4-20 Friday

Today was difficult in that I woke up very early eager to start the journey home.  We calculated somewhere between 35-40 hours total travel time for most of us.  Georgia (Bro Mike) will have an additional 5-6 hours to get home.  We woke up and started packing and getting ready for our journey home.  After awhile we went down stairs to sit and fellowship with the youth and the pastors until we had to leave. We have learned that in the past they have had Americans come to speak and teach at the youth camp, but the Americans would never would just hang out and fellowship, we are the first to actually sit and talk and eat with them.  That breaks my heart to see that people that come here won't talk to the people. We need to be the light to the people. Back to the travel day, the goal is to get to Manila, we left Baguio city at 11 am to start the journey home.  It took five hours of intense driving by Peter our in country 6th member of Seal Team 6.  He truly has a skill to drive as insane as he did and get us to where we had to go in such a rapid time without getting into an accident. We dropped Bro Abner's wife and kids off then continued our journey to Manila, we finally made it to the airport at 9 pm.  A very long and  exhausting journey, really it was just the beginning of the journey. We said our good byes and separated with Cali (Bro Russell), he has a different flight home, and got to "hang out" a little bit later... long story but he survived!!  We boarded the flight to Seoul, Korea which took about 4 hours.  Then we had a 12 hour layover, where we were smart and got a hotel room to rest and shower before the final 11 hour flight home.  It took us about 40 hours on our journey home, but the kicker is that it takes 4 days to get home for some of the youth at the camp. They traveled far to come and be a part of the youth camp, and that means something when you are traveling 4 days to get there, spending the time there, and 4 days home. Their commitment and concern for the Gospel is amazing and so encouraging. This trip has been amazing, I am sad to be leaving the people because it has been awesome to create relationships with them but we will be back to see them again. I have mixed feelings about leaving because my wife wasn't able to come with me, and so I am ready to be home to see her. Not ready to leave the people but ready to see my wife. Next time she will be with me :) 

until next time...

cole