Leaving on the Everlasting Flights...

What a fellowship, what a joy to find,
Working with this missions team of nine,
What a blessing that, what a trip is this,
Leaving on the everlasting flights...

I'm leaving,
I'm leaving,
High and long from here to the Field,
Oh, I'm leaving,
Yeah, I'm leaving,
Leaving on the everlasting flights.

Safe in God I lean, what have I to fear,
Even on this everlasting flight,
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaving on the everlasting flights...



NOTE: "Everlasting" is a slight exaggeration in reference to a flight that takes 16-18hr from NYC to Hong Kong...Also, if I had time, I'm sure I could write more verses...but I'm leaving! Yeah, I'm leaving...Keep us all in your prayers!

Christ's blessings to y'all,
<>< HJ

Not Much...

Besides the last post, not much has happened in the last week. However, I know y'all will want to hear from me before I leave, so I'm writing a quick note...

Fred & Deb will get back from the conference Debby is doing in Canada tomorrow, though probably more like Monday considering the hour. My wonderful friend from Avon will come tomorrow sometime too, but in the afternoon-ish. Of course Bill and Cathy are around for the weekend but I hear they'll be popping in and out; they however, aren't going to the Philippines this year. Emily & Michelle will show up Monday, hopefully early enough to help with the packing/sorting/weighing/etc we do to our suitcases before we leave. (It's gonna be partly a medical team/trip this time, so we gotta divide up medicine, check weight of our bags, figure in the second bags we each have if we need, etc). Starting tomorrow night, we probably won't get much sleep. After all, we have to be packed and ready to leave for the Buffalo airport at 2AM. But what with a 16+ HR flight and several hour layovers between shorter flights (it takes nearly two days to get to Manila, and three total till we get that last flight to Puerto Princesa from Manila; don't forget we lose 12hrs flying across the International Dateline) hopefully we'll catch up on our sleep and rest well!

Anyway, we leave for the Buffalo Airport at 2AM Tuesday, arrive there a couple hours later, fly out a couple more hours later. We fly to JFK airport in NYC, where we then have a several hour layover before taking the long flight to Hong Kong, where we then have a couple hour layover, a short flight to Manila and a place to rest for a short time. Then a day of shopping, picking up our tickets to Puerto Princessa, and eventually flying there at another "un-Godly" hour in the morning...probably.

You have to remember that missions trip are ALWAYS subject to change, and unless otherwise noted Deb and Christina Dunk (a friend from NH) will be the main speakers though we will all have our turn sharing, but here is the tentative schedule as Debby wrote it:

Friday, Oct 31, Arrive in Puerto Princesa

Saturday, Nov 1, Fishing Village
Church Service as night

Sunday, Nov 2, Puerto Princesa
Pastor Jun's church all day
(Grace, Pastor Jun's daughter, leads Street Kids Ministry afternoon, we'll be ready to sing & preach)
Sunday night church service

Monday, Nov 3 Evening-Tuesday, Nov 4, Puerto Princesa
Seminar & Medical clinic

Wednesday, Nov 5, Aborlan & Princess Urduja
Aborlan: Morning & Afternoon services
Princes Urduja: Evening Service with Pastor Jonathan

Thursday, Nov 6, Nara
Bible School teaching all day
(Pastor Jonathan is the leader of the collage)

Friday, Nov 7 - Saturday, Nov 8, Quezon
Morning & Evening services, Medical Clinic @ local Tribal church

Sunday, Nov 9, Quezon & Puerto Princesa
Quezon: Sunday morning service
LOOOONGG drive back to Puerto Princesa

Monday, Nov 10, San Miguel & Roxas
San Miguel: visit/do morning service?
Roxas: evening service

Tuesday, Nov 11, Dumaran
Drive to and do Evening service

Wednesday, Nov 12-Thursday, Nov 13, El Nido
Drive to and do Evening service
All day seminar & medical clinic

Friday, Nov 13, Puerto Princesa
Drive back to Puerto Princesa

Saturday, Nov 14, Manila
Fly back to Manila

QUICK NOTE: Philippines Trip

For all you friends and family out there praying for me and the last little bit to come in for my trip to the Philippines, I have a praise report:

ITS IN!

Hallelujah!

One person called right after I posted Saturday morning wanting to know where to send it, knocking the total needed down to $300. Then this morning, a friend from my old home church in Hemlock sent out the prayer request for me at church this morning and afterward someone came up to her and wrote out a check for me to cover the rest! Hallelujah!

Pray for safe travels, and hopefully a seat on the same plane with Debby and the rest of team once we get to Manila, Philippines (I wasn't able to book that flight at the same time, so there is the sad possibility of me needing extra protection traveling for a short flight by myself!)

To everyone who has helped me in prayers and financial support, especially lately, THANK YOU! Many blessings to you and yours!

Christ's friend on the mission field,
<>< HJ

URGENT: Philippines Trip

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that I have most of the money coming in for my trip to the Philippines! Praise God!

BUT there is one draw back! I can't get my plane ticket (must have the check in the mail Tuesday!) without the full amount for the trip. (FYI: debit cards, etc can't be used in the Philippines)

SO, I need JUST $400 dollars more to come in by Tuesday! If 8 people could find it in their heart to mail $50 each, it would all be covered!

Thank You!

Christ's blessings to y'all,
<>< HJ

Marie-Louise...craziness of youth

Marie-Louise put on her bathrobe, saying how warm it was. When the time came for our usual Wednesday-night Prayer Meeting at the church, she said she wanted to go in her bathrobe. Deb told her it would look goofy and we were certain when the time came, she would be too embarrassed and take it off before entering the church. So we let her travel in it.

She, of course, insisted she wasn't embarrassed and would wear it just fine! So we decided to put her to the test; so how hard it would be for her to appear in it.

First we tried McDonald's--Debby said she wanted a carbonated beverage (soda, or Pop, or whatever y'all call it). She insisted she would run in and meet us at the other side, but when we started to pull by drive-through (we were certain we would be waiting forever for her to actually do it & we were already cutting it close to get to church on time) she didn't jump out. Didn't even budge...We picked on her for it, of course, and she finally insisted she could do it. Then Debby pulled into one of her favorite gas station companies. M-L looked nervous and said "what are we doing here?"

Debby smiled and responded, "Your going in to get me something!"

Of course, Debby had her carbonated drink, so what else could it be? As it turned out, after Debby parked, she pulled out a dollars worth of change and told M-L to go in and get her something she would like for a dollar. By then we had egged M-L on enough, she didn't take long before budging this time and darted in.
While she was in, we pulled out of our parking spot and went to the other side of the lot. Just to scare her a bit. Then we honked when she came out and looked worried. She hadn't wasted any time in finding Debby a candy bar!

Marie-Louise told us in the van that she would have to put this "bright idea" in a book called "Not the Brightest Ideas Marie-Louise Ever Had!" As you can guess, her stubborn ways not only creates a lot of humor for us all, but it is also occurs often enough she probably could write a short book!

If any of you know Marie-Louise (or any other thirteen-year-old like her), you know the humor in the story. If you don't, it probably sounds like a plain story...we thought it was so funny, that I gave my friends, who know M-L, a play-by-play txt of the whole thing...It is also good to note that shortly after arriving at church, M-L took her robe off (she insisted she was hot). She did not put it back on till we were leaving, as it was her "coat" for the night!