JeffLong and his family were amazing contacts and we were so blessed to get to serve
alongside them last month. They have been ministering in the Philippines for 19
years! I remember the first day that we got there, Jeff told us that the Philippines
would be our favorite place and they worked to make it that way so that we’d
come back..and I was thinking “Who is this guy?!?” However, it only took a
couple days to realize that he was totally right- I think the Philippines will
rank up there with one of my favorite places during the race.
This
is a sidewalk built by previous racers several years ago. Children were having
to carry their books and walk through mud just to get to school, so a school
donated the money for cement and racers mixed it and built them a sidewalk. We
used it frequently. It was an awesome reminder that even after we leave, things
like the census that we worked on for hours and hours, will be used to help
better serve the community.
is a sidewalk built by previous racers several years ago. Children were having
to carry their books and walk through mud just to get to school, so a school
donated the money for cement and racers mixed it and built them a sidewalk. We
used it frequently. It was an awesome reminder that even after we leave, things
like the census that we worked on for hours and hours, will be used to help
better serve the community.
Lola
was a precious lady that we got to know during our first week of ministry. She
told us to call her “Lola” because that means grandmother in Tagalog (the
language there). She was an older widow whose house we painted. She was one of
the sweetest, most joyful women I have ever met. Each day in the morning and
afternoon she would make us a “snack”- whether she would go buy crackers or
cook us pasta- she served us in return. She told us we had “beautiful hands”
because we were doing the Lord’s work. We also became close with her daughter,
Ria. We got to see both of them throughout the rest of the month because they
attended the church we worked with. We already miss them! Below is Lola serving us and the finished product after we painted her home!
was a precious lady that we got to know during our first week of ministry. She
told us to call her “Lola” because that means grandmother in Tagalog (the
language there). She was an older widow whose house we painted. She was one of
the sweetest, most joyful women I have ever met. Each day in the morning and
afternoon she would make us a “snack”- whether she would go buy crackers or
cook us pasta- she served us in return. She told us we had “beautiful hands”
because we were doing the Lord’s work. We also became close with her daughter,
Ria. We got to see both of them throughout the rest of the month because they
attended the church we worked with. We already miss them! Below is Lola serving us and the finished product after we painted her home!
Marilou
was our precious translator for the census. She has a BEAUTIFUL family. We became extremely close to her,
as we were working with her for 4-8 hours each day, walking around in the hot
sun trying to find different families. One of our last nights there she rented
a karaoke machine for us to come and sing karaoke with her family. She brought out all the furniture from her
home for us to sit on and also had gotten us snacks and coke to have during the
night. She told Charlotte that she had rented it so that she could make
memories with us before we left. It was hard saying goodbye to her and her
family. Below are some pictures from the night and of her sweet family.
was our precious translator for the census. She has a BEAUTIFUL family. We became extremely close to her,
as we were working with her for 4-8 hours each day, walking around in the hot
sun trying to find different families. One of our last nights there she rented
a karaoke machine for us to come and sing karaoke with her family. She brought out all the furniture from her
home for us to sit on and also had gotten us snacks and coke to have during the
night. She told Charlotte that she had rented it so that she could make
memories with us before we left. It was hard saying goodbye to her and her
family. Below are some pictures from the night and of her sweet family.
Roxanne
was a little girl that Charlotte and Michelle got to know really well. She has
a prosthetic leg, but is in the process of getting a new one because the one
she has now looks very painful and children constantly point, stare, and make
fun of her. At first she would barely ever smile or talk, however by the end
she was smiling and laughing with
them! I remember one day in particular where
Michelle and I were walking down the street and she came hopping over to us as
fast as she could and stuck her hand through the gate to touch Michelle’s. It
was amazing to see the transformation in her through the love that they showed
her.
was a little girl that Charlotte and Michelle got to know really well. She has
a prosthetic leg, but is in the process of getting a new one because the one
she has now looks very painful and children constantly point, stare, and make
fun of her. At first she would barely ever smile or talk, however by the end
she was smiling and laughing with
them! I remember one day in particular whereMichelle and I were walking down the street and she came hopping over to us as
fast as she could and stuck her hand through the gate to touch Michelle’s. It
was amazing to see the transformation in her through the love that they showed
her.
I
spent a day or two sifting sand and then mixing cement. It was probably some of
the most intense manual labor I have done- I was pretty exhausted! Ha However,
it was so cool to be able to see the finished product and know that it will be
used for years to come.
spent a day or two sifting sand and then mixing cement. It was probably some of
the most intense manual labor I have done- I was pretty exhausted! Ha However,
it was so cool to be able to see the finished product and know that it will be
used for years to come.
Nika
w
as an 11 year old little girl who lived in one of the communities near by. One
of the N-Squad teams worked in that community all month. I will never forget
when they came back and said that this little girl was blind and had basically
been abandoned by her family. They left her in a shack with her father’s
rooster and she just laid on the floor day and night. Her family lived in a
separate house close by and they came by to check on her
occasionally. It broke
my heart to hear them talk about her. However, our last Sunday there during the
offering someone helped Nika up on stage and she sang a song about how good the
Lord was in Tagalog. A blind 11 year old little girl who has absolutely nothing,
who had been abandoned by everyone sang a song about how good the Lord was. It
was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
w
as an 11 year old little girl who lived in one of the communities near by. Oneof the N-Squad teams worked in that community all month. I will never forget
when they came back and said that this little girl was blind and had basically
been abandoned by her family. They left her in a shack with her father’s
rooster and she just laid on the floor day and night. Her family lived in a
separate house close by and they came by to check on her
occasionally. It brokemy heart to hear them talk about her. However, our last Sunday there during the
offering someone helped Nika up on stage and she sang a song about how good the
Lord was in Tagalog. A blind 11 year old little girl who has absolutely nothing,
who had been abandoned by everyone sang a song about how good the Lord was. It
was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
Among
many things I got to do this month was run a 5K in Manila!
