On March 8 we will be celebrating our second year here in Sydney. What else can I say? Not much, except, MARAMING SALAMAT!
Yes, my husband and I can't be thankful enough that Sydney has been good to us. We are just on our second year here and we can already say that we can already feel a big difference with our lifestyle as compared when we were in Manila.
It was an uphill climb. The first year was indeed the hardest for us. Aside from battling home sickness, we had to deal with the global recession as well. For his first job, Alvin was not fortunate enough to land a job that allowed him to practice his profession. But as they say, sipag at tiyaga lang, and after two jobs and one year and four months, he is now again a Process Engineer, employed at a good company.I thank God that he did not give up and he didn't settle for anything less.
As for me, though not in our plans, I was able to fix my papers and accreditations and was able to start teaching again. Though not in a full time and permanent basis, I still find myself lucky and blessed because not all migrants here get to practice the same profession they had in Manila. Alvin and I are lucky. I have started a Certificate Course in Religious Education and by the end of this year, I will be grduating already. My casual teaching helped us out make both ends meet when we were just starting. Now that Alvin's pay is okay, my salary allows us to enjoy some extras and splurge a little as well.
As for the kids? Yes, after two years, we were able to add another kid in our growing family. A girl this time, again another blessing. The kids are the ones benefiting the most in our transfer here. They are able to enjoy fresh, clean air, safer environment and a whole lot of opportunities that might not be easily available to them in Manila. Special programs for reading, and play like Gymbaroo, music like Kindermusik, and sports like swimming are just some of the few programs that they got to attend. Lucky them. I hope that these programs will allow them to develop their God given potentials. We can now buy them signature things and we can now spend more time with them. Growing up without any help or yayas are doing them (and me too!) good. They are learning chores and the value of industry and responsibility quite early.
Financial blessings keep coming in. We were even able to spend for my in-laws' visit here (in time for my delivery). Late this year, we will be able to go home and spend a few weeks in Manila and Cebu. We have prepared a lot of things on that short visit and I guess, we are again blessed to have been given the resources to push thru with these things.
What is in store for the coming years? More blessings. We are claiming it for we know that our Lord only wants the best for us. We have now done initial steps in having our own home in the future. We are giving ourselves 4-5 years, but who knows, we might win the lottery? Kidding aside, the first two years of our stay here have been filled with so many blessings. We continue to pray for more so we can hopefully extend these blessings to others as well.
In the last 24 months our circle of friends is growing. We could not have done it as well without the people who helped us out: mu Kuya Jay's family, my Ate Cha's family, Alvin's relatives here in Sydney, our CFC and BESA families, and all the people whom God has sent to be angels and instruments of blessings, strangers and friends.
Two years. Dos. Wow. Such a short time for all the blessings that we have received and we are not complaining. Muli Sydney, Maraming Salamat!
