“I was sitting in one of those bus things with the benches that face each other and I looked down and there was a snake coming out of my button down shirt. I screamed, grabbed it, and threw it out the window. Oh and I remember those fertilized chicken egg things that they cook in the ground.”
He let out a signature Morris cackle as he looked at my unamused and very concerned face. My charmingly eccentric cousin Rylan had been to the Philippines sometime after high school, and knowing that I would be venturing there in the next few days that is the “wisdom” he chose to bless me with.
I arrived in this country with no expectations except for that I may come face to face with a snake and some sort of chicken egg meal. So, saying that the Philippines exceeded all expectations just doesn’t do this experience justice.
This month our ministry was Unsung Heroes which means we were sent with a goal of finding ministries and building friendships with them so that in the future The World Race can partner with them.
Well, that’s the glamorous way of saying it. Another and equally accurate way of explaining our ministry would be that we were thrown into a foreign country and told to trust and listen to God. With only a few days left here in the Philippines, I can look back at our time here and confidently say that our team did just that.
We eagerly and actively searched for what God had for us. We followed Him where He called us, which always proved to be an adventure. We boarded sketchy coach buses to towns that hardly show up on maps. We road on stranger’s motorcycles (Sorry mom!!) and even did door to door ministry with a loony pastor. We tried chicken intestines and mastered (okay I mean we tried…)how to haggle prices. We boldly walked into ministry offices and have made friends everywhere we’ve gone. We’ve bonded closely and quickly as a team. We’ve learned (and still are) how to love bigger and better.
God had a lot in store for us this month, and I’m not sure how to capture it all in one blog. He constantly surrounded us with people who protected and cared for us. He pushed us and comforted us. And luckily, He didn’t bring me face to face with any snakes or make me eat any fertilized chicken eggs.
At the beginning of next week we head to Thailand. I don’t know yet what we will be doing or where we will be staying, but with one incredible month under my belt I am confident and eager to see what is next for us. I also pinky promise and solemnly swear to blog more often next month!
