Today our team had a fantastic day; we started out with some additional training/orientation from Joy, the HMI camp director, in the morning. All of us had to check out of the hotel after breakfast and walk with our luggage from our hotel to the HMI office (this is the reason why I always say, "travel light"). The orientation was very helpful and I know our team will do a fantastic job ministering to the 65 students who will attend this year's camp. After a sumptuous Sichuan lunch we traveled from Chengdu to Nanchong (about a 3-hour bus ride straight east) where the English camp is going to be held. The city has 8 million people (about 4 times the size of Denver including the suburbs). It's just amazing how large the cities are here in China. The weather has been unseasonably cool (today it was in the high 70's) because of some major rain the last few days. So our team is very thankful. After we checked into our hotel we walked to a local restaurant for dinner. After dinner it was off to the Nanchong No. 1 Middle School to take a look at the facilities in preparations for tomorrow's first day. We also met some of the students that will be part of the camp which was a perfect way to end a perfect day.

A personal highlight for me is that I get to experience this trip with my younger brother, Stephan, and his daughter, Katherine from Florida. Both have fit in very well into our team even though they are not from Grace Chapel. It is fun and very meaningful to minister in China together with them.

Thanks for all your prayers on behalf of our team; everyone is excited to get camp started tomorrow. We want to "educate with love and serve with humility" (the motto of Hua Mei). We love and miss you!

Nanchong No. 1 Middle School




Orientation at the HMI office in Chengdu.