What a great experience as well as an incredible opportunity! I left Wichita on Tuesday, 2/12/08 about an hour and a half late which necessitated a new connecting flight in Dallas to LA. It also was late getting in about 3 hours after I had planned to arrive. But made it in time to get checked in, grab a quick bite and meet the rest of the team. Having packed for carry-on luggage, it was a surprise that even carry-ons are now weight limited to 15 pounds, so I had to check it anyway. But that was just at LA for the flight to Manila. We arrived in Manila at 4:45 am, which is 18 hours earlier than Wichita, so it was already Valentine's Day. We were able to freshen up a bit before leaving for our first assignment, which was meeting with students and faculty at 
Manila Theological College. We were treated to a wonderful Korean lunch with lots of noodles and Kimchi. The assignment changed from just speaking to a class to a whole hour convocation in which four of us spoke. Don't worry, it only lasted an hour. We were exhausted. Jet lag had caught us. Arriving back at the guest house I took a 1 1/2 hour nap, went to dinner, talked for a bit and went to bed at 8:30. I have to tell you I slept right through till 6:30 with just a few obligatory trips to the "necessary room".
Manila Theological College. We were treated to a wonderful Korean lunch with lots of noodles and Kimchi. The assignment changed from just speaking to a class to a whole hour convocation in which four of us spoke. Don't worry, it only lasted an hour. We were exhausted. Jet lag had caught us. Arriving back at the guest house I took a 1 1/2 hour nap, went to dinner, talked for a bit and went to bed at 8:30. I have to tell you I slept right through till 6:30 with just a few obligatory trips to the "necessary room". 
Manila is a fascinating city with a strong Spanish history and lots of local folklore. It is about 85% Catholic, but evangelical churches are finding quite a fertile field here. In the 30 years of Jaime Tabingo's ministry, he has seen at least 25 churches planted, many of them growing and vital in their ministry. Today we have the opportunity to meet with a dynamic church planter from an independent background who is very interested in becoming Friends. He has planted several churches, so this will be a crucial meeting. Keep praying for us. God is doing a great thing among Friends around the world.
Picture Notes: 1)The team consists of Mary Heathman from Denver; Larry Mendenhall, pastor of Canyon Hills Friends, Carlos Lopez, Missions "guy" from CHFC; and Chuck Mylander, Director of EFM.
2)Picture at Manila Theological College with our team in Front with faculty and staff. Jaime and Lydia Tabingo are seated in front with their red Valentine outfits.
3)Just to prove that I am doing something, I had Mary take a picture of me sharing with the students and faculty.
1 comment:
hope you have a profitable time in the philippines. God bless you. i love your heart for missions. it encourages me in my work.
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