Travels with Craig & Mariella

Arrived Safely in California

2010-05-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

I am not really sure how to summarize the past 325 days of this world journey. I will attempt to do so as we are on our 24th airplane ride, seats moving through the sky at a five-hundred miles an hour, and somewhere over Peru. I will try to let my mind make the short but difficult connection to the heart. I hope to link words to the culmination of feelings connected to the year’s experiences.

Here is what rises up: First, Mariella and I have a deep gratitude to the people who loved us unreservedly. Thank you for showing us what God is like. We’ve found that the love in the well of the One who called himself the “Living Water” still runs deeper, and He wants to give a drink to those who are thirsty. I am also amazed at the satisfaction of having a greater depth of intimacy with my wife whom I love even more than I could ever imagine. I am excited to see what that love will be like in five, ten and twenty year’s time. We found that there is great joy in cultivating a life that is fully alive, but for this to happen we usually have to lose, let die, or sacrifice. We are amazed by the power and the closeness of the Holy Spirit who has transformed and continues to transform our hearts. Mariella and I recognize that there is much pain and suffering in the world, we don’t like it and we long for a world without it. We are even more seized by the power of the great affection that suffered. Jesus woos us with the same love that laid down His life so that we may live. We’ve experienced God’s providence when we were fearful and uncertain about what was going to happen next.

We feel like one lifetime is not enough and wish we could have more time. Paradoxically we desire to keep living, but yet long to go Home.

The journey continues…

Transformed by Friends

2010-05-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we depart Santiago, Chile to our final destination, Los Angeles, California.

At the closing stage of this round the world journey we find ourselves blessed by the love, hospitality and shared time together with a lot of beautiful people. Here are many of the names and places of the people God has used to transform our lives. Mariella and I thank each of you who gave life to the journey. We are grateful to Jesus for the time spent with each of you.

Jim, Susan, Maryanne, Libby (Fullerton, CA); Matt & Hailey (Dublin); Phil & Cheryl (Dublin); John, Dierdra, Aoife, Etoin & Liam (Schull, Ireland); John, Sinead (Lahinch, Ireland); Armstrong Clan (Belfast); Cotter Clan (Belfast); Roy & Pam (Northwich, England); Anthony & Laura (Walsall, England); Tommy & Christina (Cambridge, England); Our friends from Ecclesia Hollywood (Nairobi, Kenya) Mbugwa Family (Nairobi, Kenya), Abel, Milcah, Preston, Faith & Hope (Nairobi, Kenya); Kenya Team 2009; Jon Andre and Crystal (Bergen, Norway); Joaquim (Gothenburgh); Katie and Romy (Frankfurt, Germany); Kimberly, Mike, King Leo, Hennings (Weimar, Germany); Carly (Weimar, Germany); Kai (Weimar, Germany); Juliana and Family and Melissa (Kaiserslautern, Germany); Dieter and Angelica (Tuebingen, Germany), Brad, Laurel, Landon and Baby (Ljubljiana, Slovenia) Dave and Katka (Ljubljiana, Slovenia) ; Josh, Kristi and Family (Ljubljiana, Slovenia); Hondo ,Trish and Family (Ljubljiana, Slovenia); Yolima (Colombiana met in Venice, Italy); Rowan (Australian, met in Switzerland); Brett (American met in Cinque Terre, Italy); Jaime (Australian, met in Rome); Matt and Ana and Jacob (Prague, Czech Republic); Robyn (Budapest, Hungary); Eyal and Michal (Tel Aviv, Israel); Thomas and Michael (Germans met in Jerusalem); David and Ana (Jesus Trail. Americans in Nazareth, Israel); James and Linda (Americans traveling in Israel); Johnny and Family (Beit Sahour, Palestinian Territory, Israel); Nihad and Family (Cairo, Egypt); Dan, Michelle, Matt, Daniel, Savannah and Shania (Beijing, China) Kids and Staff at Shepherd’s Field (Beijing, China); Daniel (Xian, China); Jenny, Amy and Friends (Phnom Penh, Cambodia); Damion and Miriam (French and Austrian met in Bali, Indonesia), Chris, Lindsey and Alfie (English met in Bali, Indonesia); Dewa and Family (Bali, Indonesia); Kids at Orphanage (Bali, Indonesia); Didier (Bali, Indonesia); Win, John, Wendy, Emma, Drew (Allan and Nanette), Josiah, Mark, Bec, Luke, and Scooby and Zach (Melbourne, Australia); Sue and Family (Melbourne, Australia); Ann W (Melbourne, Australia); Anne H (Melbourne, Australia); Rowan and Debbie (Sydney, Australia); Megan meow(So. Cal, USA); Wayne and Calie (Auckland, New Zealand); Gaz and Lorena (Auckland, New Zealand); David and Margaret (So. Cal, living in San Domingo, Chile); Mariella’s beautiful family (Santiago, Chile).

Mucho Pancito...

2010-05-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

The past week has included some wonderful visits with friends and family members. I will add that each of these meetings include good food. We really enjoy the pancito (fresh baked bread), which are a staple food for Chileans. We met with some friends who are from Fullerton, CA who are working and learning Spanish. Thanks guys for the good meal and conversation. Mariella and I have also spent time with more Uncles, Aunts and Cousins.

We also came across a photo of Mariella (being held by her mother) leaving Chile for Venezuela, circa 1982. Later they moved to the USA, then there were 6 children and one on the way, Alejandra (her mother) also made this trip on her own. Has anyone else out there traveled with 6 children on a long airplane ride? Yikes!

Cartagena to Hidalgo

2010-05-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

We left Cartagena yesterday with Mariellas Uncle, Aunts and cousins to visit another area where Mariella's mother grew up in her early years. Here are some photos of the drive through the farming area. Mariella's great grandfather built the alter with the Chilean flag over it (see photos).

Santiago

2010-05-07T15:55:00.001-07:00

Here are some morning photos of Santiago after a storm.

Here is video from the visit to the vineyard last weekend:

Cartagena, Chile

2010-05-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are visiting Mariella's Uncle, Aunt and cousins. They live in the house where Mariella's mother grew up. Cartagena is where Mariella's parents met and were married. Today we went on a walk down the beach and around the town. Some photos are of the house where Mariella's mother lived and the church where her mother and father were married. Later in the day we drove down the road to a port town called San Antonio.

San Felipe, Chile

2010-05-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

Mariella and I have been at her Uncle and Aunt´s vineyard in San Felipe. It is nice to be out of the city. We are in a valley surrounded by mountains. Today we harvested walnuts from a giant walnut tree. Ignacio (Mariella´s cousin) and I chopped wood the remainder of the day. The ranch is beautiful. They grow grapes for eating. The grapes that are not good enough are laying out on the land to dry into raisins. In one of the pictures you can see a melon hanging from the grape vines. They told me it is a Chilean grape, but I am pretty sure it is a mellon. :)

Mariella was bugging me early this morning. She asked if I was shaking the bed because it was squeaking. I told her no and looked up to watch the lamp swinging on the ceiling. I told her it must have been and earthquake. We went back to sleep and later heard that an earthquake did occur. We are having a blast. We will post some photos and video soon.

A Viist with Abuelita

2010-04-29T14:38:00.001-07:00

Last night we went to visit Mariella's 97 year-old Grandmother. Here are some photos of family photos. Each family member has shared where they were during earthquake. Although the damage in Santiago is not major, there are visible signs of the quake. They were still very scared. The earth shook for three minutes! Her Aunt and Uncles apartment is on the 14th floor. There was a lot of movement at that height during the quake. Having a blast with the family although we are fighting off colds. Snot that fun!

