We're Off!

Joseph Spurgeon and I will be leaving Tri State Airport at 1:30 this afternoon for our Philippine Mission Trip. This is a five leg trip with flights from Huntington to Charlotte, Charlotte to Los Angeles, LA to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Manila, and the final leg (pictured at left) from Manila to Dumaguete. We should arrive in Dumaguete about 4:00 PM on Wednesday (Philippine time) which will be 4:00 AM on Wednesday back home.

Plans call for us to meet up with the seven members of our team from New Orleans at Los Angeles shortly before 8:00 tonight (Pacific Time) which will be 11:00 PM back home. Our flight for Hong Kong is scheduled to leave LAX at 10 minutes till midnight and will arrive in China about 5:45 Wednesday morning.

This will be my 8th short term mission trip to the Philippines since February 2000. We have built a wonderful partnership with Pastor Doming Valdez and his wife Villa, Pastor Joseph Zerna and Juvy, and have made many dear friends there in the Dumaguete area. Our Filipino hosts have an ambitious schedule planned for us as follows:

May 21 - arrival
Lee Plaza needs
Dinner, Get Acquainted and Planning Meeting at Shakey's, Dumaguete City

May 22 - 23 - Bais City
8:00 A.M. - start trip to Bais City lunch at Amorganda's Won restaurant
1:00 P.M. - to Joan & Ptr. Ugdoc's church mission area doing House to House Evangelism
5:00 or 6:00-8:00 P.M.- Evangelistic Crusade

May 24 - Mayaposi, Mabinay
8:00 A.M. - trip to Mayaposi lunch at Amorganda's Won restaurant. House to House Evangelism 4:00 P.M. - Evangelistic Crusade Mayaposi Church vicinity

May 25 - SUNDAY - Mission Team divides into 3 groups:
NLCC (Ptr. Valdez and Villa) – Robby, Jana, Billy
Mayaposi (Ptr. Zerna and Juvy) – CJ, Amanda, Bobby
Bais City (Joan and Ptr. Ugdoc) – Jay, Daniel, Joey

(The Bais and Mayaposi teams will leave Dumaguete at 8:00 A.M.)

4:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. - Seminar Workshop at NLCC

May 26 - 27 - Pastors/Church Leaders Seminar - Bethel Guest House

May 28 - Sibulan, Negros Oriental
8:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. - House to House Evan. Ptr. Pleider de la Pena and Ptr. Neri Rio's areas
2:00 P.M. - House to House Evangelism Ptr. Silorio and Ptr. de Jesus areas
5:00 P.M. or 6:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M. - Evangelistic Crusade - Sibulan Auditorium

May 29 - Bais City Bay - Dolphin Watching Farewell Fellowship Time
6:00 A.M. - trip to Bais City Bay
3:00 P.M. - trip to Bethel Guest House, Dumaguete City
5:00 P.M. or 6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. - Evangelistic Crusade - Sibulan Auditorium

May 30 - Homeward Bound

These plans are always subject to change - and I'm sure there will be adjustments, but this will give you an idea of our activities. One item that is not listed will be some planned construction activities (weather permitting) at the New Life Church in Dumaguete. Part of our team will be involved in those activities, while part of us will be leading the Pastor/Church Leader Seminar at the Hotel in Dumaguete on May 26-27.

Our team members include Jay Adkins, Robby Pearson, Daniel Savage, Bobby Wood, Janna Johnston, Amanda Lindsey, and Billy Cox (all of New Orleans) and Joey and I from Huntington.

Please remember us in prayer during these next two weeks. Also, please pray for our families who will miss us and be concerned about us while we are gone.

I will hope to post daily updates (with a few photos) when I have Internet access in Dumaguete. Please check in during the week for the updates, and pray for much success in these Kingdom Building activities.