coming home

Well its been an incredible month. I'm ready to come home I've met amazing people and ate some interesting food. God has really shown me a lot of things that I have taken for granted in the States and I'm coming home with hope and a new view of areas in my life. It's good to be flying home and I want to catch up with all my friends.
see ya soon coming

Bitter-Sweet

Tomorrow we fly out to go home. I can not wait to come home. On the other hand I can. It is so hard for me to go to place to place and say good bye when I have no idea if I am going to see them again. Sometimes I wish I could be in so many places at one time but we all know that can not happen. I have had such a great time meeting all the people I have met. (Thank God for e-mail) I miss all of them so much yet at the same time I wonder what I am going to be next in my life. Just outside they are playing up raise me up. Fond memories come to my mind as well as it reminding me that God has helped me go through all of this. I am just starting another chapter in my life. I am still growing in God and there has been so much from this trip that I have learned. I will hope to learn even more when I get home. I don't think I will ever forget any of the people I have met here in the Philippines and I cant wait to see all of your faces when I get home. Love and miss all of you. Take care and God bless Alyssa

A Little Quick Info

We are in Manilla to inform you all! This morning we attended the Manilla Vineyard and it was a blast! I got the priveledge to lead worship, Andrew was on the bass, and Stacy Ann was on vocals with me. God totally showed up and now we are on our way to a youth gathering back at the church. It's sunday evening now and we leave for the States Tuesday at 5p.m. Thank you all for your prayers and keep praying for us and the travels back home. Elyce's hurt her ankle lightly again today coming down the stairs, she is doing much better though. There was a doctor at the church who came over to the hotel room after church and prescribed some medication that she is taking now. God is good and still on the throne. Love you all and miss you.

Isaiah

Village ceremony

I think it was amazing to be able to participate in a village ceremony in Pakaak. They played gongs and it was amazing that I got to play the gongs and follow them in their dancing line. later they played the gongs sitting down and left the stage open for a guy to do a dance to get a girl and so I decided to go up there and do my thing and I got two ladies. what can I say. I got moves that will make ya groove. either that or God gave me grace. O well I just really liked being apart of a Philippino party!

To Live Is Christ, and To Die Is Gain

Greetings from Tibuk! Today is Friday and we have been back from Pakaak for 3 days now. Being in that paradise for 5 days was at some moments beyond words. I battled alot with the desire to return home to the states, when really God was right there in front of me. Being able to dig CR's with some of the village men was such of a priveledge. I know for me personally that my desire was to utilize the time that we had duriong the day and go 100 mph and get the projects done as soon as possible. I was completely missing the heart of the worktime. The heart was to fellowship and get to know the people and the culture. Once I came to that realization I knew such more joy through my pain and struggles. It was difficult to keep a good attitude sometimes because we had setbacks at the holes. Some work times there was not much to do and many hands, and then one evening we came back to the hole after an afternoon of rain and found both holes 8-10 ft. full of water. Pushing through that only came with much prayer and lots of rest that the Lord gave me.

During this trip I felt so at peace and knew that God was holding the group together as one body. We learned to speak encouraging words and life into one another and do it with love. Once we started to live in that on a daily basis, my desire for wholeness reached a whole new level. I read a book called The Doctor Is In by Maurice Bernquist and he talks about the great peace and benefits that come from living in the Kingdom of God on a daily basis. The people there were so alive with the glory of the love of Jesus Christ. It was apparent in their lifestyles. The way they praised, talked to one another, and worked. I learned so much from the simplicity that I saw them live in.

My highlight of the trip was being able to do a house stay with John, the worship leader of the church there. I totally thought it was going to be ackward at first, but once I got there I was welcomed and received with his warm heart. We sat, drank coffee, and talked about our lives for atleast 3 hours. After a dinner consisting of alot of rice, cabbage, and jackfruit some of the youth came over to his hut and we all talked and laughed about our favorite American things. It was a time of love and fun. I know I will never forget the people in Pakaak and the character that they modeled for me. The smiles will stay in my heart forever and I pray that one day I may return and be reconciled with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Right now I'm unsatisfied with my walk with the Lord. I want and need more and my eyes have been opened. Tommorow we will be in Manilla where the others will be blogging as well. Much love and thanks for the prayers! In Christ,

Isaiah

Text from the Philippines!

Hello friends! Just wanted to tell you that I got a text message from the students this morning. They are going to stay in Pakak to finish the CR (comfort room) that they started there. It has been raining every day. Elyce sprained her ancle so please be praying for her.
Thanks!
Kona

Missing You.

