Hi to all! I have some updating to do! Yesterday we visited the dumpsite, and it was an incredible time! We purchased juice and bread for about 500 people, along with packs of school supplies for those who are in school. The social worker and secretary, Mae, met with the leaders of the dumpsite and squatter areas to get lists of children who are in school. It was an absolutely incredible day.

First, we went to Umapad dumpsite to give our gifts. At the entrance to the dumpsite, there was a home where about 30 or so kids assembled. We gave them food, drink, and school supplies for those on the list. They were in amazement to see white people! They were really cool. Then, we went into the actual dump, where Marit, the Filipina who led us through the dumpsite last time and remembered us this time, went into the home area to tell everyone to come to the area right past the entrance. We gave the food, drinks, and school supplies out and hung out for awhile there. The kids there are great. We saw the little girl that we saw on our trip in January who has two twisted legs. I discovered that her name is Maricel, and she was not born with twisted legs. When she was younger, she fell into a hole and broke both legs, so they just grew very crooked. I was very much impacted by her, because at the very end of the semester, I broke my pinky and had surgery on it. A pinky finger! I had surgery, so my pinky will be fine, but poor Maricel broke both her legs and cannot walk, and she didn’t get to have surgery. It’s just not fair. But I told her that she was very pretty, which is absolutely true. She is a beautiful little girl. Her baby brother was sitting in the wheelchair with her, covering up her twisted left leg, so I got to hold him. I do love Filipino children!

This is me with Maricel...

And this is me holding her brother...

We hung out at that place for quite awhile, so it was neat to hang out with those who are the poorest of the poor, those who inhabit the ends of the earth. The darkness in this corner of the world is so thick. People live in terrible conditions without knowledge of a God who loves and saves. So we will tell them! :) I feel something drawing me to these places, that all may know our glorious God. Scripture promises that one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So we pray that even in the darkest places on earth, where a baby doll is held high and worshipped, along with drugs and selling children as prostitutes, where young children scavage through garbage to find things to make money for their families, a place where people don’t know that they are loved and worth anything and that the God of the Universe has a glorious plan for their lives, that our God will break down every stronghold that stands and that He will be God of the Philippines and of all the earth. It is my desire to see all people praise the Lord and to be a part of what God is doing to lead us to that place. So I am very thankful to be here :)

We also bought 30 Bibles in Cebuano, because most of the people in the dumpsite are uneducated and cannot speak English. It was very neat to see how proud the people were of their new Bibles (Biblias). They were very thankful for them, and some even began to read them while we were there! A very cool opportunity, to give the Word of the Lord to those He came to save. I hope to learn a little more Cebuano so maybe I can go back sometime and teach them about the Bibles we gave them. After all, we were told to make disciples!

After staying in the dumpsite for awhile, we went to a squatter area that is very near the dumpsite, where Marit (our “guide”) lives. Her daughter is one of the 7 (we thought we would only have 5, but it turns out there’s 7!) kids that we have to choose 2 from to come live at Wesley. It is a crazy decision to be told to make, but we have prayed for God’s clear direction, so we trust that it will come in His timing and in His way. We met the 7 kids and their families and gave them a special bag filled with soap, toothbrushes, a washcloth, etc. Please be in prayer for us in the next few days as we select the 2 God would have come to Wesley. Pray that we may not choose based on the cuteness of the kids or simply what a paper says about them, but that we will listen to the Spirit’s guidance (they’re all adorable, by the way). We told the parents that they would find out by Friday who is chosen, so we need to bathe ourselves in prayer!

We also have another big decision to make while we’re here that we need your prayers for. The orphanage is in desperate need of a director, someone who will oversee things at Wesley, give the kids structured discipline, and lead them in spiritual matters. We long to establish a consistent Bible study time with the kids, so that when we leave hopefully it will continue. We already have one of the pastors from Zion Prayer Garden, a church in nearby Consolacion, who has volunteered to come every Saturday to spend time teaching the kids about the Bible. My prayer is that these kids and their families will love the Lord, serve Him, and seek Him. He has such incredible plans for their lives, and I can’t wait to discover what those are.