Requesting Your Assistance…

2010-04-27T05:52:00.001-07:00

Hello friends and family. Mariella and I plan on returning to California in mid May. At this time we are wondering where we will dwell. Mariella was accepted to universities in Sacramento and Fullerton. At this time we plan to live in the Sacramento or Orange County area while Mariella pursues a degree in English over the next few years. I’ve been looking for school counseling job postings over the past year. Unfortunately, there have not been many counseling jobs available in the state. My first choice would be to find a job as a school counselor in a secondary or middle school. Currently I am not aware of any positions available in the Orange County and Sacramento areas. As a result, I am open to other job options during the current economic slump. If any of you know of any jobs that may be available in the Sacramento and Orange County area, I would be interested in learning more (craigandmariella.yahoo.com). Mariella and I also plan on purchasing a used car when we return. Any leads that you have in the job or car area would be appreciated. Thank you for walking with us through this ongoing journey. It is great not knowing what will happen in the future. It’s even better knowing the One who does. En las manos de Dios!

Connecting with La Familia

2010-04-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our prima`s (cousins)birthday on the first day of our arrival. Nena turned twenty years old. Mariella is overflowing with joy as she connects with her family. The family is requesting that we move to Chile. We are wondering if they are scheming together to encourage us to move south. For now that is not in our plans. Yesterday I went mountain biking with my primos. Francisco and Francisco took me for a nice mt. bike ride on and around Cero San Cristobal. There were heaps of families and other individuals enjoying the mountainous park on the edge of the city. We are enjoying the time with the family and all the cafe, pancitos (breads-pastries), dulces (candy) which acompany our dwelling together.

Santiago, Chile!

2010-04-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Mariella and I arrived safely to Chile. Just in time to celebrate our cousin Nena's 20th birthday. Muy bien!

Check out our final approach to Santiago as the sun was rising over the Andes Mountains. The highest peak in the range casted an amazing cone shaped shadow on the blanket of clouds. What a great way to be welcomed to Chile.

Last Flight Ending How We Started... With a Blessing

2010-04-23T00:19:00.001-07:00

The most cost effective route to Chile from New Zealand was through Fiji and LAX. We had about eight hours in Fiji before arriving in California. We have less than twenty-four hours in California before making our way to South America to visit Mariella's family. We are muy excited.

Ten months ago our first flight out of the United States was over booked. Mariella and I volunteered to give up our seats. In return the airline gave us business class seats all the way to Ireland and $800 in flight vouchers. We used the vouchers to purchase one round-trip ticket to Santiago, Chile. Thank you Jesus for the good gift! This is another story of God's faithfulness on the journey. We are seized by the power of his great affection.

Adios New Zealand & Hola Chile

2010-04-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

We leave New Zealand tomorrow. The natural beauty of New Zealand has left us in awe. It is a place we would love to visit again. We will say goodbye to our friends Lorena and Gaz. Our short stay with them was filled with good conversation and laughter. Thank you! The plan is to catch a ferry that leaves from the harbor down the road. The ferry will take us to a wharf located in Auckland. Then we will catch a bus to the airport. Our next destination is Santiago, Chile. Mariella and I are excited to visit with our Chilean family.

From New Zealand, Lorena and Gaz B

More Beautiful N.Z. Rainbows

2010-04-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

We went on a nice walk yesterday past a newly developing area around a golf course. We thought of our friend Paul P. It would be fun seeing him play the course. Hole 17 had some amazing views. I was realy excited about seeing another rainbow.

Hanging out in Whangaparaoa

2010-04-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

Mariella and I are spending a few days with our friends Lorena and Gaz. Lorena is a family friend of Mariella's. I also worked with Lorena at Commonwealth Elementary School in Fullerton. She married a good guy who is a Kiwi. They live in a beautiful area North of Auckland on Whangaparaoa Peninsula. This morning Mariella and I enjoyed a nice walk around the area. We spent a good amount of time soaking in the day from a cliff top bench dedicated to a praying man.

Bye Megan

2010-04-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Megan thank you for joining us for the past few weeks. We enjoyed a our final day together walking around the "city of sails", Auckland. We had lunch with our friend Wayne and his wife. Thanks guys for the tickets to the Skycity Tower. We enjoyed the views of the city from the top.

Back to Christchurch

2010-04-16T23:49:00.000-07:00

Heading to Auckland to visit some friends. Final pics of the South Island of New Zealand. Mariella was hanging out with a hedgehog last night. Don't touch the animals Mariella!

Final Days in the Campervan

2010-04-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

Lake Tekapo area. Sunrise!

Todays drive from Deer Flat to Queenstown

2010-04-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Around Milford Sound

2010-04-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

We arrived in the Milford Sound area yesterday. There was a lot of clouds and rain which made it difficult to see the tops of the stunning mountains. Milford Sound is New Zealands Yosemite. The mountains are humbling. All the rain in the area created a spectacular seen of hundreds of waterfalls. Many of the scenes in Lord of the Rings were shot in New Zealand. We also saw the place where the battle scene in the Chronicles of Narnia movie. Beautiful stuff!

Queenstown Area

2010-04-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

We left Fox Glacier a couple days ago and drove to the town of Haast. We camped meters from Haast Beach. The sunshine is gone and rainy weather is in the forecast. The sights are still beautiful. The rain stopped for a little bit when we reached Queenstown. We were given a beautiful rainbow to enjoy. We do not particularly enjoy the storms, but after the storm passes it makes for great beauty. It is a reminder to us about the storms of life. God can take the trials and difficulties and turn them into things of great beauty. We are making our way south to Milford Sound.

Lake Matheson

2010-04-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

We camped near this lake. Megan and I (Craig) woke up early to wathc the sunrise.

Fox Glacier

2010-04-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Two days ago we hiked around beautiful Fox Glacier.

Franz Joseph Glacier

2010-04-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

New Zealand!

2010-04-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

We arrived in New Zealand on the 7th of April. We spent the Birthday (Craig’s) sleeping in the Auckland’s international arrivals terminal. That is until the customs guys woke us up and asked us to be processed through immigration and customs, one of them adding that we could be prosecuted …blah blah blah. The other guy, the nice one, quickly shut the other guy up, and they led us through a private and quick escort through customs. We caught a plane early on the 8th to the South Island of New Zealand. We picked up a campervan that we plan on venturing around in for ten days. Last night we arrived at Franz Joseph Glacier. Today we are hiked around the glacier. The past two nights we parked the campervan on the side of a road (free camping!). A couple days ago we drove 300 km from Christchurch to Punakaiki soaking in the scenic drive. The days journey took us through green fields and a steep mountainous area called Arthur’s Pass. The sunny and warm weather has been fantastic. Unfortunately the forecast calls for seven or more consecutive days of rain, but for now we are soaking in the sun and the glorious days. We’ll see what happens.

Around Sydney Harbor

2010-04-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

Blue Mountains, Sydney

2010-04-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Mariella repelling down Empress Falls (100ft.) located in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney. Megs also did an amazing job making her way down. This was our highlight of Sydney. Our friends Rowan and Debbie live in the Sydney area. They gave us a great experience canyoning. Thank you for the serendipitous event. An unexpected blessing! Mariella and I met Rowan on the top of a mountain in the Swiss Alps many months ago. Thanks for inviting us to the Blue Mountains and letting us spend time with you.

Rainforest River Crossing

2010-04-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here is some video footage as we drove through the flooded Daintree Rainforest a few days ago. This is not an actual river, but it looked like one to us. Thankfully the rental car made it through!

Sydney, Australia

2010-04-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely to Sydney. Yesterday we went canyoning with our friends Rowan and Debbie in the Blue Mountains. We were decked out in wetsuits and harnesses. The trek was down a water filled canyon. A times we leapped off of cliffs, freefalling in pools of water. We ended the adventure with a rappel down a huge waterfall. You've got to see the pics of Megs and Mariella lowering themselfs down the middle of the giant falls. Crazy! Pictures coming soon. Today we are walking around the Sydney Harbor area. Having a blast. Thank you Rowan and Debbie for taking us on a crazy canyoning trip!

