Saturday, July 4, 2009
the team is....
although their luggage isn't :(
they are all very tierd, but rejoycing about all that happened during their time in china.
more to come soon...
it's official...
i just got off the phone with my dad and the team is on a bus being shuffled around by the airport to several terminalswhere they hope to find their bags and go through customs. my dad doesn't think there is any way they will catch their 5:20 flight to philly, but the airline seems to disagree :)
sooo, my dad is going to call me when they are ready to board their flight.
it seems that the best news is not neccisarily what the airlines say, but what is acctually happening!
i'll let you know when i talk to them next.
pr'y they make their connection flight!
-ang
and their off!!!
i got a text from the team this morning saying that they took off around 3am (our time) this morning. (although united still says they took off at 2:15 am) - here is the link( http://www.ua2go.com/flifo/FlightSummary.do?date=20090703&fltNbr=898&deparr=D&orig=&dest=&time=00002359&Check=Check )
the united rep i talked to this morning says they are booked on a 5:20pm (our time) connection flight from washington to philly putting them in philly around 6:30 or 7ish. as far as i know, this info is correct, but i'm going to keep calling united as the day goes on. we might just need to plan on doing a bit of waiting this evening because odds are it will take them some time to acctually arrive here and get their baggage, etc.
looking forward to seeing the team tonight! i'll post any new info that i get!
love ang
Friday, July 3, 2009
rolls royce treatment
my husband and i are just finishing up our evening workout (tonight was yoga thanks to p90x).
i think i'll grab a snack and head to bed.
on the other side of the world, the china 09 team is just begining a very long day of traveling.
i spoke to them a few min ago on-board a bus to the airport.
they spent the night in a high-end, cushy beijing hotel courtesy of united airlines. they slept from about 1:30 am until 7am and awoke to a luxurious breakfast buffet. none of them have their suitcases...only what is in their carry-on bags, but they all got a shower (and then got to put back on the same clothes they have been wearing for the past day and night.) when they got outside, a $500K rolls royce was parked outside. you don't see one of those everyday!!
they were then shuffled onto a bus for round 2 of their travel back to the USA. let's hope this one is a little smoother than round 1 :)
my mom said they have felt like a herd of sheep for the past few days. no one tells them where they are going or what is going on with their flights. they are just in a herd, with no apparent leader or destination. they just keep trusting that someone knows where they are going. we all know that someone definatly knows what's going on, no matter what delays the airline might have in store. we know where our hope comes from. that is the hope that the team is leaning on at this very moment.
the team will arrive at the airport and will have to go through customs (again), do a passport check (again), and check out of china (again) before boarding their plane.
as of the united.com flight status, takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 pm (china time) but i'm not going to hold my breath on that info. let's just all wait until they acctually takeoff and then we will know what their approx arrival time will be.
my dad is going to call and leave me a voicemail in the middle of the night when they takeoff, so i'll update the blog/email/phone chain in the morning with the newest info.
until then, pr'y, sleep and trust.
ang
yet another flight delay...but so it goes
some of you may have already heard the latest news, but i wanted to send another update in case anyone else on the list hasn't heard this info yet.
there have been more changes in the ever changing flight schedule. i have been on the phone with the team several times today. after being shuffled on and off of their plane several times, as of now, the team is scheduled on a 2pm flight (china time - 2 am our time) tomorrow from beijing to washington dc (july 4th). if the flight is not delayed (the airline seemed a little doubtful that the flight will leave on-time :) they will arrive in washington around 3:45pm our time and then if they make their connection flight, they will arrive in philadelphia around 6:30 pm on july 4th.
i know, i know it's a lot of "china time" and "our time" confusion, but all you need to know is they are delayed. they will most likely be home sometime on the evening of july 4th. plain and simple.
when i talked to the team around 11am this morning (11pm their time), they were on an airline bus, but they weren't really sure where the bus was headed (such is life in china :)
they were told they would have a food voucher and a hotel room, so they were hopeful that the airline would take them to a hotel where they could get some dinner.
i have a somewhat updated phone list, so you will hear from me tomorrow as soon as i get confirmation that the team is on the plane so we will know a more definate time for their arrival.
that's all for now! keep pr'ying for them...it's always an adventure traveling from china...you almost have to expect delays, that way it just seems normal when things like this happen :)
i'll keep the updates coming!
ang
URGENT! flight delayed...
since i don't have a phone list of everyone's parents/friends, i hope this email and blog chain will work!
a lot is going on, and it's only 9am :)
the team is officially delayed overnight in beijing and will NOT ARRIVE TONIGHT as planned. they have been shuffled on and off of their United 898 flight for the past few hours and as of right now, they are offically delayed due to electrical problems with the plane. they think the plane was fixed, but now the crew has been over their time limit and they must take a flight to washington dc tomorrow morning, which means they will arrive tomorrow morning, july 4th, in washington, dc. i am still trying to find out what time they will catch their connection flight and arrive in philadelphia. i am assuming it will be sometime tomorrow late morning.