Please be in prayer for us, as we have only a week and a few days left before we head home. I can’t believe how fast the time has flown, and I am definitely not ready to leave my precious children! I feel like they have become my own. I feel like I am finally belonging in the Philippines! The culture shock was a little difficult at first, but I’m adjusting. I am definitely not ready to go home. But please pray for us continually, that we will use our time as God would have us. Pray that we have clear direction on who He would have come to live at Wesley and who He would have as the director. Please pray that we will be strong in His strength and feel His presence and guidance, as we have already experienced great opposition from the enemy. Our God is much bigger than anything in this world or outside this world. Colossians 1 says that all things were made by Him and for Him and that in Him all things hold together. Chapter 2 says that He disarmed that powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Our God is big, and He is mighty to save. Pray that strongholds and idols will come tumbling down, that God will have complete reign in the Philippines and in the dark places where children are prostituted by their families to make money and where kids scavage through garbage for hours to find things that can be recycled so their families can have money to eat. Pray for these people, the lowest of the low, that they may know God and that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Pray that He would be the God of the Philippines and not a little baby doll. Pray that people would love God passionately and whole-heartedly and that they will serve Him. Pray that our God will take His place and be worshipped at His throne. Pray that our hearts would be strengthened, protected, and guided. Pray that we will encourage one another and be continually reminded that our God is greater than anything that can stand against. If our God is for us, who can be against us? Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected, is at the right hand of God the Father and is also interceding for us (see Romans 8:31-34). May we cling to His promises and trust in His power. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Pray that the whole world, even the invisible things, will fall in worship and praise of our glorious, Almighty God. Pray that God will show His strength in healing the sick and lame, as He has done many times in the past, and that He will receive the praise. Pray that He alone will be worshipped and praised. May He have the throne of our hearts.

I hope all is well for you all back home. We miss you all, and we will be home soon! Pray for safety in travel and that until then we will make the most of every opportunity. God’s peace be with you all.

**This was written on Sunday, but I am only now having the chance to post it (on Wednesday), so sorry for the delay!**

Another Update!

Hi all! We unexpectedly got the opportunity today to come to SM Mall in Cebu City, which is a good distance from the orphanage, so we don't come here unless we need to. They have free internet here in the mall, so we are at Starbucks once again utiliting the free wifi! Arnell needed the driver to go to his office, which is not far from SM, so he said we should join him since our plans for after washing clothes this morning didn't work out. To update, Colleen arrived from San Antonio, TX, yesterday morning, just in time for our trip to Camotes Island! We weren't supposed to go to Camotes until today, but Arnell's friend who owns the ferry we rode called yesterday and said we could ride yesterday. Arnell told us we should leave in 15 minutes, but none of us had showered, brushed our teeth, or packed for an overnight stay! It was rather crazy. When we finally got to the boat, it was almost an hour since the time they were supposed to depart! Oops. We packed as fast as we could! Yesterday on Camotes, we visited the property Arnell owns there that is a possible new location of the orphanage, since the owner is selling the property we are renting now on Cebu Island. It would be great to buy the property from him, but it is very expensive. He is asking about $200,000 in American dollars, which the Rescue Ministries does not have, so if anyone wants to donate, send it on! :) But after we visited that site, Arnell took us to his friend's resort (I know, staying at a resort in a third world country is pretty crazy), where we got to swim awhile in the ocean. It was fun and very relaxing! And the ferry ride over was absolutely beautiful, but I forgot my camera (and my pesos!) :/ Oh well!

I am really glad Colleen is here now. She was a Journeyman in Manila for two years several years ago, at the same time Dustin was a Journeyman in Cebu. She is very familiar with the culture and is confident about going places and getting things we need. She is also a lot of fun to be around, so that is a good thing! :) I know she will add a lot to our small group and that our faithful God will continue to use her in amazing ways as He already has!

On Tuesday (the day before Colleen got here), we had a "courtesy call" (i.e., meeting) with the principal of the high school where our older kids attend. We told her a little bit about Wesley Home for Youth, and she told us about their school. It is very poor. She shared with us that each month, each student is asked to pay 45 pesos to help with the costs of the school, since the goverenment does not give much help. 45 pesos equals one American dollar. It costs a dollar a month for a child to attend school. But many cannot afford it, so many do not get an education. It costs a dollar a month for a child to stay in school so they can have a better job in the future. So...I'm thinking we need to do some fundraising or something to help those who cannot afford it. I can afford a dollar a month, no problem! There is a PTA meeting at the high school Sunday morning that the principal invited us to, so we may attend that.

