Weekend Reading

This past week I've been in Tacloban, the hardest hit area of Super Typhoon Haiyan. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to visit the communities receiving relief and rehabilitation efforts from E-CARE. I cannot wait to share more about my adventures there. 

Also, I turned 24 this past week. For some reason since I was a child, I've always had the idea in my head that 24 was going to be an amazing year for me. I can't really complain about year 23, though. But can't wait to see what life has in store for me!

Check out what other YASCers have been up to especially as some of their years come to a close.

Little Things

I've been to just about every diocese within the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. There were just two left to check off. The first was the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Luzon which neighbors EDS. I had no excuse not to take the two hour trip to visit with Bishop Abibico, who was recently elected the next Prime Bishop of ECP.

{St. Thomas' Parish, Tabuk where we attended mass}

Weekend Reading

The weeks have been flying by! I can't believe it's already the middle of June. I can count down the weeks now until I come home - 9 weeks! And next week is my 24th Birthday- CRAZY!

This weekend the Diocesan Staff is taking a short retreat to the beach of Dinadiawan, only a couple hours away. Then on Sunday I'm headed to Manila to fly to Tacloban, the area where Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the hardest. I've been wanting to visit ever since the storm hit and excited to give a firsthand report on the relief efforts.

A majority of YASCers are leaving in July, only a few short weeks away. Check out what they've been up to and how they're closing out their years.

We are Gathered Here...

We are gathered here today, April 25, to celebrate the joining of Challikes and Ayree in Holy Matrimony. And, boy, many were gathered in Bontoc for the wedding of the year. As I said in Monday's post, April began and ended with a Bishop's son's wedding.

Little Things

During the first week of June, St. Mark's and the Diocese of Santiago welcomed nine members of the SE Asian Anglican Communion who are here in the Philippines for six weeks of intensive Church and Community Development Leadership training. St. Mark's felt honored to host them for only a couple of days. They trained them on cooperative financial management, bookkeeping, and governance and management. In addition, the trainees, who are mostly from Myanmar and one from Papua New Guinea, visited an SRI field and the Processing Center.

{The group at dinner on the first night/}

Let me Tell you About the ECP

Let me tell you about the Episcopal Church in the Philippines...

I’ve realized over the past couple of years that even though I’ve been an Episcopalian basically my whole life, I don’t know much about the actual history of The Episcopal Church. Maybe you feel the same way?

After meeting with the ECP National Office staff with Buck and Emily in late March and then again with the JCPC (Joint Committee on Provincial Companionship) in early April, I’ve been awed and inspired by the journey and history of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. Unfortunately, I cannot tell the same story with as much passion and gumption as Attorney Floyd, the Provincial Secretary of ECP and National Development Officer of E-CARE, who lived through and had an influential hand in the process. However, I’m going to do my best.

A Big Affair

This post is way overdue, like months past its prime, but I'm still posting it. April began with a Bishop's son's wedding and ended with a Bishop's son's wedding. First up was my bishop, Bishop Wandag's, son's wedding in Santiago. It was a big affair with Bishop's wife and son flying in from Canada!