I NEED YOUR HELP!IF YOU ARE A PARENT, OR SOMEONE WHO IS PICKING UP A TEAM MEMBER please write me an email with your name and phone number (angiedweldon@gmail.com) so that i can reach you personally when i get info. Or, perhaps you can help me if you have a team contact list or something like that?? as of right now, this is the only way i have to contact any of you!
hopefully we will get some updates soon! pr'y for the team! they are exhausted and really wish they were on the plane right now!
thanks, angie
Thursday, July 2, 2009
last day in china...
time for the last day in china.
i talked to the team this morning around 10am (10pm china time) and they are all pretty wiped out. they are in beijing now and they spent the day on the great wall, tienamen square (sorry, i forget how to spell it :) and at a fancy-schmancy ancient chinese restaurant. tomorrow, they will spend the day on silk street (the most famous shopping street in beijing) and then they have a plane to catch around 6pm. it is strange to think they will leave china on friday night and arrive here on friday night! it's like they are time travelers :)
their time in bejing has been great as they have several chinese friends who made the trip to beijing with them. an old friend from a previous trip also came and met them in beijing, which was a great surprise.
think if them today and tomorrow. the exhaustion is setting in, and several are feeling under the weather as they have a long day of travels ahead.
for the first time, they are flying direct from beijing to washington, dc...it is a blessing to have a direct route which will save on travel time. they have a short hop into philly where they will arrive around 11pm tomorrow night.
more updates to come as the team reflects on their time in china.
with love
angie
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
update from peter...
We've arrived in Beijing this morning around 11am, and before checking into the hotel, we went to check out the Olympic Bird's nest and The Cube.
Then, this afternoon we went to the Forbidden City and spent a few hours admiring the majestic architecture as well as its rich cultural heritage.
I will write more on the visit and also the events that took place in these past 2 days, along with pictures.
Regards,
Peter Lin
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
last day in guilin...
Monday, June 29, 2009
a special message from home for liz...
We love you! We have heard reports that you have been standing firm in Him even without your luggage. Continue to rest in His strength. We know you are living out what James tells us, "consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds". You are in our pr's continually. We can't wait to hear how Dad provided for your every need according to his riches in J__. Make the most of you last few days in Guilin and have a blast in Bejing.
Love,Mom, Dad, Chris, Lauren, Katherine, Trudy, Sampson and Sophie
Sunday, June 28, 2009
just got off the phone...
they had a huge breakthrough with the university today!
GUT (Guilin University of Tech) has decided to create a C.A.R.E scholarship program for outstanding students at the university! The recipients will be handpicked by the university as well as the CARE team and will recieve finanical assistance to help with their schooling. This will be yet another way that all of us back home can help to contribute to the work being done in china.
The scholarship will most likely be given to a student with an excellent GPA, high moral standards, and great financial need. Perhaps we will be able to suggest some of the friends we have made in order to help them finish their schooling.
This is a major step in our relationship with the university as they realize that we truly care about the students and the realtionships we have made.
the home stretch....
Saturday, June 27, 2009
a message from home for Jeremy...
Friday, June 26, 2009
Lecture Hall
He said they were walking over to their big lecture. Each year we go over, the school asks us to put on large lecture (300-400 students) and talk about American Culture and things that interest us. This usually covers Amercian music, dancing, family life, dating, careers, part time jobs, beliefs, religion, what we do in our free time, college life, etc... It's usually a great time to share who we are and what we enjoy in a large setting...many students come very eager to see Americans and hear native English spoken. Many lasting relationships are made from these lectures because for some students, they see that we are easy going and fun...not just serious English teachers...they can see all this from afar and then feel comfortable to come and talk to us...when they might've been intimidated to come up to us on the street on campus. Think of the team this morning as they are at the lecture. I'm sure it will be a sweaty and memorable time. Their classrooms don't have air conditioning :)
This is also usually a sad weekend for the team. They begin to realize that they only have a few more days with their precious new friends. Time flies while you're over there and before they know it they'll be on the Great Wall and walking through Tieneman's Square.
keep fighting
steve henricks
Thursday, June 25, 2009
morning here - night there
The airline says they should be delivering 5 of the 7 lost bags tomorrow. They didn't want to try and deliver them today because they were afraid they would lose them again. Gotta love their confidence.
My dad said they have decided to fly to Bejing next Wednesday instead of take the overnight train. This will give them an extra day with thier friends in Guilin which i know they are all excited about. They will be taking a few students up to Bejing with them which is always a blessing.
That's all for now
Keep fighting for them
They still have another week
Steve Henricks
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
from Steve....
Hello from China!