Operation Cape Tribulation: Not Accomplished

2010-04-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

Today we drove north to Mossman Gorge, the Daintree Rainforest, and Cape Tribulation. Mossman Gorge is “Gorgeous”. The entire day was rainy. We were able to observe the Rainforest in its truest sense: raining! It rained so much that we were unable to make it to Cape Tribulation, which is the furthest north, Coopers Creek overflowed making impossible to continue. By the time we made our way back through the rainforest, a hillside collapsed on the north bound side of the road. Waterfalls were cascading off cliffsides and we were forced to drive through a wide swath of an overflowing creek. We looked for saltwater crocodiles when we crossed on the Daintree River Ferry, none were seen. We heard about a crock petting zoo, but it costs and arm and a leg to visit, get it? It must be a good experience because parts of you may never leave. We wish everyone a Happy Easter as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the freedom of the resulting saving grace.

Port Douglas, Queensland & The Great Barrier Reef

2010-04-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you Thomas family for letting us be with you while in Melbourne. Our time with the family was great. We arrived safely to Port Douglas. The weather is humid and rainy. I do not think we will see the sun in our time in Northern Queensland. It is the end of the rainy season. Yesterday we went snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Mariella and Megan snorkeled while I went on three dives. We went to three different reef locations over the course of a day. It is difficult to describe the great beauty of the underwater world. The time underwater went by so fast. We wished we could have the super power of breathing underwater. We saw huge schools of fish, clown fish, a turtle, white tip sharks and giant Grouper. One giant fish was named Daisy. She was about the length of me. Daisy let us hang out with her for about ten minutes before we swam further down the reef. Although the weather above water was rainy, under water was warm and beautiful. Tomorrow we plan on driving to the Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest and further north to Cape Tribulation.

Megan's arrival and B-Day/Goodbye Cake

2010-03-30T02:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks Megan for making a good Ice Cream Cake. There are also some shots from Megans arrival. We celebrated my B-Day seven days early. On my actual Birthday we will likely be sleeping at an airport in New Zealand. We'll see what unflolds. Thanks Thomas family for loving on us.

Off to the Great Barrier Reef

2010-03-30T01:17:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we fly to Queensland, Australia. Our final destination will be Port Douglas. We hope to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. We will make the best of the rainy weather that is expected in the North of Australia.

Craigs Hut Photos

2010-03-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

After a long drive we made it to Craigs Hut. Here are some photos. There were a couple sections of the drive where we almost did not get through. At one point we drained water from a deep bog in the middle of the track. On another ocassion we had to dig out big ruts on a muddy, sloping hill.

The Man From Snowy River

2010-03-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today we head to the hills on a 4 wheel drive track that leads to Craig's Hut. The hut and surrounding mountains are the backdrop for the film, "The Man From Snowy River". We will pack into the Landcruiser with the family for a long day of adventure. We hope to post pictures soon. We are grateful for every day. Thank you Jesus!

Great Ocean Road With Grandma Win

2010-03-27T03:53:00.000-07:00

Before picking up my sister Megan we spent a few days driving on the Great Ocean Road with Grandma Win. We had a nice picnic lunch on Bells Beach. We wished our friends Nick, Steve and Dan were around to surf the spectacular break. Later that night we stayed in beach side town of Lorne. We enjoyed the time with Win as she is overflows with joy. She is always up for an adventure. Here are some photos.

Miss Megan is officially "down unda"

2010-03-27T03:12:00.000-07:00

Hey all, no photos just yet, but Miss Megan has arrived and is well and now drifting off to sleep. We took her into the city to browse Queen Victoria Market and then we met John and Luke to watch an Australian Rules Football game. She's happy to be here with Craig and happier to be here with me, Mud, because we just love each other! Meow!

Beautiful Wilsons Promontory

2010-03-24T01:25:00.000-07:00

We returned from Wilson’s Promontory this afternoon. Wow! This place must be one of the most beautiful places in the Australian state of Victoria. We hiked 23 miles over three days. The white sand beaches were phenomenal. Mariella and Luke and I started the hike from Telegraph Saddle. From the Saddle we hiked to a place called Sealers cove to camp for the night. The next morning we hiked to Refuge Cove where a sailboat was anchored. We continued to Waterloo Bay to sleep the second night. After waterloo we hiked out through Telegraph Junction back to the car park. Tomorrow we head out for a three-day trip along the Great Ocean Road. Grandma Win will be our tour guide. : )

Hiking Wilson's Promontory

2010-03-21T02:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we head off for a few days hiking in Wilsons Promontory National Park. The trails will take us through swamps, forests, marshes and valleys of tree ferns along beaches lined with sand dunes. Hiking Wilsons Prom. was a highlight of my time in Australia six years ago. We hope to give another update in a few days. : )

The Wedding

2010-03-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated the union of our friends Mark and Beck. We enjoyed the unique experience of witnessing an Australian wedding day. Congratulations Mark and Beck!

A Trip into the City

2010-03-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago we ventured into Central Melbourne on the train. Emma and Little Josiah were our Australian tour guides. It was Josiah first train ride. He had a blast looking out the window and staring at the people on the train! Here are some photos.

A Weekend at the Farm

2010-03-14T01:08:00.000-08:00

Mariella and I had the opportunity to visit the family farm near Phillip Island. The farm is home to many cattle that roam freely on the huge plot of land. I even saw a cow with no legs (ground beef!). It was nice to retreat into the quite of rural rolling hills. A highlight was the crystal clear night sky, jammed packed with stars and solar systems. Most of us do not get to see the skys like this because of light pollution in and near cities. It was humbling to sit under such a sky.

I recently read that President Theodore Roosevelt had a routine habit of stepping outside at dark to look at the night sky. He would find the faint spot of light near the lower left-hand corner of Pegasus and would recite: "That is the Spiral Galaxy of Andromeda. It is as large as our Milky Way. It is one of a hundred million galaxies. It is seven hundred and fifty thousand light years away. It consists of one hundred billion suns, each larger than our own sun." Then he would say that he now felt small enough. What a good way to induce humility. Earth is certainly a speck in this vast universe.

Under the star filled sky we had fun roasting kebabs for dinner and staying warm by the outdoor fire pit. We also took a day trip to the island where we saw penguins and kangaroos. We capped off the day enjoying an ice cream beachside.

Home Sweet Home

2010-03-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

Here is where we are living or at least sleeping while in Melbourne. Each evening a large black possum walks across the tin awning. I will try to take a photo of him and post it to the blog. The awning protected the camper from the crazy hail storm last week. The hail shattered the tiles on peoples houses and shattered car windows. It was "haila" crazy. : )

Hello Susan...

2010-03-09T23:23:00.000-08:00

Susan, today we met with your good friend Ann. We had a cuppa in your honor. It was a great delight to converse with her over coffee and lunch. You are blessed to have such a friend. Thank you for connecting us.

From Australia, Melbourne Anne

Fowl Footage

2010-03-09T23:06:00.000-08:00

A Visit to Morninton Peninsula

2010-03-09T02:45:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we had the pleasure of visiting the costal town of Blairgowrie on Mornington Peninsula. Our friends Drew and Emma have a family holiday home near the beach. It was a nice time with the family. Unfortunately most of the three-day holiday weekend consisted of rain showers. We made the best of our time spending a few hours in the water throwing a "waboba" ball. Waboba's are great fun. You can skip this ball across the water like a flat, smooth rock. Mariella is not nearly as excited as I am about the ball. It is ok because my excitement for playing with the Waboba is more than enough for both of us. : )

Today we went with Grandma Win to have afternoon tea with the good people working at Focus on the Family Australia. It was good to see some of the people I worked with while volunteering for Focus six years ago. After the encouraging visit we went up to the Dandenong Mountains for some lunch and walking through the forest. Along the way we spotted a bunch of birds along the road. We had a blast feeding our "fowl" mouth friends.

We are greatly encouraged by our time with wonderful people. God's providence is clearly evident. Christ continues to work in and around us changing us for the better.

Healsville Sanctuary

2010-03-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

Today we drove to Healsville with Grandma Win, Emma and little Josiah. We saw some of Australia's native anmimals. We had some nice pasties near a creek before heading to the sanctuary. Here are some photos of the animals.

