As our Philippine Mission prepares to depart in October, we asked mission leader Cheryl Robinson to reflect on her years leading AAI missions to the Philippines and South Africa.
Read her story here:
“I have been involved with the Airline Ambassador program for over 20 years. When I first started, I was a participant and traveled to Nepal, the Philippines, and Haiti. After enjoying so many wonderful trips, I decided to become a leader of the Philippine Trip and it was my best decision ever. I have been leading trips for over 15 years. It has been my greatest joy meeting all the volunteers who join the trips, but mostly all the children at the orphanages we help. The Philippines and South Africa are both very dear to me, I have been honored to be the leader of these trips. The people who run the orphanages in these two countries are beyond amazing.
The best part of the trips have been all the interaction we have had with the children. We have done many helpful things for them such as building, painting, planting gardens, dental missions and so many things that they have needed. We always make time to have a very special outing with the kids whether it be going to a zoo, waterpark, beach, ice-skating, shopping, and so much more. I’m not sure who enjoys it more us… or the children.
My personal experience has been the joy of feeling I have an extended family. I have no children of my own but I feel like I have many children around the world to love. I have had the pleasure of watching so many children grow up into wonderful young adults. I’ve been to weddings, birthday parties, graduations and witnessing newborn babies into the world !
I am hoping that people would like to visit some of these very special places while they are traveling around the world…through our new program: Explore and More. Traveling for good is such a wonderful experience and very rewarding.
