Though I’ve only been in the Philippines for a short time I’ve really developed some strong relationships here. God has been so good with providing anything and everything I need. Through the ups and downs I’ve really been able to learn to truly trust God with all things. I’ve always said that I’m just not good at prayer, but I was really challenged by a sermon I heard from my home church, which basically said prayer takes practice. I think of how many hours I’ve spent shooting the basketball compared to how many hours I’ve spent in prayer, and I can’t help but feel ashamed. I now realize that just like anything, practice is all I need. To stop talking about how “I’m just not good at prayer” and actually praying has made such a difference! The Lord listens to all, and I’m finding renewed reassurances all the time. To be convicted to pray my way through the day has really opened my relationship with God to new heights. To trust Him in all things and to have a true conversation with the Lord puts my heart at rest.

I thank God for what He has done for me here, and for all the relationships I’ve been able to establish. This week I was pretty sick. I’ve only been sick a couple times in my life, so this is still a new thing for me. I had about a 106 degree fever, sore throat, headache, and I was dizzy whenever I stood up. The people here were amazing! They helped me through it, and now thanks to God and their help I’m back to normal. I can’t explain how much their love and care for me has meant. They really were there whenever I needed anything. It’s so comforting to know that I have people in my corner that truly care.

Friday the 13^th in the year 2013 we celebrated the 13^th anniversary of the Sankey Samaritan Home. We had a big dinner with all the boys and girls as well as the staff. We had a fun time just hanging out and talking about various things. Afterward we watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, which no matter how many times I see it, it still is a perfect adventure movie.

Quick little story from the anniversary party: The youngest kid here at Sankey, John Paul, is a big Hulk fan. I wear a hulk shirt ever once in a while with a picture of the Hulk on the front, and every time I wear it he asks me the question, Who would win the Hulk vs. (some superhero)? The Hulk always wins, and he loves it. Then he asked, “what about Hulk vs. Samson?” I said Samson cause he has God with him. There was a twinkle in his eyes and he started to smile. Then he said, “What about the Hulk vs. me?” Before I could even answer he said, “I win because God on my side.” I just smiled and said “your right! You would beat the Hulk cause you have God.” He got the biggest smile, and puffed out his chest a little. It was so cute to see him realize with God on your side nothing is impossible. 

Well it’s been awhile since I last posted, so this is a general update on how things are going. I’ve only been here for about a month and a half, but I’ve already learned so much from the people here at Sankey. I’m constantly amazed at what God has done here. It’s a true testament to the leadership here. The workers here are so genuine. They truly care about everyone, and it is so inspiring.

I’ve got my own little routine here, but everyday there are new adventures to be had. My Mom used to say when we were little “only boring people get bored”, and lets just say that goes double for life in the Philippines. Life is constantly going here, and with so many people it’s always easy to find someone and have a good time. I’ve been playing a lot of chess, ping-pong, guitar, and just having fun with the boys and girls here.

In school the speech classes are going okay. I still feel a little inadequate teaching an actual class, but I’m learning how to prepare lessons and even getting better at talking in front of a group of people. My favorite part of school is definitely Fridays when at the end of the day we have P.E. It’s so much fun just to play with the kids it’s amazing! I’ve taught them a few new games including red rover, stuck in the mud (freeze tag), and capture the flag. We’ve had such a fun time running around, and the kids seem to love it almost as much as I do.

The devotions with the boys have been going well. We are almost finished with The Measure of The Man book. It’s been a good intro book to get to know the boys better, and I’m really looking forward to going through the Bible with them. Once we finish this book we are going to start going through stories in the Old Testament and showing how everything points to Jesus. The first story we will be doing  is Joseph’s, and I can’t wait to get it going!

I’m starting to understand little bit of Tagalog, but I still a long way to go. The boys and girls have been great in helping teach me words, and hopefully I’ll be able to speak a little soon. I’m still so thankful that they all know a various degree of English!

God has been so good here! I have been so blessed by all the people here it truly is amazing.

I was asked a question by one of the girls here that really has stretched me. It’s not something I have ever even thought about before, but now I can’t get it out of my mind. The question she asked was, “If you were famous what would you want to be famous for?” When she asked the question multiple answers flew into my head: writer, movies, basketball, etc… But my New England side kicked in, and I didn’t open up completely. Instead I fired the question right back at her, and she said without any hesitation. “If I had to be famous I would want to be famous for bringing people to Christ. Maybe be a famous missionary.” She said it without a hint of self-righteousness. It was so genuine and pure, that I couldn’t help but crave for the exact same desire to overtake my heart. 

See I’ve truly come to realize that sharing the Gospel and what it preaches is really the most important thing I can do. I just hope and pray that I will always be ready for whatever God has planned for my life.

Love you

God Bless!