Quake in Chile

2010-02-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

It's nearly 11am in Chile now and I am praying that the people of Chile are able to get through another day. I wanted just to say thanks to all of you who read our blog and for those who sent messages of concern for my family-our family in Chile. Thanks to Facebook, we have been able to hear from some cousins and even some uncles from my dad's side letting us know that Grandma, 97 years old?, is doing ok. I am overwhlemed by the concern you, our friends and family, have expressed. We will keep you all in touch as we hear more from our family.

Symphony in the Park and Shrimp on the Barbie

2010-02-28T04:36:00.000-08:00

We had a great day out in the country with Grandma Win and her Grandaughter, Emma, Drew and Josaih. Emma married Drew a few years ago and they have a cute baby named Josiah. Drew plays music with a local orchestra. Today he played in a large park in the country. Later that evening we put a little "shrimp on the barbie". Included is a photo of the shrimp on the barbie. : ) A great day!

Our Welcome to Australia Dinner

2010-02-26T04:37:00.000-08:00

From Australia, Melbourne

Our friends Mark and Beck (2nd and 3rd people from the right) are getting married in a couple weeks. Tomorrow I will go with the guys on the "Bucks night"(bachelor party. Mariella will be hanging out with the ladies for "Hens night". We are going for a surf tomorrow morning followed by nine holes of golf then a visit to a pub and an evening BBQ. Should be fun!

Girl and Sunset, Bali

2010-02-26T01:09:00.000-08:00

This cute little french girl was dancing around on the beach as the sun set. We enjoyed a final lobster dinner before flying to Melbourne. Bali is on our top 3 list of best places we've visited.

Parting Photos of Bali

2010-02-26T00:39:00.000-08:00

Included are photos from a boat an ferry trip from Gili Trawangan to Lombok to Bali. There are also pictures of these weird green blinking beatles. They were sometype of gloworm. The sunsets were fantastic!

Melbourne, Australia

2010-02-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

We left Bali last night and arrived safely to Melbourne. We will be staying with our "Australian Family" for the next month or so. Tomorrow will be six years to the day when I first met the Thomas family. They invited my friend Mike and me to live with them while we volunteered for Focus on the Family Australia in 2004. Mariella and I will be living in the campervan in the back yard. We will post some photos soon. : )

Photos of a Couple Dives off the coast of Padangbai, Bali

2010-02-18T00:47:00.000-08:00

The underwater world is brilliant! The picures do not do the place justice. In a few pictures you may be able to spot the pigmy seahorse that is smaller than a fingernail (look closely at the photo with the finger in it). Mariella and I are doing great. Thanks for the prayers. We continue to bless God for the beauty of his creation. It is proper to worship the creator rather than the creation. I just received a hair cut and Mariella is waxing an arm and a leg and maybe the back and stuff. I don't really know. Anyhow...all is well loving every moment of the best year of my life spent with my beautiful bride.

Diving Photos

2010-02-15T03:21:00.000-08:00

Gili Trawangan II

2010-02-15T03:03:00.000-08:00

I successfully passed the open water dive course! Diving the coral reefs surrounding the island is like visiting a whole new world accessible only by breathing underwater. The diving certification will allow me to go on dives up to 18meter/60 feet. Mariella has joined us on the boat for most of the dives. She snorkeled while we dove for about an hour each dive. She was on the boat with the driver when they found a venomous sea snake in the hull of the boat. Included are some more pictures around Gili Trawangan. We were thoroughly amused by the elementary age children celebrating their last day of school for the week. We watched a swarm of kids run through the center of town and down the pier wearing their school uniforms. Most were not wearing shoes so they kept on running with huge smiles on their faces and leaped off all sides of the pier. The cats around here are pretty lazy. Some photos of the lounging cats are in the slideshow. I also put some photos of a fraction of the animal life we’ve seen while diving. I will post some photos and video footage shot by our dive instructor. Yesterday we saw devil rays, white tipped sharks and a five foot sea snake. Today we saw some lion fish, and a few moray eels. We see a few giant sea turtles on every dive. Fantastic! : ) We head to Melbourne, Australia in 10 days. We are looking forward to seeing our adopted Aussie family. Our English friend Chris has shot a bunch of fish including this 2.5 foot puffer fish we ate for dinner the other night.

Gili Trawangan

2010-02-11T04:18:00.000-08:00

Hello! Here are some photos of our stay in Ubud. Many homestays and restaurants were located in or next to rice fields, making for some pretty great scenery where we ate, walked and slept. We visited “monkey forest” in Ubud. Mariella continues to handle the animals. She won’t listen to Sean Michael’s warnings or my own. To her defense, these monkeys approached her without much coaxing on her part. Dewa, our new friend in Bali, was awesome! Thank you for driving us all over Bali and taking us to the good roadside restaurants. Dewa also showed us a great beach located in Padangbai where we caught a boat to the small island we are currently on. We left the paradise of Bali for the paradise of Gili Trawangan. It is oh so gorgeous. Mariella wakes up each morning and walks around the island with some friends we’ve met. It takes them about one hour to get around the island walking briskly. Photos of Gili Trawangan are near the end of the slide show. We are staying in a bungalow near the beach for $11 a night including breakfast. Wow! Mariella and I are blown away by the sea life. We’ve seen a bunch of giant sea turtles and rays with blue leopard like dots. I have seen a reef-shark and a few bright greenish blue lobsters. I think my co-worker, Rachel Zaragoza (a diving enthusiast) would be happy to hear that I am working on my open dive certification. While doing the certification we will go on four dives over four days of training. Breathing underwater is great! Our stay in Gili Trawangan is better because friends we met on Bali have gathered at the beachside bungalows we are staying at. We are overwhelmed by the natural beauty that surrounds us.

Cruising Bali

2010-02-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we said goodbye to the wonderful children at the orphanage. We woke up early in the morning and waited by the front gate and said goodbye as they departed for the day. Some kids walked to school while others were picked up by their friends on motor bikes. There are so many young kids driving these things! Later that morning we were picked up by Dewa our new Balinese friend. Our friends Charlie and Christy connected us with Dewa. Charlie and Christy have a business in the states called High Sierra Wood Carvings (www.highsierrawoodcarvings.com). All their products are hand made by Balinese craftsman. I recommend checking out the beautiful carvings on the website. Dewa manages the Bali side of the business. We rented a car for a few days and Dewa showed us around this gorgeous island. We made our way through the town of Ubud, known for its artistry and rice farming, our home base. From there we drove East Lake Batur and Batur Volcano. Then we drove to the north part of the island to the town of Lovina where we hoped to swim with the dolphins. I (Craig) went for a swim, but no dolphins were seen with the exception of the statue. Later we went for a dip in the hot springs. The next day, February 5th, Dewa took us to the East Coast to snorkel at Tulamben. This was a highlight for Mariella and I. Off the shoreline is the coral encrusted wreck of the U.S. cargo ship “Liberty”. We snorkeled with all kinds of beautiful fish. We were blown away by the creative beauty of the neon blue fish among others. While we were swimming around the wreck a massive school of bright silver fish a couple feet in length engulfed us like a cloud. The schools of magnificent fish were above us, below us and on all sides. Crazy! The fish were not scared by our presence and were within arm’s-length. Side note: When in Bali, prepare to meet some “polici” with motive to extort money, without shame from locals and tourists alike. We’ve grown to dislike the police corruption. During the past couple days of driving we’ve been stopped by police who just point cars to the side of the road and ask for money. There is no law being broken they just demand money. People just give them the money they ask for. It is ridiculous. The sums of money is usually not large, but significant for the Balinese people. These police are making a ton of money. One police officer was sitting in a parking lot where we were having lunch. When we got in the car it was pouring rain. Instead of coming to the window to ask for money he told the parking lot attendant to get money from us. We had to pay for parking and pay the lazy corrupt cop who was sitting under the shelter of an awning. Other than the Police incidents, Bali is great. We are having the time of our lives. We like hanging out with Dewa learning about the Balinese culture through his knowledge and experiences. The conversation is seasoned and fruitful. Thank you Dewa! Tomorrow, the 7th, we hope to leave Bali from the east coast town of Padangbai where we will head to the island of Lombok and then to the Gili islands. We’re not sure what internet connections will be available. We’ll keep you posted as we can. Many blessings!