Really missing you. The VLI room was a bit sterile and antiseptic even with us in it; but now, with only our little sanctification-super-hero and the picture of Pastor Chad's admonishing face to keep me company, it's like a white-washed sepulcher!

Thank you for blogging. It's been a sufficient replacement for Check-In, but I still miss your voices each morning. I know God confirmed that I should not go on this trip with you, but, man I was surprised by how deeply aware I became of the missed opportunity to share in this amazing, life-changing, thousand-teachable-moments experience with you.

I'm thrilled to hear about the moments in which each of you have shined. I love how they look so different - overcoming sickness, circumcisions, encouragement through shared agony, being a friend, making people laugh, being humble, saying, "Yes Lord, I will do what you ask, when you ask."

So now, it's your final exam - living out character development on call, in an unpredictable environment, for an extended period of time. An environment which requires the preference of others before yourself and submission to authority, while simultaneously living out the power and authority God endowed you with. So, grade yourselves. How are you doing? Truly, before God, how are you doing? You can handle going one step deeper. Make these last two weeks count. Remember absolute surrender. Remember relinquishment. If there are any areas in which He reveals development is still needed, do it now; before you get back. Help each other in this process. You guys are an amazing team who love each other. Speak the truth in love.

Elyce, Zai, Andrew, Matthew, Alysa, Stacyann - Robie peek is just around the corner; God has given you everything necessary to run well to the end!

Can't wait for real check-in,

Linda

p.s. I saw Spiderman 3 also. I took my kids to the midnight showing - on a school night no less. Yeah, I'm such a cool mom.

Phone calls from the Republic of the Philippines

Larry called me today and gave me a quick update. He told me that each student had been able to make a phone call back home from our little phone. I hope that you were home when the phone rang. If not, go check you message machine.

Larry said the students are enjoying their time in Pakak. They are helping dig two Comfort Rooms (CR's), what we would call bathrooms or restrooms. I know it sounds silly, calling a bathroom a "comfort" room, but think about it- we don't "rest" or take a "bath" in them all that often either.

A CR in this village means a 9x9x9 foot hole dug into the hard clay. They use sharpened rebar to break up the ground and shovels to remove the dirt. It is hard work in the sun. You need shade, water, some hard working Filipinos in the hole with you, and some good gloves. Larry and I bought all the students gloves while we were in Manila. They will definitely help with handling the rebar and shovel handles.

The CR's are then lined with cement blocks, a foundation and walls are poured on top and around the perimeter of the hole. This room is used both for using the toilet as well as taking bucket baths.

All the students are healthy. Besides building the CR's they are also helping screen for TB, which is very needed in the village. They are eating the meals with families and drinking coffee from nipa hut to nipa hut. Last night they had a church gathering for the young people and children. I heard it was fantastic!

The team will stay in the village until Sunday after church and then return to Tabuk. I think we will see posts from then again at that point.

Since last night's pictures didn't come through, I am going to post them again.


The pictures I posted yesterday of the village didn't come through, so I'll repeat yesterday's message below.

Chad

While In Pakak

Just wanted to check in here from Boise regarding the students. There is no Internet access in the village. I doubt we will hear anything until after thier time in Pakak is done and they are back in Tabuk. If I get a phone call or text message I will post an update.

For now, here are a few pictures from Pakak, including a picture of our nipa hut that the students are staying in (what a peaceful place!), one of Pastor Ernesto drinking coffee, and one of the village's rice fields.

Back to Life

After many pills, many hours of sleep and rest, and a couple IV's and shots God has brought me back to life. I wanted to thank you all for your prayers and concerns for my health. I have truly been down in the valley these past 5 days and let me tell you, it feels so good to be out! The Lord has strengthened my body for these next 5 days in Pekak and I'm truly thankful for how fast my recovery has been (even though during the sickness it felt like forever). The time for change is now and I know that I want to live for the now, so bring on these next two weeks. Praise God! And now keep praying for the health of this team for some are getting a bit sick.

In Love,

Isaiah

In Memory Of...

Here is the monkey in question after taking a bite from Amy's arm. No wonder she hated him.

Poor Monkey

We just found out the terrible realization that Amy's pet monkey here in Tabuk is dead... We greive the loss.

Riding in a Freezer

When we arrived in Manila 5 hours later than expected all where were able to do is eat sleep and be merry. The next day Matt and I got to see Spider Man 3. I am not much for spider man but I did however love this one. It had a great ending. Don't go by what I said though see it yourself. Oh wait you can't for another 3 days! HA HA!Anyway I do encourage you to see it when it does come out in the US. After the movie I had a Mango Tea Frap at yes, you guessed it, STARBUCKS. It was spectacular! I was able to go shopping for a bag b/c one of my bags had seen better days. This was my first time getting something less than what it actually cost and I loved it!

