I just realized how long it's been since either of us has actually posted here. So much has happened in the last few months since that last post. Those who follow our YouTube channel or FB page know what's been going on, but this blog was started to give more back ground and insight into what's going on than just videos or a short FB post can.
Cindy often talks about expectations VS reality, the two are often far apart. One time when I was a kid there was an ad in a comic book for a footlocker with 100 army men for only $1.25!!
I saved my lawn mowing money and asked my mom to help get them. She tried to point out the fact the dimensions given for the chest were too tiny and something didn't seem right but I was insistent about getting them. I was so excited when they arrived but the package was kind of small but there were 100 army men in there!!! When I tore off the wrapping and opened the box, the men were about half an inch tall blobs of plastic that were barely recognizable, I felt completely ripped off. All too often life is like that, we have grand expectations of excitement and grandeur, but life has simple day to day living in store. As I'm writing this we've been in the Philippines 262 days. We had great plans of traveling throughout the Philippines and visiting all the places we'd only read about and possibly traveling to other countries too! But then Covid hit and we realized we'd need to scale back our grand adventure, but there were still many places to visit even just here in Cebu province. Surely we could still have a great adventure, just not as grand as we thought. Then Cindy got a job through UpWorks and we moved to Cebu City and rented a condo, but that was good we'll just have some extra money to do that traveling we want to do. But the job was too intense with the year end payroll that needed to be done, but it'll be over in just a month or two and then we can travel. Then when the job was over she was putting on some weight and tired all the time, it's probably just from all the hours she had worked just a little rest and we'll start traveling. Well, after a week of rest and not feeling any better maybe just a quick Dr check up and we can go. That Dr appointment changed our lives forever and brought an entirely new set of expectations and a completely new reality. We had made a new life together that would be coming into our lives this fall! Instead of traveling we began house hunting and preparing for the arrival of our little Pumpkin. Now we are renting a townhouse for a year and making decisions that include a new child in our lives.
Going back and reading this it kind of seems that I'm whining or complaining about how this adventure has turned out, nothing could be further from the truth, I'm actually excited about the future, and a little scared too. I've often heard the quip "You want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans." Deep down I know and believe that His plans are always greater than any we can come up with on our own, but in the process of living through them it can be a challenge. But each challenge builds us up and prepares us for even greater things in store for us.