Ready to go!

I am writing this from the Vancouver Airport at the gate, gearing up for a 10 hour flight to Tokyo and then a 5 hour flight to Manila. It is nice to finally relax, knowing that all the packing is done and we are on our way.

Ready to Board! (l-r Tejal, me, Charis, Ashley, Jonas)

I think it is now slowly starting to sink in that we will be on the other side of the world for three months, but I think the reality will only really set in after a few days in the Philippines. There are still a lot of things that are unknown, including our housing arrangements, but we are pumped to soak in what God has in store for us there.


The last week has been quite busy, with some really good practical sessions during the day. We learned about children's ministry, music ministry, public speaking, and had some time to prepare in each of these areas. Each evening has been full as well: a banquet on Monday...

team!

 a bonfire Tuesday,

a Steve Bell concert on Wednesday for our team time (which was awesome),

a really inspiring commissioning service on Thursday, and packing and cleaning on Friday and Saturday.

Last weekend, some of us went to the Westminster Abbey in Mission and walked around, taking in the beautiful scenery and architecture.

We also had the unique privilege of touring a dairy farm east of Abbotsford on Sunday, thanks to David's connections. (Geoff and Alison will appreciate this.)

cows

So that was my last week in a nutshell. I'm sure the next week will look quite different! Pray for smooth travel and health, as a few of us have colds. Thanks for reading and thanks for praying!