Here are some videos and pictures from last week. We had a great time on Thursday celebrating a Philippine holiday. This Cugley elementary kids put on a great show which included dancing, speech making, awards, and even some singing. We had a fun time, and the kids got to dress up in some traditional garb. Then on Friday I was able to go with some other teachers and help out with some of our kids that participated in the district meet. They play all the Olympic sports, and only the best get to move on. So that's a little explanation on the pictures/videos below.

Everything is going great here, and I'm really enjoying getting to know all the boys and girls here at Sankey.

God Bless!

Further Thoughts on True Happiness

         I guess I'll get right into it. I believe to obtain true happiness you must know that God sent His Son to die for you personally. Without that knowledge, I believe that self doubt and questions of why will not strengthen you, but will be your undoing. Without John 3:16 as an anchor for our questions in life I don't believe we can find true happiness, but having said that I believe a Christians can also struggle with questions of happiness. I know first hand that deep questioning can bring heartache, but it also brings deeper faith in God. With faith in Christ we are free(er) to question happiness. I have a growing belief that earthly goods bring a shallow happiness, and also bring on the problem of wanting more and more. My favorite Rock and Roll band The Rolling Stones wrote the song "(I can't get no) Satisfaction", and I believe that in their case it's true because they are trying to fill a void with things that only God/Christ can fill. 

         My thoughts on happiness are also inspired by a plaque that was made by A.E. Mitchell. It's the answer to the question, what is the key to happiness? The plaque has the word OTHERS disguised so that you have to figure out for yourself what it says. That's what I see in the poor here. Though they don't have earthly goods they have happiness in each other. Yes, they also don't know what it's like to have things, but my growing feelings are ones that question whether personal possessions should be held in such high esteem in our lives. It is obvious to me that these things are not necessary part of life, but they are a great enjoyment. I also want to make it clear that I also really love having things, but I want to make a concerted effort in my life not to make those things become idols. They (books, movies, and music in my case) have brought me much joy in my life, but they are not the reason for my happiness. I don't think people can find true happiness through these things because there is nothing we can impart or give back to them. Whereas, there is a give and take relationship with people that can bring us happiness. 

         Now, I understand that the majority of the poor are not happy, but I have seen a real contrast here in the Philippines between their poor and the American poor. I believe this is because the poor that I have visited with in the Philippines have been Christians with understanding that they are not "home" in this world. They realize this isn't all there is, which is the exact opposite of the poor in America. The motto "get rich of die trying" is a prevalent view for most of the unsaved poor, and I truly believe that is the exact opposite of how we as Christians are called to live. We, as Christian, are called to not be tied down by the things of this world. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says to the rich man, "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." I think this verse applies when talking about why the Christian poor here have so much joy, while the unsaved poor back home have little hope. Christ is our hope, happiness, and joy. 

         The Edward Mote hymn "My Hope is Built" says,

         

         My hope is built on nothing less 

         than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

         I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

         but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

         On Christ the solid rock I stand,

         all other ground is sinking sand;

         all other ground is sinking sand.

This is where I believe we receive our happiness. Jesus' blood and righteousness give us our happiness, not our things. Happiness is not necessarily reserved only for the Christians who are poor. To have things can bring joy, but they need to be remembered as only things. They are not the source of our joy, the source comes from the people you share these things with. 

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

We went with all the kids to Rizal recreation center on Monday and Tuesday. We had such a great time. There is so much to do there. We played ping pong, volleyball (in the rain), swam in the pool where there is a huge water slide, played basketball, badminton, chess, watched movies, and had an all around good time hanging out. I had so much fun playing with the kids at all the different games. I’m amazed at how good they are at chess. One of the kids, Ronnel, completely destroyed me. It was great to have some good competitive games though, and we had a lot of fun.

            I had to lead devotions one night. For those of you who know me well know that public speaking is not one of my favorite things, but I actually looked forward to talking in front of them. We had a little over 40 people there that I was able to talk to. I shared with everyone my Bible reading challenge that I have given to the boys, and I also challenged everyone there to start a Bible reading plan. I tried to impart how important it is to read the Bible daily because it is God’s word to us, and how it is all applicable to our lives in every situation. Joshua 1:8, Romans 15:4.

            Today, Wednesday, Toto took a few of us to visit one of the churches they built a couple of years ago. It is right on the beach, and because there was a typhoon the other day the people hadn’t eaten in three days. We brought with us about 15 boxes of food for the church to hand out to the surrounding community.

            I was amazed at the poverty of the area. The people live in mostly tiny huts made of bamboo with metal roofs. They make their living by catching fish, but because the water is crazy right now so they can’t do much of that. There were kids all around the beach digging through the sand because they were finding coins that were wasting up on the beach. Seeing the swollen bellies, contrasted by the ever-present smiles was an interesting phenomenon. Though they are dirt poor they always seem to find joy in the little things. It’s hard to explain my feelings because I want to help them so much by giving them things, but maybe they are living the right way with no attachments to earthy goods. Maybe I’m really the one that needs help. It really made me start thinking about helping the poor, and how Jesus kept that issue at the forefront of His ministry. I’m amazed at how loving the poor are. I hope and pray that I can repay their joy with even more.

