The Journey Continues to Strive - WEEK 6-

In the beginning, I was really nervous about coming to the Philippines. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. You always hear from others what they thought about the places youre going to which then makes you more eager to be there.. but once youre there.. then man,you can see a whole different place than what you expected!

1. I didn't expect to live as well as I am living.
2. I didn't expect to see the joy and happiness on so many of the peoples faces.
3. I didn't expect to see hundreds of children in line during the feedings just hoping to get the last scrapes in the bucket before running out.
4. I didn't expect to see people setting up their markets outside of the YMC every day with fish stands, and clothes, and vegetables.

I told my self that if I'm going to be where I am today.. then I must adventure out into the community and meet people.. I told myself that I'm not going to let my time go to waste . There are going to be no regrets! There are a few things I have started doing/plan to do.

1. I have been walking out every day to the lil markets outside of the YMC seeing how theyre doing.. I especially go to the women who sells beautiful dresses. When I see her Ijust see her just searching for someone to talk to.. and I want to be that person..

2. When I went on a feeding this past week I met a family with a super cute baby girl... I was very hesitant about just walking up to there home but took the risk. After about 5 minutes of speaking  with the mother.. I decided this was a family I wanted to visit every week I go back..

3. In the mornings I have been walking up and town the street near by and saying hello to different families. I have yet found the people I want to see every day.. but I am taking my time into finding them.. However long it takes.


After a few conversations with different people since being here... This jump has inspired me so much more! God has brought some incredible people into my life...

I would love for  those of you keeping up with my blog to please.. HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE to what I just told you about... I dont want to fall behind in any of this. I was to make this time more memorable than ever!

thanks for reading. :)

New blog will be posted soon!

Week 5- This is how I feel

  I have now spent a total of 5 weeks here. Time is flying faster than I ever imagined.  Every week has something unique about it. Everyday I’m starting to love the Philippines more and more. This past week many of the staff here went through a tragic time.

 One of our workers here had to deal with the death of her 17 year old son. He was killed in a motorcycle accident. The accident brought so much pain to everyone’s heart. In the beginning I was able to hold my emotions in. I hurt for Malou a lot but I didn’t know her son that well. Later that night one of Michael's (son) friends walked into the door looking for my friend Cindi. As she walks out she says to the friend “Did you hear?” He looked at her with confusion at first. Then out of his mouth were the words “He’s not dead is he?”  Right then and there I broke down. I couldn't hold it in any longer. To see the hurt on everyones faces made me hurt more and more. Funerals here in the Philippines are a lot different than in America. They have several services and people  are here 24 hrs a day. It can last up to 2 + weeks. Whenever you have the money and the whole family is here then they move on with the burial. We will be having the burial thursday of this week!

Have you ever been somewhere that seems to really push you when you least expected it to. Have you ever met people that seem to really push you and tell you to strive for what you feel God is leading you to do?... Well.. I have! Have you ever sat somewhere thinking... " I have no one to go to and talk to.. and then everything changes within mintues?.. These past few days has really been quite amazing. I don't think i have ever been so pushed here as much as I am now. Not pushed in the way of "you must do this..." but pushed in the way of "If its from God...then go after it. This past week I had the opportunity to meet some incredible people. Each day they continue to share with me their expereinces as I share mine. It has been so awesome to go to each of them and just share whats on our heart. I sat with Tasha one night and we talked about how much God speaks to us. We shared stories back and forth about ways he has been speaking to us recently and ways he has spoken to us before. We shared about the gifts God has placed us with and the confidence it takes to follow his footsteps. I have learned so much from these people. I have learned that God has given me a call. I may not be for certain what my future call is but He did give me the call to come here. I'm still learning the ropes here. I'm never gonna get everything perfectly fit into places. There are going to be times where I want to just give up and think... I'm not capable to finish this internship.. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to fight through it. I'm going to have the confidence and faith that God knows my life. He knows whats coming in the future and even though I don't know the future right now.. I will eventually. I must stop trying to make every little thing perfect here and trust I'm in the right hands as well as know thing will get rough at times.