Today, after we returned from Camotes (the ferry left at 5:30 AM this morning!), we got to go back to the high school because little Michelle's music class was doing a little presentation. I think it was supposed to be just for their class, but when she told me about it, I wanted to go! So the four of us went, and we were the only ones there to watch! The class (which is about 85 students..the teacher-student ratio is about 1/85 or so..crazy!) was divided into four groups, and each group presented a song with motions. It was fun to watch! And the kids acted like we were celebrities when we arrived. They all looked at us and waved and wanted to say hello! We get a lot of that here. It's not everyday that Filipinos see an American, especially at a high school, so they get excited when they see one..or four.

This is the class performing for us outside...

Today is Mrs. Pam's birthday! It is Filipino tradition that on your birthday, you give gifts and buy dinner for your friends, rather than them doing it for you. That's a fun thought :) But I hope she has a great birthday. We'll have to sneak off to buy her a cake as a surprise ;) This morning, after Michelle's presentation, Linda, the ya-ya (nanny) made Mrs. Pam chicken adobo, rice, and pancit (pronounced pon-sit) for her birthday. It is also Filipino tradition to eat pancit (long, tiny noodles) on your birthday for long life. We try to be cultural :)

This is a picture of her birthday breakfast...

Tomorrow we plan to eat lunch with Ben and Bayon from Project Mercy in Mandaue City and perhaps visit Prayer Mountain with Pastora Salve from Zion Prayer Garden, the church we attend here and are trying to partner with. She lives near the orphanage and has a mountain that she calls her Prayer Mountain. She has asked us to visit it, so maybe we can do that after we visit Project Mercy tomorrow. Then Saturday, we are planning to go to the dumpsite and hand out snacks and school supplies for the kids who cannot afford them. There, we will (hopefully) pick out 2 more kids to bring to the orphanage. So please pray for us as we do that, that there may be opportunities to make good relationships with these people, which is a big part of Filipino culture (close relationships), and that we may know whom God would have at Wesley.

These people are the poorest of the poor, the lowest of the low, those Jesus came to save, and those He has called us to. Pray that doors may be opened for the Gospel and that we may be prepared to share it. Please pray that we will be filled with the Spirit every moment we are here, that we will make the most of every opportunity, and that we will not miss anything God has for us to do. Please pray that the people here will be open to talk about the Lord and His Gospel, because it is very common for them to agree with a missionary and accept whatever he/she says because of their generosity and kindness without fully understanding. While we want to be generous and kind, we also want them to fully understand and not just say they do to please us. Pray that they may come to know God and love and serve Him faithfully. Pray that we will be obedient to make disciples of all nations, and not just church-goers or people who are willing to pray one prayer and never think about God again. We bought 30 Bibles in the Cebuano language, since most of them are uneducated and cannot speak English, so pray that as they are given God's Word that they will begin to love it and seek Him. Pray that doors may be open and that hearts will be tender to the Spirit's call.

Please also be in prayer for our team, as we are over the halfway point in our trip. Pray that we will be filled with the Spirit and be sensitive to what He would have us do. It seems that because Arnell has been so good about taking care of us and making sure we have a driver to take us where we need to go and because Mrs. Pam has been needing to rest because of her leg, that we have not gotten out into the community as much as we would like. It is absolutely wonderful to have our personal driver to take us places in the orphanage's Tamaraw, but we want to be careful to not seclude ourselves from the people. Please pray for boldness and opportunitites to engage in people's lives here, to get to know them and show God's love. Please pray that we will make good use of the time God has given us and that we will be on His agenda and not our own. Pray that we may be encouraged and unified, patient with one another, and patient with God. God always works on His time table and not ours, so pray for us to wait on the Lord, yet to not waste time. Pray that we will have the Spirit's strength to do the things we need to do, to go where we need to go, and to share where we need to share. Jonathan has gotten several opportunities to have deep conversations with Glenn, the oldest boy at the orphanage, the one all the other kids look up to for guidance and wisdom. He has been asking many questions about the Bible and has said that he knows very little about it, but he wants to know more so that he can lead the other kids in the right way for their lives. He shared with Jonathan the other night some things about his home life that were terrible situations to be in, so he is very thankful to be at Wesley. And we are thankful for him being there!