Hanging out with the Kiddos

2010-02-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

We are having fun with the youth at the orphanage. There are about 48 young people at the orphanage with an age range from four years to twenty years of age. The kids go to school during the day so we usually hangout with them in the afternoon and evening. We've been taking the moto to the beach while the kids are at school. Here are some photos of the wonderful children.

Bingin Beach, Bali

2010-01-31T21:13:00.000-08:00

Written on Sunday, January 31st: Mariella and I had a great six days hanging out at Bingin Beach. We met many wonderful people who were vacationing and working on the beach. I (Craig) loved snorkeling each day. The beauty of the creatures living on the reef is breathtaking. Today our French and Austrian friends were kind enough to drive us to an orphanage 1.5 hours north of where we were staying. Our new friends own and operate a crepe restaurant in France. We hope to try their crepes one day. Thanks guys for letting us hangout with you. We were greeted at the orphanage by Dewa a friend of our friends Sacramento. He gave us a tour of the orphanage and organized our stay for the next five days. We hope to love on the kids and help them with their school work. Check out the orphanage web page and facebook: http://thebaliorphanage.com/ Mariella and I are really enjoying the Balinese people and their culture.

Beautiful Bali!

2010-01-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

We arrived safely in beautiful Bali. Thank you Jesus! Mariella and I went to the busy tourist town of Kuta for the first night of our stay. It was crowded and the beach did not appeal to us. The next day we took a taxi south to Bingin. We are staying at a beautiful beach hut run by a Frenchman. Charlie and Christy thank you for recommending this paradise. Awesome! Wayan, Juniati and their daughter smiled wide when I told them about knowing you guys. There are less than thirteen visitors on the whole stretch of beach. Luckily it is the offseason and there are not many surfers because the break is not great this time of year. The “Dreamland” break is just to the north of us and the “Impossibles” break is to the south. We’ve met some nice people during our stay. We’ve spent a good amount of time with a family visiting from England. A highlight for me was spear fishing with Chris (the Dad). We went out night spear fishing yesterday and also this morning. I speared my first fish! Nice! We gave to fish to the grateful locals. We hope to stay in this location five to seven days. We will be in the Bali area for about one month. The warm weather, beaches and snorkeling are great. We only wish we could teleport the ones we love to this location with us. It would be so much better to share this tropical paradise. We need to put on more sunblock. Check out the photo of the sun burn. Ouch! This world is a beautiful creation and we thank the creator for the gift given us.

More Photos:

Looking Forward to the Beaches in Bali

2010-01-24T05:58:00.000-08:00

We leave our friends in Cambodia and head to Bali tomorrow. We hope to spend some time on a beach called Bingin near the surfbreak called "Dreamland". Praying for safe travels. We are not sure if there will be internet access. We will keep you updated as we can.

Last of the Cambodia Photos:
Mariella and Jenny made some good salsa. We had fun cruising the streets of Phnom Penh on Jenny's moto. A group of us went dancing at a club the evening before which was a good warm up for church the next morning. The gathering of Cambodians were singing and dancing for Jesus with great joy. Thank you Jenny and Aimee for an enjoyable and encouraging time with you.

A Cambodian Street Workout...

2010-01-23T03:53:00.000-08:00

This evening we walked down the street to Olympic Stadium. Mariella and Jenny got a nice workout before the sunset. The other photos are from tuk-tuk rides and hanging out by the riverside. Jenny does pretty good driving with three of us on the moped motorcycle. We pray before during and after each outing on the street. Craziness!

Around Town

2010-01-21T02:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the country side when we went from the Northern town of Siem Reap to the southern city of Phnom Penh. We've had fun motorcycle rides. Usually the taxi drivers get lost when we ask them to take us somewhere (language barrier!) There are a couple photos of other moto drivers helping our moto driver find the Australian Embassy. Mariella received an Australian visa.

Our friends work with two human rights organizations that fight human trafficking in Cambodia. There is significant sex trafficking in Cambodia and other East Asian Countries. I.J.M. works to prosecute sex offenders and helps free young women, often enslaved as sex workers. One organization is called International Justice Mission (I.J.M.) and the other is called Chab Dai.

www.chabdai.org

www.ijm.org

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2010-01-18T06:06:00.000-08:00

We arrived safely to Phnom Penh and are visiting with our friends Jenny, whom Mariella knows from Fullerton and Aimee, whom I know from Sacramento. We emailed them seperately knowing that both live in Phnom Penh. After they received our emails they replied back and said they are roomates. Luckily the girls did not need to argue long about what visiting couple would be staying with them. The couple was the one in the same (same, same!) What a small world!

Bike Ride to Angkor Wat

2010-01-17T06:59:00.001-08:00

Mariella was nice enough to take care of some house hold duties via the World Wide Web while I took a bike ride out to the temples. Here are some snapshots. Tomorrow we plan on taking a 6 hour bus ride south to Phnom Penh to visit some friends living and working there.

Angkor Wat, Day Two

2010-01-16T02:11:00.000-08:00

Same area, same clothes, different day! At night there are 12 inch long geckos that eat the bugs by the lamp light. The trees growning out of the Ta Prohm temple were fascinating. A few scenes from Indian Jones were filmed here. We enjoyed sitting on a rock with the locals and tourists while eating bananas and watching people fish. Here are some shots...

Angkor Wat Temples

2010-01-15T03:29:00.000-08:00

The temples are very large and beautiful. A setting out of the "Jungle Book" or Indiana Jones. We hired a tuk-tuk for the day. The most people we've seen on a motor bike at one time is six people. Loving the warm weather and friendly Cambodians.

Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia

2010-01-14T16:22:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Bangkok at 1:30 am on Thursday morning. We decided to sleep in the airport after exiting the plane. We woke up later that morning to clear customs and then to catch a bus. We found a bus departing from the airport to the Thai border. Upon arrival at the boarder we were confronted with a bunch of guys telling us how to go through the boarder. You cannot trust anyone. Eventually we found the boarder crossing and exited Thailand. When arriving to Cambodia one would expect the Cambodian boarder crossing agents to be helpful. They were not and charged more than is posted. They charged $24 US instead of the $20 US posted on the sign right above the window. Crazy! Upon getting visa stickers and stamps we were welcomed into Cambodia by a bunch more guys trying to rip us off. Luckily we teamed up with another couple and split a taxi ride. We went from the boarder to Siem Reap (about 3 hours). The driver stopped once at the shop where it appears he was working with. The shop owner was very nice to us when we arrived. I decided to leave her shop and buy bananas next door. When I came back eating them she was mean, so mean. She told me to not throw the banana peels in her garbage. I asked if she preferred that I throw them on the ground. That response did not "appeel" to her. We hope to visit the ancient temples of Angkor Wat today. Angkor Wat is the largest religious bilding in the world. I believe it was built for the Hindu diety, Vishnu. Our first tuk-tuk ride was entertaining. I will try to post video soon.

Around Xi'an

2010-01-12T05:11:00.001-08:00

Terra-Cotta Warriors

2010-01-11T02:25:00.001-08:00

Wow! We just returned home after taking a two hour bus ride from the Warriors. The bus was jam packed with people. My head was strategically wedged against the window to catch the occasional breath of fresh air. Mariella was five pancaked people away from me. Occasionally I would hear Mariella yelling, "are you still on the bus?" Craziness! Some how we made it back and got off on the correct stop. Pretty good for not being able to read anything. The visit to the Terra-Cotta Warriors was unique.

