Hello friends!
It’s been ages since I last posted something here! I promised to share a fourth and last part of my Georgia Travelogue in my July 2019 post, but it’s already April 2020!
I hope you are all doing well and safe wherever you may be. Many things have happened since my last post.
In late July, I attended the Victory Weekend and was water-baptised as a Christian. Thank and praise God! 🙂
In August, my beloved boss has informed us that he would be retiring from ADB and would move to the US to work there and to be with his family.
August 2019
In early September, my boss moved back to the US and left ADB for good. I still miss him to this day. I hope I will be able to visit him in the US one day. In the 2nd week of September, my parents and I went to Abra, to celebrate the 1st birthday of my very cute nephew, Kaeleb, and my 40th birthday, too. It was a joint-celebration, sort of. 🙂 When I returned to the office after a short vacation with the family, I started helping out another unit within our department, the Law and Policy Reform unit. I got promoted and officially joined the unit in late December.
The last quarter of 2019 was exceptionally busy. While learning the ropes of my new job, I also attended a 7-week discipleship program by our church, I also completed the requirements for my participation in Haggai Leadership Experience for 2020.
The highlight of the last quarter was my Seoul trip/joint 40th birthday celebration with my USTeBFFs, Ann and Lianne. This deserves a separate post. I hope to do it soon. Anyway, here’s a sneak peek. 🙂
Apologies for the long introduction. As promised I would finally share the last part of my Georgia travelogue, since almost a year had passed, I hope I could still remember the fine, fun details of that wonderful, one of a kind experience. 🙂
After the 3-day event, the culminating activity was a day-trip outside Tbilisi, Georgia. Our first stops in Mtskheta were in Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
According to wikipedia, Mtskheta (Georgian: მცხეთა) is a city in Mtskheta-Mtianeti province of Georgia. One of the oldest cities of Georgia and its former capital, it is located approximately 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Tbilisi, at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers. Currently a small provincial capital, for nearly a millennium until the 5th century AD, Mtskheta was large fortified city, a significant economical and political centre of the Kingdom of Iberia.
Due to its historical significance and several cultural monuments, the “Historical Monuments of Mtskheta” became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. As the birthplace and one of the most vibrant centers of Christianity in Georgia, Mtskheta was declared as the “Holy City” by the Georgian Orthodox Church in 2014.
Our next and final stop for this Georgia trip was in Chateau Mukhrani. The chateau was built in the 19th century by the heir of the royal family, Ivane Mukhranbatoni, it is filled with unique wine cellars, and surrounded by very vast, breathtaking lush gardens.
We had our sumptuous al fresco lunch with wine of course, lots of it.
Then we had a tour around the place, learned how bread and churchkhela (sweet goodie made from nuts and grape juice, “Georgian snickers”) are made.
And then we had a wine cellar tour followed by wine tasting (again), this time was more formal because we had a wine expert with us. 🙂
This photo was taken by my beloved general counsel. 🙂
Amidst the pandemic that we are all facing right now, I am keeping the faith, because we have a faithful, all mighty God who is with us as we journey through these uncertain times. He is in control and He will see us through.
14But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
15My times are in your hand;
Psalm 31: 14-15
mygloriousweetime 