Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving! This marks the first time I’ve ever been out of the country for Thanksgiving, but nevertheless I still have so much to be thankful for. This amazing journey that I have been on for the past 4 months has been life changing, and I wanted to use this blog to thank some of the people and things that have made this time in the Philippines so special.

            First of all, I want to thank Yahweh for without Him I am nothing. I have found so much comfort in reading God’s word while I’ve been here. Having little to no TV really gives you a lot of free time, and I’ve tried to fill that time with reading the Bible. Since I’ve been here I’ve read the Bible twice, and I’m almost done with my third time through. Time has been such a blessing to get to better know God’s word, and I find myself very eager to get back into it everyday. My time in the Philippines has also made me become more reliant on God’s will in my life. I see his grace in all things. The good and the bad, God uses it all for His glory.

            I am also thankful for the Sankey boys and girls. They have been such a blessing to me, and have shown me what are really the important things in life. They are joyful in hard times, and really know what it is to trust in the Lord. Their ever-present willingness to have a good time is contagious, and I’ve re-learned that the purpose of sports and games is to have fun. Not just for win at all cost competition. For that re-education I am so grateful! In just 4 months I feel like I have become a new person because of the kids here. They have taught me what it means to be content in Christ. “My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. I am so thankful for the boys, and the relationships we have developed. The Bible studies are really starting to sink in and they seemed to actually be enjoying them. Which is something I am also very thankful about.

            I am so thankful for the love from all the staff and workers here at Sankey. Especially the Luchavez family who have made my stay here such a fun filled adventure. They are always there whenever I need anything, and I can’t thank them enough for there hospitality. They really are amazing!

            I am so thankful for Uncle Tom and Aunt Karen for giving me this opportunity to come and share a year of my life with their kids. The amount of love and support by these two warriors for Christ is astounding, and I am so thankful to be able to call them my Uncle and Aunt! I really can’t wait till they get here so I can see the joy that they bring. If you know them you know the energy and enthusiasm that is ever present in their ministry. They are such a blessing, and I’m so glad I could give this year to help them with their mission.

            I am really thankful for technology. A few years ago I never though I would say that, but now knowing first hand what it means to communicate with people on the other side of the world I have to say I now realize how good it can be. Viber, Skype, Email, and even a little bookface they all have been such a blessing in that I can use them to talk to all of you back home. It has been so awesome to stay up to date with the sermons from my home church of Roswell Community Church. The teaching in the sermons has been so refreshing, and every Sunday I truly look forward to hearing what my pastors have to say.

            Finally I am so thankful for each and everyone of you! Thank you for your prayers and support. It’s amazing how loved I feel when I hear from someone back home. My family and friends, Thank you! Your kind words have picked me up when I needed to be, and leveled my head to show me what truly matters in tough times. I thank the Lord for each of you and the amazing blessing you are to me.

            I know this is a little different from my usual posts, but it was on my heart so I decided to follow it. Know that, even though I’m in the Philippines, I still am enjoying what Thanksgiving is really all about. Giving Thanks! God Bless you all!

P.S. To Uncle E……….. Have some turkey and pumpkin pie for me!!!

General Update

Well, a lot has happened since the last time I wrote on here, and for that I’m sorry. I’ve been fighting a little bit of writer’s block, but I figured it’s time to push through it and give you all an update on what’s going on here in the Philippines.

            THE STORM: By now I’m sure all of you have heard all about it. First of all, we were safe during the storm. It was by far the loudest rain/wind I’ve ever heard in my life. It sounded like I was on the beach. I went out one time to see what the wind was like, and was literally blown back. I was amazed at the power of the storm. That said, there was only a little damage done here at Sankey. A few trees were knocked down, a gutter was broken, and a car covering crashed, but thankfully no one was hurt here. So we rode out the storm in safety. One amazing thing about this place is that it’s one of the few places in the Philippines that is usually protected from natural disasters. We are far enough inland, and the mountains that are around us protect us from these storms. The Philippines is the number one country in the world for natural disasters. They have Earthquakes, Typhoons, Mudslides, Volcanoes, and Flooding. You name it, it happens here. World Harvest is sending people and money directly to the places most in need and if you are interested in helping the donations address is World Harvest Ministries, PO Box 613, Manchester, MI 48158. Mark your check with a note saying you would like it to go towards relief and every cent will go where it can best be used.

           Teaching the elementary kids has been a lot of fun. I’m having them read all kinds of books, and I’ve even got my fifth graders hooked on Narnia. At the end of every day we have P.E., which the kids love after being in actual school all day. It’s also my favorite part of the school day because I usually join in and play with them. We’ve been playing indoor soccer because it’s been raining so much lately, but the kids seem to love it.

            I’m really enjoying hanging out and playing with the older boys. We play chess, ping-pong, and basketball just about everyday. We are going through the life of Moses in our Bible studies, and they seem to be very interested in what we talk about. After we finish I promised the guys we’d watch The Ten Commandments, and to my surprise I found out that none of them had ever seen it. Now to me this is unbelievable because I was raised on the great Charlton Heston. Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, and the original Planet of The Apes were constantly playing at our house. So I’m glad I get to show them something that I grew up watching. Speaking of which….

            Tonight we had the all the Guys and girls watch Jaws for the first time. It was hilarious to see their faces! They screaming and jumping and I had so much fun just watching and hearing their reactions to the scary parts. I just found out that Uncle Tom took my Mom and two of my Uncles to see Jaws for their first time. So I think it’s only fitting that I was a part of the first showing of Jaws to his kids.

            I remember the first time I ever saw the movie I was at my Grandparents house, and right before one of the scary parts my Dad told me to come sit in his lap so he could give me a backrub. Now I was about thirteen and I thought it was a little goofy for my to come sit on his lap, but I was not going to miss out on a backrub. So I went over and sat on his lap as he began to rub my back. I turned my attention back to the movie, and a few second later the dead man pops out of the boat underwater and I jumped in fright. My Dad just started laughing, and I saw that he had set me up, but he kept rubbing my back. I thought that was such a good analogy for our Heavenly Father. He knows what is coming up in our lives and even when they are scary and hard He is right there with us. Rubbing our back.

“In you, Lord my God,

I put my trust.” ~Psalm 25