Three weeks in… This year may go by a little faster
than I thought it would. This has
been an exciting journey and I’m so thankful to hear about you guys that are
following and how you are stepping up to this challenge of being more
intentional with your conversations and generosity. The church is mobilizing and finally leaving the buildings we’ve
tried to confine God in. AMEN!
So, as much as I
love meeting new people and the conversations I get to have with them, I want
you all to hear about the people that are serving beside me as well so you can
lift them all up in prayer along their journey. Every now and then I will tell you the story of our staff or
volunteers so you can hear a little more about the full time ministry I’m here
to serve.
Connie has been
in the Philippines for about a year now and has just adapted to and fallen for
this culture. As a missionary kid,
growing up in the middle of all the “stans” in Eastern Europe, she has an idea
of what the life of a missionary looks like. However, I don’t know if she expected to run into what she
met out here. God has this
incredible habit of changing our lives, especially when we’re searching with no
big direction.
I was able to
meet Connie in March when we were here, and since she’s technically from the
States, I was looking forward to having a familiar face to come back to. I didn’t get to know much about her on
our first trip, but by having a much smaller group out here this time, I have
been able to get to know people a little better. It’s fun to hear how Connie just came out here with no big
direction, and God has broken her heart for what breaks His, and this girl is
now on a mission.
The bittersweet
part of this is that Connie is headed back to the States tomorrow and will
leave her home here in the Philippines behind for a little while. The good news about this is that it
seems that she is going home with a purpose. As Connie and I have talked, it’s been cool for both of us
to actually see Malaybalay as a city now instead of just the sight of the
children’s home. She and I have
spent a ton of time in the community, the city jail, and just wherever else we
can go to get to know this place.
There is so much need here (as with everywhere if we look hard enough…).
Through Connie’s
exploration in this city, God has birthed a vision in her to provide this place
with a community development program that will hopefully minimize the need of
any children’s home. By developing
in mothers a firm foundation of what it means to nurture and hopefully provide
for children, even single parents homes have a chance to thrive as healthy,
self-sustaining families. It’s not
enough to just protect the children; there’s something about a mother’s love
that is so needed here.
So for now, she
will head back to the States in search for the training and degree needed to
get this program off of the ground.
She may be gone for as long as two years, but God willing, she will get
to realize this kingdom dream of hers and return soon.
While goodbyes
are never fun, Connie is headed out with a mission and some direction on where
God is leading her. I am praying
for continued guidance and direction on her life and that her heart for this
city continues to grow even with all the miles in between. God has birthed a vision in the girl
and I would love to surround her with prayer and make sure it has the chance to
happen.
It’s a huge
dream, but where would we be if everyone lived on “practical knowledge” and
never took a leap?