I know I've said it over and over, but please just be in prayer for us. Lift us up, for encouragement, guidance, wisdom, sensitivity to the Spirit, discipline to grow and rely on the Lord, opportunities, and everything we need. God is God of His mission field, and we are simply His workers. But please pray that we may be the faithful workers the Creator of the Universe desires and deserves. God bless you all!

Hi everyone! I apologize for not having updated my blog in awhile. We haven't had any internet access for about a week, and before that, I was typing up something to post, but I never finished it in time to post it before we lost the internet. The past week has been pretty crazy! But it has been good :) The first week we were here, we visited most of the kids’ homes. I think we have about 2 more to visit. Their homes are astonishing. Daisy lived in a one-bedroom home that is smaller than many closets in America. Her mom, 2 siblings, and Katherine’s grandmother all live there now, and Katherine and Daisy lived there before moving to the orphanage. There is no electricity, and even during the day there is no light that enters their home. The ply-wood walls go to the ceiling, so there is also no air circulation. Her mom hospitably welcomed us into their home and lit a candle for us to see. They have nothing. A few clothes, but other than that, nothing. Her mom sells cigarettes to make money, and she said that if she had the opportunity to do something else, she would. That is her only job opportunity.

This is the tiny walkway to their home...

And what you see below is not just one room of the home, it is the home! As I said, there is no electricity there, so she lit a candle for us to see by.

Little Michelle’s family lives in a slightly larger one-bedroom home. They actually share a living room with another family, where they cook and welcome visitors. We sat on the only bench in the home. The walls are cement blocks, and the floor is rock. Their means of cooking is over a fire, and I saw a tiny child’s flip-flop (they call them “slippers”) in the ashes. The room where they live and sleep is “upstairs”, over this living room. The walls of the bedroom are made of cardboard. We didn’t get to go in the bedroom, but I’m sure they sleep on the floor like most poor Filipinos.

This is their bedroom...

Glenn’s family lives up a mountain, so we got to go hiking when we visited his home! His mom led us up the rocky mountain (not to be confused with the Rocky Mountains!) to their home. They have a real turkey walking around outside their home! It just hangs out with the chickens! I suppose they will eat it someday. His home is also only one room. Their kitchen area is outside, which is common in the Philippines. The kitchen at the orphanage is outside. I showed Glenn the pictures I took of his house, and he showed me the corner he used to sleep in. There is no bed or pillow or sheets, just the dirty floor.

This is us hiking...

And this is us in their home. Glenn's corner is the one you see behind us.

All the kids have similar stories. I don’t really know what to think of it all; I don’t really know what to do to help. But God will lead as we seek Him. The kids are such a blessing. Little Katherine was sad the other night because she misses her family. Being the youngest, it is probably harder for her to adjust than it is for the older ones. Mrs. Pam went with her to her room as she cried. Then when she came back downstairs, I gave her a big hug and told her it would be okay. I held her for a minute and told her I loved her. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes as I spoke. Has she ever been told that someone loves her? I then just held her for a few minutes. Mrs. Pam and I (and I’m sure Jonathan as well) believe she needs lots of love and attention, and she may not be getting that right now. So I will be sure to spend more quality time with her. :)

I also upset little John Lloyd that same night. Earlier that day, he brought a huge bug inside the orphanage and showed it to me. I of course screamed, "Dili!" (No!) and told him to take it back outside! I was joking when I said it (I mean, I really did want him to take it outside, but I did not mean to be rude to him). A while later, as several of the kids and I were laughing inside, I saw his little head through the window of the front door. I told him to come inside, but he just bent down and hid. When I went outside to see what was the matter, Jeraluz said he was upset that he had scared me with the bug. He shrank down low on the ground, and as Jeraluz was telling me what was wrong, he ran into a dark corner outside the orphanage and hid. I felt awful! My little, precious John Lloyd was upset that he had scared me! I wish I could go back in time and change my reaction to the bug; I just felt absolutely awful!

