All right, I admit it — chomper has become a preoccupation.

Yesterday, I checked on chomper and couldn’t find him on my plant. I was relieved when I found him. He had positioned himself in a safe and inconspicuous spot under some leaves. Phew! I thought a bird had got to him even before he could turn into a butterfly (he’s big, fat and juicy now remember?) .

Here’s a photo account of chomper’s progress

See the two black spots below chomper? He not only ate a lot, he left droppings all over too

Here’s chomper making his way to greener pastures

I came home this evening after Bible study and as usual headed straight for my Limau Perot plant. Yep! No doubt about it — chomper’s spun himself a cocoon

With regard to the other matter at hand. I “obediently” did what FY suggested and sent A. an sms to let him know about my nice weekend and to wish him a good week ahead. He replied about 30 minutes later to thank me and to wish me God’s blessings. He usually takes a long time to reply (or doesn’t at all) — so it was nice that the reply came “so quickly”

I took stock of the “damage” chomper’s caused (in case you’re interested to know…)

One stalk no longer exists. The long stalk on the right and shorter one on the left — it’s botak!

P.S. I’m almost tempted to put him (chomper, not A.) into a bottle just so he wouldn’t fly away before I got to see him turn into a butterfly (or moth). But I decided to let him be. I had better not meddle with what God is doing in his (chomper’s… errr… A’s?) life.

I had been feeling really anxious about organising the Filipino fund raising project. Many pressing deadlines, limited resources, no manpower, etc… etc…

God sent Jon — to cut a long story short — he has taken over the major part of the project. Now I am free to do the things I feel I can contribute best in this effort. I am elated!

Had a great time taking photos at the student ministries min-olympics yesterday — I’m pleased at how the pictures turned out. Still a long way to polishing my phototaking skills — mostly a lot of trouble trying to figure out the lighting balance.

While at the mini olympics, FY came up to me and said that she’d been thinking this past week that I should send A. an sms, that it has been long enough and that he probably needed some encouragement to connect back. It was pretty much what M and L had told me. M almost twisted my arms to send the first sms on Thursday.

There was a little bit of a gliche reconnecting… he called, I was in the shower. I retrieved the message he left on my answering machine. I tried calling back but his phone was off. L asked me to send another as she thought he might think that I was avoiding his calls. I left a message and also sent an sms.

He called on Friday night. We had a brief chat. I steered away from any thing that I thought might send him shrinking back into his cocoon again. I sent him another sms yesterday to thank him for the call. Well, everything is just as much up in the air. FY felt I should send him regular messages to let him know what’s going on in my life — without expecting anything in return.

On the subject on cocoons, chomper has chomped his way through 2 1/2 stalks of my plant. Gosh! How much more chomping is he going to have to do to become a butterfly? I hope I will still have my plant left! I’m beginning to wonder if the price of seeing him become a butterfly is more than I am willing or able to pay!

I enjoyed having the SHSS girls over at my place today. We made sushi.

Well, the weeks ahead are going to be full…

• I have two major deadlines to meet
• I also have a Filipino family of three coming over to stay for the week
• I have a staff conference coming up
• And immediately after that, a group of 11 Filipinos that I will be hosting for three days
• After that… it’s five days of glorious fishing
• Followed by a joint-project to help the Filipinos raise support for their work
• And immediately after that, another conference…
• Plus the other little projects that I just don’t seem to be able sink my teeth into

I just wish there could be more settledness with regards to matters of the heart. It would make everything else a breeze. My emotions are leaking all over.

No, it’s not about chomper today… A. came out of his cocoon and called me.

I’ll write more when I have the time. I off to the Pasir Ris Park for the student ministries mini-olympics now.