Episode #6 - Tibet/Burma/Thailand
The siblings travel to a region with history, intrigue, and recent turmoil.
An overnight stay takes them to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Once a large, independent kingdom, Tibet was taken over by China in the early 20th century, the Dalai Lama was sent into exile, and the Communist government cracked down on political opponents.
Another overnight in Kathmandu is followed by an entry into Burma. Also known politically as Myanmar, this was ruled by a military junta for most of the 20th and also start of the 21st centuries. Brandy and Bunky visit Mandalay, a well-known trading post and river town. They buy souvenirs at the night market and see a show with traditional dancing and folk poetry.
Over the next two days, they travel down river to Rangoon (also called Yangon) and then down the coast to Bangkok. The city had been known for its congestion, sanitation issues, and prostitution. But now that Bangkok has been cleaned up in the New Era, it is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful cities in all of Asia. There, the siblings split up for the first time.
Brandy visits the Garden of Maidens, a beyond-beautiful garden area and residential district built in the city's former red-light district. She has her picture taken with locals and exchanges gifts. Meanwhile, Bunky is taught the intimate details of muay thai kickboxing, the "national sport" of Thailand. After the lesson, his instructor takes him to the city's stadium where they watch a card along with about 40,000 other spectators. In a surprise, Bunky is invited into the ring to take on one of the up-and-coming stars of the martial art - and holds his own!
Episode #7 - Australia (Part 1)
Brandy and Bunky cross the Indian/Pacific Channel to Australia, and specifically the "top end" and "red center" regions.
They begin in the area around Uluru, the sacred rock formation and most renowned landmark of the aboriginal people. With the return of Jesus Christ, the natives' way of life and traditional beliefs were called into question. People even started to climb Uluru, which has always been discouraged.
After a two-day trip by all-terrain vehicle, the siblings arrive in Darwin, the unofficial capital of the "Top End," the tropical region of extreme northern Australia. There, they are greeted by Brett Hart, marine biologist and professor at the University of Melbourne. After Christ's return, he was among the first to notice behavorial changes in the marine animals living off the island nation/continent's vast waters. Dolphins, whales, and walruses suddenly had their biology changed, transforming them from mammals to fish. "It is symbolic of how God re-created the world," Hart says.
Brandy and Bunky spend an hour playing in the waters with two dolphins and a whale shark. After they surface, they call it their favorite highlight of the trip so far. This episode ends with an overnight stay in Darwin.
Episode #8 - Australia (Part 2)
The siblings' 10-day grand tour of Australia continues with a trip to a "station," or cattle ranch, co-owned by Hayley McBroom and Bill "Budgie" Miller. McBroom is one of the biggest musical stars in Australia; she began with its version of country music, but has now emerged as a cross-over superstar. The demure lady ("I can't believe she's such a star," remarks Brandy) used her platform to support evangelicals and even toured with the famed Hillsong group.
Some years before the Appearing, McBroom and Miller - girlfriend and boyfriend - moved to the station that Miller's grandparents had built, located about 20 miles west of Sydney. It's a working ranch, and what Brandy and Bunky do is pretty much like what they do at home. But it's all worth it to enjoy some of the tastiest food in the nation, and a world-famous performance of songs on behalf of the entire community.
On their final day Down Under, the siblings participate in First Friday, a live art and music show held by the city of Sydney in commemoration of First Night, the event in which Jesus Christ officially took control of the New Earth. It even ends in a fireworks show.
Episode #9 - Hawaii
It's across the Pacific for the siblings, to travel to the only current U.S. state that was once an independent kingdom. The islands were ruled by monarchs from their unification in 1796 to its takeover by the U.S. in 1898 (then on to statehood in 1959).
The siblings' first stop is the Iolani Palace, where in these new days God has granted the restoration of the old monarchy. The ruler is a young woman named Mahalani Martin, the six-times-great-granddaughter of King Kamehameha, the unifier of the islands. She talks to them about the many cultural and political programs she has initiated to mark the new chapter in Hawaiian history.
Bunky, of course, is always up for adventure, and in Hawaii that means surfing. At first, he finds the waves intimidating, but he adjusts quickly and turns it into another enjoyable adventure. Meanwhile, Brandy attends a local school and participates in a local show of fashion, arts, and crafts.
That night the siblings reunite in downtown Honolulu for a communal luau and local music.
Episode #10 - Mexico
The ultimate adventure wraps up just on the other side of the U.S. border. On day 1, Brandy and Bunky take in the awesome scene in the "new" Mexico City, which now floats on the restored Lake Texcoco. This means the city is smaller in size than the contemporary metropolis, but is also far more beautiful. After a delicious dinner, it's on to their hotel room.
The next day, a four-wheeler takes them to Guanajuato, a small city in central Mexico in the midst of a "hearth region," where many familiar foods - like sweet potatoes, beans, and tomatoes - were first grown in ancient times. There, Brandy and Bunky meet Alicia, the city's mayor. She espouses on how profoundly life has changed since Jesus' return: "For the first time we can remember, we have bumper crops year after year. All our physical and spiritual needs are supplied, and there is no longer a need to find jobs elsewhere." Alicia explains that many of her residents had migrated to Mexico City and various cities in the U.S.
The siblings then visit an apartment complex full of some of these returnees. To their astonishment, one of them is Jorge, who was once a neighbor of theirs back home in Meadow. He tells the harrowing story of how he crossed a dangerous border in the Arizona desert, then had to pay a buscón, or scout, to get on an overcrowded bus to get to North Carolina. There, he established a family and sent his two children to the local school. But, "when Christ came back, we just couldn't wait to get back here, since we wanted to be here all along," Jorge says through tears.
On such a high note, Brandy and Bunky return home. Although the siblings separate as Brandy starts her new role in The History of Dance, their next adventure together is in the back of their minds. "I never knew traveling could be such fun, and we can't wait to do this again," Brandy says.
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