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6 airports
5 security checks
28 hours of plane travel
12 hours of layover

And we have ARRIVED!

Traveling was a great bonding experience with my classmates :) By the end, we were all sleeping on top of each other and sharing food.

I will put up some pictures later of my new home. I'm living in a house of 16 girls! It doesn't seem as full as it actually is since some are always on shift at the clinic or sleeping at all hours of the day. The life of midwives!

Today we went to church with the directors of our program. They were singing "Nothing is Impossible" as we walked in....which happens to be one of our Big Lake theme songs from years past! It was really hard to refrain from doing all the motions and punching the sky like we do at camp. Although I don't think anyone would have minded. It was pretty lively singing with some beautiful dancers in the front, playing tambourines.

Later today we went out for donuts at a mall. There are guards everywhere we go, and it was interesting to watch them check our car (twice!) for bombs and then scan us as we entered the mall. I'm guessing they are being extra vigilant since some car bombs went off in Cotabato City a few days ago (which is on our island), killing some people.

So going to church today really helped me feel like I've come home -- singing songs I love and worshiping with everyone. The other activities that have made it feel like home have been getting to play some sports! There is an academy here where all the missionary kids go to school and they have some community sports going on over the weekend for whoever wants to show up. Yesterday I went out for some basketball, and this evening we played volleyball and ultimate frisbee. Then after getting connected and talking with some of the people, I found out that there is soccer too!! I missed it this week, but am really hoping to jump in and try it soon. I hear it is all men, and they play pretty intense, but hopefully they still might let me join in :)

Everyone keeps warning us how we are going to get slammed soon with assignments and work. So I'm happy to know that there are these sports groups that I can get out with sometimes, to get out and MOVE every now and then.

It is fun right now, to just sit around our house and listen to all the 2nd year girls as they come back from clinic shifts, talking about the births they helped with. I'm getting antsy to jump into things! Tomorrow we head out to an island to hang on a beach overnight while having more orientation. And then we have quite a few "get to know you" parties coming up with the other students and Filipino staff.

So much fun stuff. So happy to be home.