Where do I even begin? The Philippines quickly won my heart and has easily been one of my favorite months for a lot of reasons. My team partnered with Grow International, serving in San Mateo. We helped a sweet family paint their house, we leveled ground at a local church, we served at a recycling center in the local community, we loved on some precious kids at a center in the city, but my favorite part was by far the people…they are so welcoming and loving, and their smiles are contagious.
Then to make it even better, this month was also PVT (Parent Vision Trip), which means Dad flew all the way to the Philippines to minister alongside of me for a few days. It was so good to see him and spend time together, serving together and having a little piece of home with me here. It was fun to watch him experience a little piece of what my life has been for the last 7 months, and what’s become my new normal is still a bit beyond his comfort zone, but he was always willing to jump in anyway, whether it was sharing his room with cockroaches or taking three modes of transportation, including an hour in an A.C.less van, two trains, and a Jeepney, just to get to ministry. We got to go to some of the poorest parts of the city and take them food, did some construction and worked on breaking down a cement wall, played with so many sweet kids and held even sweeter babies. I couldn’t have asked for better ministry (shout out to Kids International Ministries – if you’re looking for somewhere to serve or want to partner with someone, seriously go check them out, they’re amazing), and then to top it off, I got to do it with Dad. My heart was filled up in the Philippines.
But I’ll be honest, it had its challenges, too. As good as it was to see Dad, it was also a reminder that Mom wasn’t there, and it brought missing her to the forefront. I would’ve loved to share this experience with her, too. But once again, I was reminded that even though she’s not with me physically, I still am sharing this with her, because we are still on the same team, advocating for the same purpose, and that she is still rooting me on just the same, if not more so now, as she knows Jesus face to face. She knows the glory that awaits us, and is just as eager for our reunion in heaven one day. And gosh, it’s a good thing we’ll have eternity because we’ll have so much to talk about (I can’t wait to hear what she has to say about Dad jumping off the 25 foot high dive).
Then, after the longest travel day ever (5, to be exact), traveling from the Philippines to South Korea to Australia to New Zealand to Chile to Argentina, then a 24 hour bus ride to our ministry site, I finally made it to Jujuy, Argentina, where I’ll be serving for the month. And now that I’m here, can I ask you for a favor? Would you please pray for me as I have less than four months left on the race? I fear my heart growing weary, and sometimes four months still sounds like a lot, but I know it’ll be over before I know it. I remember being in Africa thinking that South America was so far away, but here I am (and at that point I never could’ve imagined being this cold, either). “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) So, please pray that I finish with perseverance. When I think back to training for my marathon, when I could see the finish line, I’d sprint faster (to be honest, in that case I just wanted it to be over sooner), but my prayer is the same for this race. That I’ll finish even stronger than I started, that I don’t slow down in the end, but that I give it even more than I think I have left to give. I want to go deeper with God and experience Him more than I have in the first 7 months. I want to continue learning and growing and impacting the Kingdom. So, I’m calling on you to help me through, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
P.S. Thanks so much to everyone who wrote encouraging notes and birthday cards to send with Dad. They made my heart so happy and I am beyond blessed to have such incredible support back home. You all are seriously the best.
