a day in the life (22 November)…dumaguete, philippines
at 8:05 AM, team Beloved:Eleven (minus a bed-ridden Kari) walked into a room of 50 or so ICM staff members, interrupting their morning devotion time by our tardiness. We were welcomed and given seats in the circle, and we proceded to hear the morning’s word of encouragement from Scripture, sing a worship song, and write down prayer requests on post-it notes. Prayer requests were read aloud so we could join together in interceding for one another, and then introductions took place, as we learned the names of the Filipino men and women who are called to release the poorest of the poor in the Philippines from spiritual, emotional and physical bondage.
after devotions, the staff went about their daily duties – from follow-up with local pastors, to administrative and accounts work, to heading out to the villages to provide medical and feeding programs. The nine of us stayed back to discuss our schedule for the coming weeks, and to learn the logistics of what this day would involve. Four of us would travel to meet Pastor Attos and speak with members of his village, sharing the gospel and bringing words of encouragement. The remaining five would split up to participate in ICM’s feeding program at two seperate churches in Valencia.
while waiting to leave for our ministry locations, we found ourselves restless in the meeting room where we’d had devotions. A few wandered next door to the ICM office to get to know some of the staff members. A few pressed hard into working out a feasible schedule that allowed room for everyone to participate in the unique programs ICM offers. A few prayed, read, or talked. Despite my extreme lack of rhythm or skill, I was asked to help choreograph a dance for an upcoming event performance (thankfully, Jem soon realized his error in judgement and decided to create his dance without my help).
Our teams soon split up and after lunch, Mark and I climbed into the back of a truck with several 10 lb bags of rice for the ride up to Valencia. ICM’s Feeding Program provides twenty-five of the neediest families in each participating slum with weekly food supplements of 4kg packages of rice. Each week, the local church partnering with ICM, holds educational classes open to the entire community. The needs of the whole person are addressed in this program of instruction which covers basic health and hygienic practices, instruction in character development (integrity, responsibility, anger management, etc.) and sharing of the message of Godís grace. The supplemental rice packages are distributed in conjunction with this educational program. (check out http://www.caremin.com/index.html for more info)
We arrived in Valencia and (again) walked into the middle of the church’s instruction time, where Pastor Tony was preaching on prayer and grace. His words, interchanging between Tagalog and English, were filled with passion for the handful of people staring back at him. The Holy Spirit spoke through him, bringing tears and cries of “Amen” from a few of the women sitting in the church. Mark and I sat on the front row, listening to the words we could understand, and searching through our Bibles for a word the Lord might want us to share with these people.
After Pastor Tony concluded his sermon, I was asked to be the first to speak. Though usually nervous about speaking in front of people, especially about spiritual things, I had so much peace about being up there, so much love for the faces I saw in front of me. The Lord led me to speak on prayer, and how so often we question if God hears our prayers, because we don’t see answers or we don’t see evidence that He is is even listening. But God calls us to be faithful in praying, because He desires our hearts to be His, and He does answer prayers in His own timing. Mark followed my talk by speaking on how we listen to God, and though often we go through our list of things we want God to do for us, but God just wants to speak to us and share His heart with us, if only we’d be still and listen.
Following our talks, we had times of prayer: everyone in the church found a partner to pray with, and then later, an invitation to come to the front if someone desired prayer or counsel. Pastor Tony, Mark, and I stood at the front as almost every member of the congregation came forward, one by one, to have us lay hands and pray over them. Most of them spoke to Pastor Tony in Tagalog, and he prayed for them in Tagalog, so I had nothing to pray except what the Lord told me to pray over them. But it was amazing.
The instruction/prayer time concluded and the women gathered to begin practice for the next day’s choral competition (for which I got to be a guest judge!). Mark and I went inside with Pastor Tony and his wife, Angie to learn more about their life and their church. He graciously offered us donuts and coffee (seriously?!) and shared his heart for the church. I sat with their three-year-old son, Joshua and his young cousin, Leelee, playing with them and observing the joy that overflowed from Pastor Tony’s words. He says people call him the “Laughing Pastor” because he cannot stop smiling and laughing. The joy of the Lord is evident. He asks us to pray for the funding and resources to expand his church building, as there are now 70 members and the small concrete room will not hold all of them. He asks also for humility and wisdom to lead such a growing congregation. Mark and I are blessed to meet a woman who leads the children’s ministry, who had a dream the night before that two foreigners would be at the church this day. She is a joy to speak with, as she shares that though children’s ministry is not where she is most comfortable, she is obedient to whatever role the Lord would place her in.
As we prepare to leave Pastor Tony’s church, his wife graciously offers a bar of soap to Mark and I, her side business (Mmmm – Papaya and Calamansi!). Children run after us as the truck bumps down the rocky mountain road, waving goodbye with huge smiles on their faces. The Lord has blown off my expectations once again. I long to return, to pour into these people and learn from them, almost wishing I could live in their village and experience life as they do. This has been an amazing day. This is the Kingdom life.
Who knows?
It’s only just out of reach,
Down the block, on a beach,
Under a tree.
I got a feeling there’s a miracle due,
Gonna come true,
Coming to me!
