VLog 001: Age Does Matter --Dee

I don't really know how to describe this experience. As some of you might know, this is the second time I have ridden a plane and the first time I have EVER gone out of the country. To be honest, I feel like I'm dreaming, and we've been away for two days only!

But I don't really wanna talk about my feelings. I think a story will be more interesting. :)

So...we were in the immigration section at NAIA. There was a long line of passengers waiting for their turn to go to the window, hand over their departure card and passport, get it stamped, and then board the plane. We decided to come in groups of three and four since there are seven of us. I went with Ate Tess and Ate Mitch; Lyqa, Abby, Nicey, and Gio went together.

When it was our turn, the immigration officer took a while before stamping on our passports. He asked kung anong gagawin namin sa Vietnam, kung ano daw ba kami sa Messiah, etc. Tapos he went and consulted something with the chief immigration officer who was sitting near the entrance near the metal detector/x-ray chorva. After that, he let us in.

Ate Mitch handed our IT receipt to the CIO. He looked at our passports. Then he asked, "May DSWD clearance ba kayo?"

Ate Mitch was like, "Po?" with a confused look on her face, which I had, too.

"Sino bang kasama niyo?" he asked further.

"Sila po," we said, pointing to the other group. Ate Tess stayed behind to wait for them.

"E ano ka ba sa...ano toh, Messiah College?"

"Opo. Ah, staff po ako."

"Sinong kasama niya? Wala kayong magulang na kasama?" His tone was serious and...yung tipong mararamdaman mong may tinutumbok siya. Scary.

"Wala po. Kami lang po nung kapwa ko staff."

"Ah, e hindi pwede yan. Dapat may DSWD Clearance kayo!"

We were getting worried and really confused by that time.

"Bakit po? Para saan po ba yun?" Ate Mitch asked. Kamot-ulo na kami tapos tanaw nang tanaw kay Ate Tess.

"E siya," he said, pointing to me. "Wala siyang kasama e! Dapat may clearance ng DSWD na pwede siyang mag-travel na walang kasamang magulang."

And I was like, "Po?"

"E bakit, ilang taon ka na ba?"

"Twenty po."

The CIO broke out with this bellylaugh and said, "Ano! Akala ko 16 ka lang!"

Yes, Sir. I get that a lot. :))

Gonna Fly Now!

Who says missionaries can't have fun? Wanna see what reaching the top of the Independence Palace felt like?

Click here.

Vlog #3: Day 1 - Lyqa

Sorry for the weird train of thought and the blabbering. I'm just too tired and sleepy. *yawn*

Day 1: AM - Meeting Tita Eva and Vietnam by Day

To fully understand how hard it is to live in a foreign country, one MUST experience sitting next to people who are just about yelling in monosyllabic singsong.

It's just our first day here out in Vietnam and I'm already loving the country. Pero I love Tita Eva more. Super cool!!

Grabe siya!!! She met us at the airport, got us a ride for just 300,000 dong (Yup. That's cheap. We'll expain soon), and went to our hotel early in the morning to join us for breakfast. She interviewed all of us. It was just a short period of time, but I instantly loved her. :)



We went to the Independence Palace to take pictures. It was fun until the weight of my backpack weighed my mood down.

But it was fun nonetheless. Videos of some stuff we did will be posted soon.

My heart was heavy the whole time we were there. Prayer-walking in a foreign country is an altogether different experience. We prayed for the people in power in Vietnam. We also asked God to place Godly people in government positions to open the door completely to the Gospel of Christ. I hope that we keep praying even after we leave.

Other highlights for the day include:

1. Crossing the streets with all those motorcycles.
2. Trying to play one of their native instruments. (I'll be posting a vid about this soon.)
3. My swollen hands. Probably because of an allergic reaction to something.

Keep praying guys. :)

Vlog #2: Vietnam!!! - Lyqa

Hey pipols. So, this is our 2nd Vlog. :)
We are finally in Vietnam! (Actually, finally is an exaggeration since my flight to Cebu was longer pa nga. hehe)




Prayer Requests:

• Strength for us. We're pretty tired and we only have time for a few hours of sleep before all the walking later.
• Continued protection from God.
• Extra anointing for our ministerial tasks tomorrow. I, Lyqa, will be speaking and Abby and Dee will render a special song number. :)
• Peace for our family members back home. May they remember that, as the wise Tita Del Ebora says, "The safest place in the world is in God's hand."

Vlog #1: Before leaving the house - Lyqa

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I'm not an expert packer. I usually overpack and bring a luggage bag to a 3-day retreat. This time, for a 14-day 2-country trip, I had to fit everything inside a hiking backpack with 30 liters of space. I was too busy worrying about everything and I ended up forgetting to pack my Bible.

In everything, we ought to put God first. So I tried listing the real essentials to a successful trip:

• Blessings (God's provision and direction)
• Attitude of worship and service
• God's Word

This is a time lapse video of me packing.