Friday, June 30, 2006

Malaysia: last days in Ipoh

Another week has passed - here's what we've been doing:

Monday: Lindsey's birthday & our day off. We went to a water park in Ipoh and had the place almost to ourselves. It was great! Water slides, a wave pool, a heated pool, a lazy river, some rides and watching the tigers being fed took up a whole day. We had dinner at Pizza Hut (Lindsey's choice - she would have picked roti (a flat bread dish) but we had had it the night before). While we were relaxing & watching a movie at the Captains' house, Uncle Eddie & Madam Tong dropped by and insisted on taking us out for ice cream. It was fun, and the ice cream creations were amazing.

Tuesday: Work day! From 8:00-3:00, with a break for lunch, we all scraped paint off the playground at the Children's Home and repainted. It was long, hot, tedious work, but it needed to be done & it looks so much better now. In the evening we did a program for the kids at the home.

Wednesday: Since we had nearly finished our work the day before, we took the day off and Captains Ruth & Augustine & their two kids took us to Penang again. We spent the afternoon on a beach behind a residential area, so we had it to ourselves (Malaysians in general don't go to the beach). Some of us rented jet skis, but most of us were content to swim or sit in the sun. We wrapped us the day by going to a couple of malls and then eating at a Thai seafood market.

Thursday: We went to the Boys' Home to work, but were given nothing to do until 3:00, so we spent the time putting together a photo album for the Captains, organizing team bags, and planning programs. We actually did a bit of work - we put up borders on the walls of some of the boys' rooms. We were supposed to go get rocks to make a rock garden, but when the Major took us to where the rocks were, there were no rocks! So instead he left us for half an hour at the cave with the garden that we had been to the week before. We saw a bunch of monkeys and walked barefoot on the rocky path again - it's supposed to be good for your health, but it's pretty painful. In the evening we did a program with the boys.

Friday: We girls finished painting at the Children's Home, and the guys did some work at the Boys' Home. For dinner, we went out with the staff of the two homes to a 100-year-old Chinese restaurant.

Today: we made an American-style lunch for the Captains and then presented them with some gifts (photo album, craft materials they can use with the kids at the homes, etc.). Tonight we are doing a program for the youth and ordering pizza for them.

It's hard to believe that almost three weeks have gone by and we only have a couple more days in Ipoh. We're excited about going to Kota Kinabalu (KK) as it sounds like it will be a totally different experience, but we're going to miss everyone here - they've been so nice to us!

Lauren

Thursday, June 29, 2006

A message for EVERY TEAM!!! Please read and respond!

Hey guys!

I've been working on figuring out how much extra money each of you has raised in order to send it over to you. So far, I've figured out that Charlotte has an extra $510, Malaysia has an extra $343 and Belize has an extra $60. I know Peru will have a little bit of money to use but I'm still working on figuring that out. I'll let you know when I have a number.

Here's what I need from you though. If you have found a project which you would like to fund for a corps or area where you are, please let me know specifically what it is. The money will have to be earmarked for that specific project and will then have to go through SAWSO and on to the territory where you are.

I hope that explanation is decipherable.

So, team leaders, please let me know which projects you would like to fund and I will make sure the money gets sent. If you have not seen a physical need that needs to be met (it's hard to believe that would be an option) transferring the leftover money to Child Sponsorship is an option.

Let me know what you guys want to do.
Thanks,
Joy

P.S. Please let me know by email or phone.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Charlotte...

We live in Charlotte. It is good times. We received a stove and fridge. Hooray! And lots of kids. Today we're going swimming. We are learning to not complain, and to get over ourselves...and go swimming. YaY Jesus.
Pretty much things is good. Breakthrough with some kids. Hah- breakthrough. Sounds funny. What I mean is some of us are getting pretty close to some of the kids- it's cool to see God changing them...and us.
And that's Charlotte...

Pics from Orientation!

Below are some pictures taken at Service Corps Orientation. We had a few really great days of worship together! We sang, we danced, we bowed - all to the glory of God the father. Those service corps kids really know how to praise! The last picture is of the Charlotte team. I didn't have a picture to post when I posted all the other teams. Thanks Debbie for sending along a picture of your team. I appreciate it! Enjoy! Joy



Sunday, June 25, 2006

Malaysia Again

Hello again! It's been a couple of days since we updated, but we've done a lot!

