S.E.N.T. - Tyler French

Day 12

1/29/2018

Woke up pretty early today, but I didn't get out of bed! Around six, I decided to go ahead and get ready for the day. After prayer and such I went upstairs to a wonderful, hot breakfast. French toast--my favorite!. Breakfast was amazing and following breakfast was an even better chapel service. Sis. Lisa taught about distractions. The altar call went very well and God's presence was there! Sis. Lisa had a busy morning; after she was done speaking, she went right into teaching a class.

Around 11, we had mall time again and I got to buy some souvenirs for my family and my roommate! It was fun. We then went to Shakes for another wonderful meal and then we headed back to the school. At the school, we finished packing and fellowshipped with the students. One of the students named, Joy Lynn, wanted to learn the drums before we left, so I had the privilege to teach her some of the basics. It was a blast! She was so focused and you know what..she caught on pretty quick! After she played a few songs, I was summoned abruptly by some of the guys outside. Two of the pastors wanted to give us one more ride on their tricycle before we left and we were more than happy to oblige them!! When we returned, it was time to say our sad goodbyes. Hugs and handshakes were passed out, and even a few tears were shed. We jumped into the van and headed to the airport. Some of the guys came with us and when we got to the airport, we exchanged a few more sorrowful goodbyes. Farewell FBI. Farewell Loaog. Until we meet again.

We checked in at the airport and began to wait...just around the corner was a massage station!! You better believe it! I got myself right over there and received a massage! IT WAS AMAZING!!! I lt was also really cool. The workers were blind. They did a really good job and I needed it!

We are now flying to Manila, where we will get a motel and hopefully a good night's sleep.

Day 11

1/28/2018

Woke up this morning and got ready for church. We were going up into the mountains and I couldn't wait! I got my dress clothes on, went upstairs for breakfast and we were loaded up by 7:30 in the morning. The drive there was only about an hour and ten minutes but it seemed a little longer, because we were kind of squished in the van...Eva had it the worst. She didn't even have a seat to sit on, so she sat on the wheel well. The drive there was filled with beautiful scenery. We saw sights from the ocean to the mountains and even some valleys! We got to the church in the mountains around 8:40. Calli and I were going to do the children's church and when we got there, the kids were already in their seats. Adult Sunday school wasn't supposed to start until 9:00, but we didn't want the kids to be waiting to awfully long. With this in mind Calli and I went ahead and started at 9:50. We sang some songs taught the memory vets and then I told the stories from Luke 15 about the lost sheep and the lost coin. Then, we taught the verse again and sang some more songs. An hour went by and the adult class always still going. So we sang some more songs and played a game...and the adult class was still going. We started early and they went a little longer than expected. Needless to say, the kids learned a lot of songs! After that we went into the sanctuary to have regular church service. They had announcements, Calli and I sang and then Simeon preached phenomenally! They fed us after church and then we took long trek home. When we got home... it was nap time! We took us a siesta! I was awakened by the sound of rain hitting the metal roof! It was a beautiful sound! Nap time was over and shortly after that, we all went up to the Petit's house for a snack. Pretty soon after, it was time for practice, prayer and then church! We had a wonderful service. Bro. Phalman preached on "Pentecostals with a Purpose!" God really helped us today!

Day 10

1/27/2018

We got in late last night, so mum Petite said we could sleep in. I woke up around 6:20! So much for sleeping in. It was all ok. I was able to spend time in prayer. Around seven I went up stairs to the Petit's house for some breakfast. When I got up there, Mum told me that Sir had not gone to get the pastries, but that I was more than welcome to stay upstairs and read my Bible...so I did! It was a great, relaxing morning. Sir got back and brought some delicious peanut butter pastries and some cream cheese pastries. They were DELICIOUS! earlier that morning, I had told Some of the FBI students that I would play ball with them, so after my plump pastry breakfast, I went down and played basketball for about an hour. Drenched with sweat, I went back into the dorm to take a very welcomed, cold shower (funny how circumstances changes our perspective on cold showers!). After that, my dear friend, Geon, gave me a fantastic back, arm, head and hand massage!! We took a short rest and then loaded into the van for some mall time. We drive to the mall, but first we had a birthday party to attend at Shakeys. It was fun! We had pizza, pasta and chicken. Then we proceed to the mall where we spent about an hour shopping and spending some time on WiFi.

