Seoul Searching

It's a great idea to exercise our body and mind each day as part of a healthy lifestyle, but do we spend enough time stretching our soul?

Right now I'm experiencing the longest day of my life and it feels like I'm on top of the world. Literally we are just a few degrees south of the north pole passing below the Bering sea on a wide arc from San Francisco to Seoul, South Korea.

Our brief stay in Seoul was amazing but too short. We were back on the plane in no time and ready to see Singapore. The sun finally went down, but the day wasn't over yet. The Singapore airport was our home for the evening.

While some rested, Tammy, Sheryl and I explored some of the shops and a rest area we'll all visit on the way back. We also found a sunflower garden and free foot massage machines to help recover from our long walks. After just a few minutes of sleep it was time to board again for our final destination on Cebu island.

The sun came up again and our long first day continued on a smaller SilkAir flight with brunch and a view of the azure Philippine archipelago unfolding below us. The seat backs on this flight didn't have the GPS display to track our progress, so I had to improvise with a map book and paper plane cutout.

Mitch Ohlendorf met us at the airport. One of Shannon's bags was lost in transit so we are praying that it shows up soon. After checking into our rooms Mitch took most of the team to visit the Children's Center while Jerry and his new associate Joel of Minnesota, took us (Brad, Kim and I) to a bike shop to look into some gifts for the kids.

Thanks to a last-minute contribution from the International Christian Cycling Club we will be able to provide several new mountain bikes for the shelter.

The crowded city was frantic but exhilarating. We got to visit the teen center briefly before meeting up with everyone again at the CSC. Sandy gave us a quick tour then it was off to a pizza dinner with Mitch and his family.

After a wild shopping spree for some essentials in the market below our hotel, we finally got some much needed rest. The longest day did eventually come to an end but God's plans for this trip are just beginning. The sun is rising on another day and another opportunity to stretch our soul beyond old horizons.

Best fishes,
AL