Robert Burns was absolutely right when he penned those words in the eighteenth century.
Things have really kicked into high gear in the Atienza household. I was reminded of our blog post from May when then the thought of selling, purging, packing, and storing our belongings seemed so simple. Like a nice "5 Point Plan to Perfect Church Health" sermon you might hear on the radio, our "4-fold approach to packing" has proven to be far easier said than done.
They say however long you expect a project to take, you should double it. While I can't credit Robert Burns with that nugget of wisdom, it's a useful proverb none-the-less.
Fortunately, God is ever present and faithful. After speaking with our realtor, we've decided to try to put our home on the market in the next couple of weeks. That means we need to finish packing our things into balikbayan boxes (to help de-clutter our space) as well as complete some much needed repairs and painting. As you can see from the pictures, our packing project is starting to wind down. PRAISE GOD! It may seem like a simple thing, but just a week ago as we surveyed our home the constant thought in our minds was, "how on earth are we going to get all of this done in time!" I am convinced that the Lord has been extending each day by two hours for the past two weeks; it's the only explanation for how we could have possibly gotten all of this done! Thank you all for your prayers as we go through this time of transition.
PRAYER REQUESTS
• Please pray that our home repairs can be completed so that we can list our home before the end of June. By God's grace, many friends have stepped forward to help us with painting and cleaning. Even for those who are unable to help physically, thank you for always praying with us! The Lord has been moving powerfully, and the prayers of the brethren are absolutely being felt.
• Pray for our efforts to sell our home; that the timing of our listing and closing would glorify God and work well with our plans to share the vision of CSC with churches around the Twin Cities, Montana, and Canada (we'll post our upcoming "visit schedule" in a future blog).
• Please continue to pray for our church as they continue the search for their next pastor.
Checked Luggage, Carry-Ons, Bags, and Boxes. What Can You Bring to the Philippines?
If you've ever traveled to the Philippines then you've probably notice some unorthodox pieces of "luggage." Some passengers check boxes covered in tape, others check boxes that are contained in a plastic wrap with zippers and handles, and others yet have fancy Gucci suitcases that you're certain are knock-offs from Green Hills.
My family and I are using boxes for one reason: weight. Most international flights will allow you to check a bag up to 50 lbs or 23 kg (be sure to check with your airline before you head to the airport). The simple fact is that a cardboard box, even one that's covered in tape or rope, weighs far less than a suitcase. Even the fanciest suit cases made of "space age" material can still account for 15%-20% of that 50 lbs limit, so a cardboard box could mean the difference between bringing a few more t-shirts or leaving them at home.
But what kind of boxes can you actually bring on an international flight? Again, you should check with your airline, but typically a checked bag/box can have a dimension of up to 62 linear inches. For example, a bag that's 27" x 21" x 14" (including wheels and handles) has a total size of exactly 62 linear inches (27+21+14=62). A lot of kababayans (my countrymen) use balikbayan boxes that fall under this specification. You can also find a box at Home Depot that will do the trick for under a couple of bucks (the box is 18" x 18" x 24" so its linear size is 60"). A word of warning, Home Depot boxes have thinner walls than balikbayan boxes so you kind of get what you pay for. If you want to get super fancy you can even buy this specially made box on Amazon, but please don't (just ask your Asian/Filipino friends; we'll find you one for far less or give you an old one that we're not using anymore).
If you do this, the only thing to keep in mind is that you'll need to tape up or "re-close" your box at the end of your trip if you want to use it on the flight back. A lot of times, balikbayans (Filipinos traveling to the Philippines) don't worry about this problem because their boxes are filled with pasalubong; gifts, souvenirs, food, or trinkets for friends and family. Bringing pasalubong is not only welcome, it's often expected. When they leave the Philippines to continue working overseas, they usually have less than half of what they came with (i.e. - no more boxes). PLEASE NOTE: if you're visiting us, no pasalubong is needed; just the pleasure of your company.
You can buy or bring a roll of tape, or there are also these zippered box covers that you can use to reseal your box (they're also super convenient because they often have handles). An example of this can be found on Amazon, though I'd recommend trying to buy this in the Philippines or at an Asian grocery store in the US (if you can find it). You should be able to find the exact same thing for the equivalent of under $5-10 US.
Why did I go through all of the trouble of writing this? Because if you are a close friend or a family member that would love to visit but have never been out of the country, just know that we're happy to help. Peace and blessings to you all!
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