With cousins at Lake Norman

2:36AM- Jet lagged Maren eating Cheerios

A bitter sweet farewell to our Bagabag home

Today we drive away, for the last time, from our Bagabag home of over four years. This house has served us well and we are grateful to have lived here. What do you do with all your belongings??? Have sales! A Korean family (a pastor with a different mission) is setting up a house in Solano and bought nearly all of our things, a blessing for them and us. But good grief, we could not believe all the small items that we have accumulated over four years, and we have to make a decision about all of them.

We've eaten dinner with our good friends the Tiongsons; said goodbye to friends; bought groceries; killed ants/geckos/termites/bats/snakes/rats/roaches etc; swam at a local pool; travel to the village; received care packages and mail; eaten at the new McDonald's in Solano; renewed visas; eaten mangoes/guava/avocado/pineapple; caught monitor lizards...all for the last time.

This transition would be much harder if the center were staying open and we had to leave friends behind to continue on. Many will move to Manila or other areas in the country, others have left the mission as the Lord led them to other areas of ministry. Us? We'll hit North Carolina soil the day before Rodney's 40th birthday, on the 14th. Then begins our time of preparation for our next assignment in Africa.

Yesterday we visited a local orphanage, donating toys that won't be going back with us to the US. Abigail, who is 6 months young, is a beautiful and healthy girl who was rescued from human trafficking at 8 days old. A word of caution- do not visit an orphanage if you have a soft spot for children, it is very tempting to bring them home.

On a lighter note, Slone has discovered his toe, a rather tasty morsel between meals.