Hello to everyone who reads this blog! There are a few things I want to type about today. First, I want to thank everyone who is a part of this trip. If you have supported me financially, prayed for me, helped me with my walk with Jesus, encouraged me when I was down or just read this blog you are a part of the trip. Thank you so much! I have been able to be blessed and bless others because of you. Secondly, I want to share a little about how God has been using me in this community. When we first got here we were given so many choices of different ministries we could pick from. Some of these ministries include construction work, teaching, caring for orphans, feeding children, sorting library books, and morning devotionals.
When I first got to the Philippines I decided to help out with construction. While I was helping paint the room I God used me to tell my story to a guy named Randy. The construction is going very well. The second floor of the library is almost done and should be done by the time we leave. I will post pictures when it is completed. Another ministry I decided to be involved in is the feedings that happen every day. We go to a different community twice a day, six days a week. Each time we go to a site we are able to feed about 200 people. I have been so blessed by being a part of feeding these communities every day. By the time I leave the Philippines, I can joyfully say that I was a part of passing out over 5000 meals! It’s amazing to actually think of the time when Jesus fed over 5000 people in one sitting with such a small amount of food that he got from a little boy.
Earlier in the week, I was feeling as if I had not done enough work but God was also teaching me to relax. So I relaxed for a little while but shortly after relaxing I started roaming the streets in the community praying to the father asking him to let me be his hands and feet. About one minute after asking the father to be his hands and feet, I struck up a conversation with a guy named Rodel. We talked for a little while about Jesus and the father then we decided to start having a bible study every day. The bible study started 5 days ago, on September 25th, at 8:00 a.m. The first bible study was Rodel and I. We are going through the entire book of Matthew. I want to thank Tyler Little for helping me have a better understanding of the book of Matthew when we had our bible study in Murfreesboro, TN. After teaching him the word for about an hour, he wanted me to come back later that day and have another bible study with him. So I came back with Jordan Wheeler, my team leader, that afternoon. When we went back to his house, his girlfriend joined us in the bible study. Now 5 days later, the bible study has grown to 7 adults and 4 children! It is amazing to watch the father work through us in this bible study. The father is teaching them about the gospel and also teaching us new things about the gospel as well!
Another ministry a lot of the girls have been involved in is taking care of an orphan kid, Cedric, which is very sick in the hospital. He is a 9 week old baby that has numerous amounts of problems with him. He is on the way to a recovery right now but we need people praying for him constantly. The girls have been working long shifts every day to care for Cedric in the hospital. Please pray that Cedric will make a full recovery by the end of this week. Some more prayers that we need are for all of us to be fully funded, team unity and pray that God will make a huge impact on all of the communities the world racers are in right now. I can see God working in tremendous ways in the community we are in! Pray that he will continue to work through us and use us for his purposes. Thank you for reading the blog! God bless