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.

I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fuelled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for Me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend to add, "You're going to love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

That special power of loving that belongs to a woman is seen most clearly when she becomes a mother. Motherhood is the gift of God to women. How grateful we must be to God for this wonderful gift that brings such joy to the whole world, women and men alike! Yet we can destroy this gift of motherhood, especially by the evil of abortion, but also by thinking that other things like jobs or positions are more important than loving, than giving oneself to others. No job, no plans, no possessions, no idea of "freedom" can take the place of love. So anything that destroys God's gift of motherhood destroys His most precious gift to women -- the ability to love as a woman. - Mother Teresa of Calcutta

On this occasion, let us pray for the victims of abortion: the unborn babies and their mothers; and also for abortionists.

FOR THE MOTHERS:

"In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning, of bitter weeping! Rachel mourns her children, she refuses to be consoled because her children are no more." JER 31:15

Dear Lord, I ask for your mercy on those mothers who, for whatever reason, feel that they are unable to raise their babies. Please grant them the grace to cherish the life which You have given them and not to destroy it before birth.

I especially ask for your mercy on all mothers who have denied their children life in this world. Please grant them the grace of repentance and reconciliation with You. Help them to trust in Your forgiveness and to learn how to forgive themselves.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you. Please wipe away the tears of all mothers who have lost their children through abortion. Amen.

FOR THE UNBORN CHILDREN:

"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.. and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen."

Dear Jesus, please grant these unborn children the happiness to which they are entitled.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you. Please baptize all the unborn babies now and when they pass into your eternal keeping. Amen.

FOR THE ABORTIONISTS:

"Just as you know not how the breath of life fashions the human frame in the mother's womb, so you know not the work of God which He is accomplishing in the universe." ECCL 11:5

"Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." LK 23:34

Dear Jesus, please help those who perform abortions and those who assist them to truly see the evil they are doing. Please help them to repent, to quit performing abortions and to be reconciled with You.

Most of all, dear Jesus, please help them to trust in Your forgiveness and mercy and to learn how to forgive themselves.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you. Please send an angel, O Lord, to stay the hand of the abortionists as once you stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. Amen.

The Grace of Abandonment

Okay, so I'm struggling through this particular chapter of my life.

Shortly after coming home from our trip I discovered I was expecting our 5th child. Yes, it came as a surprise because we never plan these things, but more specifically because we were not counting on me getting pregnant this soon. Besides, we were just starting to get into the rhythm of things, and really enjoying life as a family. Brighteyes turned 2 this year and she is so much more "fun" to be around - interacting with us more, and the rest of the children enjoy her so much more, as well. Schooling has been more manageable because we got into a routine which we had been able to adhere to quite well. Yes, things were all fine and dandy. Until recently.

Actually, I hope nobody mistakenly thinks I am not open to life at this stage. I love babies and I would love to have more, but it's the whole pregnancy thing that I struggle so much with, and it has always been the case with all my pregnancies. Nine months is such a long time and I find it all quite limiting - what with the morning sickness, the emotional roller coaster secondary to the upsurge of hormones, etc! Put it this way: I wouldn't like to be around me when I'm pregnant! (Ugh! My poor family indeed.) And what's more, I really don't look forward to not being able to do normal things at the level that I am usually able to. (Don't get me wrong, though - I'm not a control freak (Or am I??), but I like to be able to determine my own actions to a certain extent.)

The big question, however, is this: are these concerns justified? Probably not. I have already proven - numerous times - that when God calls, God equips; and I'd like to think that eventually, with God's grace, I'll be able to reach a certain level of abandonment requisite for me to get through all this. Further, I know that however long it may seem, it always comes to pass. Besides, at the end of it all, we will have another adorable, beautiful-smelling angel from Heaven! That alone makes it all worth it, as every mother would agree. So what am I still complaining about? I really don't know.

These days it's so funny when the kids, especially the younger ones, would ask me how big the baby is, a few times each day, as if it grows much bigger by the minute!! Also, as if hubby doesn't do enough around the house already (cleaning, laundry, ironing, washing, etc.), he has also taken on the task of doing the grocery shopping after work, especially because I cannot stand the different smells in the supermarket. It makes me run to the bathroom to vomit, and worse, it will give me a lingering headache for most of the day! Before hubby comes home he will usually call to find out if there is anything in particular I'd like to eat that he can get for me. Whenever I run to the bathroom to chuck, Roadrunner and little Brighteyes would usually follow me and I'd feel them massaging my back, while repeatedly asking me if I'm okay. Last night I felt a pinch in my heart when I heard Webster saying to his dad, "Dad, if Mom needs anything through the night, can you please wake me so I can get it for her?" Curlytop is always rubbing my tummy and talking to the baby. Once she asked me, "Mom, if I had a key to insert into your belly button, can I turn it to open your tummy so we can see the baby?" Haha! Isn't it just priceless? I can't wait to have this baby to give the family this gift of another little person to care for and love. At this early stage none of us can wait to meet this baby, God's 5th smile on our family.

