Apart from these words, the Lord has strongly put the word resiliency on my heart. Filipino's are resilient. As I mentioned in my last blog, I am continuoulsy overwhelmed by the joy that resides in these dark places.
Two days ago my team and I toured the Tondo and Navotas community sites. It was overwhelming to say the least. We attended the Navotas Youth Bible Study, and as a team we were asked to give a word. I asked if there was a topic that the youth needed to hear more about and we were told that they needed to hear about living for Jesus. The Lord started pouring scripture into my mind, so I took the initiative and presented the word. I read from Matthew 13 when Jesus tells the parable about the sower. I knew that I had to speak in really basic terms because of the language barrier. I asked the children if they knew what a seed was. They responded with yes and explained the purpose of a seed – to grow something. We then read the passage. I asked the children which seed they would like to be – the seed that fell on rocky places, in the thorns, or on the good soil. Every child said "the good soil". Then I made the analogy of how Jesus wants to grow inside us. How when we accept Christ, Jesus plants a "seed" inside of us, the holy spirit, which helps us to grow in our relationship with Him. Then I presented the gospel and asked the children if they had a seed growing inside of them. Some of them said yes, some said no, or that they weren't sure. So then I asked them if they wanted Jesus to plant a seed in their hearts so that they may know Him for the rest of their lives, they said yes. So I prayed over them, that Jesus would fill them with His holy spirit, that in that moment they were choosing Him. I boldly prayed that they would walk in faith and that they would really know God. This particular experience was a really awesome testament to God's perfect timing. Praise Jesus for filling my voice with the words He had predestined me to say. I continuously pray that those children will remember that bible study and that their lives truly are radically changed for eternity.
We have spent so much time with children over the past few days. My heart has been shattered numerous times, because kids just do something deep in my soul.
Today we went to Tondo for a feeding in the morning. When we got there, children were lined up outside the church waiting for food. Many were naked, picking through garbage, eatting leftovers that they had found, or clinging tightly to their younger siblings. My voice escaped me, and stayed gone for the majority of the day. I found myself standing around, feeling helpless. I grabbed my camera and tried to make light of the situation by making the children feel special by taking their pictures. They LOVED it.
Before the feeding began, we brought the children into the church to sing a few songs and pray. Before we brought them in, we did the hokey pokey…quite an experience. I have a video that I'll try to post sometime. We sang songs with hand motions so the children could remember them, and then we headed to the entrance of the feeding room. We had to physically hold back kids, because only twenty could be seated at a time. I felt like I was at a concentration camp holding hungry children back until the chaos died down. Watching them hop over the railing because of their desperation literally broke my heart and I had to walk away…And as I dropped my hands and walked away, I watched them run past me to try to be the first in line. Plates were cleared in minutes and my eyes often lingered on the children in search of more food. They begged for plastic bags to take some food back to their sick siblings.
Shocked. Emotional wrecked. However you can imagine it, is exactly how I was feeling. After much of the chaos died down, I really felt the Lord pressing on my heart to walk outside. So, I stepped out of the room and outside of the church. This is where God's presence overwhelmed me and my emotions got the best of me.
I stood crying, watching these two precious boys that had moments ago been all over me wanting their pictures taken, running around laughing at each other, playing on a piece of wood and trying to not fall into the sludge. I prayed, "God WHY is this their lives?" "What would it take to get them out of this?".
And as I wondered, this verse came to mind:
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
– Psalm 139:13-16
Jesus loves them. They are His children. They are in His hands.
He WILL protect them. He WILL bless them. He WILL provide for their needs.
All around, Hope is springing up from this old ground.
Out of chaos life is being found in You.
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust.
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us.
– "Beautiful Things," Gungor
Resiliency: noun: ability to recover readily. Filipinos are resilient.
