While we were in Australia we met a Filipino guy and ended up spending an afternoon with his Filipino youth group doing Bible study and praise and worship. It was awesome to be able to get to know people from the culture that we were about to go into the next month!
This month, in the Philippines, we met two Aussie guys, Chinny and Nathan. They had been living there for the last 8 months with Nathan’s parents. The year before they had come to visit his parents, and God showed them the need for children’s ministry on the island of Bohol (where we stayed). Hearing and seeing that need, they raised support and came to live soon after. In the past 8 months they have begun several kids and youth ministries within the poorer communities around Bohol.
On Wednesday of the last week we were there, we got the opportunity to see these guys in action and participate in their ministry! We had a BLAST! Kids were everywhere singing the songs Nate played on his guitar with all their hearts, laughing as we helped act out the story of “The Good Samaritan” and having fun as we played games! Everyone went away from that time exhausted and completely drenched in sweat…but the tone that those guys had set for those kids and that community was so spiritually energizing! These kids, the next generation of Filipino adults, will be impacted by men and women like Chinny and Nate, who are so passionate about God’s love and in turn, the kids will impact their home country for the gospel of Jesus Christ! The work that we were doing on that island was not in vein, but people were there before and will continue to love on the people of Bohol Philippines. The Jesus party doesn’t stop when we leave! Exciting, huh?!?
