HAPPY NEW YEARS! :D

When it comes to parenting a blog, I am not the most attentive of parents. Of recent, I have been an absentee parent for a few very major events and milestones: I missed Thanks Giving, My blog's 2nd birthday and even Christmas... oh my!

At least I have returned just in time to celebrate New Years! As a "peace offering, to make up my blog neglect, below are some pictures from my travels in the last year... travels which have been my most extensive to date. Actually, I don't think that they could be much more extensive but, such trips may become much more frequent in the future... God willing!

So, without further delay... especially for those of you who have been waiting since my "Why No Pics?" post, here you go!

OUT WITH 2016 AND IN WITH THE 2017!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERY ONE!
HAVE A BLESSED NEW YEAR!

My Current Travel Map (Updated: November 2016)

Samuel has been to: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Belize, Canada, Ivory Coast, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Egypt, Spain, Finland, Fiji, France, United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Vatican, Vanuatu.
Get your own travel map from Matador Network.

Flight Statistics From My 7-Month YWAM Journey

I did some flight calculations from my big 7 month YWAM journey.

All in all, I flew with 7 different airlines, on 13 separate flights (legs), covering approximately 25,778mi (42,480km), spending about 53.5hrs (2.25 days) in the air. Don't get me started on layovers...

Airlines I Flew With:

United Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines

Air New Zealand

Air Vanuatu

Fiji Airways

Quantas

American Airlines

Flights Taken:

-Getting to Tauranga, New Zealand-

Orlando, Florida to San Francisco, California

San Francisco, Califonia to Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii to Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand to Tauranga, New Zealand

-Coming back from Outreach in Vanuatu (took a 5 day sail going to)-

Port Vila, Vanuatu to Auckland, New Zealand

-Going back to Vanuatu-

Tauranga, New Zealand to Auckland, New Zealand

(had an 18 hour layover... the longest in my life)

Auckland, New Zeland to Nadi, Fiji

Nadi, Fiji to Port Vila, Vanuatu

-Back to New Zealand-

Port Vila, Vanuatu to Auckland, New Zealand

-Heading home-

Auckland, New Zealand to Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia to Sydney, Australia

Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas to Orlando, Florida

Longest Flight (EVER!): Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas - 15.5hrs - 8,580mi (13,800km)

Shortest Flight: Auckland, New Zealand to Tauranga, New Zealand - 0.5hrs - 90mi (145km)

WHEW!!! What a trip! :D

Why No Pics?

If you have been wondering why I have not been posting pictures of my travels on my blog, its because my Blogger app on my phone wouldn't let me and I did not take a computer with me on my trip. I am not sure why, even when I had REALLY good internet connection it would not post.

So, until I can get some pics from my trip posted, here is the official Outreach Video of my YWAM DTS Outreach Team. Most of the video is from he Island of Tanna, Vanuatu however, the beginning shows some shots of us on the medical ship, the M/V Pacific Hope.

Credits:

Videography - Althea Patrabla

Music - "Relentless" Hillsong United (No Infringement Intended)

Vanuatu Update #3

My time is Vanuatu, at least for the foreseeable future has come to an end. After to 3 months of DTS Lecture Phase, 2 months of DTS Outreach Phase and 2 months of serving on the M/V Pacific Hope, I am making my way home.

I arrived in Auckland on the 25th but, did not get to my hotel until after mid-night. I have a total of 5 nights here in Auckland before contenuing on my journy home. The 25th, happened to be the cheapest day to fly back to NZ from Vanuatu... at least prior to my August 30th flight back to the States.

I will have layovers in Melbourne, Sydney and Dallas respectively before arriving back in Orlando. The Sydney to Dallas flight will be my longest yet at just over 15.5 hours of flying time.

So far, I have been having an amazing time back in Auckland. God has blessed me with some really good friends here who have gone out of their way to make me feel at home.

Vanuatu Update #2

Arrived safely back in Port Vila very early on Friday morning, thanks be to God. Though tiring and very unpredictable, we had another successful medical outreach on the M/V Pacific Hope, the 2nd outreach for the year.

For this outreach, I got placed on the Dental Team doing registration. In total we helped more than 300 people by removing and fixing close to 700 teeth.

I am really eager for the next 2 week  outreach. We leave Port Vila this Saturday and will be serving N.E. Malakula... that is the plan at least.

So many things on this adventure have been uncertain. But, over the last 6 months I have become more and more at peace with not knowing what lies ahead or having to have a plan. However, I can be certain of two things: God loves me, God IS good and if I follow Him, there is no telling where I'll end up!

Vanuatu Update #1

I arrived back in Port Vila, Vauatu at around noontime on the 7th of August (local time). We ended up coming back a day earlier than planned, for multiple reasons, officially ending Outreach #1.

Though we had to leave early and couldn't visit the Island of Meawo, we reached over 1000 people on the Island of Ambae. We offered a number or services such as free doctor's consultations, eye glasses, first aid, prayer and pharmacy.

The ship will do 4 more multi-week outreaches with rest/resupply weeks in Port Vila inbetween. I will be present for 2 more of these outreaches, my last of which will end on August 19th.

These past couple days have been filled with both good and bad realities of life Friday in particular. After meeting up with some friends on Thursday night, we made plans to go see "Finding Dory" on Friday morning. I arrived at the theater much earlier, as planed to get wifi. It was there while waiting for my friends to arrive that I found out that one of my cats had died. The news was hard but, God has helped me through and my friends have been really encouraging.

