Wow! There is so much to tell you guys about. The last couple of weeks have been completely unbelievable. I have experienced God in ways I never knew were possible, and have seen Him work in ways I never had before. Right now, I am at our new ministry site in South Africa, but I really want to tell you guys about how God used my parents and I during our week together in The Philippines.
I had the absolute blessing of having my parents come out to The Philippines to visit and do ministry alongside me. There was a multitude of blessings that even led to them being able to come. My mom had enough time off saved up, my dad had someone to take his business while he was gone, and they were able to buy inexpensive plane tickets. God continually told them to go to The Philippines, and continually provided the way for them to travel there. Only God could have made it possible for them to be able to come.
Leading up to my parents traveling to The Philippines, I had a large range of emotions. I was so incredibly excited to see them, but I was also nervous about the ministry we would be doing. The ministry is we worked with is called Wipe Every Tear, and when I first heard that we would be going into the bars where sex trafficking happens, and buying girls drinks and talking to them, I was honestly terrified. That was not a ministry I even had on my radar, let alone felt equipped or prepared for. The fact that I would be doing this with my parents was even more scary. But, the closer PVT (Parent Vision Trip) got, the more peace and excitement God put in my heart. By the time I got to see my parents, I couldn’t wait to start the ministry.
When I first saw my parents pull up to the hotel, I couldn’t believe how good it felt. I ran out and hugged them, and they both cried, because they’re cryers and that’s what they do (love you mom and dad). I didn’t cry, because I didn’t inherit that trait from them, but I was so happy to be with my parents, after six long months apart. One of the hardest sacrifices I have had to make in order to do The Race is being apart from my family. I have been extremely homesick at times, and hate when I miss things that my family is involved in. While I wouldn’t trade where I am for anything, it sure was nice to be able to spend some time with my parents.
On the first night we went into the bars, I had no idea what to expect. To say I was shocked with the way the girls were treated is an understatement. In most bars, the girls were standing on a stage, just waiting for someone to call them down. Sometimes they had names, sometimes only numbers. In some bars, you would call a girl down by shining a laser pointer on her. The girl would come down, and then you were responsible for buying her a drink, which she earned a commission on.
We called down several girls at different bars during the two nights we did ministry. We would talk with the girls, and tell them about Wipe Every Tear, and the opportunity to have housing, food, and education paid for. The common theme was that the girls thought it was too good to be true. Luckily, we had a Filipino girl who had previously worked at the bars, and had gone through Wipe Every Tear, with us. She showed the girls her old bar IDs, as well as pictures of Wipe Every Tear houses that she had on her phone. Some girls were interested, and some really weren’t, which was incredibly hard. But, some girls did come, and are now living under the care of Wipe Every Tear!
As a side note, we did do some dancing on stage in the bars. Not only was it fun to dance and just have fun with the girls, but it also kept them from being called down, even if it was only for a little while. I did some dancing, but my mom did a ton! I was so proud of her for jumping out of her comfort zone to serve God in a way I’m sure she never imagined she would. Both my parents were amazing in that regard.
I will be posting a blog about my time so far in South Africa soon. Also, I apologize for the lateness of this blog. As always, I am so grateful for all of the support back home, and I thank everyone who spends time in prayer for me. Right now I would ask for prayer that as we start ministry here in South Africa, God would continue to speak to me and guide me. Hope you are all doing well. God bless!