 Never in my life did I expect to have such an experience that I’m having. I used to think that after High School I had to go to college. I had to figure out what I wanted my future to be. To be honest I still don’t know what exactly I want to do in life. Going into this I thought the whole time that this experience would give me a taste of what I want to do. A lot of people think that.  There are things here and there that catch my attention but I’m still searching and I’ll continue to search until I hear from God of the perfect thing.  


thanks for reading. :)

ONE MONTH!

The time here has just flown on by. I remember day one... All I could do was look around everyday and think to myself.. This is my new home...? I really had to get used to some changes.. here are about 15.

1.WhereToilet paper goes in a trashcan after being used... not the toilet?"
2. Where I just leave my trash on the Mcdonalds table.." I dont take it to a trashcan?"
3. Where there are tonz and tonz of squatter homes which get torn down after 7 years of living in them and then the family must re build.
4. Where no one follows the lines on the road.. Go where you can fit!
5.Where traffic signs are merely suggestions, not regulations.
6. Where fast food is a diet meal
7. Where the honking of car horns is a way of life.
8. Where 4 a.m. is not even considered bedtime yet.. how about some Kareoke!?
9. Where driving can take as much as four hours even short distances!
10. Where school is considered the second home and the mall considered the third
11. Where filipino time is what you make of it. :)
12. Where you have a fan running on you constantly!
13.where there is a sheet for you to change behind in a changing room!!
14. Where warm showers are great.. but a waste of time. just going to sweat it off sooner or later.
15. Where basketball is all time sport here.

You are all probably wondering.. what kind of minstries do they have have here... .Well the sky is definately the Limit here!

1. Manila Childrens home - New Faith Family Children’s Home is located in the densely populated city of Manila , home to approximately 200,000 street kids. The Children come to the home for a variety of reasons. Some have been abused or neglected. Others are simply abandoned. I spent alot of my time here working in the Nursery with the kids.

2. Jaz home.( Josie Angel Zone) - Twenty six of the Angels live in the home throughout the week, and some go home for the weekend. It has become a sanctuary of peace and security for the girls. Josie took the next step in helping these girls by opening a home for them to live in. Yes, they have homes already, but out of her 100+ girls it was found that about half of them suffer abuse daily, whether it be physical, sexual, mental, verbal, or emotional. Those kids need a place to escape, and people to shepherd them away from the vicious cycle. Thus, the JAZ Home was started.

3. The J Salon- Josie also started the J-salon here in the Philippines. Her intention was training Filipina women to become cosmetologists. However, she had a vision beyond providing job training. Her goal was to disciple and encourage the women to make their clients not only outwardly beautiful, but also inwardly through the transforming power of the gospel message.After about 2 full years later she employs six women who are fully trained as cosmetologists and massage therapists and are having an impact on their community.

4. Cuatro Christain School- Cuatro Christian School was established primarily to provide a quality Christian education to the abandoned, neglected and dependent children from New Faith Family Children’s Home and kids in near by communities who, mostly, have never been in school due to poverty and other unfortunate circumstances. I am an assistant helper in a first grade class at this school.

5. Yunjin lyso Ministry Center- It's kinda a cool story how this ministry center started and what its purpose is used for now. In June of 2007 Amos Lyso who is a friend of Kids International Ministries married his bride Yunjin. After just 20 days in there marriage Yunjin was killed in a fatal car accident. There are so many times where when we go through tragedys like this and would Question what was God's purpose for this.. Amos, however, allowed God to use his unfortunate circumstance to the glory of God and the furthering of His Kingdom. Amos donated enough money to purchase the property and building that would be come the YunJin Lyso Ministry Center, affectionately referred to as the YMC.The YMC has been used to accommodate the short term mission teams that come monthly to serve the community alongside Kids International Ministries. Recently, the grounds at the YMC have opened up to many more ministries. It provides an employment for a large (and growing) number of Filipinos who take care of the grounds, cook, clean, and work construction with our teams. In 2010, construction began behind the YMC on a building that would become an automotive and electrical appliance maintenance training center as well as a library for the Cuatro Christian School, office space for KIM, and a business center for Filipinos. They take all the opportunites they can to help families in the community buy there land and build better homes that dont have to to be torn down and the family can live there permanently.

