EX & EV Summer's End

Our summer adventure has finally come to an end and many of us are finding it hard to believe the number of creation’s natural wonders we’ve seen and touched. We’ve had some time this past week to reflect on our individual team adventures and we also spent some time exploring the sites of home base.  

At home base, we visited a beautiful cave that was full of crystal walls and clear water in which we swam and cooled off. Another day we hiked to a local waterfall that we all enjoyed swimming in and fighting the current. On a couple of nights, we helped a few young students practice their English by playing some fun games with them. A few guys also interacted with the local community by visiting a public basketball court and shooting some hoops with the men out there. Last night we all enjoyed roasting hot dogs and s’mores over a fire on the local beach.  

In the next 24 hours we will all be on our way back to the states. We will start together, but gradually spread out among different flights and airlines. Please ask Dad to provide smooth travels and to keep us safe as we return. We are all excited to see our loved ones and are looking forward to our arrival home!  Also take time to ask Him to touch the hearts of the people we interacted with this summer.

EX & EV FESTIVAL!

All teams have returned to home base for the remainder of the summer. Our first activity upon our return was a 3-day long traditional island festival in which we were treated as the guests of honor. The festival activities were based on the traditional beginnings of the island beliefs and culture. We enjoyed baskets full of traditional food, watched many ceremonial dances, and heard the sound of various percussive instruments. During the festival, we also competed as the All-American team in a few different games and contests.  

Our first competition was a 500-meter Dragon Boat race. The Dragon Boat is basically an extended canoe that is rowed by about 12 people. There is also one person that steers the boat and another that keeps the rowers in sync by beating a big drum at the front of the boat. In our first race we kept up fairly well and finished in second place, but we finished last in the semi-finals. We (Adam, Josh) also competed in a volleyball tournament and a few of us (Brandon, Zach, Tyler, Josh) swam from one island to another in a 2.5K swim race. 

One night of the festival, Adam, Zach, and I were featured musicians on stage. In front of a fairly large crowd, we joined some friends we’d made earlier this summer as they performed traditional music during the night’s festivities. It was a lot of fun being under the bright lights and being able to entertain all of the people at the festival.  

On the last day of the festival we attended a large fish grill-out on the beach. There were multiple tents that were very generous with their food and we ate a lot more of good traditional food. We also enjoyed more traditional dances and music before the festival ended that night.  

As our summer experiences come to an end and we start to chew on what we have learned, please ask Father to guide us in discerning the application of what we’ve done and seen here. We have a little over a week left at home base before we leave so we also ask that you continue to think of us and ask Him to keep us focused for the remainder of our time here.

EX & EV Update on Adam and Zach

I have just returned from a visit to the island that Adam and Zach have been exploring this summer. I spent about ten days with the team and although there was much rain, in my time there we experienced great kindness from all the local people we encountered. 

In one coastal village, one man gave us a place to stay as well as food to eat for four nights. When we tried to offer the man money for all he had done for us, he would not take it.  Another family treated us like their own by offering us gifts and the father of the house even calling us his sons when we left their area. We stayed for two nights with a family in a village with no electricity. Although it was much like camping, having a roof over our heads was nice in the sporadic night rainfalls.  

Like my visits to the other islands, we also participated in scuba diving, snorkeling, and mountain hiking. One amusing characteristic of the nationals that we have learned about is their inability to estimate distance. Often we would ask the distance of a hike in order to judge whether or not we were up to it, but more often than not the people would under estimate the distance. Although frustrating at times (when we are thirsty from no water on a “short” hike), later we found the situations amusing.  

Another time we had a few villagers tell us about a fortress on a mountain, so we asked them to show us. It was supposed to be a “short” hike, but after 2 hours later, slipping and sliding up a muddy mountain, we learned that the fortress was in fact a mythical fortress. As we descended the mountain, our guide informed us that after four tries he has yet to find this mythical fortress; we couldn’t help but laugh.  

Everyone is healthy and all team members will be returning to home base shortly in order to spend the remaining 2 weeks there. Please ask Father to bless their travels and continue to ask Him to use us in our remaining time here.  

EX & EV Teams Mid-Summer Break

Every one except for Brandon and Matthew are at home base for a break. Brandon and Matthew are taking a break in a bigger city near the island they have been visiting. We are all enjoying time on an island that has power all day, food variety, and beds for each person. We’ll be here for a few days before we head back out to continue exploring the islands. 

