Tuesday lasted for 39 hours for us due to the fact that we traveled across the Pacific Ocean, crossing over the international dateline. We left Manila at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening and arrived in California three hours earlier at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening! Somehow, the flight didn’t seem that short.

 

Here is what transpired today: We left the hotel at 5:00 a.m. to head to the Iloilo airport. We landed in Manila at around 9:30 a.m. and we had a twelve hour “layover” before our flight home. We all loaded up in a shuttle bus which Tony Mercado had arranged for us to use and went to Green Hills shopping center, which is now an annual tradition for our group. This is where you can find unbelievable bargains.  All of us picked up different souvenirs for friends and loved ones back home.

 

Then, we headed to Bro. Baltazar’s families’ house for our final Filipino feast. The food they had prepared was delicious and abundant. We rested there for a couple hours.

 

We still had several hours before we needed to be back to the airport. So, we visited the Rizal monument. This is the main national monument in the Philippines.

 

After this, we went to the Mall of Asia. This is a new mall and it is said to be the largest mall in Asia. It has HUGE! This mall was more like an American mall, without the bargains and discounts of the other place we visited.

 

After an hour or so there, we loaded up on the shuttle bus and headed to the Manila airport. We checked in and headed to our gate, anticipating our return to our homes in America.

 

This trip has truly been a life-changing experience for everyone who came. We were able to visit many wonderful ministries and see hundreds of souls saved. God has touched each of our hearts and has reminded us once again of what our spiritual priorities should be:

 

1. Walk with God

2. Love for family

3. Life of ministry at home and abroad

 

We have learned so many things from our missionaries, their members, and the wonderful people of the Philippines.

 

It is our prayer that the ministry at North Valley will be helped and strengthened because of our time spent in this foreign land.