Recap of Month One:
My Team!
My team!! Stacey, Me, Savannah, Vicki, Steph, & Caitlin. What a group. Our God is so cool and knew just what He was doing when He stuck us together.
Stacey: Wise & calm but also bold and surprising. She keeps us firm in truth; her sweet spirit reminds us to see with clear eyes and opened minds.
Savannah (oh na na): Sav leads our team fiercely. Every instance she looks up to the Lord and He helps her do a really really great job at keeping us all in check. She is insanely brave and I am learning SO much from her. It’s a gift to be led by her.
Vicki: She’s the storyteller for our team and also has a lot of her own. Vicki loves all thing coffee and has taught me that my story matters.
Steph: Steph’s a future cop and loves all things safety. She has taught me to be more attentive to my surroundings and has kept us all in one piece!
Caitlin: Sweet Cait. She’s the bomb. Always going out of here way to love on our team even when she doesn’t realize it. She’s wise and kind and is fearlessly led by the Lord.
This Ocean
Our mornings consist of team breakfast followed by reading scripture together. We have been diving into Proverbs since being in Tacloban. Each day we take the date and read that chapter Proverb. Simple and somehow always timely. One morning Savannah told us to close our eyes and go chat with Jesus. She told us to picture Him, what does He look like? Where are you? I couldn’t tell where I was, but I saw the brightness of Jesus- I knew He was next to me but couldn’t distinctly see His features. Sav then told us to ask Jesus to take us to the Lord.
I’m sitting with Jesus and I don’t really understand where we are, once I ask Him to take me to God, He extends his right arm to reveal to me what is front of me- He showed me this view of the beach, the beach right across the street from The Lighthouse. He showed me the vastness of His creation, all right in front of me. The Lord is all around us, displaying his goodness literally everywhere. It’s insane how we don’t always see it. Like me, it didn’t matter where I thought I was, Jesus showed me exactly where I am- because He is good and He is with me. Amen.
Filipino Yardwork
Stacey & I swept the yard with Filipino brooms. A task that didn’t seem necessary to me as we first began. I thought the yard looked fine- it wasn’t until I started to sweep that I realized how much dead grass and fallen leaves were covering the yard. As I swept I was praying out loud and realized that this is how we can at times view ourselves. We think we look fine and feel fine, but it is not until we start uncovering and digging deeper into what the Lord has for us that we realize He doesn’t call us to be ‘fine’. He calls us to be redefined in Him, that we may clear the leaves and the dead grass to make way for His goodness. Sweeping the yard created a clean lawn for the kids to play. The trash was gone, the green grass broke through, and it was clean. The yard was cleaned not only for the beauty of itself, but for sweet laughter and spirits to enjoy the opportunity to play. The Lord does that for us, He offers the occasion for us to invite Him in, be renewed, then we have the chance to share the goodness He creates. An open and bright playground.
Construction
Ministry comes in all forms. Whether it’s going on feedings and loving on village kids, sharing the gospel, going about your day and offering a smile and a wave, literally anything. It also comes in the form of construction. Our task was to grout the new multipurpose room. A task that takes time and maybe doesn’t seem as ‘fun’ as playing games with the local kids. As I worked, God reminded me of all the sweet feet that will touch these floors, those same feet have ears that will be told about how much He loves them. What a gift. Thankful for a heavenly father who is intentional within the details & for an earthly father who has taught me a thing or two about construction.
My Girls
My sweet girls. Words simply do not do justice how incredible these young gals are. They are shaping their community through boldness, joy, and confidence. God’s plan is just so intentional. Such an unlikely friendship, 10 sweet souls off the coast of Leyte and a girl from Georgia. I can’t place how sweet He is to have us be friends. This is an extremely tough group of daughters of the King. Its so beautiful, even when they don’t even realize it, they exemplify the joy of the Lord. I am truly inspired by each and every one of them- their lives are ones that are flooded with the Lord’s love and I know He has so much in store for them. My most cherished Hello and difficult Goodbye.
To my girls, “Mahusay Ka. Ate Ris will ALWAYS mahal kita.”
Overall this month was a dream. This short recap is just a taste of what I have experienced here in the Philippines. It was more than I could have ever planned for it to be. The Lord taught me SO much. He taught me to be still, be intentional, rest in Him, He taught me when to speak up, and follow humbly when I’ve needed to be led. He provided a space for grounds to be shaken and overflowing joy. I am grateful for His intentionality and His personal specific plan. With that said, THANK YOU. Thank you for supporting, interceding, and encouraging me in this first month. If you feel led, please continue to pray for the island of Leyte, my sweet Filipino soul sisters, and for the upcoming adventures at my next stop: Chiang Mai, Thailand!!