On Thursday morning we had an orientation to the Old Folks' Home. It's a really nice place, and the 50 or so people living there seem to really enjoy themselves. After lunch, while the "old people" were napping, Madam Tong (she and her husband, Uncle Eddie, are in charge of the Home) took us out to see a Buddist temple in a cave. It was more of a shrine than a place of worship, but it was interesting. There were idols and writings everywhere. As Captain Augustine said, you have to know something about other religions if you want to witness more effectively to those people. The cave had over 500 steps up the mountain, and most of us climbed up. We were really hot and tired by the end of it, but the view of Ioph was worth it in the end. We returned at 3:00 to the Old Folks' Home and did a program for them - songs, a testimony, and a short devotion. (We've been doing most of the programs since we've been here, and we're getting pretty good at getting up and leading things.) Madam Tong translated for us, since they speak Chinese and hardly any English at all. Afterwards, Uncle Eddie took us to another Buddist cave/temple, and while this one was smaller, you could walk through the mountain to the other side where it opened up to a beautiful garden. We walked around the pond full of lotus flowers and saw some monkeys and even a komodo (komoto?) dragon.

Friday we took a day trip to Penang , a city about 2 hours away, with the old people. It is more tourist-y - we didn't stand out quite as much - and it has beautiful beaches, but we only saw one briefly. To get there we crossed one of the biggest bridges in southeast Asia. We had lunch at the Boys' Home there, visited a fort, a Buddist temple (with a large sleeping Buddah). The most exciting part of the day was going to a botanical garden full of monkeys. They were just walking around all over the place & we could get pretty close. One actually chased Annie, another charged at Vicki, and another growled at Ben. Once the initial scare was over, it was really quite funny - and we got some of it on film too. That night, back in Ipoh, Madam Tong took us to the night market, and we tried all sorts of food - Chinese pancakes, roasted chesnuts, various fruits - and everything was good.

Saturday was rainy, so we did a prayer drive instead of a prayer walk, but it was good because we got to see the entire area around the corps. We watched another Indian film (which is long, and we're finishing it today) at the Captains' home, did a bit of shopping, and then did the youth sports program that evening. Then, we all (us, the older youth fromt he homes, and Captains Ruth & Augustine) went to a fund raising banquet at a hotel, sponsered by a bunch of local churches. It was a lot like any banquet, except for the food. There were three courses with about 9 different plates, ranging from seafood to rice, to cabbage, to honeydew & bean curd soup for dessert. It was really good, but there was so much food we had trouble eating it all!

Today we did all of Sunday School (Lindsey did the lesson - David & Goliath) and most of the Holiness service (Kelsey led the songs, we all did praise & worship, Josh and Ben sang, Chauncy preached). We have the rest of today off because we don't have to do teh service at the Old Folks' Home, since the Baptist Church is doing their once-a-month service there today.

We're having a great time, and it's sad that this will be our last week in Ipoh (we go to Kota Kinabalu in a week), but we'll be too busy to think about it: we're spending several days painting and it sounds like we'll be able to go to Penang again for a day!

Well, that's all for now. We're all doing great - keep praying for us & for the people here!

Lauren

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Malaysia: Week 1

Even though we have great access to the internet here, we haven't really had time in the past few days to go online and update. So here's what's been happening:

Saturday Night: 5:00-7:00 we did the youth program at the Ipoh Corps

Sunday: We led Sunday School - some songs, a skit, and Kelsey did the lesson on Noah's Ark. In the Holiness Meeting we led praise and worship, and Lindsey gave her testimony and sang. Captain Augustine preached - he's very enthusiastic, adding hallelujah's and amen's throughout his sermon. In the afternoon we went to the Old Folks' Home and sat through their meeting - we sang God is Able and Josh gave his testimony. We spent a bit of time with the residents. We had the rest of the evening off, so we went to the mall to the movie theater. Some of us watched X-Men 3 while others watched Cars. We also successfully took taxis home.

Monday: Day off! The captains took us to Cameron Highlands, a really mountainous area - the views were amazing! We went to a rose garden and a butterfly garden, and had tea at a tea plantation.

Tuesday: We visited a really poor area and took food packets to teh residents. It was only Capt. Augustine's second time there, so our main focus was making friends. One family was better off than their neighbors, and before we left they gave us lunch (spicy noodles & fried chicken). Two of the boys at the Children's Home were taken from that area, and it was so sad to see the conditions they had been living in. In the evening the girls did a program at the Children's Home and the guys did a program at the Boys' Home - both went really well.