Actually, come to think of it, these little things are starting to make this pregnancy a whole lot more bearable, not to mention enjoyable. In fact, I'm feeling rather spoiled by everybody around me! I realize now that in spite of all my worries, all unjustifiable at that, I am starting to open my eyes to the reality that this is going to be a journey that we will ALL be in - together, as a family. And what a gift, indeed.

On this occasion of Mother's Day, I just can't help thinking: I am clearly not worthy of these wonderful blessings, but they have been given to me freely, and purely from God's goodness. I will therefore choose to accept them all with a grateful and abandoned heart.

Intercessory prayer to Our Lady, Help of Mothers:

Powerful is your intercession with God, Mary, for you are his mother.

Tender , too, is your love for us, for you are our mother.

Confidently , then, I come to you as a child, poor and needy,

to seek your aid and protection.

In every trial of motherhood, I beg your aid.

For the grace of a happy delivery, I come to you.

For your holy assistance in guarding and directing

each tiny soul with which God entrusts me, I call to you.

In every sorrow that comes to me in my motherhood, I confide in you.

That I may have strength to bear cheerfully

all the pains and hardships of motherhood, I lean on you.

That the sweetness of motherhood

may not, through my neglect, be embittered in later years

by pains of regret, I trust in you.

That the will of God may always be fulfilled in me

through each act of my motherhood, little and great, I beg your aid.

Never forsake me dear Mother, my hope, my consolation,

my confidence, and my trust,

but ever be at my side to aid and protect me, your needy child.

Amen.

Mother of Love, of Sorrow, and of Mercy, Pray for us!

Trip Highlights

I have been wanting to write about our recent trip for a while now, but due to several different constraints I just have not gotten around to it. But I am making myself do it now, lest all the memories of it fade into oblivion (given that I virtually have a memory like a sieve!). Having said this, photographs taken on the trip have proven to be very useful in jogging the old memory. :)

FAMILY TIES

As mentioned in a previous post, the primary reason for this trip was family related, more specifically because hubby wanted to make his support felt by 2 of his ageing, ailing aunties. We were happy because we were able to achieve this, although it was partly sad because one of his aunties, his Dad's only surviving sibling now has dementia and was unable to recognize him at all. This was rather hard for hubby to accept initially, though now he eventually has.

Whilst in Los Angeles for the first and last leg of our trip, we stayed with my aunt, my mom's youngest sister in Eagle Rock. So it was lovely to have been able to spend time with her, her son (my first cousin) and his daughter. In addition, we were met by 2 of my other cousins in Hanceville, Alabama. I had not seen them for about 2 decades. They drove from Florida and met us for the Holy Triduum/Easter period at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, and with them were 2 of my nieces whom we met for the first time. And the kids enjoyed spending lots of time with them.

In Toronto, we stayed with hubby's older brother and his family for about 6 days and seeing his wife and son for the first time and spending time with them was quite lovely as well.

CALIFORNIA MISSIONS

Before we took the trip we decided on some things we wanted to do while we were there, and one of these was to visit some of the California Missions established by the Franciscan Missionaries in the 1700's to introduce Christianity (Catholicism) to the Americas. These missions were led by Blessed Junipero Serra; and among the 21 Missions, we were able to visit: San Juan Capistrano, San Gabriel, San Buenaventura, San Fernando and Santa Barbara.

It was certainly quite amazing and somewhat exhilerating to think that some, if not all, of these churches were home to the Traditional Latin Mass which we have grown to love very much, as celebrated by very holy priests and even some saints! And almost everything in sight, especially in the mission churches, provided a virtual feast for our eyes, especially the original altars, ornate confessional boxes, antique statues, sacred pictures, paintings and murals and of course, the venerated relics!!

ALABAMA

We left L.A. on the early morning of Holy Thursday, but did not get to Birmingham until about 5 pm. We knew we were not going to make it for the Holy Thursday Mass at the Shrine that day, given that it was another hour's drive from Birmingham, so in coordination with my cousin, we had arranged to meet at St Paul's Cathedral in Birmingham for the 7pm Mass. The cathedral was beautiful, though the sanctuary and altar, understandably, were quite bare. The ceremony (including the Washing of the Feet and the Blessed Sacrament Procession) finished at around 9:30pm. Afterwards, we drove to Hanceville where we first stopped at the place of my cousins' host, a Filipina whom we later discovered was part of our AHFI Family and very good friends with Fr Bing, our spiritual director.

Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament

We first went to the Shrine on Good Friday morning for the Stations of the Cross. From when we caught a glimpse of the big iron gates, we were so impressed by this beautiful, tranquil place. By the time we got out of the car, the excitement had very much mounted. It was still a long walk from the carpark to the doors of the church, but we finally made it inside before the end of the Stations of the Cross. Hubby and I were quite disappointed to be that late, but we took comfort in the fact that we had to let the kids rest as much as they needed from the night before, given that they were quite crook already (which started from about the 3rd day since we got to LA).

