Has it really been 10 days since I’ve left the Philippines? What. Well, I gathered up a few of my favorite experiences from the short two-and-a-half weeks my squad and I got to spend there…
1. The joy and love all the children possessed. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but seriously, those children had so much happiness and so much room in their hearts to love. I was constantly amazed at the willingness they had to love us. I don’t think there’s one person on my squad who could say he/she didn’t fall at least a little bit in love with the kids of the Philippines. Even children who weren’t a part of our ministry would run up and greet us with big smiles, high fives, and hugs! We were total strangers, and they welcomed us with a boldness and joy not normally seen in kids.
Okay, so the people in general were just really kind. Everywhere we went people called out to us and waved. Yes, we got lots of stares, but people recognized us as new to the area, and they welcomed us. A few times, some of us even had young high school and college-aged women, timid and giggly beyond belief, approach us for pictures – that blew my mind.
2. How the Lord used the Philippines to prepare us, as a squad, for the journey that lay ahead. The two and a half weeks we spent in our first country was so good. We were spoiled beyond belief with accommodations I didn’t think would even exist for us on the race. We were able to spend time with those outside of our teams, building strong relationships with others within the squad. My team and I weren’t just thrown into the race; we were introduced to it slowly through the Philippines. For that I am grateful.
3. I began to find my identity in the Lord instead of in my appearance. I come from a pretty vain world where one’s style and look means a lot. A few months before the race, I began prepping myself by dressing down on my off days, wearing t-shirts and jeans to get used to what my idea of not-looking-that-great was. But, against better judgement, I still packed a hair dryer, flat iron, and most of my makeup. I thought I’d continue with my normal morning routine for the first couple of months before getting used to seeing my hair and face in their natural states – you know, I thought it’d take me a while to embrace that “World Race look.” Well, the night we landed in the Philippines, a kind of humidity I’d never known before hit me so hard that before I even attempted to sleep that night, I’d made the conscious decision to throw out my insecurities and pack up those items that fueled my vanity. Getting ready for the day in only 20 minutes? Done.
4. A group of us got to meet Relient K. So this didn’t mean as much to me as it would have, say, when I was 14 or 15, but it was still a rad experience. They were playing a string of shows in Manila, and after one of my squadmates Tweeted the band, we decided to go watch them play. After all, how often is that I get to see a band I used to swoon over play live in the Philippines? Um, never. The six of us racers were invited backstage after the show, and we got to meet and hang out with four pretty cool dudes. You should probably read more about it on Breanna’s blog.
5. Experiencing the bi-weekly feedings. This. This one was tough. Twice a week, a group of people from Kids International Ministries gathers up a couple of large Tupperwear-like vats full of stew and travels to impoverished areas of the city to feed people. The first feeding I attended was during one of the many downpours. We drove into a neighborhood and the men with us began shouting out the car windows, “Feeding! Feeding!” We parked the van and waited.
Children as young as three and four (some without clothes, many without shoes) began making their way through the rain to our van. Some carried bowls while others brought whatever kind of container they could find. Some had nothing to fill but recycled trash – the kind of stuff that most parents wouldn’t let their child eat from. But these kids were coming to us with thanks for the hot food they were about to receive. I mostly observed this day, sometimes helping hold open the plastic baggies for those children too young to do so.
It was the first time that I honestly felt the poverty of the people, and there’s this image of two very young girls who walked slowly and steadily to us, soaking wet and huddled close under a child-size umbrella, that still lies heavy on my heart.
