Second Impression

First impressions of moving to Manila are pretty typical: it's crowded, noisy, smoggy (puts LA smog to shame!), at times smelly, dirty, and busy. However, it's also a great place to be, don't get me wrong! People are always ready with a smile, a helping hand, and suggestion for the best route to get somewhere.

My second impression was a sore shoulder. My purse is so much more heavy here! I pulled everything out of my purse to try to figure out what on earth was making it so heavy. It's shocking how much I took for granted in the US, such as clean bathrooms, TP, and seat covers!

Purse contents in the US:
- wallet
- phone
- lip gloss
- hand sanitizer
- pens
- old receipts
- gum wrappers

Purse contents in Manila:- wallet
- phone
-lip balm with SPF
- hand sanitizer
- toilet paper
- toilet seat covers
- wet wipes
- Epipen (shrimp allergy)
- face powder (to matte the sweat)
- gum
- purse hook (keep bag off dirty ground)
- camera
- granola bar
- pens

In other news, this week was full as I got my Philippine driver's license, opened a local bank account, converted my cellphone to a local company, all in addition to spending 3 days this week out in the countryside for new missionary orientation. It was an interesting mix as all of us (one other married couple and me) are missionary kids. The personnel director was wonderfully wise and spent less time on the nitty gritty stuff like policy and procedure and more time on practical advice. We had 6 other missionaries come share their testimony and 5 tips, such as staying humble, setting boundaries, expecting new job descriptions/responsibilities, and so on. Very enlightening and much more helpful than P&P!

I'd love your prayers this week as I contact the medical professionals who have offered to help me learn more about perinatal nursing. One great need is for someone who knows how to do an ultrasound. There is a machine that could be available, but there's no one to perform the ultrasounds. I would love to become certified, so that's a big prayer request!

It's been a BUSY start so far and it's just bound to get busier. Thanks for taking this journey with me!