Hey everyone! It has been a while since I last posted a blog! God has worked extensively in my life since then. I have been walking a road of self-discovery of my identity in Christ. But that is not what this blog is about, well, not entirely. On January 12, 2015 I arrived in the Philippines and I have been staying at Kim International Ministries headquarters in Manila. My team’s official ministry site is on Mindanao Island which is the southernmost island in the Philippines. While I cannot wait to arrive at our official site, I would not trade the time I have spent in Manila for anything. Most of my time here has been spent working with endlessly energetic children. The only way I survived these past few days is by the grace of God. If anyone knows me very well they know I am a serious germaphobe. One of the daily outreaches KIM does is called feedings. These feedings are both joyous and heart wrenching. Witnessing the daily living conditions of these people is an experience I will never forget. It almost does not seem real. There is trash everywhere, homes that look like a powerful gust of wind will blow over, children running around barefoot or in the only pair of flip flops they own. Despite this they still have smiles on their faces and they are just grateful to have a warm meal. It is only by grace I was able to throw away my fears and invest in these children. Fear is a powerful emotion that can cause us to make horrible decisions. Once the children finished eating their next objective was to clamor for attention. One way they did this was by jumping on you. My initial instinct was to throw them off and lock myself in the car with hand sanitizer and wet wipe. Part of discovering who we are in Christ is to let go of our fears and doubt and just do. I would not trade the time I have spent with these children for anything. It is amazing how much God can change us I such a short time if we let him. My challenge to anyone who reads this is to make some experiences of their own. That is all I have today! Hope everyone enjoyed it!
