Since arriving here in Manila, there sometimes has been this underlying anticipation of “the moment”. When will it happen? When will Jesus break my heart for one specific person, so much that I can’t walk away without doing something? When will He drastically change my life? Sometimes I think we get so caught up in waiting for something we immediately recognize as grand and majestic, that we fail to recognize the little things happening every day that could ultimately make up our “moment”. That being said, I’d like to share a bit about the little things that have been a huge part of my daily life on the World Race. Some of the little things that help me to grow, make me thankful, give me joy, peace, and sometimes fear.
It’s absolutely crazy thinking about all that’s happened in 2 weeks.
I’ve survived a typhoon, taken many tricycle and jeepney* rides, had a few lice scares, and had the opportunity to love and be loved by adorable kids.
I’ve experienced what it feels like to never need an alarm clock; you will either wake up to the sound of roosters crowing at 5 AM sharp, or the sound of pouring rain on a tin roof (whichever comes first).
Mornings begin with a beautiful view of Manila’s skyline from the girls’ 4th floor dorm and sometimes groups of kids down below hold up handmade signs saying “I love you!” or “Mahal kita!”.
I have come to love hearing Eliza (a local street kid) yell “Tita** Maddy!” and run to hold my hand every time I walk out the gate on my way to the pregnancy center. She’ll follow us all the way to the center and help hand out the pre-natal vitamins and small packages of food to the women there.
I hear little girls everywhere screaming the lyrics of “Let It Go” at the top of their lungs. (Unfortunately the Frozen pandemic has spread globally…)
I have a daily goal to learn a minimum of 10 new words in Tagalog. However, it’s been an extremely humbling experience as my first endeavors included groups of schoolgirls in fits of laughter because it took the white girl almost two hours to finally learn her numbers, one to ten.
Being dry has become something that only exists in dreams. If you’re not soaked from the torrential downpours, you’ve just had a shower, just been swimming, or have simply been sweating so much, people might assume you’ve just been swimming. But the best part about the heat is that acclimatization IS a real thing! I even wore a hoodie to bed one night (say what?!) and yesterday marks the first day I uttered the incredible words, “I’m cold.”
I love getting opportunities to pray with the people I come across. It could be the woman down the street who has Alzheimer’s or it could be the man lying on the bridge with no arms or legs. Seeing the joy on their faces when they realize you came back for them makes building legitimate relationships that much more important and fulfilling.
I have witnessed the hope in the slum communities when dozens of children run after you with little plastic bags, wanting to make sure they don’t miss out on the food you’re carrying. Along with that, I’ve also felt the crushing blow of desperation when there isn’t enough food for everyone and you have to turn small children and elderly women away.
I now know what it means to truly live in community. A moment alone is a rare and precious thing, yet having a completely new family of believers to rely on is an enormous blessing. A family you can laugh with, pray with, cry with, and be homesick with.
These are the things that make up my “moment”. I’m sure that I will look back on these few weeks in Manila and think of each of those small experiences as part of a bigger picture, not some singular and huge revelation. As my team moves on, further south to Tacloban on October 1st, I’m excited to create a new list, with new little things to share. This time for me has been about being flexible and trusting God. You never know what opportunities might arise, what little things you might experience, or what unexpected hurdles might come up. But hey, it’ll make a great story!
Until next time,
Maddy
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
*Jeepneys were originally created from discarded military vehicles used by American troops during World War II. They have now become a distinctive icon of the Philippines.
**”Tita” means aunt and the kids use it as a sign of respect towards people older than them.