Three Self Church

2010-01-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

Today Mariella and I visited a Three Self Church. It is the Christian Church sanctioned by the Chinese government. The service and Bible study we went to was in English and Chinese. It was an interesting and freezing experience. I will attach a photo of Mariella in her giant parka. It was great a transformational time of studying the good book, sharing and praying together. In the next couple days we plan on seeing the Terracotta Warriors before flying to Bangkok, Thailand. Other pictures in this slide show are of a visit to the history museum. Oh, we also were in a public bus when a van crashed into us. We we jolted forward when the bus driver slammed on his breaks, but not enough to throw us out of the seats. It was entertaining watching the bus driver and the van driver yell at each other. After ten minutes the bus driver jumped back in and we were on our way.

Xi'an, China

2010-01-08T05:25:00.000-08:00

We landed in Xi’an today at 12:30. Our friend Daniel, who teaches at a university welcomed us at the airport. After a 50 minute bus ride we entered the center of the city through the giant outer-wall surrounding the city center. We walked around and watched kites, gazed upon the drum tower and meandered the Muslim quarter. Daniel treated us to guan tang baozi, steamed dumplings filled with soup and meat then dipped in different sauces. The dumplings are taste fantastic. Mariella was stopped by two parents who were coaxing their daughter to practice her English with Mariella. I took a photo of Mariella and the little one. For dinner we had da pan gi (meaning a big plate of chicken). The stuff was, Wow! The chicken is served on a giant plate all cut up. It reminded me of a stew with all the broth drained except for the bottom inch of the serving plate. The chicken was mixed with potatoes, garlic, bell peppers and then a heaping bowl of noodles is dumped on top. Once you eat the noodles and make a dent in the chicken they come by and dump another steaming bowl of noodle on-top of what is left. Sooooo good.

Bye, Bye, Beijing

2010-01-07T04:04:00.000-08:00

Flying from Beijing to Xi'an to visit a friend. We had a blast with the Fadling family. Thanks you!

From China, Beijing4

From China, Beijing5

Record Snowfall In Beijing

2010-01-04T02:01:00.000-08:00

The papers are reporting a record snowfall in Beijing (a whole 12 inches). Here are some photos. We walked with the girls to the local Hutong for heaping bowls of noodle soup costing a total of two dollars. It was piping hot and good.

We also received a phone call from their school. School is canceled tomorrow. The girls celebrated loudly when they heard the news.

Sent the Kids to School, but there is No School Today. Oops!

2010-01-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

So Mariella worked tirelessly with Savannah and Shania on their homework last night. Lunches were packed and school clothes were picked out for the next morning. We woke the girls up at 6:30 am and assisted them with getting ready for school. Then we sent them hurriedly out the door to walk to their bus. By the way, they had to walk through the the foot and a half of fresh snow. Twenty-five minutes passed before to very cold crying girls came back through the door. They were sad because they missed the bus. They were crying because their feet were wet and frozen. When they took off their shoes and socks the socks stood straight up like a mold of their feet and ankle. We gathered some information them through intense questioning. Did you walk to the right place? Did you wait where your bus normally picks you up? Could the bus be late because of the recent snow fall? Did you stop to talk to or pet and dogs? We ended up checking out the school website. It turns out there is a teacher training day. School actually starts tomorrow. Oops! Sorry girls. At least they got some good exercise walking through the snowdrifts. : )

We'll try it again tomorrow. There should be a bus tomorrow.

Said Goodbye to the Children at Shepherd's Field

2010-01-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

We said goodbye to the kiddos. Here are some photos of the last couple days. A couple days ago we visited the house where children do not get many visitors because they are quarantined off. Most of them have heart problems. Many are recovering from recent surgeries. There is a constant need for donations used for surgeries. Last night it snowed lightly. We are still chillin' in Beijing. We are watching the girls for a few more days while their parents fly south for a short vacation in 80 degree weather. I believe the projected high is twelve degrees and the low is negative four. We are feel blessed with each new day on this journey.

Happy New Year !

2009-12-31T03:14:00.000-08:00

The longer we are with the kids the more we see how wonderful they are. Mariella, Savannah, Shania and I are having a great week. We’ve played with kids, hugged them, laughed with them, and danced with them. They are smart and energetic and full of laughter. Here are some recent photos. The dog in the photos is named Stevie. He knows everything going on around here. He follows us from house to house while were visiting children. Stevie thinks his main job is to chase the cats, which seems to be some kind of compulsive disorder. Stevie followed us as we walked down the street for dinner. He snuck in the restaurant during one of our visits. The second time he waited patiently outside the restaurant door. The paintings in the slide show are displayed in the guest house and in some of the children’s houses. Have a Happy New Year!

Shepherd's Field

2009-12-29T03:06:00.000-08:00

We are having a great time loving on the little kiddos. Here are some photos.

To the Dickerson family:
Here is Elizabeth, the child you write, pray for and sponsor. She is a sharp young lady who speaks great English. I passed on your message to her. She blushed a little when we told her that you "love her and think she is beautiful and wonderful". We repeated your words a few times so it would sink in and ring in her heart and ears.

Scammed at The Forbidden City

2009-12-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well, today we were humbled. We’ve read about different scams in different countries, but we were not educated on the Beijing Tea Scam run by seemingly nice Chinese college English majors eager to practice their English. It is difficult to swallow my pride and admit being taken advantage of, but it happened. We brushed shoulders with three college aged girls at the Forbidden City next to Tiananmen Square. We had friendly conversation and before we knew it we found some nice friends or so we thought. We decided to grab a quick drink with them. The con was so subtle. We ended up going to a tea shop with them where we tried some fantastic teas. We foolishly did not ask to see the prices of the teas (heavily inflated prices). We drank tea and ate snacks and a couple hours later the bill came. It was off the charts expensive. The girls were also shocked by the price and were forced to pay with their so called credit cards, but they were in on the scam. We payed our share which was too much money for “gourmet” tea. The whole thing was a set up and it was good.

Here is another victim’s internet post:
“Update: I don't think this Tea House goes by this name in China, but you can use a simple rule of thumb. If you go to ANY TEA HOUSE make sure the sampling is FREE - this is the normal situation and you are NOT obligated to buy tea, which even in China can be very expensive. In general if you are uncertain of fees.... ASK!

I fell for the Beijing Tea Scam (also common in Shanghai) where you are approached by a person claiming to want to practice English, then subtly lured to a Tea House for a "Tea Ceremony" that is hugely overpriced.

The scam is so good I later found that some savvy travelers had also been duped by this because it preys on the fact that you don't want to insult anybody and generally are unfamiliar enough with the landscape, money, etec. that you just pay the bill. My bill was $85 for a few tea samples. I'm guessing some who fall for this never even realize that they have been scammed - rather just think they paid "a lot" for Tea.

The China Tourism groups and guidebooks are guilty of NOT warning people enough about the fact that generally if you are approached in popular tourism areas by people who can speak English they are usually working some sort of sale or scam. Sadly, the notion that people are looking to practice their English is only true in that that they are improving on these very clever short cons.”

It is difficult to admit what happened, but it is an unfortunate reality of the journey. I usually try to paint myself in a positive light especially when I screw up, but I am trying to become more transparent and honest about the good, bad and embarrassing things in my life. It will be difficult for us to trust nice Chinese people in the future as we will be expecting they may want to take advantage of us. We pray that we will still be able to love people well despite being lied to and robbed. The last photo in the slide show is a picture of our con artist friends. The ringleader is not pictured because her “Buddhist faith” does not allow her to get her picture taken. Interesting!

We plan on spending the next week living and volunteering at an orphanage. We will bring our friend's two daughters who were adopted. We anticipate a fruitful visit where Christ will work in and around each of us. May love overflow and bring glory to Jesus. We may even bring our complementary tea gift to share with others.

Great Wall of China

2009-12-26T04:29:00.000-08:00

We hiked on the Great Wall today near Huang Hua Chung. Here are some pics:

A Beijing Duck Christmas

2009-12-25T03:25:00.000-08:00

From China, Beijing Duck Christmas 2

Many of us have seen the movie, "Christmas Story". After Ralphie's Father loses his blessed turkey to the neighbor's dogs they end up eating a Christmas dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. They eat roasted duck. Here is our version...

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Today marks six months on the road. Praise Jesus!

