Asia Pacific Regional Conference

I was able to end my summer with a week in the Philippines attending the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for the Church of the Nazarene.  This was five days packed full of Bible teaching and preaching, incredible music, and reunions with friends. 

There was also an incredible amount of food.  Not one...not two...but THREE buffet meals a day.  I guess it was probably a good thing I decided to have my annual island illness at this point in my journey.  I am pretty sure it was a sinus infection, but it could have been strep as by Saturday I wanted to cry every time I swallowed. (I went ahead and started antibiotics so I wouldn't infect everyone, especially if it was strep.)  By being sick, I went back to the room and slept through at least one meal a day.  Saved a few calories that way. Whew. (But I made up for it by eating an enormous amount of pineapple...at every single meal!)

The hotel where the conference was held was connected to a four story mall.  It was a small mall by Philippine standards. (Yes, malls are still thriving in Asia!)

But by being sick, I also didn't feel like shopping.  So calories and dollars (or pesos) saved! 

This was a very strange floating stocking hat in the mall....??? Obviously, I needed a picture.  (Sadly, Perry wasn't with me.)

Our room was on the 16th floor!  The views are terrible because it was always raining (flooding).  My roommate was my Filipino "cousin", Janary.

As I said, always flooding....

Janary took most of the pictures with friends, and I haven't gotten them yet as she is still traveling.  But you have to believe me when I say that I had the best of times reconnecting with friends: Cousin Jana; Brian & Julie (they lived in Guam when I lived in Saipan...then I moved into their place in Guam when they moved to the Philippines...and now they live in Japan); Cameron from Australia and Bakoh from Indonesia that I first met in December 2006 (We have been connecting with each other at conferences since then); plus so many of my Filipino friends.  The Nunez family, that I first meeting in Pohnpei, even drove over to my hotel to see me! 

The church services were so good! I should start my back-to-school with a week of church five times a day every year! :)

And the cultural presentations were incredible. 

I was sad to leave.  This was such an incredible event.  The Holy Spirit indeed made an appearance, and it was awesome.  Maybe next time, I won't feel so crummy.  

And just like that, summer 2025 is complete.