Wednesday: We spent the morning cleaning out the area above the thrift store. They're planning to use it as a shelter for women. It was so dusty that for a while it felt like we were just moving the dirt around, but in the end we made some good improvement. And in the afternoon....we went to the spa! Capt. Ruth knows an inexpensive, good place, and we all got some sort of treatment - facials, nails & hair done, massages, or milk baths. It was great!

Well, that's all for now. We're spending the next couple of days with the Old Folks, as they're called, so that should be fun!

Lauren

Another Belize Update!

We've been working VERY HARD in Belize since our last update. Belize it or not! Last Friday we were in charge of conducting devotions here at the school at the Central Corps. Devotions were about the wise man and the foolish man and where they built their houses. It rained pretty hard that morning, so we were able to tie the weather in with our theme! Later that afternoon we had craft time with the same 250 children at the school. They enjoyed making Salvation bracelets and sock puppets. Friday evening we conducted the youth meeting at the same corps. We were able to use a couple of the Jim Caine items and the kids loved it.
Saturday was incredible. We traveled to another part of Belize (about 4 hours away in a van on a very bumpy road) to visit the Mayan ruins. We enjoyed climbing (some of us) the ancient temple ruins, walking in the rainforest, seeing howling monkeys, and swimming in the river there. We also ate some exotic fruits there. On our way to the Mayan site we passed through a large Mennonite villiage. It was very interesting to most of us, and on the way back home we stopped in the villiage and the Mennonites allowed us to pick some Mangos from their trees. Yummy! The best part of our trip was the fellowship we enjoyed on the van ride to and from the Mayan site. Some of the youth from the corps came along on this trip and we used the 4 hours there and back sharing our personal stories and giving advice and just listening to their thoughts, ideas, and questions.
We spent Sunday at the Northside corps with Majors Robateau and Major Alice Buckley. What a wonderful time we had worshipping with the folks there. Our group was responsible was a special drama which the corps people enjoyed, and we also provided the music for the meeting. Angel gave her testimony and it was amazing. She did not hold back in sharing some rather difficult things about her life and I believe that God used her in a mighty way that day. The team was responsible for Sunday School which was at 3pm at the corps. We had about 30 kids to work with and we talked about the armor of God. After Sunday School we all went out around the corps to do some community evangelism. It was great to get the kids involved in this and they loved taking part and using the evangicards and cubes to tell their neighbors about Jesus.
On Monday and Tuesday we were responsible for League of Mercy Meetings at two nursing homes in the area. I was blessed to see the team serving others. It brought tears to my eyes. And by service I mean they were on their knees literally feeding and tending to and loving and talking to the precious people in these homes. I was blessed! On Monday night we also attended prayer meeting at the Central Corps. What a broken and hungry (spiritually) place this is! Belize needs your prayers...so PRAY PRAY PRAY.
We spent Tuesday afternoon at the Belize Zoo. We got to see the native animals of Belize and we had a great time. We traveled there in three cars. The car I was in (which Josh was driving) with Shannon and Bethany, made it to the zoo which is about 35 miles out of town, but didn't quite make it back home. As we were leaving the zoo, the accelerator got stuck down (not good) and we could only use the brakes as the car went faster and faster. Long story short, Shannon and Bethany rode home with Major Robateau while Josh and myself got to be pulled in the broken down car. Little kids were laughing at us as we were being pulled along...we were going pretty slow at times. What an adventure! Don't worry...we've got pictures!
Update: Val's inner workings ar working as they should....they weren't moving for a few days, but all is well now! The rest of the team is healthy and having a blast as well.
We are now preparing for a series of evangelistic campaign meetings that begin tomorrow and go through Sunday. Please be in prayer that many will come or even walk by and hear and see that things that will be done here.
Much love to Peru, Malaysia, Charlotte, and YOU!
Blessings!
Cristina

