You know it been almost and entire year since I went to training camp. This time last year I was full of excitement, fear, expectation… Now looking back I am quite positive I had no clue what I had gotten myself into or what to expect. No thought as to the actual journey I was about to embark on. I dont think I ever even imagined what it would be like to make it to month 11, the final hoorah of this year long journey…. but somehow I’ve made it!
My squad and I arrived in Manila, Philippines airport on Sunday evening where we met our ministry hosts and then journeyed to our ministry site for the first half of our final month. This month is going to look a little different than other months Ive had on the race. As my entire squad will be living at the most amazing site called Kids International Ministries until the 11th of August and then on the 11th we will split into our teams and travel up to the Banaue rice terraces in the Northern region of the Philippines. We will spend around 4 days hiking the terraces taking time to reflect, process the end of the race, spend time with the Father, and also take advantage of some ATL time, probably evangelizing. On the 18th my team and I will bus back down to Manila where we will meet up with our entire squad again and celebrate final debrief!
Woohoo! It’s gunna be quite the month as you can tell! And man oh man is it gunna FLY! We’ve already been in Manila for 4 days which is so hard to believe. Speaking of Manila, we are having the most amazing experience with Kids International!
For the first half of this month my ministry looks like a variety of things. From painting and doing projects around the complex, to hanging out at the kids home, to getting to hand out food to local villages, to getting to help out in the birthing clinic(yes, you read that correctly) I’m only 4 days in and I’m in LOVE with this place. I feel so at peace in this place and absolutely love all of the people my team and I get to partner with for ministry.
I have been all over the world in the last 11 months and I haven’t felt quite as at home anywhere as I do here in Manila! Now, it may be the fact that I have a western bathroom(equipped with hot shower, western toilet, and a SINK!), get fed 3 awesome meals everyday(Like today we had baked ziti for dinner), have a huge pool(with water slide!), a sweet dog named savage (his name is not very fitting), and ICE CUBES(man oh man your girl missed COLD water!), but I believe all of those things are just the icing on the cake(which tonight for dinner happened to be carrot!). This place, these people, this ministry have captured my heart. And I cannot wait to tell you guys every detail when I get home!
I have no idea what to expect for the second half of this month in the rice terraces, but I know Gods going with us, so you bet your bottom dollar I’m IN!
Thank you all for your support and love always! This month is gunna be one for the books and I cant wait to tell you all about it! (In 27day!!)
Always,
Mar
