Bringing in the New Year, World Race Style: Five Countries (Two Continents) in Three Days

It’s “Goodbye, Central America!” and “HELLO, ASIA!!” for S Squad and I. We just ended travel days from Costa Rica to the Philippines, and let me tell you, it’s good to be settled in for ministry for the month of January. So much has happened in such a short amount of time, so I’ll try to catch everyone up:

First off, teams changed. With a new continent, there is also now new teams to go with it. My old team, Lovebound no longer has Sarah Anderson and Paul Bell (both will be greatly missed) but gained Phil Khamoua and Nikki Medders (both are dear friends and squad mates of mine). It is an honor getting the two Asians of the squad on my team before we hit their “Continent of Heritage”. We had a great debrief in Alejuelita at the 6:8 Ministry sites and it was a phenomenal time filled with worship, prayer and new team memories.

On December 31st, New Years Eve, S Squad left Costa Rica for the Philippines. We first flew to El Salvador, had a half hour layover there, and then flew onto LAX Airport in California. It was so very strange to come “home” to the United States, even though we were only on US soil for twelve hours. My friend and squad mate, Annalisa, was very generous with me, and let me and a few other girls on the squad shower and sleep in a hotel room a family friend of her’s got her for our overnight in LAX. It definitely beat trying to sleep on the ground of the airport and it felt so nice to have a hot shower and a good nights sleep in an American bed for a few hours before our thirteen hour flight to Hong Kong. Thank you again, Annalisa and be sure to thank your family friend from all of us girls!!

When morning of January 1st came, all 64 of us met back up at the airport in Los Angeles and boarded the plane to Hong Kong. I was awake one out of the 13 hours total and when we arrived in Hong Kong, I greeted the Chinese people feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. We celebrated mys squad leader, Lauren Williamson’s 24th birthday at the Hong Kong airport by putting on a few silly skits for her and the rest of the squad. It was a fun time for us, and after the celebration, we all went to the Starbucks that was right next to our gate at the airport (GOD THING, INDEED).

We flew an hour and a half more to Manilla and finally, at 1 AM on January 3rd, we had made it safely to the Philippines. Our contacts at New Faith Orphange, came and picked us up and drove us to our ministry house. It’s nice to get to stay in the city of Manilla for the month, especially since there is so much to see and do in the city! Check out the ministry’s website: http://www.kidsinternationalministries.org/ to learn more (we’re the Manilla location). We are working with the new team of all S Squad women this month and so Phil and Mac will have 11 women to handle and put up with (God bless them, both). I can’t wait to let you all know what the Lord will be doing with us and through us for the month of January!!!