I have said this before and I will continue to say it because it rings as true today as it has for the past 2 years. I have an incredible community in America which supports me so far above and beyond anything I could ever fathom, prayerfully and financially. A friend and I were having lunch one day this summer while I was in America and in town, two things which aren’t a common occurrence these days. At this lunch we had a conversation about family and how amazing it is to have a family which supports you, regardless of what you are doing, but particularly in mission work. The church I grew up in while living in Minnesota is really a vague memory of my past because we left when I was 9 and I don’t think I could name more than a handful of people from the comparatively large congregation. My church in Houston has been a part of my life for 13 years now. Most everyone in this congregation I could consider as family because of the amount of life we have done together. Together we have laughed, cried, served, taught, worshiped, worked, played and so much more. The point is, to have you all as my family and supporting me is one of the greatest gifts God has given me, by far. (Wow that was hard to even type without choking up a little bit. For serious, you guys rock!)
Brass tacks time. I have met the minimum “requirement” provided by AIM for my current mission as far as funds are concerned, thanks to God working through all of you! However, this isn’t a funds based mission. The really peculiar thing about this life as a long term missionary is all of a sudden it isn’t about what number my support account is at. Our long term missions department has given us the freedom and responsibility of being mature adults who follow God which means whether the funds exist or not, following God. Now obviously this means there is a level of discernment which one must possess to do this effectively. I believe the discernment needed is possessed by this team. I was reading a blog the other day about how mission work isn’t sexy. Personally I don’t enjoy the word choice, but the point was most missions can simply be described as living in a different city/country. All of the real life things you do at home, you still have to do wherever you are; pay bills, grocery shop, yard work, job or ministry, etc. and most of the time these things take longer because life isn’t as organized or convenience based as the western world. The biggest difference is the intentionality of everything you do and the purpose behind you life in such a place.
We live on the north side of Metro Manila, a city of 246.6 square mile and 25.5 million inhabitants. Yes, it is freaking huge! There is something which resembles a public transportation system which even on its worst day is light years ahead of Houston. The public transportation system is comprised of motorbikes with side cars, former U.S. military jeeps from the Viet Nam war transformed into stretch jeeps, some pricey buses and relatively expensive taxis. However, even with all of these options they all have a specific route meaning moving around the 246 square miles takes an extreme amount of transfers and several hours. Our team has agreed having a personal mode of transportation would significantly alter our effectiveness in moving around the city, particularly in those real life things which in turn gives us more freedom in the non-typical/ministry things as well. If grocery shopping isn’t an all day event, we then have the opportunity to use the rest of our time more effectively. The less time we spend on the mundane “have-to’s,” the more effective we can be in our outreach to our community and discipleship of the girls.
Obviously it would be awesome to find a car our whole team could fit it with GPS and air conditioning but this is also very unrealistic at this time. I am looking to get a motorbike on which 1-3 persons can travel cutting cost of public transportation and allowing the freedom to do many more things in this huge, huge city. Here is the really nice thing about motorbikes in Southeast Asia; they are quite cheap because it is the most common mode of transport. I have found what I believe to be a reasonably priced bike in good condition and have every intention of purchasing this for our team. The funds for this already exist in some fashion. But I have a request. After purchasing this, I will need to replenish some of my funds in order to continue contributing to this team respectfully until my departure in June. This doesn’t mean I need to raise X amount by X day. I am putting this out there because in the next 4-6 months I will need to raise $2000-$3000 in order to make it to the end of June (4 months beyond the minimum requirement). This includes the cost of the bike plus the additional funds to live here 4 extra months. So if you are one of those “on the ball” kinds of people and do your taxes before the end of the year so you know how much you need to donate in order to get a good return… J Or maybe you are looking to get a head start on your deductions for next year and want to wait until after the New Year, there is no rush; all donations are received with immense appreciation and gratitude however they come.
Family and other random people reading my blog, thank you for your support and faithfulness. I am so blessed to have been called to the Philippines and to have a community who believes in the word of God to be proof His voice and callings are real. His Kingdom is on earth and we are ridiculously blessed to be a part of it! More is coming!
As He leads me,
Jason
