Well my first month of ministry is pft gone. Time flies! My whole squad is here in Hong Kong and we are relaxing at a really nice recreation center. If you can believe it some people thought we were being treated too cush, well I tried to silence them quickly. I am enjoying that my feet aren’t caked in mud, and that I can shower with hot water (although I still take cold ones, I like it now) that I can sleep in a freezing air con room with 2 blankets. I mean in a month I will be in Africa in a tent sweating like mad. Ok back to now. We are being blessed with the amazing teaching of Mr. Gary Black and Mike and Patti Paskell. They teach us with such love and passion that it’s contagious. I feel like they are filling us up for the many unknowns of our next ministry location.
My time in the Philippines was great. The month revolved around building relationships with members of the local church, creating new ones with people in the community, playing with the KIM kids, and helping build the new orphanage. We bonded really quickly with some of the people, and it was sad to say goodbye. The high school kids I became close to, made us a gorgeous scrapbook of encouraging quotes and pictures o
f themselves, it was very special. Helen, Jill, and I continued to meet with the college girls and took them out for a lunch one of our last days in Mindanao. They were in awe of what we were doing with our year, and full of questions. It was so encouraging to invest in them for a short time. Our hosts, Glen and Grace blessed us tremendously with their love, and they are still a part of our prayers. And last but not least we miss our little kids from the orphanage that hung all over us all month and cracked us up with their outrageousness. 1 month in a place is just enough for you to get attached and build relationships. While it is exciting to move on, you do leave part of your heart. I guess that’s the way of the world. It’s what God asks us to do, To love fully those he places in our paths. That leads me to my team. Can I just say the Lord knew what He was doing? On initial viewing, I would never have placed us together. Several of them are not the type of people I naturally gravitate towards. However, we have grown to love each other so much. I cant remember what it was like to not have them in my life. Through them I am learning to die to self, to not expect perfection, to humbly serve, to seek the Lord in prayer about everything. These are things that I have longed to see happen in my life, and have asked the Lord to create in me. Well He is. He has placed me in a situation where if I push my needs then I not only hurt myself, but them, and our ministry as well. Ewww, now that’s some motivation. So beloveds, when I return I promise that by God’s grace, I will return changed. Changed like I never had the courage to change before. Hold me to it! ☺
GOODBYE for now. The next time you will hear from me is thanksgiving. Our next country isn’t fond of Jesus, and us sharing about him. Feel free to email me, trust me come Thanksgiving I will be hurtin for some USA lovin! Keep us in your prayers, a lot of next month will be relying on the Lord’s direction.
