It has only been a few days since our last report, and during that time the team has been busy, both on the work site and with evangelism opportunities. Our days start very early, waking the team up at 5 am so they can have a quick snack before starting their first block of work at 6 am. They have been working diligently to get the building project closer to completion. They are currently working on digging a septic tank and preparing the new dorm building to pour the floor for the porch and inside. On Monday, the team visited one of the Sunday School Circuits where they shared their presentation, shared many fun songs and played games with over 100 children. This was their first opportunity to do children’s ministry since our arrival, and the team had so much fun. After this first trip, they worked on learning more fun songs, skits and games that they could share on the next trip which happened to be on Wednesday. During this next ministry opportunity, the team walked a short distance from the TMI property to visit a local school. They once again shared more fun songs, puppets, a drama and games. The team split the kids in a couple groups to lead games such as “Duck, Duck, Goose.” Before the team came back to the base, the school treated them to a delicious snack of bread and fruit which was enjoyed very much! The children they’ve met swarmed them, hoping to get pictures and just be near them. For the majority of the children they’ve visited so far, this is probably the first time they’ve met people from North America. Our team loved sharing the Gospel message through the Wordless Book. This coming Friday, the team will travel to another Sunday School circuit that is a little further away in a more remote location. It is a blessing to see some of the places where the Philippine staff and students serve. Please continue praying for our team. We have some fighting head colds and not feeling very well. Pray for healing and strength for each team member, leader and leader kid. We are about halfway through our time in the Philippines, and it has been such a gift. This is an incredible team, and it has been a blessing to witness their growth together and in their walk with the Lord!
We look forward to our remaining time here!
Josiah W (Leader): Hey Y’all, it’s been absolutely stunning out here in the Philippines. The beauty of God’s creation is so evident here and seen in so many ways such as driving out to a Sunday school in the mountains, waking up to a sunrise, getting a 360 view on the prayer mountain or sitting in an open walled church worshiping the Lord. One of the biggest things I’ve learned on this trip has been that if something needs to happen to spread the Gospel or complete God’s work then God won’t let anything get in the way of it. It might involve getting escorted out of a mall by security or a long checkout line that leads to chances to talk about the Gospel. I have seen obstacles removed and prayers answered that has allowed us to continue working on the worksite. It is just so evident how much God has been by us every step of the way. It’s been a huge blessing spending the past month with such an amazing team and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re half way through our time here in the Philippines and I can’t wait to see how much more work God will do for us and through us. PS: I now love coconuts. They’ve been great every single different way I’ve ate or drank them. The tropics are getting to me.
Jesse L. (Leaders’ Kid): Hey, it’s been fun in the Philippines. The food here is amazing and the view is very beautiful. The people here are really nice they welcomed us here with a flower necklace that they made. They have the most hospitality I have ever seen! We are going to Zip-line on Saturday; it will be fun. The Zip-line is 0.8 Miles long. The EV has been awesome. We will be going to a remote Sunday school tomorrow. One of the previous ones was the best I have ever been to. There were around 150 kids, and they all were asking the team and me to take pictures with them. It was funny because every time they took a picture with one of us they would scream. Yesterday we did EV. We asked if they wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior and like 30/50 raised their hands. It was so fun.
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