When we got back to the school, we had 30 minutes to rest and get our stuff ready for the crusade we were going to do. This thirty minute prep was interrupted by a call from sis. Lisa telling us that ants had gotten into our care packages for the children!! So we went and unpacked some of the packages and repacked them with fresh candy then went on our way.

Arriving at the church was humbling. The kids were sat in front of a little awning waiting anxiously! It was precious! We unloaded our stuff and began to perform our skits and sing our songs, with little ears listening intently. After the lesson, we handed out the care packages to the children. Then, we went to the actual church building and had a marianda! We went back home, played basketball, ate supper and talked with mum Petit for over an hour. It was a good day!

Day 6

1/23/2018

I continued my sleep from Monday, on through the night into early Tuesday morning. I couldn't hardly take sleeping anymore, so I got up, took a cold shower, got dressed and went upstairs to breakfast. As soon as I go through the door, Sis. Lisa said, "Uuummm?" Thus caused Mum Petit to turn around. When she saw me she said, "No. Huh uh. You're on 24 hour bed rest!" I was kind of bummed, but also glad. I pleaded for a little (emphasis on the 'little') breakfast, to which they kindly agreed and then I went back to bed. Today was the mission conference and it pained me to be in bed the whole time church I'd going on 30 yards away! Thankfully, I was able to go to the evening session. I probably should not have gone though. The whole service I thought I was going to pass out. When it came time to pray, Sir Petit asked me if I needed to lay down. I said yes, but he said I could have some supper before I went to bed. We all went upstairs after church and had quesadillas . After that... back to bed I go.

Day 6

1/23/2018

We kind of had a lazy morning. We woke up at 8:30 instead of 5:30 or 6:00!!

We even had an option of going to breakfast!! How cool is that!? For breakfast Simeon and I had pancakes, toast, scrambled eggs, coffee and some kind of mango juice. All was very satisfying...except the juice! Following our breakfast, we headed to the mall of Asia! One of the largest malls in the world. It was HUGE! We spent most of the day there and only went into three stores!! We all had a blast! Souvenirs were being bought left and right. From key chains to coffee mugs, we got a little bit of everything. All of the guys bought a shirt called a Barong. Mum Petit told us it was the most dressed up we could be in the Philippines. Some of the guys (ahem! Jo) bought more than one! Around lunch time, Mum and Sir wanted our last meal to be special, so we all went to Texas Roadhouse. And a special event it was. When we arrived the waitresses were singing along with a song that was playing over the intercom. We took our seats, placed our orders and began to wait. We waited...and waited. A few drinks came out...and then we waited...and no more drinks...we waited...then an appetizer...then we waited. Food at last! I bit into my bacon burger and discovered...no bacon. They apologized and then brought me out a bacon burger. However, the burger I had bitten into was Eva's, so now she had to wait for another burger!! We shopped a little more and then went to a frozen yogurt place and had some...you guessed it...frozen yogurt! We had one more stop to make at a book store, then we were on our way back to the motel. At the motel, had a little rest and then an official SENT TEAM MEETING followed by a wonderful walk to KFC, where we had our supper and some last few moments of fellowship with Mum.

We are back in the room now, reflecting on the day and the trip as a whole. God has been so good! I can't believe it's already over! I'm glad I got to come!

Day 5

1/22/2018

So...I apologize about Sundays blog. I did end up going to church that evening and we went out to eat afterwards at McDonalds. I believe the reason I forgot will be clear in a moment.

