Dear friends,
Well as most of you have seen proof of and others of you have hopefully gathered, I am finally back home in New Braunfels, Texas. This crazy, unbelievable chapter of my life is over-- and the next one is already going.
I just want to thank you all so sincerely for taking this journey with me. If you ever read a single post of mine then you made a difference. The most difficult days of this journey were documented in this blog and it was so helpful for me to know that in other countries across the globe people were reading about it. It was my way of feeling connected to all of you and I am so thankful for the thoughts, comments, prayers, emails, packages and everything else that you did. I'll be sending out a newsletter soon including some other anecdotes, pictures and other things. If I don't have your email or address (whichever you'd prefer) then put it in a comment or email me (bekahgwen@gmail.com).
Again-- thank you so much! I may keep this blog going, or get a name change, to keep you up to date on more adventures. Stick around if you'd care to... :)
Love you all. God bless.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Caught in the middle and surrounded by heartbreak
"I want to be back in Australia!" "I just want to be in America, already!" "I miss the farm!" "I miss home!" "I need a hug." "I need a cup of tea." "I want to be out of here!!!"
Welcome to my thoughts.
I have left the beloved land down under; and I'm no closer to America. I spent last night with my cousin Josh and his wife Collette and their four beautiful children (and hopefully there will be pictures below.) Joah and I got a bus at 4:45am to take us to the airport where we sat and waited for what seemed like 2 years, but was more like 2 hours and some change. We were the only ones on this airport shuttle so I'm not sure why the middle of the night departure was so necessary. Anyway, we weren't rushed. Josh and his friend were off to Bali and I was Manila bound-- yet again.
My flight out of Sydney was delayed by an hour or so which was fine with me because it was another hour in Australia and another hour not in Manila. When I finally got on board I was seated in 66C next to a delightful Australian. For the time that I was awake I talked to him and enjoyed the last lingering sounds of Australia. I drugged myself but was mostly unsuccessful in getting any deep sleep. All together I slept for about 3 hours. Although I enjoyed taking to the Aussie next to me, he kept opening the window while I was trying to sleep which really threw me off of trying to pretend it was American time/ the middle of the night. I did look out the window as we were coming into the city though and I can say with a good deal of certainty that I have arrived in Manila for the last time. I've learned a lot about myself over the last 4 months; and I think I have done all I am called to in this country. I guess that is one reason why it is so difficult to be back here. This is a different experience that previous ones though. When I arrived (with all my bags, thank you, Jesus!) I was met at the curb by Caesar and he informed me that CSM was full so I couldn't stay there. He first suggested that I stay at the home of someone from his church and you can say anything you want about me, but I couldn't bear the thought of staying in a non-air conditioned block with people who I don't know and couldn't communicate with. After the emotional mess I am due to leaving my Aussie family, I would have totally broken down in that environment. I asked if he could just take me to a hotel nearby and after going down several alleys we arrived a little motel in an area that did not make me feel comfortable at all. I told Caesar I wouldn't feel safe there alone and when he looked around at the people standing outside he agreed with me. We ended up at the City Garden Suites and it's quite nice and not too dear. I'm sitting in my room now watching Law&Order and trying desperately to stay awake so that I can force myself back onto American time.
I am so unbelievebly glad that I got to spend the last two weeks with my family in Australia. This has been a blessing and an experience that I could never have imagined. It's changed my thinking on a lot of things... and I can't wait to go back.
To my frinds and family in America-- I am so close! I'll be there so soon now, even though I still feel the huge barrier between us. I am blessed to know you all. I can't wait until I can hug everyone and it will set in that I'm finally home.
Welcome to my thoughts.
I have left the beloved land down under; and I'm no closer to America. I spent last night with my cousin Josh and his wife Collette and their four beautiful children (and hopefully there will be pictures below.) Joah and I got a bus at 4:45am to take us to the airport where we sat and waited for what seemed like 2 years, but was more like 2 hours and some change. We were the only ones on this airport shuttle so I'm not sure why the middle of the night departure was so necessary. Anyway, we weren't rushed. Josh and his friend were off to Bali and I was Manila bound-- yet again.
