Guys, the Philippines has been really amazing. It was a great way to ease into the World Race because we were so blessed to have a great contact. We had wonderful facilities with nice beds, good food, and showers. We were busy from 8 to 5 every day, playing with kids at KIM’s children’s home, tutoring in their neighborhood schools, working construction, visiting neighboring communities with meals, and playing with the kids in the community.
My team had a few really cool opportunities to participate in some other more adventurous ministry opportunities, going to Olongapo to pray over the human trafficking and prostitution, visiting a boys’ home in Manila, and teaching English to some Chinese people at a church in Manila. We were all over the map. Literally.
God truly blessed us in the adventure aspect of things too. My team loves to travel and explore, and we took every opportunity to go out and experience the Philippines. We hiked a really cool volcano called Ta’al, visited Crystal Beach outside of Subic, explored Manila and went to several malls, visited the Philippines branch of Word of Life Bible Institute, and last, but not least, we went to a Relient K concert and actually got to meet them.
All of this in about two and a half weeks. Like, what??
I recognize that we’re really in the honeymoon stages of the World Race. Nobody’s bad habits annoy anyone yet. We had space and time to learn and grow on our own. We’re fresh, not tired or spent emotionally/physically/mentally/spiritually.
But even aside from it being the first month, God has still challenged us in many ways and blessed us tremendously, and there’s nothing anyone can say to make that any different.
Here’s to ten more months of growth, challenges, blessings, and adventures as we invest in communities and missionaries all over the world.
See you on Tuesday, Malaysia!