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Week One Reflections

So, our first full week in Piura is done and the team is doing great! We´ve really gotten to know a lot of the kids from the neighborhood and with another week still to go, it´s going to be incredibly hard to leave the city. Every morning we´ve spent an hour playing games and sports with the kids (the lycra tube episode was one for the memory books) and an hour with a bible lesson, singing, and a craft. The puppet shows are so awesome we´re thinking of going on the road with the act. The story of Noah´s ark was especially good : ) Even those of us that don´t speak Spanish have been able to communicate with the kids (although yours truly has been caught speaking French occasionally when I´m not thinking).
It´s odd that it is incredibly warm to us and yet this is their winter and people are walking around with sweaters, coats, hats, and scarves. It makes us hot just looking at them sometimes.
We held the first Sunday School and Holiness meeting on Sunday morning (in the community center) and though it was mostly children there were quite a few adults (52 people total).
Today we spent the entire day in groups going door to door to meet the families and adults that live in the community. We went in, sat, and talked with them to find out what they as a group need the most. Apparently gangs are a huge problem in the area and all the adults are concerned that there is little else for the chilren to become involved in. Update: Booth is doing better, and in regards to the rest of the team, there have only been a few minor problems adjusting to the food.
Our first day off is Thursday and we are hoping to go to the beach!
We´ll let you know how the water is.
Josie & the Knickerbockers

The Phone Calls!

Yesterday I received two phone calls! One from Malaysia. It was 9:45 p.m. where they are and the same time a.m. in my part of the world! How odd to think that they are so far ahead of us. In just a few hours they will be waking up to tomorrow!

Annie told me about some of their experiences. She mentioned all the food they are eating. A lot of it looks really odd but she hadn't had anything yet that tasted bad. They've had a lot of Indian food. She told me that the majority of the corps members come from outside of the neighborhood where the corps is. Thus the prayer walk. She mentioned how the team knew that the majority of the people in Malaysia were Buddhist or Hindu but it didn't really hit home until the prayer walk where every home seemed to have a red prayer box with incense burning in the front to a god - not ours. It was lovely to hear from her. I'm so glad she called!

Then, at the end of the day I got a phone call from Belize. Josh was on the other end of the line telling me how great it has been for them. He said everyone on the team is getting along. They seem to be working hard but having a good time at the same time. The phone cut out on us while he was telling me an absolutely hilarious story about him reading the Scripture at the old folks home. You'll have to get him to tell it to you when he gets back.

If I hear anything more from the other teams, I'll let you know!
Have a great day!
Joy

Friday, June 16, 2006

Malaysia Update

Hello again!

We did get our luggage a couple of days ago - it's been great to have our team supplies for our youth meetings (and clean clothes have been a nice change as well!)

Just for clarification: Malaysia is 12 hours ahead of Atlanta, not 8.

We have spent Thursday at the Children's Home and Friday at the Boys' Home, both of which are in Ipoh. In the mornings we would have an informational meeting about the workings of the building and then a tour. We had lunch with the children (there are never many at lunch because the majority of them go to school in teh morning, and only a few go in the afternoon) and then we would have the afternoon to rest and plan our evening program. We spent both days getting to know the kids, who are all very friendly. They are very active and love games of all kinds. Communication is easier at the Children's Home, where they all know some English (some better than others), and harder at the Boys' Home, where they speak more Chinese and Malay and less English. However, when they are addressed as a group it is in English. Malay, Chinese, Tamil, and English are spoken here, and everyone knows at least one language, often switching from one to the other. Both evenings we did a game night for the kids. At the Children's Home it was very loud and confused because it was mostly the younger kids. We played some group games and taught them some songs (and new and improved motions to Father Abraham). Although we had about 50 boys at the Boys' Home, the game night was more organized and we could get them quiet enough to hear the instructions. With them we did a lot of relay games which they really got into. Both nights were a lot of fun for both us and the kids, and we came away tired and hot, but with a good experience.

Today (Saturday) we did a prayer walk around the corps area in Ipoh. There are a lot of Chinese in this area. For lunch we had Indian food at Captains Augustine and Ruth's home, and for some cultural experience (and because there weren't enough spoons) we ate our rice, beans, and boiled eggs with our hands.

By the way, the food here is wonderful and varied. There are so many kinds of spices and textures and blends of Chinese, Indian, and Malay influences. We're trying a lot of fruit as well - dragonfruit, waterchesnuts, mango.

This afternoon we're relaxing in the Captains' home and watching some Indian movies and planning the youth rally meeting tonight and the program for tomorrow. The Captains let us help out a lot, and the meeting tonight and Sunday School tomorrow will be lead by us.