My flight out of Sydney was delayed by an hour or so which was fine with me because it was another hour in Australia and another hour not in Manila. When I finally got on board I was seated in 66C next to a delightful Australian. For the time that I was awake I talked to him and enjoyed the last lingering sounds of Australia. I drugged myself but was mostly unsuccessful in getting any deep sleep. All together I slept for about 3 hours. Although I enjoyed taking to the Aussie next to me, he kept opening the window while I was trying to sleep which really threw me off of trying to pretend it was American time/ the middle of the night. I did look out the window as we were coming into the city though and I can say with a good deal of certainty that I have arrived in Manila for the last time. I've learned a lot about myself over the last 4 months; and I think I have done all I am called to in this country. I guess that is one reason why it is so difficult to be back here. This is a different experience that previous ones though. When I arrived (with all my bags, thank you, Jesus!) I was met at the curb by Caesar and he informed me that CSM was full so I couldn't stay there. He first suggested that I stay at the home of someone from his church and you can say anything you want about me, but I couldn't bear the thought of staying in a non-air conditioned block with people who I don't know and couldn't communicate with. After the emotional mess I am due to leaving my Aussie family, I would have totally broken down in that environment. I asked if he could just take me to a hotel nearby and after going down several alleys we arrived a little motel in an area that did not make me feel comfortable at all. I told Caesar I wouldn't feel safe there alone and when he looked around at the people standing outside he agreed with me. We ended up at the City Garden Suites and it's quite nice and not too dear. I'm sitting in my room now watching Law&Order and trying desperately to stay awake so that I can force myself back onto American time.
I am so unbelievebly glad that I got to spend the last two weeks with my family in Australia. This has been a blessing and an experience that I could never have imagined. It's changed my thinking on a lot of things... and I can't wait to go back.
To my frinds and family in America-- I am so close! I'll be there so soon now, even though I still feel the huge barrier between us. I am blessed to know you all. I can't wait until I can hug everyone and it will set in that I'm finally home.
Princess Poppy and Me
Granny and the twins, Alice and Smith
I love walks with Coral...
Charli and Me
Satene (Teenie!) and Me
I love cows!
Oh..... cafe Dungog....:)
Smith and Alice having a chat
Me and my sweet cousin Rae
Wendy, Me and Rob
Rob's coat of many colours.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
The King's Speech... and the last day
A few days ago now we broke into my mom's mother's day present (spoiler alert, mom) and watched The King's Speech. I was thrilled to be finally seeing this film and was equally as thrilled by the overall production. It was a truly wonderful movie and Colin Firth and Geoffry Rush were both fantastic! If you have yet to see it then I highly recommend it.
Well today is Thursday the 12 of May and my last day at Bandon Grove, my favourite farm in all of Dungog and the rest of the world. I won't pretend that I'm not a little broken hearted. I don't want to leave my family here. I know that I have another family, my closest family, waiting for me and I am anxious to see them. However I feel like I have spent most of my life missing this family over here; getting to have them all to myself for two weeks and now having to go back to missing them just seems too harsh right now. Most of you would never have imagined I'd say something like this-- but the farm life suits me. I wouldn't be at all upset if God had a farmer in my future. :)
Today Coral and Granny and I went into town for lunch and so I could play a little prank. Cafe Dungog is run by a guy named Steven-- who may have bitten off a little more than he could chew with me. He recently spent 6 weeks or so in the States and so enjoyed pulling out some Aussie jokes when he found out I was American (like referring to people named "Chuck" and "Randy" which are two names an Aussie would never name a child unless they wanted to subject them to cruel bullying; also making me a beetroot sandwich when I asked that beets were left off of my burger. Aussie's eat some gross things.) I sent in a carry out order with meticulous instructions and ridiculous expectations along with a job application. When we arrived for lunch I was informed that some inappropriate things were found in my background check that disqualified me from the job. It was a great day nonetheless and I had another delicious beetrootless sandwich.
Coral is getting dinner ready; homemade pizzas! Then I think Phil and Coral and I will sit down for a last movie together and the tears will probably start at the same time (for me at least). Tomorrow Phil and I drive to the central coast where I'll be staying at my cousins Josh and Collette's house and then will fly out of Sydney early the next morning. This is the leg of the journey that I dread the most because after leaving Sydney I arrive in Manila and have to spend about 30 hours there. I'll be staying at the CSM inn so will at least have a bed and a shower... but it will be so hard being alone after all this time. I'm just going to want to be home. I wish I could just sleep the travel away. Once I leave Manila it's off to Tokyo, then Detroit, then home. I will finally arrive in San Antonio, if the Lord wills it and nothing goes wrong, on Monday evening. I'll put information on facebook about a little welcome home get-together at IHOP.
So many of you have followed me around the world over here and I am truly blessed and grateful. I'll try to add another post from Manila where I'll be incredibly bored and lonely. I wouldn't mind email at all. :)
Love you all. See you SO soon. God is good.