I had so much fun going in and out of traffic and being able to count my blessings so many times. Yes at times I was scared but I enjoyed being able to have the freedom to do so. We when we got done with shopping we where able to have a great meal at Chow king to say our final "Check In". It was a time of change and a bittersweet moment. Yes we were glad to see Larry but that meant it was time to say goodbye to Captain and Kona. It also meant that our journey was half way over already. Time has flown and yet there is still more to come. We said our last goodbyes when we went on the freezing cold bus. I don't think anyone of us would have survived if it wasn't for blankets and long sleeves. I felt like I was sleeping in a freezer.

When we got off though I was warmed again to see Chris on the side of the road just waiting for us. I never thought I could feel so much at home then when we came here. To see faces that I haven't seen in two weeks was exciting. Now we are planning our time to see what new and exciting things are happening in Pakak. I can not wait to see even more smiling faces and to see what God is doing there.

Much love to all of you. Alyssa

God loves Spiderman

After waiting for eternity trying to get into Manila because of flight delays we finally arrived in the capital city of the Philippines. It was amazing to see the city on the ride to the hotel. The plans were to go the mall that night but it was too late. Instead God let us go to the mall the day Spiderman 3 opened here. I was so excited! Now I know God likes Spiderman as well as me. Alyssa and I got to go see it and it reminded me of our summers and we would go to the movies on our days off. They had air conditioning in the theatre and padded headrests in the seats. The movie was amazing! I am so excited that I got to see it 3 days before all of America!!!

We are here in Tabuk now with Chris and Cathee. Tomorrow we get to dig comfort rooms (out houses). Well it was nice to have a chance to rest for a little bit after our long bus trip.

Matt

Good old wheels on the bus go round and round

The good old wheels on the bus go round and round all the way to Tabuk Magsaysay missions house. It took about 10 hours. The driver was a good guy, who kept things under control through the dark of night into the wee hours of the am. Bok had the bus stop across the road from the missions house. We had a great awesome breakfast of MANGOS- Yahoo! (the only real reason I came here and pancakes!). Yahoo again! Anyway, we then rested some. For some reason I am still not too tired. Tomorrow we go the village of Pakak and stay several days helping with medical needs and cr building.

Isaiah and Chris went to a friendly doctor who checked Isaiah over for free.. "Drs" Cathee and Chris inserted an IV. I helped. I watched a doctor on TV once. Isaiah is resting with the oversight of nurses who are very attentive. He is on the same regimen as before, with the IV boast to help him get over being dehydrated. He has lost some weight.

Thanks for your prayers, In His Adventure with you, Larry

Making up for the missing eggs

China Airline's flight to San Fran was overbooked. They booked Kona and I on a flight to LA instead. We now get in to Boise at 11pm.

To make up for getting us home a half hour earlier they put us in the VIP lounge in Taipei (free Internet, food, an espresso machine, lounge chairs, classical music, hot showers, smiling and bowing Asians) and we get to fly home business class. Wish you could see the smile on our faces...

Hellos and Good-byes

Today was a day full of emotions! We started the day out by going to Greenhills Mall. Some of us were expecting an air conditioned mall like the one we have in Boise...that is not what we got. Greenhills Mall is one huge building where tons of people set up stations to sell their things. There are a ton of different areas...clothes, jewelry, souvenirs, ect. It is somewhat overwhelming...people swarming asking you if you want to buy this and that... but Elyce and I had a blast bargaining. We both got some great souvenirs and each got a cute shirt that we will have to model for you when we get home :-)

After the mall we went back to the hotel where we had dinner and the students finished packing. We had an hour to spare so Elyce, Andrew and I got out the video camera and just had some fun...LOL.

Eight o clock came way too fast. We grabbed our stuff and went to the bus station where we said a prayer and some good-byes. It was hard for me to say good-bye to the people that I have seen every day for so long but it was also VERY comforting to know that we would see each other again. On the way back to the hotel I told my dad that it was the first time that I had said good-bye on this trip and known when I would see them next.

My dad and I leave tomorrow. I can't believe that the time has come already! I have had an amazing trip! The thing that the people have taught me is how to be a servant of God. I have never seen so many people so willing to help. I hope that I am able to go back to the Sates and show God's love that way. I have also learned how to persevere and how to show love.

Something that I have found to be amazing is that in the States, it takes a while to become friends. It always starts with an akward conversation. Here all you have to do is smile and you know that you are friends. You can talk without having that akward feeling between you. I loved it.