Shepherds Field

2009-12-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to visit Shepherd's Field in Langfang. We heard the story of how the "village of love" came to be. The kids and staff are fantastic. There are great kids to adopt if you are interested in growing your family.

chinaorphans.org

Biking the outskirts of Beijing

2009-12-22T03:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Matt, Daniel and I wandered the city. Matt showed us the area around the college he attends. Today Dan, Matt's dad, was kind enough to let me barrow his road bike. I went on a 30 mile (round trip) ride to a town north of Beijing. Part of the great wall is on the mountains on the outskirts of town. I did not ride up into the mountains to see the wall. We plan on hiking near the wall in the next few days. Tomorrow we plan on visiting an orphanage. Some friends of our adopted their daughter from the orphanage. It was fun riding through fields and streets of the quiet village. Here are some photos.

Left the house at 10:54...

2009-12-21T03:42:00.000-08:00

It is an interesting thing to have a guard standing in-front of the house 24-7. Each time we leave or return home our movements are noted by the guard in his book. I guess it is nice to have a guard watching over things all the time. Good for safety.

A Sunday in Beijing

2009-12-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

From China, Scorpion

From China, Scorpion2

Here are some photos from the Christmas party a couple nights ago. We went Christmas Caroling through the neighborhood. We stayed out until mild hypothermia set in. The Chinese guards in the complex appeared to be amused by our singing. This morning we went to church. The church is sanctioned with the government. We must show visas at the door. Only international citizens are allowed to attend. After church we had some more chinese food and then drove by Tienanmen Square. We did some shopping and I came away with a $3 dollar cashmere scarf. Nice! We ended the evening with snacks from the street vendors. We had noodles, cantaloupe, pot stickers and scorpion.

Two Chinese girls stopped Mariella and Shania for a picture. Many Chinese like westerners and even request pictures.

Checked In...

2009-12-18T00:15:00.000-08:00

Today we checked in with the local police department. When visiting friends it is necessary to check in with the police to let them know where you are staying. We informed them and received a receipt of approval. Dan and I ate nearby the house. Fresh and delicious soup for 60 cents a bowl. Can't beat that. I took the girls for a walk later in the day. After forty minutes in the freezing weather they were ready to return home. It's cold! Tonight the Fadling's are hosting a Christmas party.

The First will be Last…

2009-12-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

I’ve read Christ’s teachings about the first being last and that it is better to give than to receive. What I did not know was that this teaching may also apply to Chinese Christmas parties. The party was at a local bar where good food and drinks were served. There was also a live band and karaoke. Eventually the people hosting the dinner initiated a group game where prizes could be won. We enthusiastically anticipated the start of the game. What was the game you ask? The first game played with fifty or so people was, guess a number between 1 and 100. It was a crack up. One by one the host went around the room with a mic asking people to guess the number written on the paper, not assisting by saying higher or lower, but just saying no to all incorrect numbers. I said 99 and was wrong, but Mariella guessed 23 and was right. Yes! We will win a prize. After some vigorous cheering from the crowd Mariella waited for the 1st prize. The host held three pieces of paper in her hand and asked Mariella to pick one of them; she picked the middle paper and read the word “show” on it. The host happily announced that the winner gets to sing a song. They were freaking serious. Mariella’s prize was to sing an impromptu song. Man, I’ve never seen someone freeze up so quickly. Talk about pressure. There were a bunch of Chinese and international people looking at her waiting for her to sing. I thought it was the funniest thing ever and was glad that I did not choose the correct number and win the game. Eventually, Mariella panicked and pulled me to the stage. Oh, crap I thought. Like a good husband I got up and walked out to the floor now freezing under the pressure just like Mariella. I was handed a guitar by the band guy. What the heck am I supposed to do with this? Hit the host over the head with it? I wish I could say we picked a fantastic song and sung it with great skill and that the other party members joined in on the singing. The event did not happen like a typical Hollywood movie. Instead, after scrambling to think of a song, we sung the fifties song, “Lolly Pop”. We sung it horribly and we must have looked like complete idiots. We definitely lost the game! After the terrible singing, a few highly intoxicated people clapped for us and we were given a wrapped gift. I thought, at least we get a nice gift. Mariella ran back to the seat and tried burying her face behind me; we eventually un-wrapped the gift at the table and discovered a hard plastic bear bank, probably made in China. Nice! At least we do not need to find a white elephant gift for Friday night’s party. We were first, but were last. We are reminded that sometimes it is better to be last. Especially when playing games at Chinese Christmas parties. Luckily we will never see these people again.

Resting in Beijing

2009-12-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

We have rested the past couple days. Beijing is six hours ahead of Cairo. It is nice to not move at the pace we've been moving the past couple months. Yesterday we received our first ever full body message. There is a place around the corner that gives one hour messages for 68 Yuan (about $10). A message before 5pm is $8. Nice! We hope to venture into the city and surrounding areas in the coming days. Today we went to his daughters Christmas play at school. Each class has two teachers. One speaks Chinese and the other English. Tonight Dan has invited us to a Christmas party with his fellow airline pilots. Tomorrows high -4. The low is -13.

Beijing, China

2009-12-14T02:05:00.000-08:00

We arrived safely in Beijing, China. The temperature on arrival this afternoon was 35 degrees. It is much colder than Cairo. We are happy to be with the Fadling family.

Giza, Pyramids

2009-12-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

From Egypt, Cairo, Leap

We woke up in the morning and haggled with a couple taxi drivers on prices for driving us to the Pyramids. One driver got mad at us and decided not to help us out because he did not like our offer, but the other driver agreed to take us. He ended up staying with us for the afternoon and drove us back to the hotel from the pyramids. We had fun riding camels and soaking in the grandeur of the Great
Pyramids.

Our time with Nihad, her fiance and family was too short. They overwhelmed us with their warm hospitality and kindness. We were honored to enjoy a family dinner with them prior to departing for Beijing. Thank you Nihad for a wonderful experience while in Cairo.

From Egypt, Cairo, Last Supper

Cairo Street Market & Christmas Opera

2009-12-13T06:06:00.002-08:00

Text coming soon. We will write while on the plane to Beijing tonight. We should arrive on the Tuesday. We are looking forward to a visit with the Fadling Family. We plan on celebrating Christmas with them.

Today we went to the markets with Nihad. We perused the market bargaining with the store owners. They were not happy that Nihad, an Arabic speaker was with us. She gave us more purchasing power. We developed a system where Mariella picked out what she was interested and Nihad would bargain in Arabic and I would say yes our no and tell how much I was willing to pay. We found that walking out of the store after bartering would usually result in the owner giving into the price that we were willing to purchase the item. A crazy lady spit on Nihad's back while we looked in one shop. I thought spitting on someones back was some sort of Egyptian greeting. Nihad and the store owner quickly corrected my inaccurate inference. After the market Nihad treated us to lunch at a park overlooking a significant area of Cairo. We concluded the evening with a Christmas Orchestra/Opera. It was a pleasant evening that sparked the warmth and excitement of the Christmas season. Our time with Nihad, her fiance and family was too short. They overwhelmed us with their warm hospitality and kindness. We were honored to enjoy a family dinner with them prior to departing for Beijing. Thank you Nihad for a wonderful experience while in Cairo.

Priest's Personal Museum Tour

2009-12-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

We stayed at St. Katherine's Monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai. We met a kind Greet Orthodox priest who was the care taker of a small but exquisite museum located on the premises. He invited us for a personal tour and was kind enough to take a bunch of photos of us near works of art, some dating back to the 5th century. Wow! We will write more when we have the opportunity. We leave on Sunday night for Beijing. Today we are meeting with our Egyptian friend, Nihad. I went to school with her at the Focus on the Family Institute. We hope to visit some street markets, take a float down the Nile River and see the Pyramids. Nihad invited us to attend and Opera tonight. Mariella is excited, but first we need to find some proper attire to wear to the event.

