I am now in Mindanao, a mountainous Island about an hour and a half south of Manilla. And so it begins! We’re working with an organization called K.I.M (Kids International Ministry). It is so beautiful; from the workers, to the children, to the town, to even the clouds. We pull up in a bus filled with hungry world racers eager to see where we’re staying, and all we see are kids running across a dirt field coming to greet the visitors. Smiles on their faces, ready to play and be loved.
The main reason we are here is to help this ministry, but there are tons of other ministries to get involved with in the town.
We’re taking shifts to help the workers with the children (24 orphans total) and showing them as much love as we can. Through out the day all I can here is, “Hi Ate Leyna, come play!’ At that moment I just think of how much I love them already. They call me Ate or Tita, which means Sister or Aunt. There are just 24 bundle of joys running all around, even the ones who’ve been battered and abused, or abandoned because there mother left them in the middle of the night to try and “escape for a better life”.
We’re also starting to help out with a prison ministry in town. I can’t explain how I felt walking into this jail. I was scared not knowing what I was going to see, comforted knowing our brothers were standing in front of us to protect us from stares, and excited to see what God has been doing with the inmates. Walking into the prison…crowded jail cells, hands reaching out to have some outside human contact, small sleeping corners, dirty, smelly, and just unlivable. We stopped in front of Cell # 2 where 14 men were baptized the week before. Amazing praise! Then the feeling of complete comfort and peace fell over my heart. The leader of cell # 2 picked up his guitar and started singing a worship song to us. Before we knew it, the men in the cell were worshiping too. Then we all couldn’t help but worship as well! The presence of God fell over that jail cell. So unexpected but beautiful! This has been just week 1! More stories to come.
Reminder: 5,602 left to raise. Thank you to all my supporters. Love you all
