From my Dad
Jenna I want to take a minute to thank you for the wonderful experience of being able to join you in the Philippines. The drive and vision you and your friends share at the World Race, to spread the word and love of Christ, was such A beautiful experience. You have done so many amazing ministries since you been gone but the one with Wipe Every Tear was something totally new and different from anything you have ever done. Our mission trip to Africa together was eye-opening. There was a world of extreme poverty,kids and adults,had so much hope and happiness just to see is out there helping them. The trip to Angeles city was something totally different. Here we were taking our young kids to something we hope they would never ever have to experience in their life. At first I was unsure on how we as adults could do this but to have our young kids next to us walking into bars talking to girls and trying to get them off the streets I never could imagine doing. There were so many questions in my mind. Would someone try to throw us out of the bar? What type of patrons would be experiencing when we were in these bars? And much more. Kenny, an amazing man, who started WET did his best to prepare us before we went out. The bottom line was God was with us and we were going to do just fine.
The next part of this story is the lesson that I think God was trying to tell me. As parents we all want to shelter our children, take care of them,hide the ugliness of the world from them,but God never asked his followers to do any of that. His message from the beginning was for all that believe in him to go out and spread the word. He told them it would not be easy, but no matter how hard it was he would be with them. The two nights we walked with our children going from bar to bar telling the girls there was a better option if they chose, really showed this to me. It wasn't the parents leading the children showing them what to do. It was our children walking in there with the confidence that God was with them, talking to strangers in places they had never been. What an honor and privilege it was too watch my little girl lead like a grown adult. I was so proud I know God was also. I know God was looking down on all those kids, he spoke to them and told them it would not be easy but he was with them. I know our primary mission was to get the word out to those girls in the bars but I think the biggest success was watching God work through our kids, future leaders of this world.
I want to thank all the people of The World Race and Wipe Every Tear for giving Jenna and me the opportunity to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Maybe not once-in-a-lifetime, hopefully we will be back to go out and spread God's word again. If not in the Philippines I'm sure Jenna will find us another place what God is calling her.