To switch gears, we also visited the Santo Nino Friday afternoon. Mrs. Pam had never been there, and it is something that I think is very important to understand about Filipino culture.
We have also been cooking most of our own meals! That is different for all three of us, I would say, because I usually let the cafeteria at school cook my food for me, and I know Mrs. Pam really likes to eat out. Jonathan and I cook some in America, but, well, it’s just different here! Yesterday, we made pancakes in a wok! (All the cooking is done outside.) The utensils are pretty limited here, but we did all right! They may not have looked like pancakes, but they tasted good! The boxed pancake mix here comes with a small package of syrup, so yesterday we had pancakes with chocolate syrup. It doesn’t totally replace the chocolate chip pancakes we’re used to, but it was very good! :)

The kids love Frisbee, especially John Lloyd. We brought two Frisbees with us, and John Lloyd is always asking us to play with him. He also loves to take pictures and for someone to take a picture of him. He has two main poses. One is him smiling and putting two fingers around his face, a common pose in the Philippines. The other main one is him standing as straight as he can, hands by his side, looking as serious as he can. He’s so precious! When we were here in January, I wanted to take his little sister home with me, but now I think I want him to come with me too! :) And John Lloyd has given me permission several times to take her to America with me. :)

Last Saturday, the kids found a bird! Rodel, the driver of the orphanage’s tamaraw, grabbed it off of a low tree branch. The kids held it like it was a little hamster! I have never held a bird like that before, but I held it and let it eat out of my hand! It is yellowish-green with touches of blue, quite beautiful! The kids put it in a pet carrier that was outside in the pavilion. It didn't live long. The kids said it was a love bird and couldn't live without its mate. This is me holding the bird... :)

We wash our clothes in two tubs with powder detergent! It’s kind of fun! Today at the store we bought the bar detergent (it looks just like soap, but it's for washing clothes by hand), so we will see how that goes! This is us washing clothes...

As for future plans, Saturday we plan to do a feeding at the dumpsites. We think we may give out pre-packed bags of school supplies and snacks, as well as a Cebuano Bible to each family. Please be in prayer for us as we do that. We will also be looking for 2 more kids to live at the orphanage. Arnell has expressed that it is our decision to choose those 2 kids! That's pretty crazy, so please pray that the Spirit leads us in that decision. We also plan to visit the Camodes Islands Thursday, so that should be an adventure! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we seek the Father's guidance on what His will is for us here. It seems to be a day-by-day thing! But we have had many wonderful opportunities to love on the kids at the orphanage, and Glenn and John Michael have so many questions for Jonathan about the Bible! Please keep him in your prayers, that the Spirit may fill and guide him as he teaches the oldest kids in the orphanage. The younger kids look up to the oldest boy, which is Glenn, so it is wonderful and a super God-thing that he is seeking to lead them in the right direction! He knows that the kids look up to him, and he has expressed that he wants to teach and lead them in the best way possible, which is why he is seeking knowledge about the Bible. It is very encouraging to see his desire :)

That's about all I have to share with you for now, but we know that God will continue to work and move in amazing ways! Please keep us in your prayers, that we may be in the Father's will, guided by the Spirit, and that we may be faithful to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish while we are here. Please pray that we will wait patiently for God to act, as the last verse in Psalm 27 instructs. Please pray also that we will have the strength to do what we need to do. We are not used to the heat here, so we get weary much more easily. But all will be well! I hope things are well in America and that God is blessing you all immensely! Take care!

Mabuhay (Welcome) to the Philippines!

