Jason:
So this month in the Philippines we are living in San Mateo which is west and a bit north from Manila staying in a rural area with a wonderful Filipino family who work with an American missionary family who live on the outskirts of Manila. The primary focus for this ministry is the street kids who live on the edge of Manila. They bring them out to their amazing place in the mountains (where we are staying) on average every other week or once a month. On the weeks that they don’t bring them out to their place, they go in and visit them on the streets. We did one weekend camp with them this month and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them, singing, campfires, games, hanging out. The next week we went to the streets and took them to a local park and had a great time playing with them there, although many of them got real tired after lunch and just wanted to sleep the afternoon away. Yesterday, we went in and hung out in front of this store where quite a few of them hang out and danced the afternoon away to super loud music right there on the street, it was a great time of building friendships and investing into their lives. Last week as we were traveling back to their home area from the park on a Jeepney, their local transportation system here, Sara was holding a young street boy who was crying and comforting him from some scare he had on the street with a motorcycle almost hitting him. And as I sat across from them and watched them, it suddenly hit me that he doesn’t have a mother who loves him and comforts him like this when he’s crying, or care for him like a child deserves. It’s in those moments that you feel like the small efforts of love are so small compared to the need, but I know that God can use even the smallest of our efforts to touch their hearts and show them His love through us.
When not playing basketball in the local community in the afternoons after the local kids are out of school, we are working around the property, digging a fish pond, making shelves, chicken pens from bamboo, cooking, cleaning, mowing the yard, weed whacking, and doing whatever the host has for us to do around the large property.
It has truly been an amazing month with awesome views of the mountains around us from our house, and the Filipino people are so warm and friendly and we have the world’s best host family. Their kids have truly worked their way into my heart. Yesterday when we returned home from spending time with the street kids, Alicia, their daughter, jumped into my arms and welcomed me home. It’s then you know you are going to miss this amazing family and their love.
Sara:
The Philippines: natural beauty, lush mountains, cool breezes, humid afternoons, diverse foods (yes, I’ve eaten some crazy stuff, you can ask me about that later!), and amazingly warm, friendly people and eager children (they don’t see White people often, so walking through town we feel like celebrities as the kids reach out for high fives with bright eyes and huge smiles). Our team was paired with another team for the month, so the 13 of us are staying at a camp outside the small, rural village of San Mateo with our gracious host, Rhayan Lee, and his family. I’ve been honored to become acquainted with this man and his lovely wife and children. Actually, this month I kind of created my own avenue of ministry by primarily working in the kitchen with Rhayan and his wife, Michelle, who generously cook all of our meals (meaning they serve 3 meals plus 2 snacks daily—in keeping with Filipino tradition). So, while the rest of the crew could be found chopping down bamboo to make chicken coops or fences, or playing with kids in the community, I’d often be found frying something, chopping veggies, or washing dishes. I really have found great joy in investing in our hosts through spending time with them—having quality conversations over joint food prep, and learning to love well through simple service. (And, of course, I joined in on the other activities as well whenever I could.) The building of these relationships, as well as pursuing something I’m really passionate about (caring for our hosts well/supporting long-term missionaries well as a primary goal of short-term missions) has been the major highlight of my month.
(Sorry, for less communication than usual this month. Finding internet is quite an excursion; it takes at least an hour via public [crowded, Asian-style] transportation to get to an internet cafe or store/mall with WiFi.)
(Our favorite mode of transportation: riding on TOP of a Jeepney [bus/Jeep-type vehicle that is the most common form of public transportation])
