***As I mentioned in my last blog, this week I really felt the significance of what I'm doing as opposed to previous weeks. I've felt it in the main ministry I've been working in, other ministries that I got to work in this week, and in my team.
1. Main Ministry
2. Other Ministries
3. Team Time
4. Little Tidbit
5. Prayer Requests
1. Main Ministry
Two other women and I have been working with a ministry that is kind of like a youth group- they provide tutoring in the day, devotions and food every night, and other activities. The ministry is making such an impact on the poor community. We were told that now the kids are solid in their faith and have goals/ambitions and that they didn't have that before. We've been tutoring the kids that are around jr. high-aged, and we teach them Bible verses and help them with English. We've been seeing the same kids now, and we've been able to develop deeper relationships with them which I haven't been able to do much of thus far on the race. Not only this, but we've been able to go into their community and meet their families and pray for them and sometimes bring food and hang out, have devotions with them, and next week we're going to take some of the girls out to eat and go see a movie. It has been rewarding to be able to experience and be a part of their school life, family life, spiritual life, and entertainment life. They always greet us so warmly with smiles and hugs and say "Thank you for teaching me today!" I can tell that they really look up to us. The kids are so loving, respectful, and have good hearts. I really love teaching and discipling/mentoring kids in a holistic way.
Daniella and her sister Dianne coloring during tutoring
The Community: We go out into the community everyday. The community that they live in is unlike any place I've ever seen. The narrow, cement paths of the community are always wet from either people washing clothes or bathing or from the rain, and there's trenches from typhoons. The trenches are really dirty and they have little, unsteady bridges to walk over them. I'm glad I haven't fallen yet. The community usually has to go to an evacuation center at some point during the year because of the water level from the typhoons. When we walk into the community, after a bit, we have a small army of kids holding our hands and wanting to play with us. They're always like "Hello Ate (Ah-tay) Jacelyn!" which means "Sister Jacelyn". There is a dirty river there, and it has these big fish called Janitors that pop up to the surface and flip over. I kept staring at them, and I think they were wondering why I was doing that haha. Their houses are made of wood and cement and are about the size of a garage in the U.S. I'd say. Most of them have electricity and TVs though I think which is interesting. One of the women that we always visit named Rachel had us over for lunch one day and made us authentic Filipino food which was Chicken Adobo, rice, fish, and this fried thing that I forgot what it was called. Even though the family has so little, they were so willing to serve us. Rachel told us that many in the community know that they don't have much, but that family is what matters to them. However, it's not uncommon in the community to have one family member who's passed away. Rachel and her husband have a little store and also they were given a sewing machine to make pockets for pants for a factory where they make around 300 pesos (around 5-8 U.S. dollars) a week I think. She told us that many people don't have enough money for school. Even the public schools have fees like for uniforms that sometimes are hard to pay for. Her niece that we tutor sometimes wants to go to college, but they can't afford it. It's so hard to imagine what that's like coming from a country where school is free kindergarten to high school. Another thing that is interesting is that she kept telling us that she thinks that we're so beautiful and that many of the Filipino women want the pointed noses that white people have, and she kept commenting on our noses. I thought that was quite interesting because I never have really thought that I have a beautiful nose ha. They also have whitening make-up here. It's quite interesting because we have a lot of tanning salons in the U.S.
The unsteady bridge that goes over the trench from the typhoon and one of the sweet boys that we tutor named Arvie with my umbrella- he is so joyful.
View from the woman's house that we visit a lot and ate lunch at- someone washing clothes and there's a lot of stray, cute cats
Devotions: On Thursday, we got to lead the devotional, and we talked about how we suffer now, but that we have hope in Christ. It was good because I think they could really relate to it. One of the boys that we tutor's dad passed away just 2 weeks ago, and he mentioned that to everyone during the devotion. Romans 5:3-5 "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." and 2 Corinthians 4:18 "So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever." Many of the people here understand and speak English, but also many people don't know that much English, so we did the devotional in English and then had someone translate it into Tagalog for us. About 40 kids came and then they ate supper there.
Jennifer and I- I see her in the community and she went to the devotional. She's very outgoing and demands that I learn Tagalog- it's really funny.
2. Other Ministries I also got to do a couple other things this week too like one day this week I got to help out at the birthing clinic and take the pregnant women's blood pressure. I was quickly shown how to take blood pressure manually, but then they gave me this automatic device where all you have to do is push the button and read the screen. I also got to package some eggs to give to the women there so that they can have more protein in their bodies to help with the development of their babies. It was really cool and felt significant! I saw a box there from "Feed My Starving Children" from New Hope, MN. I thought that was really cool because I used to live next to New Hope in MN, and I've helped out with "Feed My Starving Children" before, so it was cool to see that box in the Philippines. One of my teammates that's a nurse got to help deliver a baby through the birthing clinic at someone's house this week! She told me about it! I also got to put the toddlers to bed at the children's home one time this week. They were so cute! They were singing songs like "Jesus Loves Me" and the Barney song, and it was so cute! I also got to lead the devotional at the children's home one night. We did it on the parable of the lost sheep and how Jesus makes the symbolism of him being like a shepherd and his people being like sheep and that if one sheep leaves, the shepherd will go find it, and that there will be rejoicing when it comes back.
3. Team Time Lastly, I've had some good time with my team this week too. I have a team of 5 other women this month and our team is called "Ignited". It's been really chill, supportive, and positive with my team, and we've been taking time to talk about the current "season" of life each of us are in right now. I have felt that I have significance in helping teammates here this last week. People are really starting to become passionate and grow and change- it's really encouraging because I haven't always felt this in the previous months. Through my team, I've also been learning to be more serving and not seek praise from people.
4. Little Tidbit One other interesting fact from this week was that I read this awesome quote from the book "Radical" and I shared it with my team, and then the next day I randomly saw the Bible verse that goes along with it in the Bible, and then that night I heard a girl from a different team on the phone randomly mention that verse to whoever she was talking to. I think God wanted me to take note of it maybe. Here's the penetrating quote: ''So what about you and me? Are we willing to ask God if he wants us to sell everything we have and give the money to the poor? Are we willing to ask and wait for an answer instead of providing one of our own or justifying our ideas of why he would never tell us to do this? This seems a bit radical, but isn't it normal and expected when we follow a Master who said, 'Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple'? Once again we find ourselves back at what it means to follow the Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus we have created and are comfortable with.'' -David Platt
5. Prayer Requests:
1. For a little girl in the community who just had surgery on this big lump on her neck (not sure how good the hospital was)- that she would be completely healed and healthy and grow strong and live a life for Jesus
2. For our time on Monday where we're going to take out 4 of the teenage girls in the community to a dinner and a movie
3. That I feel confidence and security in myself from God and also that I'd find my comfort in Him and not food or other things. You can pray: ''For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.'' 2 Timothy 1:7
4. Praise God that He's kept me healthy, happy, and safe as well as my family and friends while I've been gone! 
