Daniel Livingston - 16/12/2007 Happy Christmas! 2007 Gone Already…

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16/12/2007 Happy Christmas! 2007 Gone Already…

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16/12/2007 Happy Christmas! 2007 Gone Already…

Dear family and friends,

This year has come and gone all too quickly. It has been a year full of blessings as well as challenges.

Sun sets on the Mekong and 2007

Two of my objectives for the year were to become conversant in Lao and to finish off my PhD thesis corrections and graduate. Unfortunately neither was achieved. The thesis corrections turned out to be a bigger task than imagined. When I got the results and realised there was a lot of work involved, it became the higher priority over learning Lao. But the all-consuming nature of work with ADRA Laos, including long periods as Acting Country Director, has meant that I’ve only been able to give a week (in France in July) to the thesis corrections so far! Two other weeks that I’d planned to take leave (here in Laos) for working on the thesis have not yielded any time on the thesis at all. During the first I had to shift house (for the third time this year) and catch up on other loose ends. And for the other (last week) I ended up working the full week to catch up on outstanding work. Having my laptop stolen the previous week – and losing a week’s worth of data since the last backup – was a significant contributor to that. I have to work tomorrow (17th), but after that my focus will turn in earnest to the thesis.

I’ve been a bit quiet on this site of late. But there are now four new photo albums in the gallery, and finally this new post to provide a year-end wrap. In the intervening time since the previous post, I signed up to facebook and have kept a bit of a profile and linked with many friends there.

Some Highlights from the Last Few Months
Dad graduated from his PhD and both my parents got calls to teach at Pacific Adventist University, Papua New Guinea. (Congratulations!) They’ve both got qualifications and experience in tertiary education, so I’m really happy for them to get the opportunity to contribute there. I hope to be able to visit them in PNG at some stage soon. It’s been good to have regular contact on Skype – it makes the distances a lot less.

Recently, I finally compiled an assortment of notes that have accumulated over many months on purpose/strategy in ADRA’s development work into a fairly dense 25-page paper. It’s still draft, but I’ve been able to get some helpful comments and feedback. This is an ongoing personal project arising from my own interest, but it’s on hold for now while I turn to finishing the thesis corrections.

Great Wall of China

At the end of August I was privileged to be able to represent ADRA at an international sustainable sanitation conference in China. The conference was in Dongsheng, Inner Mongolia (Genghis Khan territory), for a week. I travelled via Beijing, and happened to meet up with the ADRA Asia Regional Director on the same flight to Beijing! We went downtown and looked at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, before I had to go back to the airport for my domestic flight. On the way back through Beijing I had enough hours between flights to get to see the Great Wall: amazing!

Other travel has included a bus trip to the beach in Thailand for the annual ADRA Laos staff development retreat. Of course, there have also been several trips to provinces within Laos to visit our projects. Usually this means Luang Namtha and Xiengkhouang Provinces. One of the trips to Luang Namtha was immediately after I returned from China. I did not even leave the airport in Vientiane, but took a domestic flight to Luang Prabang, so that I could travel the remaining 400km to Luang Namtha by road. I wasn’t able to make the connection in time for the desired more direct flight that our donor representatives were taking. So that was over 36 hours straight of travelling! Such is my work... Another time I managed to get to Luang Prabang for a workshop of our tobacco control program, and was able to get back to a waterfall that I’d only seen dry!

Admin staff: work can be a lot of fun!

I mentioned earlier that I’ve had to shift house three times in the last few months. In previous posts I have recorded how I had to vacate my first apartment for a Chinese company, even though it had been a nice place. That was in the beginning of June. It took until the end of October, 5 months later, before I finally got settled into a suitable alternative, where I am now. In that time, however, I was able to save a bit of money by house-sitting the vacant country director’s house. I was also away in Europe for 6 weeks of that time. For the final 7 weeks, I rented yet another apartment that I agreed to before seeing the inside. It was OK, but I’m much happier where I am now. Thanks to a much nicer kitchen, I have cooked more meals and had guests over more often in the last 6 weeks than in the entire year I was at my original apartment, the downside of which was the kitchen.

Amid all of my own shifting, ADRA Laos also shifted office. We shifted in August to a location much closer to the centre of town, with a slightly bigger and more comfortable office. Enough of shifting!

Water provided by ADRA

These last few months of work have been quite intense. I haven’t had to act as Country Director for any significant period for a few months, now, yet work still seems to have been just as hectic. We have two new projects, for which the start-up phase has been demanding on my time. And we’re also close to starting another project (or even two) with Japanese funding. I’m starting to feel a little more ‘on top’ of my work; however, it seems to be the type of job that is always bigger than the time available. I still have to learn how to prioritise, balance, delegate, coach, and draw the line somewhere!

The new Bloomberg-funded tobacco control project has been an interesting challenge. We’ve been fortunate to have Vic Gidley working with us. I’ve learnt a lot from him and it’s been great to be able to share my new apartment with him over the last few weeks of his stay here. I’m also eating much better breakfasts thanks to Vic’s slow-cooker that he’ll leave with me.

ADRA Laos Programs systems (my work area) are now starting to take a little more shape. Monitoring and Evaluation had been neglected a little until recently; and now it is starting to receive more of the attention needed in that area. We’ve been helped here by another very good consultant, too, from whom I’ve also learnt a lot.

This time of year the weather is really nice. It is dry and relatively cool: an ideal time to visit Laos. I’ve taken advantage and upped the ante with an improved exercise routine, which now includes doing weights with a friend who lives on the same block and has equipment at his house. I’ve kept up with the odd hit of golf, although I’ve now snapped a club for the third time: my driver (again).

That Luang Stupor

I am learning more about Lao culture, pastimes and religion. I’ve played Sepak Takraw (or Kator in Lao) with someone who once played for Laos. I go to his vegetarian restaurant regularly: he’s an excellent cook, and a very devout young man. Vic Gidley has formed a quite close friendship with the family. I’ve also gone along to the biggest event on the Lao Buddhist calendar – the That Luang Festival. Unfortunately it’s also quite a commercially oriented occasion, with very loud music and partying till late into the evening disturbing much of the city. Ethnic minorities within Laos, such as the Hmong, have their own unique cultural events, costumes and practices. Last week I went along to a Hmong village New Year celebration with a young Hmong man who I’m helping through English school.

Plans for the Future
It’s getting to that time of year to reflect on the past and plan for the future. I’m very thankful for the way God has led in my life. I believe it was part of His plan for me to be here in Laos, and I’ve enjoyed the one and a half years I’ve had here. I came planning to be here for three years, and that is still my plan. Beyond that, who knows!? It’s in God’s hands.

Rice fields in September

Some things I hope to achieve in the next year are carried over from what wasn’t achieved this year: first, to finish my thesis changes and graduate, and then to learn Lao. Of course, work with ADRA Laos will be a big part of the picture for the next year, and I hope to get to the point where I’m able to spend a lot more time coaching others, and for programs systems look after themselves. My Masters in Italy will continue: I’ll be there again in June next year, for my second last instalment. My next trip to Australia will be in February. I’ll see my parents before they leave for PNG, and also be a part of the Adventist Youth Conference in Sydney – back at my old university (UNSW)!

Happy Christmas and New Year to everyone! May 2008 bring blessings in abundance!

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"For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." "You are complete in Him." Philippians 4:11 & Colossians 2:10
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