This month my team is at Kid’s International Ministries (KIM). We are joining a couple of teams from the Gap Year B Squad who are starting their third month here. We are in Cainta, Philippines- in the middle of a squatter village called Quatro. To say there is a lot going on here would be an understatement. There is so much to do and so much that can be done. Here is a general outline of the things we have the opportunity to join in on:
Mon-Fri at 9am and 4pm: feedings in nearby neighborhoods
Mon-Fri 10am-12: “pool ministry”-swim lessons/make sure street kids don’t drown while they play in the pool.
Mon night: play volleyball with girls in our neighborhood (Quatro)
Mon-Fri 7-8:30pm: another feeding/ Bible study for kids
Friday 12:30: Bible study with girls from Quatro
Fri & Sat 6-10pm: go to the Josie’s Angels (JAZ) House, a girls home for girls that have been abused, and hang out with the angels- there are 35 of them
Everyday: go to the children’s home up the street (there’s a nursery), step outside the gate and love street kids, prayer walks, possible basketball clinics
**our team, the girls, has the chance to live at the JAZ House for about a week and a half. Two of us will be there the whole time and the rest of us will spend our afternoons (3pm-end of day) at the house.
Everyone here are so nice and love to teach us Tagalog. It is not an easy language to learn but we’re trying.
Memorable Moments:
1. With 7 people on a trike, we flipped it.
2. Holly’s team time- World Race Pool Olympcs 2K14 (I got the bronze)
3. date night with the team
4. November 3rd, 2014 did not happen in my life- travel days do weird things like time travel
5. getting to drive!
Sights:
Kids everywhere
pool (complete with a slide) in our backyard
tin houses
dirt roads
malls (they’re all over the place!)
jeepneys
Christmas decorations
Smells:
pollution, there’s no other way to describe that
McDonalds
Sounds:
Horns honking
Kids you have never met yelling your name
Sunday night worship with Gap B
people-there are always people around
Tagalog, Taglish, and English
Tastes:
We are blessed to have women that cook for us 3 times a day
coffee (its real and its delicious!)
Oreo McFlurry and double hot fudge sundaes
What I’m learning:
As overwhelming as ministry opportunities are so are all the things God is showing me.
Here’s a little snippet, hopefully I’ll be able to figure out a way to put the rest into words so I can share more soon.
5 times a week I wake up with my team to do a Bible study before breakfast. This morning we finished Ephesians and at the end it says:
So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything.
Ephesians 6:21
At first I didn’t think much of this verse, I figured it was a pretty way to end the letter- until I realized that I identify with whoever Tychicus is. He was probably the one that carried the letter to Ephesus. Its not a glamorous job, carrying a letter. It doesn’t require the gift of prophecy or healing, but that doesn’t take away from the importance of it. I often struggle when we talk about spiritual gifts because, so far as I know, I don’t have either of those. I also don’t get visions or speak in tongues. I do know I have the gift of administration and we can all agree that its not flashy gift. I get jobs like carrying letters- I love those jobs, but it’s easy to feel like those ones aren’t as important. I needed the reminder that that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Financial Supporters:
Copenhaver family
PFB Purpose Church
I need your help!
My next financial deadline is Dec. 1st, I need to have $11,000 in my account to continue on the race and go to Thailand next month. I need people that believe in how God is using me and how He wants to use me to keep me here. If you feel led to donate you can do so by clicking here. There are also other people on my squad in need to continue next month.
God bless!
xo
