Coming up to Manila, my goal wasn’t to write about all of the Long kids, but that’s who I’ve been getting to know and spending time with. I spent nearly two and a half hours in traffic last night with the Long’s oldest kid, Josie, on our way to the airport to pick up some other friends. Even though sitting in traffic can typically be extremely frustrating (especially in Manila, there’s nothing like it…) it was really a blessing to hear her story and get to know who she is. I always love meeting the kids of pastors and missionaries, because you never know what you’re going to get.
As the oldest of five kids, there’s a lot of natural leadership that develops early on, so you can almost say Josie was born into leading. She has spent nearly her entire life here in the Philippines before heading off to the US after high school to see what life is like off of the missionary field (as a Christian, are you ever really off it though?). It was really cool to hear her talk about her time in the States and how God ultimately called her back to the Philippines to start her own ministry. There are some instances where you don’t know what you’ll miss until it’s gone and now Josie proudly displays “Filipina girl” tattooed on her foot. Not only has she been raised her, but for this time, she has been called here to serve God.
The training she received in the States was in cosmetology and hair dressing, and she has brought that back here in hopes to train women and provide them with jobs. She is working with several girls in order to disciple them, but also train them to do manicures, pedicures, and hair cuts, and just provide them with jobs. Girls desperately need help in this culture because there are so many self worth and identity issues on top of the physical struggles that these girls face. Many of them fall for the lie of work in a big city in another country only to land themselves smack dab in the middle of sex slavery. As a big sister, Josie has heard the call to protect these girls, and is providing them with practical help.
Through our conversation, I was so thankful that Josie is making this thing hers. So many Christians follow their parents’ decisions and never really step into the calling that is placed on their lives. Josie’s dad has a good handle on ministry out here and it would be easy to just slide in under that and run the family business. However, by stepping out on her own and making her own mistakes, God has given a stronger calling on her life that is in fact her’s.
That’s what I pray for everyone that I come in contact with that claims Christianity. I pray it’s not some dead thing that was passed down by their parents, but that it’s a real relationship that is theirs to take part in. God has a calling for each and everyone of us. What’s yours?
