Happy New Year!

“Happy New Year!” We heard the plane crew say as we woke up. We have flown into the New Year and were greeted by our crew with chocolates …and wine. Yesterday, when ordering a drink at a coffee shop, I was able to share with the waitress where I was going and what I would be doing. She said, “What a great way to start the New Year,” and I agree.

It is so neat to see different team members striking up conversations with other travelers on the plane, in the airport, and just everywhere! My team is unashamed to tell people what we are all about…please pray that we are a light in what we say and do to everyone around us!

One prayer request that I have for today is that complications with registering for classes to be figured for this next term. I have been distracted with this extra worry of school while on this trip, and know my mind needs to fully be engaged with the “here and now’ of every day. Pray that God will work that out!

I’m also tweaking my Bible Lessons for our VBS by combining with Child Evangelism Fellowship’s Bible lessons. I have always loved how CEF puts the gospel and main truth for the saved child into the lesson. Pray that this all comes together! Another prayer request is for the PPT and projector to work well with my computer and be available to us. As you can see, we’ve got to be flexible!

Good News: Although we will “hit the ground running” when we get into Manila, we do not have to begin our VBS/teen program until Tuesday. This gives us one day to semi-rest and meet the missionaries who arrive at the conference around noon.

8:30 am, January 1, 2012:
We were held up in the plane for 2 more hours because of too much smog in Manila from New Year’s celebrations last night. It must be a zoo over at the airport because we were informed that all connecting flights to this one are delayed as well. Those Manila people sure must be partiers!

That makes our total flight time close to = 19 hours. I can better relate with my 3 siblings – Noah, Eli, and Cathy – who were in planes for 20 hours before landing in Thialand last summer (they also had a 6 hour layover).

This extra time, however proved to be beneficial by opening up conversations with each other as well as others on board. I observed Pastor James talking with the older man next to him about the Lord/religious things for most of this flight (from Guam to Manila). He reminded me that talking with others about the Lord should be a natural thing, and not even be something we have to work at.
One thing I have personally been challenged with ever since the beginning has been to make my life even more real at home, as I desire to be on this trip. Its not a mission trip that makes someone a genuine Jesus follower, but the daily choice to take up one’s cross and follow Him.