Hang em high~by Eric

2 trips up Penang hill last weekend.

1st trip a jungle trek with a couple of my buddies from work. Snakes, monkeys, and bugs - Oh My!. It was hot, wet, very much like something out of Brushko (missionary book we have been reading).

2nd trip the next day the family went back up the hill via the train. Very crowded, hot, lines, and waiting. The jungle trek was better. We then hiked 2 km to a place where one can walk from tree to tree via a rope bridge, called a canopy walk. Because you are literly walking 500m above the jungle floor through the upper canopy. Bria, who is afraid of heights, did Very well. We were all a bit freaked out. My main concern was the high quality craftsmanship of the bridge support to hold large persons not of the Asian variety. No there were no safety certifications any where.

also this week the girls went shopping for material, watched a shadow puppet show, got another pedicure, and Bria gave her choreographed performance with her girl scout troops.

Film of a most excellent Father.

Seperated out for trial...
please comment if this works or not

Across the country~by Eric

Well we traversed across the entire country of Malaysia. OK is was the narrow direction. OK there is only 5 hrs of drive time ~ 1 state / hr. We did see lots of great things along the way and experiance a bit more of the culture here. Including but not limited to: Elephant crossings, aligators, high cliffs, jungle jeep trails, high bridges, beutiful lakes, and mountain tops, and a host of bugs of which I am sure are mutants.

We stopped over in a lake town resort late at night. All the girls piled into one bed and I in the other. We awoke to realize what a beutiful area it was. Enjoyed a great lake side breakfast and hit the road early.

This was followed by a jungle car trip up river and had a great picnic lunch. Saw an alligator, visited with a local, and looked at tall asian limestone cliffs... The narrow "road" or trail and large river made the girls a bit nervious...

We then hit the beach resort on a little island just East of the mainland. Lot's clear water, fun, surf, and snorkeling....

Neither Death nor Life.~by Kore

Had a GREAT walk today. Walking in our gated community has become a spiritual essential to me. I put on my Ipod, and off I go. The Lord never neglects to talk to me, and fill me with his spirit.

I have come, here, to not take this for granted. Big Sigh. This island is so full of spiritual forces. Anyone 'in tune' at all can FEEL them. Heck, don't even need to be in tune--drive down the street, and you can SEE them! There is a terrible darkness here, and it often overwhelmes us. Death surrounds us. We jokingly refer to this as George--the Bible says that the enemy roams to and fro on the earth like a LION, looking for who he can devour. (Kore translation) We gradually realized this, and as a family, have learned to call it like it is, and somehow George is the name we settled on!

Back to my walk. The songs that I have been most drawn to here sing about Freedom. Breaking chains. Setting people loose from bondage. I can hear God's heart for this land. I won't begin to discuss the bondage that certainly exhists back home. But HERE, the bondage is overt--obvious--and it is death. I can hear His heart--and His heart wants people free here. So as I was walking, and as God was just FILLING me up, I felt like each of my steps had purpose--I wanted to jump up and down with it. Like my own two feet could smash the death down. Oh--how I want to see the freedom of God loosed on this island.

I have studied but one chapter in the word since we've arrived--and I think Romans 8 is fat enough to last me until July. But I'll leave my dear friends and family with the verse that runs through my head over and over.

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38

Fort Cornwallis was also in Penang?

One Sunday afternoon we went to Fort Cornwallis. It was the original British fort made in 1786. The fort was mostly for soldiers, but it was still cool. It was Named after General Cornwallis who was not actually ever here but in America during the revolutionary war. It is a very old tourist site in Penang. But it would have been cool to see it back then.

By Joelle

Joelles 1st picture posting

Another Penang Birthday for Bria~by Bria

Well another birthday celebration for Bria in the land far far away. This year we decided to go to a water park for the 'adventure' portion of her birthday. This is us at Bukit Maura Lake resort.

We will definitely return for the ECO park and orangutan island.

Reflections from Bria...

"hi this is my first time on the blog. We went to a water park and went on this ride it was like a giant bollon that had ropes comming off the sides and you jump and spash into the giant water."

We finished up with a trip to Chillis (yes, we have chillis. Just don't get the burger. lol) and birthday cake. All in all, a good day. Great to get off the island!

1st try on video adding. Please comment if you have issues playing this....