Hello to all from Cebu! We made it here safely at 5:45 AM yesterday morning. We were thankful that we had no trouble the entire trip! Arnell, Dustin Gent’s Filipino “Buddy”, picked us up from the airport. After a 30-hour flight, we were exhausted and hungry! Arnell drove us through the crazy streets of Cebu to the orphanage, about a 30-minute drive. I was excited to see the Philippines again! When we first arrived on our last trip, I was overwhelmed by jet lag and culture shock, which is a terrible mixture of emotions, but since this is my second trip, it was not as difficult. Of course, it is always difficult to see poor little children alone on the streets, begging for food and money.
At the orphanage, the new ya-ya, Linda, made us breakfast, which consisted of rice, hot dogs without buns, and pork. Arnell then took us to his home, where we got showers and slept on beds! After the long plane ride and spending six hours in Manila’s airport unable to sleep, we were thankful to lie flat on beds! We then went shopping for groceries for this week at the mall. By the time we returned to the orphanage, some of the kids were home from school, so it was exciting to see them for the first time in months! I was delighted that they remembered my name :) Of course, I can never forget theirs.
Shortly after we returned, we went to lie down in the air conditioned bedroom Boboy fixed for us in the area they originally were going to use as a study room for the kids. They have put a double-sized bed in there! Mrs. Pam and I slept on the bed, and Jonathan used the stack of mattresses we all bought when we were here in January. We probably layed down just for a “nap” around 6:00, but I didn’t wake back up until midnight! Because we had skipped dinner, I was hungry, so I went downstairs to make a peanut butter sandwich. I do love their peanut butter! We awoke this morning around 5:30, so we got to eat breakfast with the kids. How good it was to see them all again! (Today is June 17 where we are.)
Today Arnell has planned for us to visit 3 of the kids’ families. If I remember correctly, we will see Geraluz, Katherine, and Michelle’s families. I’m pretty excited about getting to see and meet some of them! I know Arnell has an itinerary planned out for us every day we are here, but we all know how planning mission trips goes..God always changes our plans! I would much rather do things His way, though, seeing as how it is His mission field. With that said, I have no idea what all God has in store for us in the coming weeks. I can’t wait to discover what it is that He plans to do in and through us! It’s exciting to think about how our efforts here will have an impact not only in the years to come, but also into eternity. I look forward to sharing with you all everything God is doing, but for now, that is all I have!
Some things to be praying for:
-We are so very thankful to have nice, comfy beds, an air condition, and food in a third-world country!
-We are thankful for Arnell, his knowledge, connections with people, and hospitality!
-It is so absolutely wonderful to be here, and I am thankful God is here with us and making his presence known in our hearts!
-Please pray for us as we venture into the communities here and are surrounded by incredible needs. Though Jonathan and I have been here before, Mrs. Pam has not, and it will be difficult for all of us to take in and process everything. Pray that we may be able to think straight amid all the need and that God will make us sensitive to His Spirit. Pray that we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do what He has for us to do. Pray that we will be on God’s agenda and not our own, and that we will clearly know what He has called us to do while we are here (and that we will be faithful to accomplish it!).

I want to share with you some Scripture that I was reading on the plane (I would insert “yesterday”, but I’m not quite sure what day it was!). It’s Romans 8:29-39.
“For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 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.”
A few things this teaches me: One, verse 30 says “And those He predestined, He also called…” What an amazing thing it is to be called by God just like Paul and the rest of the disciples/apostles! How amazing it is to be called to missions and to be a part of God advancing the Kingdom! And this call is not just for Jonathan, Mrs. Pam, and me, but it is for everyone, all of God’s people. It says that “those He predestined, He also called…” If He has predestined us and called us to faith in Him, He has also called us to follow and serve Him and seek to advance the Kingdom.
Two, the second part of verse 31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” What a great promise to cling to as we will surely face the fiery arrows of the evil one! If the God of Glory is on our side, who can stand against us?! The One who conquered death is on our side..He’s got our backs! And so we are and will continue to be victorious. :)
The third thing God has pointed out to me in this passage is that verse 35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” I think this applies to the people in the dumpsites and slums, those tucked away in corners where they will never be seen, those the world has forgotten. Shall their hunger, their hardship, their persecution by their corrupt government, their literal lack of clothes (there are children and a few adults who have no clothes and walk around absolutely naked), the danger they face by living in dangerous areas, and their absolute poverty separate them from God’s love? Not at all. In fact, I find that I can feel the love of God radiating from Heaven and in my own heart for these forgotten people.
Before we left America, Jonathan and I were talking with his dad one night, and Mr. Steve (Jonathan’s dad) made a comment that many times people say that this is a “God-forsaken place.” I think the 3 of us agreed that it is indeed not God-forsaken, but rather man-forsaken. Our ways of living in America, closed off from the realities of the poorest parts of the world, often keep us from doing anything about the needs others face. And not just the physical needs, but also their spiritual needs to know God and to know love. And so that is part of our mission here..to share the love of Christ and to spread the message of the Risen Christ. God bless you all, and I hope things are well for you back home!

Jet lag + lots of flies + beautiful oceans and skies = Welcome to the Philippines!

