For the Chinese scattered all across the globe, New Years are celebrated twice a year (Roman and Lunar calendars). This gives us another chance to improve on our new year’s resolutions (if the first one fails). Yet, for most of us, by the time the Chinese new year comes, we probably have already forgotten about any resolutions that we have made, and just resolve to “buffet” our way through the festivities!
As Filipinos with ancestors from China, this Chinese New Year celebration (Feb 10) gave our family a chance to look back and reflect upon what God has done for us in the year that has just passed.
2012 has been a tough year for our family.
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| Grandpa Jotham with Hannah |
Join us as we rewind back in time ... In March of 2012, with barely two months before our planned trip back to the Philippines, we received the sad news that Aileen’s dad went home to be with the Lord. So, the quick Spring break trip (Mar 10 – 20) and the longer summer trip (May 14 – July 31) back home was not the same as we were missing someone we were looking forward to be with.
Neil's Fall Semester (Aug – Dec 2012) has been a tough second semester in the doctoral program, as he had to take three classes and also prepare for the French exam. As the semester barely started, Aileen noticed a small mass bulging through her left finger. After a neighbor who was a medical doctor saw Aileen’s finger, he warned to have it checked immediately. So, we rushed to look for a hand surgeon to have it examined. The doctor said it was a ganglion cyst and relieved our fears that it was benign.
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| Noah packing his Christmas shoebox |
Another news we received (Oct 2012) was that Aileen was pregnant with our third child. We were so excited … thinking, planning, and preparing. Even our kids were ecstatic and longing for the baby to come out soon. However, by November 2012 (on the 12th week) in a doctor’s visit, the OB-GYN found out that our baby’s heart has stopped beating (for a few weeks already). As we came to grips with this tragic news, our hearts were broken and our souls were crushed realizing how sad it is to lose someone we have never seen but have grown to love.
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| Costume Parade at DTS |
Just when we thought that the tough situations were over, Neil failed his French exam. This was crucial for for him cause as an international student, unless he passes this exam, he could not enroll for third semester. In midst of the grieving and heartaches, Neil spent the Christmas break studying and translating through French journals. By the year-end (Dec 31), he retook the French exam and by God’s grace, he passed!
Death, Cyst, Miscarriage, Failure … one by one, they came to us in different forms, yet through it all, God’s Word has been our strength,
“… for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).
Indeed, we are weak and we will never be strong apart from Him cause it is
in midst of our weakest moments that we discover Him most as the strength of our hearts, and the anchor of our souls!
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| Neil, Noah, Hannah & Aileen |
