Horton's whos, on the Way to Seattle

We are on our way!

Thanks Christine Gentry for the photo!

Here are some photos from the Boise Airport!

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, maybe not a jet plane.  In fact, I'm not sure what type of plane except that it is suppose to go in the air and get me to where I want to go.  I know that my teammates are much more knowledgeable in this area.  

I'll try to post several times today.  But if not here is where we plan to be for our trip to Baguio. 

(MST times are listed)

Thursday, July 3

1:15pm Leave from Boise to Seattle. (arrive 2:50pm) (flight)

4:01pm Leave from Seattle to Tokyo, Japan. (arrive Friday, 7/4 @ 1:55am) (flight)

Friday, July 4

3:25 am Leave Tokyo to Manila, Philippines.  (arrive 7:45 am) (flight)

(stay overnight in Manila and leave for Baguio in the morning (Philippines time))

7pm (approx) Leave Manila to Baguio.  (it takes 4-6 hours to drive there)

Remember that in the Philippines we are 14 hours ahead of you!  

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV)

Philippines Team 2014 (some photos and some prayer requests)

I was asked to start this blog up again to keep the MFB church body informed on our trip to the Philippines.  I will be posting mostly pictures (since that is what you really want to see) and quotes from the team members.  Please comment back as they would love to use this as a forum to communicate and document our trip.

But it is more than that!  My hope from the start of this blog was that it would be a photo album and a reminder of how we are serving as senders here at MFBC.  I hope that you will be encouraged in your personal walk with the Lord.

Here's my heart...something that I've been thinking about since I was asked to join this team...How can I love the people of the Philippines and Thailand if I'm not loving my neighbor here in Meridian?  So, almost daily, since last November I've asked God to help me know how to love my neighbor.  And you've journeyed with me on this pursuit of "loving my neighbor".  

Here's how we've been doing this together: giving out 49 gifts at Christmas with an invitation to our Christmas services, giving out almost 100 gifts at Easter with an invitation to our Easter services, giving out over 700 water bottles to the  thirsty at the Meridian Dairy Days parade with an invitation to our Vacation Bible School while at the same time giving out over 1,000 pieces of candy with an invitation to the same VBS and to our newly starting Family Fellowships.

I know that I don't know how to love my neighbor well, but I want to. Thanks for joining me on this journey!  Let's continue to love our neighbors where ever we may be each day.

Now on to some pictures (what you really want to see!) ~Beth

Here's our team photo from our trip to Portland, OR for some initial culture awareness training.

Here's our team at the commissioning service from 6/29.

Here's a quick photo of where we will be staying for most of the time in Baguio with the weather forecast.

our prayer requests:

Tuesday, July 1: Please pray that we will continue to learn to love each other and work towards unity as we meet with our family members at a team dinner.

Wednesday, July 2: Please pray for our attitudes; that we will be kind, tenderhearted, humble and patient as we finish up our packing and spending time with our family and friends before starting this journey.

Thursday, July 3: Please pray for our journey to the Philippines.  Pray that we will see God's hand of provision as we journey through the many connections and different cities to get to our final destination.  

Friday, July 4: Please pray that as we travel that God would continue to knit our hearts together to work and be a team, an extension of the body of Christ from Meridian First Baptist.  Please pray that we would have courage to share the hope that is in us because of God's great love and saving grace in our life with those with whom we come in contact with on this journey.  Please also pray for the Hortons as they will be traveling to Manilla to meet us and a fellow family who will be spending time with us there in the Philippines.  Please pray that they will get the rest they need for their journey (driving) and that they will be able to find both the family and our team in short time and be able to navigate us to the New Tribes Guest House in Manilla.

Saturday, July 5: Please thank God with us for the hospitality shown to us by the Hortons and the ones at the New Tribes Guest House.  Please pray for us; that God would strengthen our hearts with His unconditional love as we still have a drive today to get to Baguio and set ourselves up for our time with the Hortons. We will be tired.  Please pray that we would draw our strength from God and that we would practice loving each other with patience, kindness, not envying or boasting, not in arrogance or rudeness, not rejoicing with wrongdoing, but rejoicing with each other in truth; that we would bear, believe, hope and endure all things with each other; remembering that God's love never ends. (taken from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13)

MFBC is sending a team to the Philippines!

