A Whole New World

So, we are finally here! Honestly, right before I left, I was really sad to leave home and wasnt looking foward to the trip. Then, as soon as I met up with my team, I was so excited to go on this journey. Our traveling went as best as it could. The first flight had minimal turbulence but the second flight was a liiitle scary, at least for me. When we arrived, a man working at the airport called my name and said that they didnt see one of our pieces of baggage! I said a little prayer and luckily, all our stuff was there.

As soon as I met the Bells, I knew they were kindreds. It has only been two days and Ive already learned so much about them and Australia. They have already given me life advice that I can take back with me. We went to TGI Fridays (yes, our first real Filipino restaurant) and it was quite an experience. Michael, their 15 year old son, works there and was able to serve us.

My stomach felt quite precarious when I first arrived, but now it feels pretty normal. Even though it is very humid outside, we are lucky to have fans in the house and AC at night. We have mostly eaten Westernized food. So thus far, things havent been too uncomfortable for us but we have only been here a few days. In the future, we know we will probably have to eat some different things and be put in situations we arent sure about- but Im so excited!

Thank you so much for all the support everyone has blessed us with. Please continue to pray for our team and Manila. We are just about to leave to go to Bright Lights school and help teach English.

Dana

WE ARE HERE!!!

So here we are. its hott, humid and EXCELLENT. We are all so excited. We got in Manilla at like 11:00pm on the 27th. we basically missed like an entire day traveling (time traveling :D ). today is just our rest day so we are eating and sleeping and debriefing and going out to dinner. YAY!!

We learned how to respectfully address people too. like we call the Live-in Lady that helps the Bells a-tay Malette which means roughly Aunt/older sister Malette. Its all good right now and our Spirits our high, though our energy level is down. ;)

Thank you for all for your prayers and support and please dont stop. we need them now just as much as then. Please Pray for our health, spiritual and physical. Its alot to get used to and we appreciate any help we can get.

LATER!!

Cynthia

Korea, Seoul, 09/07/27 ***BEWARE! --FROM THE FUTURE-- DANGER COULD ENSUE***

09/07/27

Hey Fammalamma and fellow friend-beings,

I would like to apologize in advance for my poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as both myself and the public laptop that I am using, have been quite spent today. Or should I say Tomorrow?!?!?!?!...

We just ported in South Korea. I love all the people! I wanna hurl pure Jesus-Magika at them but smiles will have to do for now! Flight was a blastoise and a half-It was SO much fun! The flight was Cynthia's first ever! crazy taxi all over the runway! (she spotted a bus driving parallel with our taxi'ing aircraft when we landed in Korea and giggled and said "it reminds me of SPEED." lolz). I'm in a free internet cafe dealio in the international terminal at Seoul. Watched a movie and a half on the plane, played chess against a (level: hard) computer 9 times (8-1 thankyou verymuch), diary'd all over the place, slept a couple hours, did the in flight exercises from the TV's in the back of the seat in front of me, ate my neighbors meals as well as my own, and made friends with the flight attendants! Sooo Good! Even though it was bright outside the entire time we were in the plane (because we were chasing sunlight (going against the rotation of the earth!), we attempted to sleep (sometimes on each other) a little bit in order to try and weaken the jetlag once we get to the philippines! Hope home is fun. hope church was an enjoyment this Sunday! it's already 630 pm here in Korea... on MONDAY! time travel... *twlight theme plays from behind as the nerves of the listener teeter precariously on the edge of the halfdome of their subconscious being.*

An interesting element was introduced half way through the plane ride as they handed out flyers from the quarantine office of korea to fill out and hand in once we landed, which of course were questionairres concerning h1n1. However, when we walked through the corresponding checkpoint heading into the terminal, everything went fine, as my mitichlorian readings were quite normal! praises! HalleFallujah!

We have one more flight to go from Dean Seoul into Manila, after another 1.5 of this 2 hr+ layover. THanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers! I feel like a missionary or something! Oh Em Gee(osh)! I am one! and so are you! so go out and missionize everyone you see batman, and transform all them robots in disguise into disciples! 'cause The past is history, and your mission field is the present! Back to the Future and Beyond! (Thanks Furzes and Burnses for the warm welcome to S.R. and the prayerful sendoff as well!) Love you G'parents!

I love you

Matthew.

aww Thanks that means a lot! I love you too!

hang10,

Matthew

Flying out!!!

Today is the day. Thank you to all who have supported us and will be praying. Our flight leaves at 1:15 in the afternoon. SFO airport. Please pray for us everyone. We're going to need a lot especially me and Jared as leaders. There is a strange mixture of excitement and worry, but we just need to put this all in God's hands. He has been doing work since the beginning so I know that he is with us.

Okay I really don't know what else to write but we will let you all know when we have landed. Pray for the long flight as well. (16 hours!).

"Seeking first the kingdom"

GOD IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!

Cynthia here. so i have always wanted to write one of those blogs that are just sooo... God. and this is it. I have been super bummed the last few days. i have been freaking out about money. I have been worried about ... everything. I had a lot of plans for this summer that just didn't work out. But then it did.

In my worried state, i did what any young adult would do.... i posted my frustrations as my status on facebook. it read "cynthia still needs money for the philippines.. 20 days... CRAP!" and thats it. thats all i posted. within a minute though God began to work. An acquaintance of mine IMed me and starting asking me how much i needed. I told them and ... long story short, i got ALL the rest of the money i needed donated... WOOT!!!

i couldnt believe it. i still can't. dont get me wrong, im definately one of those people who believe in the whole 'God will provide' scenario, but sometimes its hard to believe your own beliefs. [ if that makes sense ;) ] this is becoming ... amazing. i dont know how to describe the amount of peace that i am feeling. while i still need a bit more money for travel and spending,

I AM OFFICIALLY PAID OFF!!!

so exciting haha.