Running
was a big part of this month for me. It was good to go run and process through
a lot of things.
We had to leave for
the race at 3:45 am..my race started around 5:20..talk about EARLY! It was one
of the highlights of my month and really fun to run through the city.
One
day during the census, Jeff asked Michelle and I to go by a house and pray for
the mother. He said that she had a tumor. We went by and were told that she had
been rushed to the hospital. Her name was Marisol. She was 28 years old and had
the three most beauti
ful children I have seen, however none of them would come
near us. It was quite different from the reaction that we had gotten from every
other child in the Philippines. We prayed with the grandmother and realized
that no one was there to care for the children, except for the grandparents,
and since they were staying home with the children, no one could go to work to
provide food for the family. I took them food and water for the next couple
days and even ended up watching the children for a day (It was QUITE the
experience, since they couldn’t speak English and they are 7, 5, and 2..ha! I had some help from some teammates! 🙂 )
However, over the course of that day, the children were hanging all over me-
such a drastic difference from the first day we had met them. Several days after
watching the children, I went back to check on the family. Marisol told us that
she needed to have a biopsy
to find out if the tumor was cancerous, but she
needed 5 blood donors in order to have it done. I went back and told Jeff and
then went and talked to 2 other pastors in the community, who both assured me
that they would announce it at church the following Sunday (our last Sunday
there). I went back by on Sunday night, the night before we were supposed to
leave, so that I could pray with the family before we left. I just happened to
run into Jeff on my way who asked if he could come. So we went and I prayed and
introduced them to Jeff. He told them to be at the YMC (the ministry center)
the next morning and he would have one of his employees drive them around to
get 5 donors and then take her to the hospital to have the biopsy done. The
next morning, after leaving the YMC with everyone to fly to Malaysia, Jeff came
up to me to tell me that he had just gotten a phone call and they were on their
way to collect the blood donors! It was such an AMAZING end to the month for
me! Please be praying for this family- pray for the children and pray that the
results of the biopsy would come back in their favor. Also pray for their
financial needs. Pray that the cost of the surgery would be covered. If you
would like to donate to this family, you can give money to my parents. I am
going to have them mail any donations straight to Jeff Long who will put the
money directly toward their hospital bills.
day during the census, Jeff asked Michelle and I to go by a house and pray for
the mother. He said that she had a tumor. We went by and were told that she had
been rushed to the hospital. Her name was Marisol. She was 28 years old and had
the three most beauti
ful children I have seen, however none of them would comenear us. It was quite different from the reaction that we had gotten from every
other child in the Philippines. We prayed with the grandmother and realized
that no one was there to care for the children, except for the grandparents,
and since they were staying home with the children, no one could go to work to
provide food for the family. I took them food and water for the next couple
days and even ended up watching the children for a day (It was QUITE the
experience, since they couldn’t speak English and they are 7, 5, and 2..ha! I had some help from some teammates! 🙂 )
However, over the course of that day, the children were hanging all over me-
such a drastic difference from the first day we had met them. Several days after
watching the children, I went back to check on the family. Marisol told us that
she needed to have a biopsy
to find out if the tumor was cancerous, but sheneeded 5 blood donors in order to have it done. I went back and told Jeff and
then went and talked to 2 other pastors in the community, who both assured me
that they would announce it at church the following Sunday (our last Sunday
there). I went back by on Sunday night, the night before we were supposed to
leave, so that I could pray with the family before we left. I just happened to
run into Jeff on my way who asked if he could come. So we went and I prayed and
introduced them to Jeff. He told them to be at the YMC (the ministry center)
the next morning and he would have one of his employees drive them around to
get 5 donors and then take her to the hospital to have the biopsy done. The
next morning, after leaving the YMC with everyone to fly to Malaysia, Jeff came
up to me to tell me that he had just gotten a phone call and they were on their
way to collect the blood donors! It was such an AMAZING end to the month for
me! Please be praying for this family- pray for the children and pray that the
results of the biopsy would come back in their favor. Also pray for their
financial needs. Pray that the cost of the surgery would be covered. If you
would like to donate to this family, you can give money to my parents. I am
going to have them mail any donations straight to Jeff Long who will put the
money directly toward their hospital bills.
I
hope this gives you a slight overview of my time in the Philippines. Words can’t
do it justice. Please know that your prayers are appreciated more than you
know! We have been in Malaysia for 2 days now staying in the city of Kuala Lumpur.
We head out to the jungle to work with aboriginees for a week on Monday.
hope this gives you a slight overview of my time in the Philippines. Words can’t
do it justice. Please know that your prayers are appreciated more than you
know! We have been in Malaysia for 2 days now staying in the city of Kuala Lumpur.
We head out to the jungle to work with aboriginees for a week on Monday.