We are so excited about the team that God is pulling together to go to the Philippines.

We are looking for some people to join our team and partner with us as we represent MFBC in Asia this summer.  If you would like to be part of this team please talk with Pastor Dave.  We'll be having a special "Sending Team" meeting soon.

Here's a post from this past Sunday's (3/2/2014) training blog.

source: B. Duron

Serving as a Sender: a reminder from a student

I finish the year with a student from my missions class sending me this reminder this weekend....

Let's keep holding the ropes!

A lot of pictures and a little bit of words from the Philippines Team

 Flight Plan:  Boise to San Fransico 
(get breakfast) 
to Honolulu 
(get some sleep)
to Guam 
to Manila.

  Mail Call in Honolulu and Guam. (Thanks for Serving as Senders by writing notes of encouragement to our team.  We had enough notes for 1 note per day)

(text from Pastor Dave)"We are almost ready to board to Honolulu then on to Guam.  We are pretty trashed (tired) but its good." 

"Honolulu-aloha!"  "We are back in our same seats but refreshed."

"We are here!"

One concern for the team was getting from the airport to the NTM guest house in Manila.  Kirsten's friend's family in Manila helped them get to their destination.  Thank you MFBC senders for your prayers that they would make all their connections!

"It's 11:30 and we have to get up about 5:30 or 6.  I think as we have early breakfast and then we load up and hit the road."          "Good morning and afternoon... I slept pretty good and now I'm going to repack a little, read the devotional book and then it will probably be time for breakfast and meet and greet all the missionaries.  We were the last ones to join the group so D & K were excited when we arrived." 

"We made it to the camp and will soon have lunch.  It's nice and tropical and we've met lots of people but not even half of the group.  We traveled by two buses and it was great.  No teen boys on our bus but I got to talk to some of the teen girls and one boy-he's cool-he brought swimming goggles."

"Very  green and tropical-like San Diego kinda but warmer and more humid but actually very nice.  Big camp and very warm cultured people.  Much like Mexico."

"As we came to a short introductory session for the youth (after worship, and a skit and other general introductions with the entire group) we took them over to the SNAC shop and bought everyone ice creams.  And then we went upstairs to a little meeting room.  We did a team builder and then mail call (a big thank you to Mrs. Moehlmann's classes at CVCS for writing notes to the kids at camp).  It was great as they read their mail-one kid received a cool bandaid.  Fun.  We laughed and enjoyed the time. I shared part of my testimony and of course had funny stories throughout....God is so AMAZING!  We are so tired and yet He showed His strength through us. The camp is like a little paradise.  K & D send a big THANK YOU to our church for the things they sent to them.

"breakfast is at 7:30 and then we are 'on' about 9:00 as chapel starts combined singing and then we will split off the children and youth to go separate ways."
"we went on a river boat ride-in these long narrow canoes.  The canoes are towed up river (first we drove in a jeepne for an hour - 25 of us crammed into it) and after a 15-20 minute tow through town- we unhitched and then were paddled or pulled by our paddling up little river rapid rocky sections- I think 18 sections - these guys are incredible- of course no shoes.   And amazing.  The view was amazing as teh river cut a gorge probably 200 feet dep but filled with jungle plant life, vines and 2 water falls.  The second falls was the end and the grand finale as it was thik and perct toget onto another flat raft and go under part of it and be completely drenched...we all had a blast.  It was cool and tiring.
"The youth had a great time bonding around the campfire last night."

"Pray for the spiritual growth and maturing of the youth and that God's Word would impact them.  They are very engaged and open.  We are tired, but good tired."  

See you soon!

I don't know what is easier, going or sending.  I do know that it is easiest to walk in obedience.  

Psalm 90:14-16

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
May your deeds be shown to your servants,
    your splendor to their children.