It's Steve, and I am updating you with our experiences so far in China. It is Wednesday afternoon here (1:45). The last few days have been such amazing experiences for the entire team. Tuesday morning we had a meeting with our friends D_, J_, and C_. D_ is a member of our the family and he shared his life as such a member with J_ and C_. Peter Lin helped with translating. J_ and C_ really appeared to understand what Davey was saying and were very open-minded throughout the meeting. By the end of the meeting Dad did some amazing works and fulfilled the plans He had all along. J_ accepted, admitted his wrong doings to Dad, and asked Him for forgiveness. The entire team was thrilled with this news. C_ wanted more time, but we believe Dad has great plans for C_ as well. In addition to C_ and J_, many other frienships are beginning to lead toward talks about our Father. Joanne and Linda talked with Kate's four girl-friends last night and began to talk about Dad and all He has done for us. They seemed open-minded as well, and Joanne and Linda are thrilled to pursue that conversation. Please continue to talk to our Father about our friends.
No members are sick nor injured, so thanks Dad. This morning we had a class with students at GUT. They showed us some art and taught us how to write our names in Chinese symbols. We sang some songs for them, and then we showed them the Cupid Shuffle. Boy did they love that. Around 30 or 40 students all dancing to that was so much fun- an overall wonderful time. It has rained the past three days in Guilin, but we do not mind beacuse it cools us from the intense heat here. The Srks and J_ plan on arriving today and staying at our hotel.
That's about it for now. We all say hello and thank everyone at home for their talks with Dad. It has helped us so far, and will certainly continue to. Dad has some wonderful plans for this trip, and we intend on fulfillinf those plans to the fullest. We are talking to Dad for all you at home as well.
Until next update, CARE Team 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A note from home to Elisabeth on the team
It is so cool to see you following hard after Dad and walking in obedience. It sounds like the team had a exhausting first 2-3 days. Dad was watching over you all the way. Continue to abide in him. Remember that there is nothing you can do outside of the vine. We have been pr'ing faithfully and know that the team will reflect him to the students there. Be prepared to give the reason for the hope that you have inside. How are you doing without your luggage? I guess you are experiencing first hand that Dad is all you really need. Everything else in this world is much less significant.
We Love You!
Mom and Dad
Monday, June 22, 2009
from joanne...
We're finally in Guilin! It's a little after 11 am and I am sitting in an internet cafe with Dave, Linda, Liz, and Koons. Seven of our bags are still missing, but other than that all is well...though our journey here brought many trials, Guilin has in turn brought many wonderful things. We arrived around 10:15 at night, and got to talk with some great Chinese students on the bus ride to our hotel. After a delicious first meal in Guilin, we woke up the next day to a class on Chinese knot making and later on an awesome welcome party...there was singing, and even some Chinese B-Boys breakdancing for us! A major highlight has been a visit from D., a friend from nine years ago, who was able to stay with us until this morning. There have been many new faces, meeting with some of the freshmen classes, but also old friends-- SQ, Joy__, R, M, CM, J, and of course Gam and Cherrie! Tomorrow, we'll also be joined by Ja__, and on Friday by Li__, so we're all looking forward to reconnecting with them.
Guilin is bringing back many memories of our dear Katelynn...but we are carrying her in our hearts and her time here has served as an inspiration for us all. For me, it has been awesome to see the first-timers coming to fall in love with China just as I did last year...the breathtaking scenery...the delicious food...but most importantly the amazing, amazing people and relationships we make with them.
Many amazing things happening, DAD told me that though we faced trials, He has big plans for us. I made a couple new friends and have met with old friends, one of mine named Mich____ who told me she has been reading her Butterfly and wants to talk more! :) :) I spoke with a couple of students about Katelynn, sharing how she is Home now and why I know we will see her again...I cried just thinking about how she is still doing work in China even now... Brandon also talked to Z__ briefly, and I am in touch with my girls V__ and A__ :) This morning was filled with so many tears of joy...we watched D. share about DAD and talk to Him in Chinese. I just keep thinking about the amazing HOME reunion we will all have...when there will no longer be a language barrier...where we will be together with D...Vi...Jo...Ja...Joy__...Katelynn. So many emotions going through my heart right now...
It'll be lunchtime soon so I'm off now to meet the team for some Guilin noodles :) Later we will all be going to the university's new campus to meet the students there.
Love you all! Joanne
even more updates...
-Liz and Nathan are very touched with the openess and loving Chinese.
-Cathy is having a blast sharing her life with several girls and it in her element. She love it with all her heart.
-Steve got to have a quiet time to talk with J. and he make a life commitment. Wow it was amazing. C. is thinking about things we are talking about and L. also made a life commitment. Really awesome!!
-As I type, Cathy is going thru stories of the OT and NT with a friend.
We are meeting with all the guys and girls from last several trips. There are ready to start jobs and might never see them again so we are having a lot of great talks.
-Peter has been saving us from problems and translating for all the student wanting to know more in Chinese. We are so thankful for Peter being with us and loving China enough to come back. He has perfect chinese language and has be able to translate all we say.
lots of love!
dave
amazing amazing amazing!!!
We are still missing 7 suitcases - lost somewhere between Chicago and here?? Both Liz an Joanne are without their personal suitcases and have none of their stuff!! Pr'y the suitcases would be found. Fortunately all the gifts for our friends arrived.
All the team members are doing well. No one is sick. Everyone very focused on the task at hand and very intentional! Great team of students.
Love you all!
Linda