Well, that's all I have time for now. Keep us in your prayers - there is so much opportunity for Christian growth here!

Lauren

Frequently Asked Questions

Many parents, friends and family have been asking questions concerning the teams. I want to give some information which all of you need. If I don't answer a question you may have here, please leave a comment and I will answer it in my next post.

When do the teams return - date, flight, time?

The Belize team returns on July 24 at 8:05 p.m. on Delta flight 270. If you are planning to meet any members of this team at the airport, please remember that once they land they will have to go through customs so it may take a litte while for them to get to baggage claim.

The Charlotte team will arrive at some point during the day. They will be returning by van. Their arrival time is not nailed down at this point in time.

The Malaysia team will arrive in Atlanta on July 24 at 10:45 a.m. on Delta flight 7851 from Seoul, Korea. This team will also be going through customs before they can get to baggage claim so please be patient.

The Peru team returns on the same date at 6:25 p.m. on American Airlines flight 1216. They will not have to go through customs once they arrive in Atlanta because of a previous stop in Miami.


The teams will remain in Atlanta until July 27 for debriefing. We will discuss their summers and give the teams a chance to reconnect with American culture and each other after 6 weeks of being gone. For those Service Corps members who did not already have a flight booked home at the end of debriefing, I will book a flight for them within the next couple of weeks. I will email those team members flight arrangements to family members and corps officers who will need that information.

Many have asked for contact information. I am going to list it here but I ask that you only use the phone numbers listed for emergencies! I believe it would be okay for you to send mail - just remember that mail going overseas sometimes takes a while.

Belize

Regional Command
Major Errol Robateau
PO Box 64
41 Regent St
Belize City, Belize
1268 462-0115

Peru

DHQ
Calle Zarazoga 215
Puebla Libre
Lima 21, Apartado 690
Lima 100
Peru
51 (1) 261-4576
Majors Nesterenko


Malaysia

Ipoh Boys Home
4367 Jalan Tambun
31400, Ipoh

PO Box 221
30720, Ipoh, Perak
Tel: [60] (05) 545 7819

Kota Kinabalu Corps and Community Services
20-2 Block A Inanam Business Center
Batu 6
Jalan Tuaran
88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

PO Box 14234
88848 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Tel: (088) 433766

Please remember that Malaysia is 8 hours ahead of us. If it is 8 a.m. EST then in Malaysia the time is 4:00 p.m.


Charlotte

Heather and Rob Dolby
704.644.5985
This team has email access - if you would like to request their address, please ask via email. I don't want to post Rob and Heather's personal address online.

I hope all of this information is helpful. Again, once the team members flights home have been booked, I will be in touch.

Have a great day!
Joy

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Hola from Peru

Hello friends,
Sorry it has taken so long to let everyone know how we are doing. The flights here were uneventful (though we did have to switch flights at one point). We arrived in Chiclayo on Tuesday morning and after a breakfast at the corps there we took a 3-hour bus ride to Piura, where we will be for the next 2 weeks. We are incredibly blessed: we all got here safely, all of our luggage made it with us, our host, Major Nesterenko, has been fabulous, and we are staying in a great hostel. Today, Thursday, we did our first full day of meetings, with door to door evangelism and children´s activities all morning. This afternoon we had an open air in the community where we are working. The Army wants to open a corps here and we have an amazing opportunity to be the first Salvationists these people see. Major Nesterenko left yesterday and we are here with Captain Rojas, Miguel - a Salvationist from Lima, and Wilmer - a Salvationist from Chiclayo. The food has been amazing, and the weather is perfect. In the 60`s and 70´s. On a side note: Booth is waiting patiently for his first bowel movement. The whole team is praying for him. We want to let the other teams know that we are thinking and praying for them. Hello to all our families, we miss you and love you - but we are doing great!
The Peruvian Knickerbockers

Greetings from Belize!

