Pre-Travel Post

Dear Family and Friends,

Abundant Life Foursquare Church’s five-person contingent will depart on our Philippine adventure in less than three short, jam-packed days (Feb. 11-22)! Many of you are inquiring as to our team’s progress in preparation, level of excitement, and financial status.

Let me begin with the latter; praise the Lord that my $2,500 for the Philippines trip has been raised! Between your generous contributions, support from my church (ALFC), and some personal fundraising efforts, I am feeling the love! Hearing back from my friends and family and receiving kind words of support, I have been feeling uplifted. At Abundant Life Foursquare Church, our Dessert Auction fundraiser was a BIG SUCCESS after our Family Worship Service on Sunday, January 31! Many thanks to those who submitted dessert entries that raised over $2,100 towards our collective team funds! An additional love offering was also taken in service, as it was Missions Sunday, and those funds are being put towards supplies for when we are working there in the Philippines. We are overwhelmed with gratitude! I am also about halfway to my goal of $1500 for my other service trip, to Costa Rica in July/August. Thank you for your continued financial and prayer support!

Seeing to the logistical preparations, as per my list-making nature, in the last few weeks I’ve been writing out my packing list, adding things as they periodically occur to me. Contrary to my customary last-minute packing from said list, I am currently trying to start packing a couple days in advance, since my schedule has me running around like crazy! The to do list is ever-lengthening, as I juggle life’s events and work: at the high school, dance studio, and team prep at church. We’ve developed a Vacation Bible School program, gathering our resources to put together supplies for crafts and games, writing puppet show scripts, choreographing dances and hand gestures to songs. I work a 12-hour day on Thursday, before driving right to the airport that night for our red eye flight to Hong Kong. (That 15-hour flight is sounding like Zzzzzz!) Therefore, prayer support for strength and energy is much appreciated!

I am very excited for what the Philippines will bring (and not just warmer weather--though these 80º days here in California have been nice this week!). When we arrive Sunday morning, local Philippines time (they’re 16 hours ahead of Pacific Time right now), after literally 24+ hours of travel, we’ll hit the ground running: two church services at which Bethany and I will be performing dances, and attending Valentine’s party. Monday-Wednesday we’ll be putting on two VBS programs per day, before driving to Pampanga Province to do it all again in San Fernando Thursday-Saturday! We’ll do a couple work-service projects, build a puppet stage, conduct/teach dance workshops, probably dance our pointe-ballet and contemporary/lyrical dance numbers countless times, and make a ton of friends/see old ones!  Of course, all these ‘plans’ are subject to change.

Please check in on my blogsites, http://larainthephilippines.blogspot.com & http://larainCRagain.blogspot.com, for up-to-date information regarding fundraising, preparation efforts, getting to know my fellow team members, and reading/seeing photo updates while we are on the trips. On my Philippines blogsite, you will find a link to our team’s group on Facebook, through which you can follow us during our trip. I hope to be diligent in posting photos of our work and the people we encounter, as well as video of our dances!

If you have yet to return a Support Response form, I’m still accepting those. I’m looking ahead to my Costa Rica trip this summer! Blessings,  Lara Lichten


Check out the first pointe performance Bethany and I gave to "Oceans Lark Remix" at our church, ALFC, on the Send-Off Sunday, 2/7/16, before departing. (This was after only two rehearsals to choreograph and practice... so it was still rough!) Click here to view (uploaded to Google Drive)