Hey everyone! This is my first update from the Philippines. We’ve been here for two weeks so far.
The first week was spent traveling to get to our ministry. After we landed we stayed two nights just outside the capital in a town called Antipolo. There we recovered from jet lag and hung out with most all of the squad.
After the two days were up we got on a bus and rode south for about 30 hours. We took a van, a bus, and a ferry to get to the ministry in the city we are in now.
We are currently in Tacloban and we are working with an organization called KIM (Kids International Ministries). My team is staying in a gated complex with 3 other teams (28 World Racers in total) and we are all working together to help out as much as possible.
The area we are in was hit by the largest typhoon to ever hit land in 2013 (typhoon Haiyan) and over 20,000 people died. The area is still recovering and the typhoon still affects peoples lives even 3 years later. You can see buildings that were never repaired all over the city. It is a reminder everyday of the tragedy that happened.
The Philippines have poverty unlike anything you will encounter in America. As you drive across the country you see aluminum shacks everywhere. I have yet to come across a sturdy house built of brick. You see entire families with infants sleeping on a tarp on the side of the highway.
The middle class here is almost non-existent. People either have a lot of money and live in the big cities or have none and live in smaller cities or live in areas surrounding cities.
My squad is here to work with these people who have nothing. We go to feedings everyday and bring a dish called Lugaw into schools and communities in surrounding areas. We get to help cook for and feed kids who would not be eating otherwise.
On my first day I brought my water bottle and took a sip from it in the middle of the feeding. 3 minutes later I had no more water left because all of the kids in the tent city were thirsty and wanted a drink. It was so sad and broke my heart. I saw kids scarf down the piping hot Lugaw and burn their mouths just so they could get another spoonful before it was all gone.
However, feedings aren’t the only thing we’ve been doing here in Tacloban. We are also also building a church. The church will serve as a place where people in the city can come together and build community and grow in Christ together. It will be a beacon of hope in a city that has been darkened by natural disaster and loss.
We are also working with children in the school that we stay at. We spend time with them everyday of the week and are developing deeper relationships with them. We help work on their English with them and also help them grow into who they are in the Lord.
Occasionally, we have foundation which consists of doing yard work around the school. We are also going to be planting crops to grow food for the community.
Overall The Philippines is shaping up to be a lot of hard work but it is so rewarding. Getting to be in a place where there is as much need as there is here can be hard but being able to provide a helping hand is what this is all about.
If you would like to partner with me and help me minister to the people here in The Philippines you can. I still need to raise 1,200 dollars by the end of November in order to stay here and continue the ministry that I have been doing with my team. If you could make an online donation of even 5 dollars that would mean the world to me and to the people here that we work with everyday. I can’t continue this work without help from back home. I miss you guys so much and think about you all everyday. I can’t wait to see you all in 5 months!
