Symanzik Family Update

A week from today will mark our 4th year anniversary of moving to the Philippines as missionaries.

A lot has changed for us in these past four years.

Our trip overseas...tired travelers.

Our first visit to Paradise beach shortly after arriving in Davao

Recent family photo!

It's hard to put in words but I am so incredibly thankful and humbled to be on the mission field.
God is so good!

Psalm 126:2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
3The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.

Sometimes you just have to laugh at the signs you see.......

Galatians 3:28 says "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
This was the theme verse for this year's International Day held at Faith Academy today.

There were many booths representing various countries.
Texas, USA, Indonesia, Singapore, Papua New Guniea, Spain,
Philippines, Canada, Holland, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Pakistan, Paraguay and France were all represented!

Ben ready to dance a Philippine dance.

Blanca ready to dance a Latin dance.

Ben and JR

Trea and Kirsten

Flora Mae and Rico enjoying the food with 'Aunt' Sherri

James and SoJo

The new play ground area getting some final touches by the
workers

Kurt has been gone for almost ten days on a business trip to Singapore for an Asia Area Computer Conference.
To say his kids have been missing him is a real understatement!
I keep thinking of the line from a movie "never underestimate the power of the father."
He returns tomorrow and we are all looking forward to seeing him again!

Singapore skyline.

Ben recently had visitor from the USA come see him. His name was "flat Marcus" based on the story "Flat Stanley".

Flat Marcus with Ben and his teacher in their 3rd grade classroom.

The synopsis of the Flat Stanley story is this: Stanley Lambchop and his younger brother Arthur are given a big bulletin board by their Dad for putting pictures and posters on. He hangs it on the wall over Stanley's bed, but during the night the board falls from the wall, flattening Stanley in his sleep. He survives and makes the best of his altered state, and soon he is entering locked rooms by sliding under the door, and playing with his younger brother by being used as a kite...But one special advantage is that Flat Stanley can now visit his friends by being mailed in an envelope.

So, Ben's friend, Marcus, in the US sent a flattened version of himself to come over here and 'visit' for a while.

Flat Marcus with some of Ben's friends at school.

Street scene - jeepneys

Trash collector

Paying for a jeepney ride with Ben.

Playing at the arcade - one of Ben's favourite spots.

Eating a Jollibee meal - hamburger, fries, coke.
Jollibee is a popular eatery in the Philippines like McDonald's
is in the US.

Ben's karate match

Eden Nature Park

The market

Now Flat Marcus in in route to the US with some souvineers from his visit here. We'd love it if the real Marcus came to visit along with his family!!!!

The real Marcus and Ben playing together two years ago.