With not a whole lot of time left here in the Philippines, we’ve begun the process of preparing for home- emotionally. I’ve heard from several past Racers that coming home is hard for many different reasons. Adventure in Missions does their best to prepare Racers for this, but ultimately it is a process that each one of us will walk through differently. I’m not sure exactly what is going to happen once I’m home or how I will feel, but I know it will be tough. My team has started reflecting back on our trip by answering some questions and discussing it with each other. About two weeks out from coming home we will focus more strictly on coming home and that process. For now, we’re just touching on it. I may end up writing a part 2 or even 3 to this blog, but for now I’m going to share the questions we discussed. I feel this is a way for me to briefly show you what has happened on this trip, what we’ve experienced, and probably a lot of inside jokes you might not understand. But feel free to ask!
This isn’t something super well written or planned out, it’s simply what I wrote in my journal & wanted to share so you could get some kind of perspective on this trip as a whole.
What have you experienced as a team?
-Randomly helping out in a rice field, the purest smiles, families sitting together laughing and having no other agenda, the amount of respect in this culture for elders, nakedness, so much joy, so much poverty
What has the food been like?
-Lots of rice and carbs. Overall super good. A lot more natural than the States. And the mangos- sooo good.
Remember that time we tried chicken intestine and a chicken head?
How has ministry been?
-A lot different than expected, but still fruitful. A lot of feedings and kids grabbing onto you however they can. When we pull up in the van to hear kids screaming “Ate (ah-tay) Jessica!!!!” though they’ve only met me one time. That time me and one other girl lead a Bible study in a house with a man and his mom who didn’t speak English. All the little “not so set” ministries (praying for people, building trust and relationships, talking with people, helping our ministry hosts, playing with the community after our official ministry is over) that we don’t blog about, but are still fruitful.
What has grabbed onto your heart and hasn’t let go?
-The culture. The fact that they don’t think they’re beautiful because they’re not white. The fact that all the body soaps contain a whiteing element in them. The fact that there are commercials promoting whiteness. That fact that we talked with a woman holding her baby and saying to her baby “Look, they’re beautiful. They’re white” and us trying to convince her that she is just as beautiful.
-Also, during feedings when kids are so grateful and filled with joy about getting even the smallest cup of food because they don’t know when they’ll eat again.
What has been difficult?
-How slow things are and never being on time, community living and patience (though I have really grown to like community), the language barrier, the ministry change, seeing how people live and not being able to fix it, being uncomfortable
What relationships have you built?
-The community girls that come hang around every night, the women in the prison, our ministry hosts, the sweet woman in the wheelchair in the community behind us (Alexandrea), Rinz, Andi, Kuya Iain, Nug-Nug and Nadine
What funny memories do you have?
-When I fell and made a hole in the wall… and Hannah falling down the rocks at the waterfall. How Courtney laughs in the hardest situations. The parasite story and reenactment. Bugs in our soup. Karaoke at the immigration office. When Sam farted during the earthquake. When Casey sleeps and does her thumbs up thing. Kids chasing us with spiders
What has God been teaching you?
-SO much. Too much to put into words. But definitely patience, trust, obedience, boldness, uncomfortableness, and perseverance.
Much love