The preacher of the church made lunch for us, and I’m still amazed. He was honored to have us, and he shared what little he did have with us. We had some Tuna and rice, and I also tried my first squid, which was surprisingly really good.

I can’t get over the happiness of these people. They literally had nothing. Their houses were feet away from the ocean, and in some cases the ocean was slapping up against the bamboo boards of their houses. Yet they were happy with nothing because they have EVERYTHING! They have Christ in their hearts, and their ministry by the beach is as real as any I’ve seen.

Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Favorite verses

I was talking with a couple of the Sankey girls the other day, and we were having a great conversation. One of the girls asked me what my favorite Bible verse was. I immediately realized I definitely don’t just have one favorite, but I do have two that stand out more than others.

The first is Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” For obvious reasons that verse means much more to me now than it ever has. It has been such a great comfort during hard times. I love to picture God leading my path, and me actually following Him, not afraid, not weak, but strong and courageous into the unknown. But this was not the verse I told the girls about.

I told them the other verse that I hold close to my heart. John 16:33 “For I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world.” There is a quick story as to why that is so dear to me. One cold autumn night when I was at Wheaton College, I was having a hard time with just about everything in my life.  I sat down on a bench just outside Blanchard Hall. Everything seemed to be stacked against me.  I was just barely keeping my head above water in my studies. I was beginning to realize that basketball wasn’t my saving grace, and that I was just an average player on a really good team.  Never the Batman always the Robin, and I was trying to come to grips with that fact for the first time in my life. I felt as though I was at a breaking point, and I poured my heart out to the Lord in prayer. When I finished praying I didn’t feel any different, so I sat there for a few more minutes. Then I finally decided to get up and go back to my dorm room. I stood up and looked down at the bench I was sitting on, there on the backrest was a plaque imbedded into the wood. It was a simple Bible quote, “For I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world.” I was stunned. I realized what I was going through was nothing compared to what Jesus went through for me. That verse brought me so much joy, and I sat right back down and thanked God for all that He had done for me. I thanked Him for overcoming the world. It was a very special moment in my life where I truly felt God’s love for me.

So I told the girls this story, and when I was done I asked them what their favorite verses were. One immediately said Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” I smiled because for this girl it was such a perfect verse. Though I only know her a little bit she definitely has a joyful spirit that can easily be seen in all she does.

Then I asked the other girl who was there and she said Psalms 27:10. I didn’t know what that was off hand so I had to look it up, and when I read it I nearly cried. It reads, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” It's hard to imagine the pain of an orphan, but to get a glimpse of the hope the God gives as The Father is staggering.

I’m amazed at how perfect the word of the Lord is for all people and all situations.

God Bless

I’ve become somewhat accustomed to life here in the Philippines. So far we’ve had a pretty steady schedule, and that has helped out immensely. Though I wouldn’t call myself a teacher, I have learned how to connect with the kids in the classroom. They are all so full of joy it really is contagious, and it makes my job a lot more fun! In class this week we’ve gone over the B and P sounds as well as coming up with our own tongue twisters. Another thing I did this week with the kids was I offered to give anyone 1000 Pisos (about 25 dollars) that could read Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss out loud with no mistakes. The kids got so excited it was so funny. Needless to say no one was able to do it. I even made the same offer to the adults, and no one could do it. It’s so funny to see people try. They always start off like it’s going to be simple, but after a couple of lines everyone messes up.

Today we went out and did some work. I helped built a fence to keep the goats out of the garden. I had a great time using a curved machete to trim the trees that were in the way. The only bad part about it was the ants! They were everywhere, and they were definitely not thrilled to have us in their area. After we finished we played a couple games of outdoor volleyball, and it was a ton of fun. Toto used what he calls his Olympic serve, and was unstoppable.

I got my first taste of riding a motorcycle. It was an automatic so I didn’t have to worry about switching gears, but it was still fun. I’m looking forward to really learning how to ride one.

The devotions with the boys are going well. We’ve switched up the format a little bit to get them to talk more. The first thing, is now one the boys reads the next chapter in the “Measure of the Man” book and leads the discussion. It has really helped their comprehension of the material, and that’s the whole point. The other big change is now the boys speak in Tagalog almost the whole time. I’m able to understand what their saying because, I’ve read the chapter, and Jake helps interpret sometimes. I’m still able to put my imprint on the talks, but this has been much better to get them talking. Also I’ve got them all reading the New Testament now. Though I have to stay on them everyday to make sure they do it, it is so worth the investment that I have no problem staying on them.

Also, today is Michael’s birthday today. Michael is a special needs boy, who like all special needs people, is full of love and life. He is continually helping out doing choirs. He never fails to come up to and give me a hug whenever he sees me. I have a hard time not believing that he is what Jesus is talking about when he said in Mark 10:31 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

If only I could love people as they do!

God Bless