Woke up Monday morning, got ready and went to breakfast. I thought I was better, so I didn't really hold back on the eating. We had bacon and eggs which I like a lot! After that we went to chapel and Joseph preached a great message on "Stand alone to which the students responded well. Following chapel was the hour I had been anticipating...I got to teach the freshman about child evangelism (shout out to sis. Kay!). The class went really well, but about half way through. I started it feel I'll yet again. I finished the Class and went to lay down. I was woken up abruptly with someone needing a picture of our group to go out next Sunday. We snapped the picture and then headed to the mall for our mall time... ... ...and on the way there... I thought I was going to hurl all over the place! We got to the mall and I expressed my discomfort to the Petits. They decided that it was probably best that I go back to the school and lay down. I GOT TO RIDE BACK TO THE SCHOOL IN A TRICYCLE!!! It was awesome (except for the queasy stomach). I got back to the school and slept on and off for the rest of the day.

Day 4

1/21/2018

Sunday was really a day of rest for me. The sickness and vomiting zapped my energy and I truly needed A LOT of rest. I stayed in bed, pretty much, all day tossing and turning. The bed was a blessing and a challenge all wrapped up into a wooden package.

I must say that my spirit was challenged in those long hours of bed rest. I mean, why would God bring me 9,000 miles away from home on a mission trip just for me to sleep? I really struggled within myself, but God was with me through it all. He is definitely teaching me patience.

Day 3

1/20/2018

We woke up this morning with an excitement in our walk. Sure, we were tired, but we were just one short flight and a van ride from our final destination. Simeon, Joseph and myself were staying in the same room and again, my good buddy Joseph was my alarm clock. I rolled out of bed and began packing up the stuff I had gotten out for the night. After that, we went downstairs and had a wonderful breakfast of chicken, rice, an egg, and two pancakes. IT WAS VERY GOOD!

After our breakfast, we took a taxi ride to the airport were we boarded our plain to Laoag. The flight wasn’t very long, but they still ended up serving us food. It was a chicken pesto which is like a sealed chicken sandwich. It was okay. We landed in Laoag and we finally got to meet the wonderful legend, Mum Petit. After we collected our baggage, we began our twenty minute drive to FBI. It was all down-hill from here. On the ride to the school from the airport, I began to get a queasy feeling in my stomach. I thought it was just car sickness, but soon found out… I was very wrong. We got to the school and unloaded our bags and then hopped right back into the van to go get some supper at Shakey’s. As we made our way to the pizza parlor, the uneasiness of my stomach intensified. We arrived at Shakey's and I knew something was wrong. I looked at Benja-boy (My buddy, Ben Perez) and told him what I was feeling. He kindly responded, “Go get it out. You’ll feel a lot better, than trying to hold it in.” Shortly thereafter, I took his advice. I proceeded to the bathroom were I tossed my cookies and sadly… I didn’t feel any better. I took my seat back at the table and sat there in discomfort. I thought the worst had passed, but a few short minutes later; I looked at Ben and said, “Round two.” Again, I went to the bathroom and “relieved the pressure in my stomach.” It only got worse from there.

We left the restaurant and went to the mall. By this time, I was feeling quite ill. I had already communicated to the Petit's about this and they suggested a time of rest when I got back to the school. I decided to take their advice early. I trudged over to the nearest table, plopped myself down and took a nap… IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MALL!! You see, I thought that when I awoke, I would feel much better… I was wrong. It was only worse when I woke up from my short rest. My poor pal Simeon had been waiting on me this entire time and was sad to hear the news.

We met up with the rest of the group and I expressed again my discomfort to the Petit's and they thought it wise to take me to the doctor in the mall. As we sat in the doctors’ office waiting for the Petit's usual doctor, it hit me again. I told Bro. Petit that I needed to find a bathroom. I left the office and went in the general direction that Bro. Petit has pointed me in, hoping that I could make it… …I couldn’t! I made it to the door that led outside and it hit me. Looking back on it (I’m writing a few days past, at this point) it was quite funny. You see, I didn’t make it to the bathroom. It hit me and the nearest disposal available was a drain right outside the door… in front of about ten stores… full of people… watching the vomiting American. After laying my burdens down, we got in the van and went to another doctor to get some medication. We continued on our way, medication in hand, back to the school where I would spend the next several hours in bed. The perfect ending to an eventful day!

