We’ve started our mission, or at least are tomorrow! So far we have started digging dirt out for the hospital and have gotten about 75% of the way done! We unloaded 19 tons of dried food from a non-profit helping KIM ministries feed the neighboring villages that have been affected by typhoons in the past few years. Bible studies started last week and tonight we are doing some more, which I can’t wait for! I’ve joined the praise band, playing ukelele and singing, and we did worship on Sunday for the first time. We will also be doing a Friday worship for the World Racers, which I am pumped for.  Tuesday we are starting our ministry, officially, at the Jazz House with Josie. On Thursday night Kelly, Lacee and I spent the night there. Girls volunteered to send the night there a few days last week, because the care taker had taken vacation time. We watched the movie Soul Surfer (which is a really good, Christian, true story movie!) and then put them to bed. Â
There are tons of malls here and everyone has been going shopping. I bought a few new dresses and shirts, which was SO exciting! I now have about 5 outfits to chose from, ha. I don’t even recognize people anymore with their new clothes! Some people are getting tattoos done by this Christian guy who uses it as a ministry. I’ve had some ideas,  but not sure yet.. we’ll see. There is also a ministry here that does dental work (checkups for only about $10!!), so I am definitely going to get that checked up! I haven’t gotten a massage yet, but I can’t wait for it after all this digging!
This place is going to be hard to leave, we’ve had a lot of luxuries here and have been very blessed; I’m happy we still have about a month here! On Saturday we were able to go swimming at Faith Academy just up the road, where one of my good friends I used to work/live with in Colorado, Peter Quakenbush, used to live and knows the family we are working with! We have nightly screenings of documentaries on the balcony, with free WIFI to download new ones every day.  Amazing Filipino women that cook great food for us every meal, food that we don’t have to eat 4 plates of to not be rude (unlike Africa) and food that we recognize and like! There is a bakery and tons of street food just outside of the compound that sells great food for 1 to 5 pesos (40 pesos = $1)!
The warm weather means tons of bugs, eugh! Â We have cockroaches running around our room (especially the bathroom) that are 2-3 inches long! Â Large spiders crawling around and one of the sons has a snake collection on the balcony outside.. Some people have suffered from biting ants and mosquitos, but luckily no malaria. I’m not even sure if this is a malaria infected area or not.
Well, this is just a little update on the fun things we have been doing. I’ll write later in the week to let you know how the ministry is! I’ll also try to take some photos/videos and introduce the girls living at the Jazz House that we will be working with! Hope you are having a great Sunday! Jesus loves you! 🙂
