So I’ve been in the Philippines for almost two weeks now and if you remember from the world race I am still terrible at sitting down and writing blogs. Thank you for your grace and forgiveness…and patience. 🙂
These two weeks have just been amazing but they have also been eye-opening and heartbreaking. But even in this great sadness, there has also been a lot of joy.
On one of our first days here, we were taken on a tour of the city and shown different areas that were affected by Typhoon Yolanda. As we drove, we saw many homes held together by just a few sticks and some wood wrapped in blue tarps with the words “Samaritan’s Purse” printed on them.
Although these homes were standing, beside them were the broken remnants of houses and lives that forever interrupted by the violence of Yolanda.
Large ships were pushed from sea to land.
As we drove, I could not help but feel overwhelmed by what I was hearing and seeing. I just kept envisioning the happy, ever smiling people in front of me, hanging on to whatever they could. At the same time desperately trying not to lose their grip on their children, mothers and brothers.
All this while some of the strongest, overpowering winds ever recorded (over 200 mph) AND the most intense, unforgiving currents of black sea water, were trying to completely uproot them.
Seven months has passed since that life altering day and there is a lot of hope and gladness that shines in the smiles of the people around us. Looking around will reveal several buildings and roads that are well on their way to completion if they’re not already up and running.
Of course there are still many ongoing needs.
Someone has written “We need foods rice & water”
Part of what we get to do here with KIM (Kids International Ministries) involves meeting those needs in several ways. One of the ways we do this is through daily feedings.
There are still areas further away from the city center, where people are not able to have more than a meal a day. So we get to go out every day and serve a hot meal to some of these people. Majority of the time these people are small children.
The kids excitedly, run up holding any container than get their hands on and line up at our van. Whether it’s a water bottle or an actual bowl, large or small, we do our best to give them more than enough to fill their kid-sized bellies and maybe other bellies at home.
Meanwhile, there is another person in the van handing out vitamins, administering medication for common ailments, as well as cleaning and bandaging any cuts, sores, or wounds that we see.
While they are eating, we get to display Jesus’ love by playing with them and getting to know little things like their name and what that they like. We also seem to do a great job of making them laugh by trying to say words in their dialects.
S/N: The kids also appear to get a kick out of trying to say my name Moe, which ends up sounding like “Moow (pronounced “ow” but with an “M”) or Meow”. This smiling little girl was super sassy and insisted on calling me Meow. Yep. I’ve become the local cat. My greatest aspiration in life has been reached.
So that is what we do Monday through Friday, morning and afternoon. On Saturday, we do the same thing in the morning but in the afternoon we do a sort of kids club that will become an Awanas program.
Currently this time consists of all my favorite things like games and singing coupled with hand motions and dance moves.
Afterwards, the kids are broken into different age groups to do bible stories, lessons, or crafts then we end our time with food and hanging out. It is a really good time.
Though most of what we do is relational, we are also helping with painting and repairs on the house where we are staying. KIM is turning it into a permanent base to be able to assist the neighboring communities.
Speaking of which, the last part of ministry includes some good old-fashioned house work. As we are not the only group working with KIM, there are many other teams that will pass through during our two month stay here. When they are here, we become the hosts.
We help the Filipino staff clean and prepare the house for arrival as well as with cooking meals. Even though I would rather do taxes than house work, this has been a great way to get to know the staff and hear their stories and just by listening, Jesus has graciously woven us into their healing story.
These people have already become just as much our family as the ones we have left at home. It will definitely be hard to leave them. (Not going to think about it.)
The Philippines is a beautiful country filled with courageous, life changing people, who are displaying the glory of the Lord in the midst of deep anguish. People who are choosing to say “I trust that God is still good even though my child, mother, father, sister, and/or brother have been taken from me.”
God is already doing so much here through the local church and KIM and it has already been an amazing blessing getting to be used by him in his work. I am grateful that many of you guys have given me this privilege through your support and prayers. Thank you for that.
Please continue to pray for the Philippines for God’s restoration both physically and spiritually through Jesus.