One of the guys that we made friends with in Davao emailed me and told me that even though we had only been friends for one week, in his heart he felt like we had been friends forever.

I am very sad that I am leaving tomorrow but I know that God has things for me to do back at home. Please pray for our plane ride- that it would be safe and that we would be able to sleep. Also pray that I will be able to get some homework done :-)

Love,
Kona Estes

Halftime and Hospitals

The last two days have been transition days; transition of locations and leadership.

We attempted to leave Cagayan de Oro early on Wednesday morning on Air Philippines; honestly we could have swam there faster. Our airplane, the one supposedly taking us to Manila was already there and couldn't seem to be bothered to come get us. The flight that was supposed to leave CDO at 10:40 am didn't arrive until 3:30 pm. The planned half day off in Manila was instead spent sweating inside a terminal about half the size of heritage hall.

We finally landed in Manila around 5:30 and got to the hotel around 7pm. We were thankful that Pastor Bok from Tabuk collected us at the airport as we were too tired to figure out directions ourselves. Since I wasn't getting to go up to Tabuk to see him, he took a 12 hour bus ride to Manila to hang out with me for the evening and then oversee the travel of our students back to Tabuk.

Today I took the students to Greenhills mall. It is a huge collection of local vendors who want to sell you their goods. It is a labyrinth of stalls and shops where you can easily got lost along with all your pesos. There are knock-off DVD's, Levi's, watches, perfume, clothes as well as genuine Philippine wares. There was something for everyone. Matt and Allysa got to see Spiderman 3 as it came out here today. I had coffee in three different Starbucks. Kona and Elyce bartered with the locals like the professional shoppers they are. Andrew hovered over them like a bodyguard, making sure no one bothered these important American girls. Stacyann was a little overwhelmed with the press of people and noise, and she battled the ATM demons apparently in every machine she tried here in Manila.

Then there is Isaiah, or I should say there wasn't Isaiah. We left him asleep in bed of the hotel room. He's been sick for the past couple of days. It started early Sunday morning when I met Isaiah in the kitchen at 5:30 am. He said he had a headache and a fever and that he didn't want to go to the beach with us. I gave him some fever reducer and he went back to bed. We alerted some of the YWAM staff that Isaiah was still at the base and they told us they would look in on him and fix him some lunch. When we got back to the base in the evening we found Isaiah, moaning and hot in an air conditioned room with his lunch everywhere...

Rudy helped me get Isaiah to the local emergency room. He got really good care. Seriously, the lady doctor let us in the ER although there were signs saying we couldn't go in. She answered all of our questions, asked us good ones, and let us give input to the situation. We took some fluid out of the boy (for blood and urine testing) and put some others back in (to hydrate him and replace his lunch). His fever came down and the results came back- a urinary track infection. Jamie tells me that these come with a high fever, so it all made sense. Other items on the possible checklist like malaria and dysentery didn't fit the symptoms or pass the tests, thankfully. (I had dysentery here once for sixteen days, or maybe it was I had dysentery sixteen times here once, I don't know.) We got his meds and instructions and permission to take him to Manila the next morning. He is improving, his strength is returning, but slowly. I am glad he had today to rest so he can complete the rest of his journey.

Pastor Bok picked up Larry from the airport this morning, dropped off his stuff at the hotel and then deposited him to us at the mall. It is good to see him. He appears rested and ready to go inspite of his long flight. At this point I have handed the baton to him (which is in the shape of a small Nokia phone with all the Vineyard contacts in it), the team finances, the passports and the airline tickets back to Boise. Kona and I put them on a bus a couple of hours ago with hugs, tears and prayers. We both wish we were continuing on with them.

Kona's done amazing on her first missions trip. I am proud of her. I'd bring her again, or then again maybe in a few short years it will be her leading teams and me coming along for the ride. I'd like that too.

Quick Update... Very Quick

I only have a few moments to write...

Things are going well. We are leaving from the hostal in fifteen minutes to head to Tabuk. I'm pretty tired... we went to the mall... which was absolutely INSANE. That's my summary word for this trip... INSANE! The driving is insane... the bikers are insane...but everything is absolutely amazing. We were at the mall from like ten to like four. It was SO loud! And crowded... But is was cool.

G2G... Love you all...

P.S.-Mom and Dad... my ATM card isn't working because the pin is incorrect or something. I don't know if you can do anything about it, but it would be nice since my $ got deposited... and I'm just a little broke. Love You BUNCHES and miss you totally! You're baby girl...