Well today is Thursday the 12 of May and my last day at Bandon Grove, my favourite farm in all of Dungog and the rest of the world. I won't pretend that I'm not a little broken hearted. I don't want to leave my family here. I know that I have another family, my closest family, waiting for me and I am anxious to see them. However I feel like I have spent most of my life missing this family over here; getting to have them all to myself for two weeks and now having to go back to missing them just seems too harsh right now. Most of you would never have imagined I'd say something like this-- but the farm life suits me. I wouldn't be at all upset if God had a farmer in my future. :)
Today Coral and Granny and I went into town for lunch and so I could play a little prank. Cafe Dungog is run by a guy named Steven-- who may have bitten off a little more than he could chew with me. He recently spent 6 weeks or so in the States and so enjoyed pulling out some Aussie jokes when he found out I was American (like referring to people named "Chuck" and "Randy" which are two names an Aussie would never name a child unless they wanted to subject them to cruel bullying; also making me a beetroot sandwich when I asked that beets were left off of my burger. Aussie's eat some gross things.) I sent in a carry out order with meticulous instructions and ridiculous expectations along with a job application. When we arrived for lunch I was informed that some inappropriate things were found in my background check that disqualified me from the job. It was a great day nonetheless and I had another delicious beetrootless sandwich.
Coral is getting dinner ready; homemade pizzas! Then I think Phil and Coral and I will sit down for a last movie together and the tears will probably start at the same time (for me at least). Tomorrow Phil and I drive to the central coast where I'll be staying at my cousins Josh and Collette's house and then will fly out of Sydney early the next morning. This is the leg of the journey that I dread the most because after leaving Sydney I arrive in Manila and have to spend about 30 hours there. I'll be staying at the CSM inn so will at least have a bed and a shower... but it will be so hard being alone after all this time. I'm just going to want to be home. I wish I could just sleep the travel away. Once I leave Manila it's off to Tokyo, then Detroit, then home. I will finally arrive in San Antonio, if the Lord wills it and nothing goes wrong, on Monday evening. I'll put information on facebook about a little welcome home get-together at IHOP.
So many of you have followed me around the world over here and I am truly blessed and grateful. I'll try to add another post from Manila where I'll be incredibly bored and lonely. I wouldn't mind email at all. :)
Love you all. See you SO soon. God is good.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Fetching the Queen
Well yesterday morning Coral and I headed to Forster to fetch my grandma and spend the night up there. We arrived around morning tea time and spent the rest of the day out in the shops and seeing all there is to see it Forster. As far as attractions go it's more a retirement community, but the beaches are fabulous; you won't find a thing to complain about there. It was a bit of a wet day on and off so we didn't walk on the beach, but we went to the observation deck and then sat where my grandpa Charlie used to like to watch the waves crash on the rocks. Before arriving at my grandma's house we stopped at the cemetery to say hello to Charlie. It's a beautiful place and I was glad to finally see it. He was a lovely man and will always be missed.
We stopped for lunch a cute cafe and got some lovely sandwiches and Ginger Beer. A little more walking around and a few great bargains to stumble upon and then it was home for eggs on toast. Another cuppa or two and then time for bed in the bat-less room.
Oh, I forgot to tell about the bat incident. Whoops. Okay, well after the dam leech situation I went to bed hoping to just put the gross memory behind me. I put my eye mask over my face and stuck my Josh Groban music on the mp3 player and snuggled under my covers ready to sleep. For some reason sleep wouldn't come though and I tossed and turned for well over an hour. I was lying in bed, my mind wandering, and I heard a swift swish right near my face. Before taking the eye mask off I already knew it was a bat. I quickly looked up and saw it circling the room, and more than once it came far too close to me. I waited for it to stop moving and then I jumped up and tuned the light on and opened the door. I saw the little bugger scaling up the lace curtains and then it finally exited the room and headed to the dark hallway, coming close enough to me to kiss the end of my nose. I slammed the door and jumped back to bed. I informed Phil and Coral the next morning and kept my door closed all day long so it couldn't get back in. Before going to bed the next night the three of us took flashlights and searched the whole room for it to be sure it was not there. With no sign of it, I went to bed and had the exact same experience as the night before began within 10 minutes. This time however I called Coral and covered my head with a pillow. My heroes entered the room with squash racket and butterfly net in hand. A few seconds and a good swing later the little guy was in a clump on the floor. So far no other residents of Transylvania or any other bat havens have been spotted.
Well the plan for this evening has been to watch The King's Speech, but I don't know that that will happen. Granny slept for hours this afternoon but she looks ready for bed again. On that note, I should get out of her room.
Toodles.
We stopped for lunch a cute cafe and got some lovely sandwiches and Ginger Beer. A little more walking around and a few great bargains to stumble upon and then it was home for eggs on toast. Another cuppa or two and then time for bed in the bat-less room.