However, despite the sad news from home and so wishing to be back, I know that God called me here, at this time, for a reason. Of course I have questioned and requestioned Him, and myself multiple times but, I know that I am where I am meant to be.

Back in New Zealand

Sunday was my first full day back in New Zealand. I arrived in Auckland at around 11am local time, after about a 3.5 hour flight from Port Vila, Vanuatu.

In total I spent 4 weeks of my Outreach in Vanuatu, on land, off of the M/V Pacific Hope. The first 3 weeks were spent on the island of Tanna, where my team loaded all of our bags, food, medical supplies and ourselves (10 team memebrs, plus the driver and 2 porters) into a single truck for a 2 hours ride to our hosting village.

We stayed in the host village for 2 weeks, doing a number of ministry activities, both there and in neighboring villages. We were placed in an old missionary house near the church. The house had some of the most stunning views of Tanna's active volcano, Mt. Yasur, right from the front porch. Warching the sunrise over an active volacno? Simply amazing!

Some of the other villages we visited were really remote, one of which had never had "white" people visit it before. At least two were over 2 hour walks one-way but, it was so worth it to help spread the gospel.

The first weekend one of the missionary doctors joined our team. Once she arrived, were able to run a clinic in our host village, my job was to run the pharmacy.

After the two weeks in the village, we return to the main town of Tanna, Lenakel, where the ship first dropped us off. A church hosted us for this last week before the ship picked us up.

In Lenakel, we did street evangelism, prayer walks and shared sermons at local churches. We also got to share our testimonies at a local trade school and pray for the sick at the hospital, even attend a custom Period Party as team.

One of the days we went to the hospital to pray for the sick, it was at full capacity, particularly the children's ward. We came back 2 days later and the hospital was at only about 50% capacity and many of those there were new patients. God is good!

After our alotted time on Tanna, the ship picked us up and took us to Port Vila to prepare for our return to New Zealand. Though we were soon to return we still made time to do street and prison ministry.

Looking back I can only be amazed at God's faithfulness to, and grace for my team during our Outreach. Through spiritual and emotional tiredness, as well as physical sickness my team stayed the course.

Now back in New Zealand winter is in full swing and I am loving the nice cool weather. It feels so nice after sweating half to death on Tanna. Also, it has been nice to recover from worms in such a comfortable environment. Yes, due to a number of side effects it is believed that I was one of a few who contracted worms. At least I did not get the lice.

At Base, we're getting back into the flow of things as we wrap-up out school with "Re-Entry/Debrief Week" lectures. However, there is a sadness in the air as most of us prepare to leave this weekend and part ways after almost 6 months of communal living.

This has been an amazing chapter in my life journey, I have so many good memories to remember and tools to use in the future. Doing this DTS has been the best decision of my life yet and I am so greatful to God for this oppertunity. God is good!

11th Week in NZ

I know this update is a little late but, things have been very hectic. Week 11 was really a "mad dash" week of getting things in order before the switch from "Base Life" to "Ship Life" and it also marked the end of the DTS' "Lecture Phase." Lectures ended on Thursday and we transfered to the ship on Friday.

So, after weeks of anticipation, 3 of the Medical/Compassion teams officially started living aboard the M/V Pacific Hope. It is so exciting to think that I actually live on a boat, not just some quick cruise but, actually living (and working for that matter) on a boat.

We will be sailing to Auckland on Friday where we will stay for a time before headding onto Vanuatu. I am very eager to see what lays ahead in Auckland.

6th Week In New Zealand

What an amazing week!

Us "Base" students finally got out first look aboard the M/V Pacific Hope, a YWAM Medical Ship that brings healthcare to the South Pacific. For those of you who mght be wondering, I will be apart of 1 of the 3 teams going abroad the ship for our DTS Outreach Phase.

However, we went to do way more than get a quick tour of the boat. We went to work. After the tours were over and we had finished our lunches we were assigned our work stations. Some, chipped old paint, others helped with the bathroom remodel. I was placed on a team that painted the inside of the hold; Marine Paint paint is not joke, had to wear gloves and masks.

After all of the the work duties were done, we, almost 100 of us, left the ship for a marina park so we could do the well delayed baptisms. I was one of 19 that choose to get baptized. While I had been baptized before, in the Jordan River no less, I was very young and felt that I need to be "re-baptized" as an adult decision in my walk with Christ.

We then headed back to the ship for a pizza party to celebrate the baptisms and have out first Outreach Prep-Talk. To say the least I am so excited for my future life on the ship.

Thursday and Friday passed really quickly as we concluded our lectures on Spiritual Warfare. However, for myself and most of my fellow Medical/Compassion DTS students the weeks end would not been one of rest.

On both Saturday and Sunday we had First-Aid training. Two reps from the New Zealand Red Cross came out to the base and taught us, how to respond to a number of medical emergencies, how to preform CPR and how to use AED Machines.

The whole class passed! So, we are now all certified by the Red Cross to give First-Aid.

We got out of classes just in time for some of us to get on a van to an evening service at a local church. This time I went all "Kiwi" and left my shoes in the van, first time I have ever got to church barefoot.

I am so loving NZ! Though I am looking forward to go to Vanuatu for outreach, I will so miss this place!