SO…reading the title to this blog may leave you wondering why I’m writing about guitars, girls and jacks…just trust me. Over the past month in the Philippines, I’ve had the opportunity to come into a home for more than 30 orphaned and abused girls and play guitar, fellowship, and worship with them. Not many male figures have came here because of some of the trust issues that the girls have with men, so I was extremely nervous the first time I came into the home along with the girls on my Passport team. All I had with me was my guitar, my worship song book, and a lot of prayers to back me up…and praise God that I am now accepted and welcomed there every Tuesday night and I have been able to teach chords, play songs, and just hang out with these awesome and godly girls. I can say that Tuesday night is probably my favorite night of the week! Its such a great experience to be able to be a male figure that they can trust, and also showing them the love of Christ through singing songs of praise to God. I often hear “Tito Andy! Play the song Our God!” or “Tito Andy, how do I play this chord?”.
Tonight some of the girls asked me to play jacks with them. At first I was weary because I had never played before…by the time the other girls were at 8 jacks….I was still at 1…yep, I was horrible at it, but I think I had more fun in that moment than any other time here in the Philippines so far. To see them laughing and having fun brings so much joy into my own life. Just before I wrote this blog tonight, I was told that the girls I played jacks with, haven’t really trusted a man since the incidences of their pasts, so to know that I can help bring healing to their lives and hearts is such a blessing to me! I know that God is going to continue his good work in this home.
If I knew before I came on this mission trip that I’d be willingly stepping into a home of 35 girls to do ministry, i’d say that would be absolutely crazy…but then again….our God is pretty crazy sometimes isn’t he?