Hi from Cebu! We made it here safely after about 26 hours of traveling. There were no real complications with the travel, so it was not as difficult as it was long! :) The poverty here is like nothing I have ever seen. I have heard about it and seen pictures, but it was not until I came and saw the people, their living conditions, and smelled the air they breathe, that I could truly picture the reality of it. I feel that I have truly been hiding away in a safe bubble, unaware of the conditions of the "real world", and by that I mean the extreme poverty of the people here. When Jonathan showed me pictures from his first trip, I was truly moved by them, but when I saw the little girl barefoot standing beside the fence looking confused at the white people around her, the pictures came to life, and it was very moving to see the reality of their lives.

Yesterday, Saturday in Cebu, after our arrival, we visited the cathedral of the Santo Nino (the babydoll they worship), and I was amazed. We had to wait in a long line that stretched through several doorways and hallways to see the actual Santo Nino, which lives in a glass box with many worshippers. In particular, I saw a lady with a young daughter (she was amazed to see white people!) who caught my attention. The worshippers of the Santo Nino kiss a glass box containing some sort of medallion in front of the glass case holding the SN, then they would put their hands to the glass case and silently pray to this non-living babydoll. The lady I watched stood there as if she was begging the Santo Nino for something. It is almost like the people are so poor they pray to this doll to help them, but what hope does it offer? A book I was reading on the plane ride talked about how our Savior has wound marks in His hands, because He suffered and bled for us, but no other god has such wounds. I wonder what it must be like to worship the Santo Nino and to place all my faith in something that is not real. And yet, perhaps in a sense I do that every day. Not to a babydoll and not necessarily intentionally, but how much time do I spend before my Heavenly Father everyday compared to how much time I spend doing other things? We visited First Baptist Cebu this morning, and the preacher spoke about the passage in Luke that contains Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, where He asks the Father to remove the cup from Him, yet He surrenders to the Father's will and not His own. The pastor spoke about how before Jesus did anything, whether service or missions or whatever He did, He prayed to the Father about it. He would wake up early in the morning to do this. Hearing this was convicting.

After church this morning, we visited the dumpsites, where hundreds of people live. I saw one tiny child washing the family's dishes out of a tiny container filled with soapy water. I saw children running around with no shoes and some with no clothes. I saw kids and a few adults going into the dump to search for garbage and things they could sell or use for their survival. I saw the smoke from where the government has burned "houses" in the dumpsites because they are not getting tax money from the families who live there. Hundreds of people.

I must confess my slight discouragement. I know that I am called to Missions, and I know that my calling came from John chapter 1, where John says that the Light that shines into the darkness that does not understand it, became flesh and made His dwelling among us. I know that I am called to become like the people I am called to serve and to live among them, allowing the Light of the World to shine through me into a darkness that is so dark. I know that I am called to this, yet I find my spiritual self battling my worldliness, as I realize how drastic of a change that will mean from the American life we are used to living. After seeing these people and being among them, I cannot return untouched and unchanged. I cannot ignore such a thing as this. And I cannot deny a calling I prayed to receive. Yet I realize and am grieved by how difficult it would be to change my life in such a way, and only because I am grieved that I am so accustomed to my own way of life. While in church this morning, I begged God's forgiveness for how little I needed Him. All I could pray was "Forgive me God, forgive me!" We sang several songs in the church that were actually familiar to me, and I noticed a trend among them all. They all talked about how everyday we will walk with God and trust that He is all we need. One in particular said, "Better than the riches of this world, better than the sound of my friends' voices, better than getting what I say I need, Your love is..." And the songs went on to say how everyday we'll follow after God and seek His face as all we need, and I found myself unable to sing these words because I honestly didn't know if they were really true of myself. I want them to be, I do! It is like Paul said in Romans, I do not understand what I do! The pastor of FBC Cebu said the reason we need to pray much is because temptation is a strong and powerful thing. Perhaps it is so strong and powerful we do not realize it. I find that there are daily battles against things that take away my need for God, like having everything "I say I need" at my fingertips, with plenty of money in my wallet to get these things. When I think about the kids in the dumpsites, I wonder if they have really ever held money in their little hands. Definitely not as much as I have. And it's not fair, and I don't know what to do about it. Perhaps that will be the topic of many prayers to come....