Random Highlights

Searching through boxes of photographs, I was trying to find one of a fishing trip with my Aunt Roely... of course, I couldn't find that one (in hard copy) but I did find a few other treasures.

 Traveling back to Christmas 1998... I had gone to a College Christmas banquet.  I went with a few of my buds - Kevin and Josh.  We were sitting with staff and faculty at a corner table, and it was one of those rare times when I was facing the corner.  Usually I love facing the crowd.  Well, half way though the meal Josh said, "I need to use the washroom."  He was only gone twenty seconds when Kevin said he had to go too.  Hmm, strange that men would say that... usually it's the women who visit in the powder room.  I soon went back to eating and talking though.
Minutes later, out of the corner of my right eye, I saw a line-up of men walking towards my table.  I started to blush... you see... these were my buds.  I normally played basketball with them, or went out for pizza and drinks at a place called Fred's Pizza, but on this Friday night, my FRIENDS decided to treat me like a lady.  A dozen guys surround my table, in front of 150 people, each holding a long stem rose.  O my goodness... for me?!!  Slowly each one comes over, gives me a hug and places the rose on my plate... I have never felt more adored than that night!

 This was from the Philippines, summer 2003 when I led a team of 12 young people on Summer Missions Project.  We focused on basketball ministries and HIV/Aids trainings.

 Here I am enjoying a fresh coconut, plucked moments before from a tall palm tree.

One special day, when I was tutoring in the Philippines, I was invited out to the farm of an acquaintance - a man who baked fresh bread for a few of us missionaries.  This man asked us to come out to his home one morning, because a new tourist attraction was being celebrated just outside of Cagayan de Oro City, in Mindanao.  White-water Rafting was being promoted and the President of the country was coming to promote the grand opening.  Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was coming!!
Two of my students, their mother, and I race down a mountain road to catch the festivities... we parked up top not knowing if our vehicle could handle the rough roads.  Hearing choppers in the distance we raced even faster and got there just in time to be covered in sweat when the rotating blades kicked up freshly grated dirt.  We looked like Filipinos and felt awful... and to top it off, there was no president.  A second helicopter landed - no president.
A small crowd had gathered along the shore... washing our faces in the river, we noticed a few rafts coming down the river.  Gloria was in one of the rafts!!  She stepped out of her boat just 10 feet from me.  Wow!  A short lady, 4'11" if I'm not mistaken... and full of smiles.  She shook hands with a few of us, made a media announcement, signed some papers and then boarded one of the choppers and disappeared. 

The four of us made our way over to our friends house then to have some coconut water and fellowship.  Maybe twenty minutes after the choppers left soldiers started appearing... from up the river, out of the woods.  I had no idea we were surrounded - just to protect the president.  They all gathered on our friend's property and waited for the military truck to pick them up.  I was able to take a few snaps with these handsome soldiers before they invited the four of us to ride up the mountain on their truck.  We all sat in the back.  Four of us with big smiles on our faces, and the men relaxing in their camo gear, holding machine guns and talking quietly.  By mid afternoon, our adventure was over... but the memories will last forever.