Hiking Mt. Sinai

2009-12-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

Text coming soon.Yesterday we left Jordan crossed into Israel and then crossed the border into Egypt where the relentless pursuit of people petitioning us to buy things or hire their cab. Everything is bargained for. Upon exiting Egyptian customs a guy asked us if we needed a cab ride. We said that we would walk a mile to the bus station. He persisted along with many others to give us a ride. He ended up following us down the street and eventually he was waiting at the bus station. It turns out that one bus a day goes to Mt. Sinai. We were forced to begin haggling. After walking away from him a few times we agreed to a price then departed on the four hour journey through the beautiful desert. We wished the camera was working so we could take photos of the incredible landscape. On the way we picked up a hitchhiking police officer and we even stopped for the 3pm Muslim prayers. They pulled over for what I thought was a toilet break. Instead they got down on their knees and started praying and bowing in the direction of Mecca. Eventually we arrived to Sinai. We stayed at the monastery at the base of the mountain. The next morning I woke up at 3a.m. and began hiking the trail by the light of a crescent moon. There were Bedouin camel guides who petitioned me to hire them for a guide to the top. I opted for a solo journey. I lost the trail a couple times, but was able to get back on course while waiting for a Bedouin guide to appear. I could follow his camels and the clients he was guiding. Once on the mountain the trail was easy to follow. I made it through past the slippery ice covered steps at on the top of the mountain with another fifty minutes or so before sunrise. I expected to find many people at the top. All I found was a Bedouin man renting out blankets at mats. He told me I was the first one up. Slowly more people appeared as the sun rose from the direction of the Red Sea. Beautiful! I descended the mountain down the 3,750 steps of the trail called the “Steps of Repentance”. I made it back to the monastery to join Mariella for breakfast at 8:30 am.
P.S. The camera did not work the night before hiking Sinai, nor the morning prior to departure. I took it out while waiting for the sun to rise and it started working again. We are grateful.

Petra, Day Two

2009-12-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

The first night we arrived at the hostel we watched Indiana Jones, In Search of the Holy Grail with 15 other multinational visitors. Watching the movie before visiting Petra got us all excited about exploring Petra. We decided to stay an extra day in Wadi Musa, gateway to Petra. We enjoyed wandering back through the Siq (canyon) to the Treasury. I was able to find my way up the back of a mountain which eventually led to awesome cliff-side views of the Treasury. Mariella and I also hiked to a huge monument called the monastery where we enjoyed a picnic lunch overlooking the Arabian Desert and the ruins of Petra. Mariella’s highlight was likely the donkey ride down from the monastery followed by a camel ride to the treasury. Tomorrow we hope to exit Jordan through Jerusalem and continue on to Egypt. We hope to make it to Mt. Sinai. The plan is to wake up early the following morning for a pre-sunrise assent. After descending we hope to catch a bus to Cairo for the eight hour journey.

Petra

2009-12-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yes! The rain stopped. We spent the day hiking around Petra. What an amazing ancient city! I would love to transport back in time to observe the city in its prime.

Jordan

2009-12-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

This morning we walked to the Egyptian consulate in Eilat, near the Red Sea and we obtained the visas in less than one hour. We welcomed the friendly costumer service unlike the service from the crazy guy at the Egyptian consulate in Tel Aviv. After obtaining visas we tried to hitchhike to the Jordanian border, but were unsuccessful in the twenty-minute hitchhiking window we allowed ourselves. We settled for a cab ride. We paid the exit fee for leaving Israel and walked the 500 meters to Jordan through various check points. Upon entering Jordan we haggled with the cabdrivers who were trying to get us to pay double the amount for a cab ride and trying to set us up with different tours. After threatening to get out of the cab drivers car he cut the price in half. We also met an Aussie upon entering Jordan and we split the cost of a cab to drive two-hours north to Petra. It was interesting seeing herds of camels walking in the desert near the highway. We arrived in Petra safely, but got caught unprepared for the rainy weather. Mariella and I left our bags at a hostel in Israel and too small day bags for a few day excursion in Jordan. We packed light, leaving our fleece sweaters and rain jackets behind. We hope the weather clears up tomorrow as we venture out into Petra’s canyons. We will need to find some warm clothing. The Jordanian people we’ve met today have warmly welcomed us. While waiting under an overhang for the rain to let up two young Jordanian guys invited us to have Bedouin coffee with them. Hopefully we can catch up with them after dinner. We should have more pictures to share in the coming days. Our German friend, Thomas, let us barrow his camera while we are in Jordan. Thank You!

Hitchhike from En Gedi to Eilat, 3 hours of fun.

2009-12-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

Today we left Ein Gedi via hitchhiking. We made a nice sign with “Eilat” written on it. Now, Eilat is about a four hour drive from Ein Gedi so we were hoping this method of travel would work out...I think Mariella was right at home with the hippie like family that eventually picked us up. The people who picked us up were an Israeli family. We did not learn much about them because they did not talk much on the journey, but they did rock out to reggae music and they did sing a couple songs together, each chiming in when feeling it. Some songs were in Hebrew others were in English, even Portuguese some even had drums and didgeridoos playing. They were content rolling through the desert in their campervans. They did not even ask where we were from. The father sitting in the passenger seat sported a scraggly like beard and hairdo. Oh how we wish we could have recorded parts of the journey. Mom sat in the middle of the front three seats. She was carrying her compact homeopathic kit in a small case. The sixteen year old (I am guessing) son was driving, passing cars on the two lane desert highway wall beating his hand against the steering wheel. Their young daughter was woken up in the back seat while the family pulled over to pick us up. She moved out of her sleeping spot and Mariella sat next to her while I crawled into the very back of the van complete with blinds around the window. We were jamin’. The best part was the family singing to the songs. Sooo funny! Mariella was moved to give the little girl a bracelet that our young friends in Kenya made. The bracelet had the word “PEACE” woven into the bracelet. Mariella also gave the little girl a glass necklace that was made in Monaco and purchased in Venice. The girl was grinning ear to ear. I don’t think her parents saw Mariella giving the little girl the gifts. I bet the girl’s mother will want the necklace. It was a cool necklace. Unfortunately the family was not going all the way to Eilat, so they dropped us off at a bus stop in the desert. We had a sandwich and whipped out the sign reading “Eilat”. It was not long before some guys working for the city water department picked us up in their work truck, by the way they had just passed earlier and waved, turned around further down and approached us as a taxi driver also stopped, wanting to give us a “deal” we obviously took the cheaper/free option. They dropped us off at the door of the hostel, and seemed happy that we were visiting their home town. Thank you God for providing. Our German friend, Thomas who we met in Jerusalem, is also staying in this hostel, today is his birthday, we went to sushi…mmmmmm, sushi, we shared a delicious cake and ice cream with some sparkle candles on top. Happy Birthday Thomas, we’re glad we met you.

Wadi David

2009-12-05T06:40:00.000-08:00

This morning I went out hiking in and around Wadi David, while Mariella chatted with a new friend before going on a solo hike to Wadi David. The hike was in a majestic canyon. The terrain looked like a martian landscape. It was apparent that nothing could live in this habitat. I wish I had a functioning camera to share the beautiful scenery. I walked from the mountain side down to a dry canyon river bed with humbling walls towering around me and no other person in sight. After soaking in the silence I continued hiking out of a canyon to Ein Gedi Spring. It was amazing to see a location with no life, utter emptiness, and then a river of life flowing out of the rock. As I approached, life was teaming around the oasis high upon the mountain side. There was a frog basking on a rock, birds perched on the branches of reeds surrounding the spring. There were also Rock Hyrax everywhere and Ebeks (a dear like animal). Christ referred to himself as the “living water” and that the water he offers will cause people to never thirst again (spiritual imagery). When Christ spoke these words it must have been a powerful word picture to the people of his day who could not exist without life giving water. The wadi is a location where some think David hid out while Saul was trying to kill him (1 Samuel). Here are some photos an Israeli guy and a Russian guy took using our SD card. Tomorrow we plan on catching a bus south to Eilat to obtain Egyptian visas then we hope to cross over to Jordan and hike around Petra. We’ll see what actually happens.