6. Pregnancy Clinic - The pregnancy clinic is such an amazing thing here! There are tons of women/young teenage pregnancies that take place in the Philippines. Women come every week for checkup at the YMC. They are given a meal every time as well. I believe it is a pretty new ministry that has been started but it has definately progressed. They have even started teaching these pregnant women/teens how to make braclets and each week they come to the YMC making tonz and tons of braclets. When they leave the women are given money depending on how many braclets they make that day. Its so crazy to see hundreds and hundreds of women standing outside of the gate in the morning and just waiting to come in. Its so incredible to see them do what they can to get the money so when they do have their children they will have some money to provide for them.

God has really provided alot for this ministry and its been really cool to see how much God is still providing... I'm ready to go out into this community and get to know so many people making more and more friendships each and everyday. I wanna show people who I am and who God is.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to sharing more.. and ill be awaiting to hear of any ideas you would love me to write about.

Week 3.. KIDS KIDS KIDS

What does my life consist of.....

KIDS!

Now that I have a scheduled lined up.. I am enjoying so much of what I'm doing here! This here have been tough moments.. but I am really learining how to just trust God and trust that he brought me here for a reason.... I enjoying every waking moment with all these angels. They are just a package of joy and laughter.  I knew God had some awesome things planned out for me... but I really didnt know how much joy these girls would bring to me. They are all such sweet angels.


So like I said before... I now have a schedule... This was my first week starting... I was really nervous at first... I wasnt sure what to even predict.... but so far I love it..

My Mondays and Tuesdays consist of...
930 AM- Feeding
Afernoon- work on internship stuff/jazz home/ or laundry
630 PM(Monday) 400PM(Tuesday) - Bible study with Angels


My Wednesday-Friday consist of....
800 AM- Teacher Assistant for 1 grade
3 PM- Nursery ( Childrens Home)

I remember day one and I walk into my class.. I'm sitting there as they go from subject to subject... then here comes Math.. I sat there thinking, okay.. its first grade, this is going to be quite easy.. The teacher begins to write on the board. I look up and notice that its Fractions! I don't even remember as a first grader learning fractions.. One of the girls came up to me and said.. will you help me with this.. Maybe teachers are right... were gonna have to use this stuff later in life.. ;).

This week I have learned alot about patience. When I was at the nursery I was asked to feed some of the children. At the begininning I thought.. Hey, this will be a piece of cake... Lets just say.. it wasn't. I had kids screamming for there food, kids screamming for water, kids screaming because they didnt wanna eat there food. Then once we were done with dinner I had to give some a bath and get them ready for bed. I had boys running around all the rooms slamming doors. Finally I was able to settle all the boys down and relax.. They are truely such loving and sweet children! I have enjoyed spending my afternoons with them as we play outside or in the room and take fun pictures.



Please if you would pray for...

1. kids here to continue to seek after God in the Bible studies
2. KIM ( Kid International Ministries)
3. I will continue to go to God with things.
4. My faith will stay strong and grow stronger.
5. Next week on Thursday We are having a girls night.. where all the girls can bring there moms, aunts, or grandmas to for a dessert night.. please pray that everything will going smoothly and moms will take everything the girls share with them.

Im so excited for this week.. I plan to go to the beach where there are women who make braclets known as the threads of hope... At my camp we sell them to go towards those in the sex slave.


Thank you for reading.. be ready for a post coming soon.. if you have anything specific you wanna hear about.. feel free to facebook me and tell me