Day 1

1/18/2018

We started our journey on January 18, 2018. Joseph woke me up at 3:10 in the morning with his ever cheerful, “Hey, Tyler!” Oh, how I dread those wee morning hours. Oddly enough I had just had a dream that Sis. Lisa told us that we wouldn’t be leaving until 7:00 and that we could just stay asleep. Needless to say, if my good buddy Joseph hadn't woke me up this morning, I would still be in Export, PA!

We loaded into the van with our esteemed President, Reverend Thomas Peretic, at the frigid temperature of 5 degrees! For me, the drive to the airport consisted of tired chuckles and a slight snooze. We jumped out of the van in Pittsburgh, PA, snapped a quick picture and then booked it inside to start our long trek for the Philippine Islands. The first flight was fairly uneventful, save the fact that a young lady in the back asked if, “ANYONE” wanted a piece of gum. To which I responded with an upraised hand and high expectations. She graciously shared her chewable treat and took her seat. This generated a rather convoluted look from my traveling buddy, Tara Banister, who watched the whole thing from the seat beside me. Also, my friend Joseph, who had never flown before, was rather nervous on this first flight. At take-off, he began praying, “Oooooooohh Jesus! Help me Lord!” It was rather comical.

We landed in Chicago around 7:30-ish to meet Bro. Pahlman. Our next flight wasn't scheduled to depart until 1:00. The waiting game had begun! We perused around the airport for a couple of hours looking at what each overpriced store had to offer us. Simeon Denton and I went to Starbucks (Or Sinbucks as Sis. Lisa would say) and purchased some coffee. Between the two of us we spent $11.00 for two beverages! Outrageous! We then walked half a mile through the airport to go get Dunkin. This adds up to a mile of walking for a small glass of delicious goodness!

We boarded the flight to Hong Kong, which was a 15 hour and 10-minute flight! Roughly 6 and a half of those hours were spent sleeping by "yours truly". The rest was filled with trivia games, stimulating conversation with Sis. Lisa and Tara, and a wonderful encounter with our stewardess. She walked by our seat and told us that she could feel the anointing every time she passed by our seat! She said a quick prayer of blessing over us and then went on her way. To be quite honest, we made more than just one friend out of the stewardesses. At the end of the flight, we were bombarded with small airport trinkets, nick-knacks and snacks!

We boarded the plane headed to Manila. The plane was a little bit nicer than the one from Hong Kong. This flight wasn’t nearly as long as the last one. It only lasted an hour and thirty-five minutes. Again, I spent some of the time sleeping. Who knew sleeping could make you so tired?!? This plane had a cool feature. It had two cameras on the outside of the plane giving us a wonderful view of the take-off and landing. Stepping foot in our final destination felt wonderful! We continued through the airport and made it through customs rather easily. After that, we went down to the baggage claim to get our luggage. At first, we were worried because we didn’t see our luggage, but after twenty minutes or so, the last bag was accounted for.

Leaving the baggage claim and heading outside was a bit of an escapade. We were trying to stack our luggage on these little carts and head out the door surrounded by a crowd of people. Just before the door, we met Bro. Petit and discussed our plans for the evening. Three vans were going to take us to the motel (at which I am writing from) Kabayan. We got in the vans and I had the privilege to ride with Tara (traveling buddy), Eva and Anna. This was our first experience with viewing the Philippine Islands. I was struck speechless. Looking at the roads, I was sad to see them dirty with trash piles every so often and people scattered all the way to the hotel. We got into the hotel at 2:00 a.m. local time and settled in for the night. The ending of an eventful day.