Greetings Friends from Belize! Or as we would say (since we're locals now)...How ya do?
We arrived safely in Belize as Joy so kindly shared on Monday afternoon. We were given an amazing greeting by the children at one of the schools run by the Salvation Army here. They made banners for us and each class greeted us with a song they had prepared. We were then taken to our home for the summer which is more amazing than any of us could have imagined. Our house is right on the beach, which is nice because we can get the great ocean breeze...and believe me, we need all the breeze we can get! (It's hot with 100% humidity to boot!)
This week we have mainly been touring the city and becoming familiar with our surroundings. Our hosts, Majors Robateau have been so kind to show us the ropes each day. We have also been around the city to visit all of the Army's facilities here in Belize. We have seen corps, a thrift center, men's and women's night shelters, and schools.
Yesterday we did devotions for the kids at the school and then attented a Rotary meeting with the Majors. After the Rotary meeting we were able to spend some free time at Cucumber Beach which is a private beach owned by one of the Rotarians. We had a fabulous time swimming, rowing, and playing on the rope swing!
Today we will have our official welcome meeting and we are very much looking forward to meeting more of the corps people and others who will attend. Prior to the welcome, we will have an open air meeting just down the street from the corps, from which we will march to the corps.
We are all doing well...even Leo!
Many thanks to all of you for your love and support and prayers. We are truly blessed.
Much Love!
Cristina
The Charlotte Team is doing great. We all arrived safe and sound. What a greetings we had the neighborhood kids greeted us by running after the van. They were all so happy to see us. They could not wait to help us unload our luggage from the trailer. I will post some pictures later. We dove right in and started getting to know the kids right away. We have had some really bad rain the last couple of days so things have kind of different. Today should be our first full day as planned. I got lost downtown Charlotte last night and saw the stadium where the Carolina Panters play football. (I just added that for any football fans) Time to serve lunch to the kids more later from Charlotte.

Debbie

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Malaysian Persuasion Update

Hello everyone!

It's Thursday morning here (we're 12 hours ahead of Atlanta) and so today is our second full day. To get here, we took two planes - 14 hours to Seoul, South Korea, and 6 hours to Kualar Lumpar, Mayalsia. Because our first plane was over an hour late taking off, we barely made our connection to our second plane and our luggage hasn't made it yet. We're living off our carry-on items, and our hosts are looking after us well so we aren't lacking much. We all stayed at the Boys' Home in Ipoh Tuesday night (we finally drove in at 4:00 AM). We got to sleep in on Wednesday and then Capts. Augustine and Ruth took us to lunch at Pizza Hut and shopping for some necessary items. We had a quick briefing as to the next couple of days and then we girls went to where we will be spending the next three weeks - the Children's Home, also in Ipoh (the guys are staying at the Boys' Home). We had the rest of the afternoon off, and we spent our time getting to know the children (mostly girls) while the guys got to know the boys at the boys' home. After dinner, we all went to a concert featuring Scott Wesley at a Baptist church.

It's hot and humid here, but not too bad - it's a lot like Florida. There are mountains all around and everything is absolutely gorgeous.

Here's a link to our team blog, where we'll be posting more personal comments:
http://www.blogger.com/malaysiateam06

Keep us in your prayers!

Lauren

P.S. While typing this, we recieved good news! It seems as though our luggage has arrived...at least that's what the airport says. Hopefully we will get our luggage sometime today!

Some Pics from Orientation!


This is the lovely Peru team - acting like....well....themselves!













Here's the peaceful Malaysia team. We definitely sent the right group there!
















And the Belizian Bobsled team was raring to go. Don't ask - it really doesn't make sense but they had fun making up a name, that's for sure.



I'm hoping for a picture from Charlotte soon! I'll post it as soon as I get it.

Malaysia has arrived!

I received a phone call from Annie this morning letting me know that the team has arrived safely in Malaysia. They got there early Wednesday morning and immediately took a bus ride from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh. They arrived in Ipoh at 4:00 a.m. Today they have simply taken it easy and rested.

It was so good to hear Annie's voice and to know that everyone was okay. She did say it was muggy like Florida but that the girl's living quarters does have air conditioning. Sorry fellas!

Please continue to pray for them. I hope that when the team begins to minister they will be able to update.

Thanks for continuing to check back!

Joy

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

We Have Touchdown!

Dear friends and family of the Service Corps,

I have received word this morning that Charlotte, Peru and Belize have arrived at their host locations safe and sound.

I received a phone call last night from Belize letting me know that their acommodations were incredible and they all sounded so fantastic. It was good to hear their voices and their enthusiasm.

Our dear friend Marion has received a new name. He will now be called Leo instead of Marion because Leo is a man's name and Marion is not. I thought that was pretty funny!

I hope you all are doing well. I will let you know when the rest have landed and are safe.

Joy