This month has been totally rad. Some of you helped me fundraise in the states by partnering with Threads of Hope. I sold bracelets, keychains, bookmarks…etc, half of the money raised went to my missions trip and the other half I mailed back to Threads of Hope because that’s the local women’s income. They make all of the items by hand in their houses. So upon arriving to the Philippines my team and I have been working with Threads of Hope here in Puerto Galera. This is a city that is about a 2 hour ferry ride from Manila. I couldn’t wait to arrive and meet all the faces behind this awesome organization. The Filipino culture is so welcoming, sharing and loving. I can’t begin to tell you how many smiling faces I have seen and houses that I’ve been invited into. So many good conversations sitting right in the locals homes here. I’m going to miss this place.
Some fun details about this month:
-Prayer walks, prayer walks, prayer walks
-Sorting and counting thousands of bracelets, keychains, bookmarks…etc
-Loads of Hellos, made lots of friends
-Christmas parties with many locals
-oh a typhoon hit, we made a slipNslide that day
-watched Captain Philips…. GREAT movie
-We combined with a team of 7 ladies, so got to know them on a deeper level
-Visited tribal natives…the Mangyan Village
– learned how to sing a song in Tagalog
-went snorkeling…It was as if we were in the movie “Finding Nemo” NO JOKE!
-Two lovely locals, Esa and Agnes, braided my whole head
– Merry Christmas… Maligayang Pasko
– watched some of the team eat Balut (which is a baby duck still in its egg)
-made friends with a monkey here, Masaki
– hugs on hugs on hugs
-laughed A LOT
-watched sunsets and stars move across the sky
Unexpected Bus Ride:
Lord thank you for the ministry opportunities this month. All the things I learned through you about myself and the team, things I learned about who you are as a Father. You are worthy of all Praise. Thank you for giving me strength even when I don’t realize it. Yesterday was a travel day back to Manila for debrief and I was a mess, I had no desire to talk to anyone. Dreary, tired, annoyed, stomach pains, nervous, anxious…all of this while sitting in a bumpy packed bus inching through rush hour traffic in Manila. I could barely come up with words to say to this lady sitting next to me. So I sat there for some time in silence trying to not exert any energy because I didn’t want to make my stomach hurt worse…this whole thought process was selfish all it had to do with was me…and I was unaware of this.
Then Anne, the lady sitting next to me, began asking questions. It hit me God had a reason for her to be in that bus yesterday, a divine appointment. I slowly turned my attention to her, the first thing she asked me was, “What is a missionary, what do they do?” I began to ask God for help, my heart was willing to reach out but my physical and mental parts were not. From there the conversation took off, her eagerness to know and want to understand what a Christian is, excited me. This conversation was so refreshing, it wasn’t forced it was simply prompted by a curious Anne. The lord is drawing here closer little by little. By the time I knew it God had redirected my motives. I started with only thinking about myself and my stomach to only thinking about Anne and her story. As Anne and I were talking a guy was sitting across from us not saying a word but intently listening. Assuming that he didn’t speak English I felt prompted to talk to him, he spoke English, his name was Ray. He was so curious about the Christian faith and why missionary work isn’t forced? Time went on and more was discussed then my stop came quickly so I had to part ways, I wanted more time with them both but I left encouraged seeing their willingness to want to know more about the Christian faith. I just pray that desire continues to grow and leads them straight to Jesus.
Prayer Requests:
-If you could pray for a family here, a mother lost her son; it’s been really hard on the whole family
– There is a place here called “White Beach” and it’s really normal for ladymen to work there, so that was hard to see happening, if you could pray for those men and finding their worth in the lord and finding him as their savior & friend.
-Ray and Anne to experience Jesus
– Threads of Hope to have more help running the office
-team changes are going to take place for the next month (Vietnam)
-a desire for me to find complete solitude with the Lord
Merry Christmas Everyone,
Love yall