Oh, I forgot to tell about the bat incident. Whoops. Okay, well after the dam leech situation I went to bed hoping to just put the gross memory behind me. I put my eye mask over my face and stuck my Josh Groban music on the mp3 player and snuggled under my covers ready to sleep. For some reason sleep wouldn't come though and I tossed and turned for well over an hour. I was lying in bed, my mind wandering, and I heard a swift swish right near my face. Before taking the eye mask off I already knew it was a bat. I quickly looked up and saw it circling the room, and more than once it came far too close to me. I waited for it to stop moving and then I jumped up and tuned the light on and opened the door. I saw the little bugger scaling up the lace curtains and then it finally exited the room and headed to the dark hallway, coming close enough to me to kiss the end of my nose. I slammed the door and jumped back to bed. I informed Phil and Coral the next morning and kept my door closed all day long so it couldn't get back in. Before going to bed the next night the three of us took flashlights and searched the whole room for it to be sure it was not there. With no sign of it, I went to bed and had the exact same experience as the night before began within 10 minutes. This time however I called Coral and covered my head with a pillow. My heroes entered the room with squash racket and butterfly net in hand. A few seconds and a good swing later the little guy was in a clump on the floor. So far no other residents of Transylvania or any other bat havens have been spotted.
Well the plan for this evening has been to watch The King's Speech, but I don't know that that will happen. Granny slept for hours this afternoon but she looks ready for bed again. On that note, I should get out of her room.
Toodles.
Little Kookaburra :)
Ice cream!
Me and my granny
Partner in crime
Gorgeous.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Coming down off of the fairy tale high
Well several days after the blessed nuptials Coral and I are starting to live in reality again. We've taken off our tiaras and only discuss Kate's gown about twice a day.
We've been at the farm for three days now and this place is just more wonderful than I remembered or could have hoped for. Yesterday Coral and I drove up to Maitland to do a little shopping as I had only summer clothes with me and winter is quickly blowing in over here. Phil played some golf instead of accompanying us and I'd say we all had a lovely day. Lovely crumb chicken and potatoes for dinner and then some ice cream and fruit salad for dessert. We watched "The Blind Side" which was a first for me and a second time for the others (which in itself was amazing as Phil is normally never on board for watching a movie twice.) I thought it was pretty great; Sandra Bullock's best, no doubt.
Today we took our breakfast out to the veranda and enjoyed the first bit of sunshine since I arrived. After taking care of a few things we packed a picnic and headed to the dam where we enjoyed sausage sandwiches and tea with the Kookaburras. I love getting to spend all day in conversation with Phil and Coral. They are two of my favorite people and we just have a grand time. I wouldn't hate to live here-- no I wouldn't.
Of course, we have to have something go wrong. When we got back from the dam I ducked inside before the others to use the restroom. When I came out I had a very concerned Coral telling me to check my shoes as they had found a very full leach outside where we had just been standing. I checked and the coast was clear-- until I rolled my jeans up to my knee. Blood dripping down the back of my leg showed the spot were the little bugger had found his lunch. This may be the most disgusting experience I've ever had. This called for an immediate bubble bath, but even now I still feel violated.
It's about time for dinner now and then I think maybe hot cross buns and tea while I introduce them to Inception. Leaches aside (and even adding them to the mix) this is truly a delightful time. I'm already looking forward to the next time I make it down here.
Happy birthday to sweet Liddy!! I'm bringing you some Aussie goodies! Love you.
We've been at the farm for three days now and this place is just more wonderful than I remembered or could have hoped for. Yesterday Coral and I drove up to Maitland to do a little shopping as I had only summer clothes with me and winter is quickly blowing in over here. Phil played some golf instead of accompanying us and I'd say we all had a lovely day. Lovely crumb chicken and potatoes for dinner and then some ice cream and fruit salad for dessert. We watched "The Blind Side" which was a first for me and a second time for the others (which in itself was amazing as Phil is normally never on board for watching a movie twice.) I thought it was pretty great; Sandra Bullock's best, no doubt.
Today we took our breakfast out to the veranda and enjoyed the first bit of sunshine since I arrived. After taking care of a few things we packed a picnic and headed to the dam where we enjoyed sausage sandwiches and tea with the Kookaburras. I love getting to spend all day in conversation with Phil and Coral. They are two of my favorite people and we just have a grand time. I wouldn't hate to live here-- no I wouldn't.
Of course, we have to have something go wrong. When we got back from the dam I ducked inside before the others to use the restroom. When I came out I had a very concerned Coral telling me to check my shoes as they had found a very full leach outside where we had just been standing. I checked and the coast was clear-- until I rolled my jeans up to my knee. Blood dripping down the back of my leg showed the spot were the little bugger had found his lunch. This may be the most disgusting experience I've ever had. This called for an immediate bubble bath, but even now I still feel violated.
It's about time for dinner now and then I think maybe hot cross buns and tea while I introduce them to Inception. Leaches aside (and even adding them to the mix) this is truly a delightful time. I'm already looking forward to the next time I make it down here.
Happy birthday to sweet Liddy!! I'm bringing you some Aussie goodies! Love you.
The beautiful Harbour Bridge
Born for royalty.
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