This last week was PVT week! That means that my mom got to come to the Philippines and meet me and do things that I have been doing for the whole race. This was a really really great time. My mom was able to have enough money to come and have a good time but my dad had to stay back and watch over everything, you know how it goes. I wish he could have come and met everyone but it just wasn’t in the cards this time around.
Alright, lets get down to the real intense stuff. This week has been like nothing else anyone I know has ever experienced. Our ministry together was to go into the sex trading bars and show the girls love and to tell them that there is a way out if they trust us. We were missionaries of an organization named “Wipe Every Tear”. They are the only ones that do what they do and I think that they do it amazingly and I would love to take a trip back there sometime and see in what way I can help, because they really need it.
So, before I start ranting or even get into any of the things that you all are dying to hear, I need to warn you that there might be things said in this that aren’t “politically correct” or that may be offensive to some people. I am sorry if this offends anyone but I’m a man that tells it as it is with no BS in between. That being said, I am also not allowed to say some things that I would like to say because I don’t want to put any of the girls at risk or want to disclose any information that might harm anyone if in the wrong hands. Hold on to your socks ladies and gentlemen, you’re about to hear some crazy experiences
Alrighty, where to start? Well my mom arrived in Manila and we weren’t allowed to see each other for the first day so we rested in our hotels and just took some time off. Then bright and early at 9am the next day she arrived at my hotel(yes, I said hotel! Absolutely amazing) but I just happened to be in the shower at that tim because they had hot water and I couldn’t pull myself out of it haha. It felt so amazing! I think I would have slept in it if I got to stay there for another night.
I saw my mom for the first time and it was absolutely amazing to see that we never even lost a beat. We picked up right where we left off, like I just left yesterday. I should have known that that was how it was going to be but it never hit me until she was in my arms and I was giving her a huge hug. It was amazing that she was here with me and willing to go through all the things that I have been going through.
Later we had a meeting that told us what we all were going to do for the week. In that meeting we were told that we were going to take a bus down to the bars of the Philippines. In those bars are countless girls that are in the sex trade. These women are forced to be in this line of work to pay for food or for their families or just because they were tricked into thinking that it was a waitressing job. Our job was to go into the bars and tell the girls that there was a way out with this organization called Wipe Every Tear. They could get on a bus and bring their kids with them and go to a safe house and not have to pay for anything. Not only would they get their food paid for through this organization, they would also get medical care all paid for. That means that they can get their teeth fixed or their hearing or eyes or anything that they needed help with. It doesn’t stop there folks, it gets better! On top of all that and the living expenses for them and their kids, they also get all their college paid for in full! Can you believe this?! This organization is changing these girls lives for ever. They believe if you can get one girl out of the trade then their family and maybe friends won’t have to go into it either.
A couple nights later, it was our first night at the bars and we were walking down the street at night time. This place put Los Vegas to shame. There were girls in the streets pulling guys into their bars and guys walking around the street selling Viagra. It was overwhelming at first with all the music and the people and the lights that were everywhere. I couldn’t believe where I was and that I was there with my mom and two little Philippino girls that decided to follow the missionaries like me and get out of the sex trade years ago. They were here to help us but the trick is that no Philippinos are allowed in this area except for workers or if they are with white people. These girls weren’t allowed to go help any other girls if they didn’t have us there with them and it would be tough to figure out what we were doing exactly with out them. It was a great partnership.
All that night we went into bar after bar and would call down girls who were on stage, wearing almost nothing at all. In some of the big bars there were guys with laser pointers that would shine their lights on girls when they would want them to come over to them. It was very degrading and just an overall sad place. I don’t know how well I would have done without the Lord being there for me the whole time. I had to pray that he would watch my heart and would watch my eyes. Another huge thing that I had to ask for prayer on is how I looked at all the men that were there for these girls. These men need to know about Jesus even more than the girls working there do. These guys are loved by Jesus so therefore I am called to love them back. That was hard to do at first but God really did help me very much.
One of the bars that I went to, me and another girl from our teams went up on stage and started dancing! I don’t know very many moves but I am pretty good at doing the same thing that someone else does. So I copied some of the girls moves that were up there not knowing/or caring that it was right in front of someones dad that was there haha. I thought that it was very funny how all that was turning out and I liked that the guys there stopped asking for girls to come to them while we were up there. It was a good way to make the girls have a good time and to stop them from going to the guys.
They were a very spiritually draining days and they were long nights at the bars but it all turned out to be perfect. One or two of the girls that we talked to in the bars actually came and visited the safe house and I am pretty sure they are going to stay there too!! I would love to try and figure out a way to take another trip out there and be able to do that ministry again because it was really absolutely amazing in every way and I believe it really puts a good perspective of life in your head. I would highly recommend it for all of you guys who might be feeling called to do something like this too. You won’t regret its and God will work miracles through you.
SOUTH AFRICA
So I have been in SA(South Africa) for about two weeks now. It really has been amazing through and through. For the first week all the squads were together and we had like a camp. There were about 150 racers in one place. It was awesome and a great time seeing everyone.
After that week my new team(I know I have a new team now!! Crazy right?!) and I have been at our ministry host place. Its an organization called Impact Me and they ave been up and running in SA for a few years now. They are really doing amazing things like Baby Rescue and have created about five schools that all are all busting at the seams. They also have hospitals and clinics all over in the squatter camps too. They are absolutely amazing
My team and I are now interns at this organization. We are going to learn everything there is on being a missionary. They are going to teach us the office parts and the out reach and everything. Thats something that I have been wanting to learn about and learn more about, so its really an answer to prayer. So far we have been going through training for everything and we are still taking tests on our spiritual strengths and abilities. Then we are going to be going out into the communities and squatter camps and preaching the word. Also, we are even going to have classes on how to be a missionary and even going to be taught Zulu. Im super excited!!
Right now I am super blessed on our living conditions. Silas and I have our own room that has two dressers and a shower and bath tub that both have hot water and two sinks and a toilet that all work and are perfect. Its a world race luxury! Also, we get to cook for ourselves and the organization gave us a shopping card with R3,000 on it which is about $230 for the month. All the guys(6) have decides that we are going to try and eat dinner together every night of the week. So far we have been eaten like kings compared to the rest of the race and how we have been eating. God has really blessed us and this is going to be a hard time and a spiritually rough time because of all the work and trials and just having everything being so different than what we are use to but it will really be an amazing God filled three months. I can’t wait to learn and soak in everything I can while I’m here.
Sorry for this being so late, don’t have wifi very often and its been a bust couple of weeks but I want to thank everyone for the prayers and just to keep sending them along because IM gong to need it more and more! Till next time!