Well before we left for this trip I had been in constant communication with my childhood bestfriend, Abbie, who lives in Illinois. And we had arranged to meet up in Hanceville at this particular time. I was saying my prayers inside the main church at the Shrine when my younger son came up to me and told me "Tita Abbie is outside waiting for you." It was a very happy reunion and also a delightful meeting between both of our families. From there we all got together for lunch and shortly after, returned to the Shrine for the Veneration of the Cross and Communion Service from 3pm onwards.

Ave Maria Grotto

At the shrine, Holy Saturday only had one scheduled activity which was the Easter Vigil ceremonies in the evening, so this was the perfect time to look around and visit places. So after all 3 groups met for lunch, we decided to visit the nearby Benedictine Abbey and go around the Ave Maria Grotto. This popular site houses 125 miniature shrines handconstructed by a Benedictine Monk, Bro Joseph Zoettl (1878 -1961). We were definitely wowed by the detail, dedication and inspiration that very much came through all his work.

Come Holy Saturday night, it had gotten quite chilly and although we all went to the main church to attend the Easter Vigil ceremonies, we actually ended up going back to our cabins, because as soon as we all got inside the church, Webster started coughing and could not stop until he was sick all over the floor of the front entrance of the church!!! Hubby had to clean up all the mess and soon after, we found a few Franciscan friars kindly helping and making sure everything was all clean and dry. Understandably, we were quite heartbroken for missing out on the most beautiful liturgy of the season, but we were happy to take the kids to bed early.

Bound for Georgia, my two cousins and the girls drove out early the next morning, which was Easter Sunday, so we went to Mass by ourselves. This time it was held in the lower church or the crypt. We had our concerns about this, as it would not be very easy to rush out in the event of an accident similar to the one we had the night before. Surprisingly, though, the kids did exceptionally well. We all stayed on our pew all throughout the Mass and there was no need for us to take any of them out for any reason at all.

April 4 was also Curlytop's 4th birthday, and my bestfriend Abbie had already arranged to get her a birthday cake, so they met us outside the Shrine after Mass and together we proceeded to our cabin for our little party. It was wonderful because it was obviously a double celebration - for Easter and Curlytop's birthday. Shortly after, Abbie and her family set off for the long drive home to Illinois. So, because we were scheduled to fly to Toronto the next morning, we decided to do our last look around the Shrine.

This little exploration brought us to a few more places we had not been to, thus far. For one, we stopped at the Pieta Garden just a few metres from the entrance gate where we were quite moved to find the burial graves of 2 aborted babies. We also made our way to the Lourdes Grotto which was a short walk from the JP II Eucharistic Centre. This was such a beautiful part of the shrine, with a sparkling river alongside the grotto. We were certainly sad to be leaving the shrine, especially because it was such a beautiful place to be in - very tranquil and peaceful, perfect for recollecting one's thoughts and reconnecting with our Loving Creator.

EWTN Catholic Network

By the time we finished at the Shrine it was about 4:30 pm, and although Birmingham was still another hour away and we weren't sure whether the place was still open, we decided to take the chance and drive over to visit EWTN. It was a pleasant trip and we didn't drive in a hurry; but we got there in good time. It was kind of surreal how we roamed around the chapel which up until then we only saw on TV. In reality, it was rather small, compared to the spacious impression it gives one on telecast. We did not expect to see anybody there, as it was Easter Sunday and these religious communities would normally have celebrations, but we actually chanced upon a Franciscan friar (most likely the one allocated to look after the chapel). After exchanging hellos and such we asked if we could take a few photos around (and with him, as well), so we did.

Canada

Early the next morning we took a flight to Toronto where we were met by my brother-in-law. By this time Brighteyes was quite sick so we asked him to take us to a local medical clinic after dropping off the rest of the kids at their place. Colloidal silver (which we normally use) was not readily available, so we needed a script from the doctor to get Celine started on some antibiotic therapy. Over the next few days she got better, albeit slowly. However, she got better enough for us to go around Toronto to see some sights. We drove for about an hour to the border of Toronto and New York and spent a night at the Fallsview Hotel in a room which, staying true to its name, provided us with an excellent view of Niagara Falls! Before driving back to Toronto we squeezed in some outlet shopping at Buffalo, NY. It was quite a wet day, so even if my bro-in-law drove us to the Fatima shrine (which was under renovations, incidentally) we weren't able to go around for a good look. However we got the chance to visit the beautiful Shrine of St Therese, the impressive St Michael's Cathedral and the Toronto City centre with my brother-in-law's family via the train.

Hubby was definitely happy to have spent some time with his brother after more than 10 years, and we were also glad our children were able to meet his family, too.

By and large the trip was fulfilling, though a struggle as well - in terms of how sick we got while travelling. We achieved all that we hoped to achieve - and more. We were also eyewitnesses to some things that really affirmed our decision not to reside and raise a family in America when we were faced with the choice, 10 years ago.

On this trip we were definitely reassured of God's grace and providence which certainly made sure we safely got to where we wanted to go, no matter how sick we got while to and fro. So although I reluctantly agreed to go on the trip initially because of the challenges it posed, I'm so glad we did - if only for the valuable experiences, unforgettable reunions, and memories to treasure for a long time to come.