These are some of the kids we have been visiting with on the islands. Please take a moment and ask Dad to watch over these kids and for them to encounter and know Him in their time on earth. We also ask that you ask Dad to keep us safe as we head back out and to guide our steps for the next two weeks. 

EX & EV Brandon and Matthew

I have just returned from a visit to the island that Brandon and Matthew been exploring for about two weeks now. This particular island is exceptionally rural compared to the other islands in this area. Like a few other smaller islands, the electricity is only on when the sun is down, but even then there are often times when the power generators fail. Electricity or no electricity the team seems to be going strong and enjoying their time on the island.      

During my visit with the guys, we explored the waters and beautiful coral reefs while scuba diving, went on a 10-mile nature hike, visited with the locals, and feasted on young coconut during it all. The village in which we slept while I was there, is built entirely on the water along the coast. The houses are either built on rocks that have been stacked in the water, or on wood posts. These houses are connected by very narrow bridges made from 2-3 long wooden planks, creating a network of homes strung together as a community. However, these particular planks are usually very old and are not quite dependable for us because westerners are generally larger and heavier than the locals. Brandon learned this the hard way, and unfortunately fell about 10-feet to the mud when one bridge broke beneath his feet! As soon as we discovered he was not injured, we all had a good laugh at the event while helping him out of the low-tide muck.

Another day, we arrived at a village after a 10-mile hike along a poor trail and the people were astonished to hear how far we had walked. We discovered that there was indeed an easier path to the village but we made it there and the people were glad to greet us. Not having enough time in the day to make the trek back, we decided to take a very small wooden boat back to our port village. The trip was quite amusing because we were struggling to remain balanced throughout the ride on the small boat.

After a short break in a bigger city, Brandon and Matthew will return to the island for another 10 days. Please ask Dad to guide their travels as well as for guidance in meeting the people He has been working in before they ever arrived. 

EX & EV Tyler and Daniel (6-29-11)

            Hello all,  I have recently returned from a two-week excursion to a relatively remote island with team members Tyler and Daniel. 

            During my visit to the remote island on which Tyler and Daniel currently remain, we trekked from village to village inquiring the locals about interesting areas, mountains, rivers, etc. on the island.  We even traveled to two other smaller islands that were nearby, just to visit the people. In one mountain village, a leader guided us to local waterfall where we camped for a night with some of the villagers. Swimming in the ice cold, clear water of the river was quite refreshing after a two-mile hike down the mountain. In another village, we visited a cave that was home to hundreds of bats that did not seem to enjoy our presence while our flashlights penetrated the deep darkness.

As we traveled across the island, we were able to find some people of peace that showed us kindness by preparing food for us and also by opening their homes for us to sleep. Dad taught us many things in our time on this island. One of those things was to rely on Him for direction and providence, for sometimes we had no plan or idea of what was to come, but He was there to help us. I asked that you continue to talk to Dad about watching over Tyler and Daniel as they continue they’re time on the island.

           

Last Update For The Next 2 Weeks

After three days of adventure, Team Olympus (Brandon, Matthew, and Daniel) and Team Lighting (Zach and Adam) have made it back to home base safely. Both teams were getting their feet wet in the home base city. The teams were driven an hour away from home base, dropped off with a translator, then were challenged to find their way back to home base while meeting people and learning about their culture. Team Lightning got to do some spearfishing at night, while the local waterfalls amazed Team Olympus.

As for me, I spent three days exploring a small island with Team TNT. We visited a few small rural villages, climbed a mountain to touch the clouds, and spent some time diving at the ports of a couple of villages. Living with little electricity, no air conditioning, and no toilets will be the challenge for each team coming from a land where these things are considered necessities.

Greetings From Southeast Asia!

I’m happy to inform you that all teams have arrived safely at home base. We all agree that the journey here was indeed a long one, but the gladness of arriving and setting our eyes upon what’s in store for us this summer has greatly overcome our weariness.

In our time here so far, we have spent much time discussing the task at hand as well as seeking adventure among the nearby islands. Each adventure team is assigned a specific island in the area to explore and discover adventure opportunities. While exploring the islands, teams will learn about the culture, language, and try to find people in the local communities who may be seeking the truth. Each team will be equipped with a translator who will help guide the teams around the islands as well as ensure safety.

Teams will start their adventures tomorrow. Please ask the Father to keep us safe in our adventures, to keep us in good health, and to guide our steps for the next few weeks.