I’ve been in the Philippines for 2 weeks now and I am just in awe of this place! I’m not going to lie, Albania was hard for me.
My team and I lived in a one bedroom one bathroom apartment and worked with a local church. We held an English club on Friday nights and a kids club on Saturday mornings. I know I sound crazy for saying it was hard for me, but that was really the only ministry we had. four hours out of the week. I would sit in our apartment for the remainder of the week just asking God “why am I here”. I knew that I was called to this place but I just felt like I wasn’t being used and that frustrated me. I struggled with being “still” when I am such a busy body and always need to be doing something. We were in a big developed city where everyone was on the go all the time and surrounded by neighborhood kids that really wanted nothing to do with us. Discouraged was an understatement.
Although, having lots of down time with my team, we got really close and we learned how to live in community. We started saying our ministry was community because sometimes it was a challenge! I got to spend lots of time reading my bible, talking to God, and thinking about my future and my calling and learning how to be “still”.
Even though it was hard and we only met with those kids once a week, when we said bye to them, they walked away with tears in their eyes. We touched those kids in some sort of way and I have realized that that’s enough for me. I was there for a reason and God did use me. Even if it was just for Friday nights and Saturday mornings. Realizing that, got me even more excited for the Philippines; getting involved with a different ministry and being in a different culture.
I have now been in the Philippines for two weeks and I am just in AWE of this place. This is exactly what I envisioned when I thought of the “World Race”. We are working with Kids international ministry and have been on the go since we arrived! We are staying at a place called the “lighthouse” and are living with 3 other teams! Ministry wise, we have AM and PM feedings, foundation (construction team), working in a school with kids, hospital, and then an off day and adventure day.
Those are the “main things” that fill our day…other than that, we have women’s bible study on Mondays, kids play time on Tuesdays (so they come to the lighthouse), worship night with the kids on Wednesdays, kids play time on Thursdays, movie nights with the kids on Fridays, Awanas on Saturdays ( I am in charge of teaching kids 13+) and then church on Sunday’s. So we are always busy and doing something!!! And when its not ministry and the kids aren’t around, we go to the beach (100 yards from the lighthouse), go on bike rides, go to the mall, play games in the living room area and just have fellowship with one another.
It’s really fun here and I’m learning a lot! I love living in different countries and meeting new people. Life is good friends!!
