It’s hard to believe I have been on the race for four months and our time in Asia has come to a close. In some ways it feels as though we have just begun. In other ways, it feels like I have been gone significantly longer than four months.
As I’ve tried to process what God has been doing in me and through me these past four months, I have found myself struggling to put it into words-to make tangible for you the amazing ways that God is moving across the nations. So I’ve decided for each country to share one thing God has taught me and one person/group of people who we have blessed and have been blessed by, including what you can continue to be praying for them. This will be a four part blog, one blog for each country. This is part one of this four part blog.
None of these blessings could have happened without each one of my supporters. Those who have been blessed have not been blessed just by team Agape Life Song, but by each one of you. Thank you so much for allowing these ministries to happen, these blessings to be bestowed.
Month One: The Philippines
What God Has Taught Me: Not everyone thinks like I do…and that is okay.
Month one I found myself in a room living with 11 other girls. A couple have been working for a couple years, but most are straight out of college. We come from all over the U.S. (and one from Canada!), with varying upbringings. I came into the race with the misconception that those I was on this trip with would think similarly to me. While many of our passions and desires for the race are the same, a lot of the similarities stop there. From little frustrations such as borrowing things without asking or talking late into the night while others are sleeping, I came to realize that not everyone thinks the same way I do. While I wrestled through sleepless nights and at times found my heart frustrated, I learned that we are all raised so differently and have different ideas of what living in community means. Month one of community taught me that my heart often thinks that my way is the right way, when in reality each one of us on this trip have so much to learn from each other and about each other. This month prepared my heart for my way of thinking to be challenged and for my mind to be open to the differences others on my squad bring.
You may remember me writing about this sweet girl from a couple of my blogs from the Philippines. She is a 12 year old girl who recently entered the New Faith Family Children’s home, taken out of her Uncle’s home where she was not taken care of as she should have been and experienced abuse. My heart melted for her. I felt my heart become one with the heart of Christ towards this beautiful child. I connected with Hannalyn from the first day we arrived in Malaybalay, Philippines. She was closed off, had an angry look on her face, was resistant to receive love and affection. It was an incredible blessing to see her heart and her willingness to receive love change over that month-to see her laugh and smile much, hug and love much. She hugged me tighter than anyone ever has, not letting me go, singing worship songs of how Jesus loves us as I tucked her into bed.
