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!