We're here!!

We have arrived! Safely and soundly, with all our luggage and mostly over jet lag. (I seem to the only one still dealing with it and it only wakes me up a few hours before everyone else). The eleven hour first flight flew by. (Pardon the pun...) It was helpful that we were flying back in time because while our bodies understood somewhere that it was eleven at night, the sunlight pouring in the plane windows helped to readjust us to early afternoon. We met our contact at the airport and most of our crew got to our new home within an hour. Most of the guys and all of our luggage got held up a while longer when the van they were using broke down. 

Brendan and I are very pleased with our first meetings with our contacts. They have gone over and above to help plan and connect us with ministries here. Today we had orientation with some of their leadership and tomorrow we hit the ground running by serving breakfast at the homeless shelter. (It has been a HUGE bonus to have Tack who was here last year and knows all the best places for well....everything! Including Old Town White Coffee and Banana Milo milk shakes in a bag). Tonight some of our crew are at the PENHOP House of Prayer, while a few of us have stayed home to read, listen to podcasts and rest from the effects of the insane heat and new diet. I've been impressed with my team and their so far iron stomachs. They've all been incredibly adventurous and gracious in their eating habits. We've had almost every kind of seafood, Rabbit burgers, Ice Ka Chan (shaved ice, black jelly, corn and beans?). 

Prayer requests would be for continued financial blessing for me personally. Most things here are very cheap but I'm still trying to pay for the medical bills in New Zealand while we wait for insurance to reimburse me. 

God's protection in this heat. That would all remember to DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! (This is harder to remember when you're 18 and more excited to get out and suck up every ministry and adventure than slow down to take care of yourself). 

Continued blessing with health with the new and sometimes unknowable foods. 

That God would move in mighty ways through the ministries we will be a part of. This weekend we are heading out of town and into the mainland to work with many, many different ministries. We'll be working with some youth ministries, orphanages, sex trade ministries, etc. We're all super excited and ready to be out there. 

Sleep!

My prayer is that we would continue to be a team that is very open and honest with each other. That God would continue to meet us through each other. That He would take care of each and every need. That we would all continued to stay present and purposeful in this place. 

And that God's faithfulness would continue to KNOCK OUR SOCKS OFF!

Love and blessings from the blazing hot South East!