Basketball Trip

DAY 1

The start of our adventure actually began one day earlier because Uncle Tom took a group of us from Sankey to see a professional PBA game in Manila. We had a blast, and it was a nice kick off for the upcoming mission.

            After the game Jake and I along with Kuya Don Don and Kuya Allen drove to the airport parking lot where we spent the night waiting for the team to arrive. There plane got in at 6:45. We were able to get everyone into vans, and headed to Sankey where we were going to have a bite to eat.

There are 20 guys with us and 1 girl that make up the basketball team. They all seem like great guys, and I already know a few of them from the last trip two years ago. It was about a four and a half hour trip back to Sankey where we were greeted by a great chicken and rice lunch.

We had to leave Bill Epling behind at Sankey for the night because he had a bad case of food poisoning.

After lunch we packed everything in the vans and the two jeepneys. We had to say goodbye to everyone at Sankey, and I now realize how much the boys and girls really mean to me. I can only imagine how it’s going to feel in June when I really say goodbye. Once we left we drove for another three and a half hours to San Narciso. As soon as we arrived we immediately got in our jeepneys and headed to the neighborhood court where we put on a little show.

Uncle Tom led the crowd like the Pied Piper on his unicycle down to a seaside dirt court. We didn’t do our normal routine, but Uncle Tom put a boy on his shoulders and rode around on the uneven dirt court. It was pretty amazing, and all the people loved it. The people love seeing all the tall black and white Americans, so we had a great time mingling with the crowd. After a few minutes of play we switched to a covered court a few blocks away so we could have lights to play in the dark.  

I’m learning how to become a human Swiss Army knife in that I have to be ready to do anything needed. I had to step up and ref the game because they need someone to do it, but I had fun interacting with both teams.

We passed out a few hundred Bible study tracks, where the people sign up for a Bible study. Then the local pastor follows up with the people. We received a ton of responses from people of all ages.

All in all we had a pretty good day, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for this trip.

DAY 2

            Today was a very successful and very full day. We woke up early to blaring music from across the street. It was a good alarm, and everyone used it to get up and have a little early devotional time. Afterwards we went up the street to the house where half the team is staying, and we had breakfast together.

            Uncle Tom gave a little devotional about the difference between being a fan or a follower of Christ using the story of the Prostitute and the Pharisee in Luke 7.  It was a great reminder of our priorities on this trip, and also to hammer into our heads the importance of not judging by outward appearances. 

            After the breakfast the team got in and on top of the jeepneys. On top is my favorite way to ride around in the Philippines. You just have to hold on and watch out for low wires and branches.  We had one branch almost hit us but Ross grabbed it, and pushed it out of the way. What he didn’t realize was when he let it go it hit the top of the jeepney and a ton of angry ants that were on the branch were now on him and his wife Ana. It was pretty funny for the rest of us, and now we all know not to grab onto any more low branches.

            The trip took a little over an hour and it was awesome. The views are spectacular. I tried to take some pictures, but they really don’t do the scenery justice. We are traveling through some pretty dense jungle, going up and down great green mountains with views that overlook the ocean and the surrounding villages. It’s truly amazing to see the variety of God’s creation. Some of the roads were really muddy but we pushed through and finally found the court in the middle of the jungle. Uncle Tom was on Kuya Toto’s motorcycle, so he had to navigate through the mud to make it to the court.

            When we got there only about 20 people were there, but within 5 minutes there were a couple hundred. The people love basketball here in the Philippines, and to see Americans play is really a huge deal for them.

            The game was great. We have a lot of guys who know how to play and more importantly know how to have fun while playing. It’s great to see that nobody is taking themselves too seriously. At halftime of the game we started our halftime show.

            The halftime show starts with Uncle Tom juggling and doing various juggling tricks. Then he goes through some two ball dribbling drills. Then we line up on the unicycles and go the length of the floor down and back. After that the boys and I go down the court weaving in and out making (or at least trying to make) a few shots. Then I get to do a few two ball dribbling drill on the unicycle. After that Uncle Tom gets back on the bike and juggles while riding and he also makes a few shots. Then Roy gets on the tall bike and dunks a few while going up and down the court a few times. Finally, Uncle Tom finishes the show by taking a kid from the crowd on his shoulders around the court as the kid is squirming all over. After the rider Uncle Tom gives the kid a shirt and 100 pesos, and the kid is back to all smiles.

            So far Jake and I have become the refs and we are able to still have fun wih the team while the game is going on. I love to play with the little kids and getting them to smile and laugh is hilarious. Just make a funny face at them or start copying them and they instantly become their friend.

            We played 4 games today each was very successful. We have already signed up a ton of people for the Bible studies. Which is the whole purpose.

            Uncle Tom met a lady that wasn’t at the game, but was able to talk with her and actually lead her to Christ. She accepted Christ into her heart right there. So with that I’ll end for the night. It has already been a blessing of a trip. The Lord is truly all-powerful and all mighty, and I thank him for his grace.

DAY 3

We were once again awoken by some blaring music from across the street that has now become a reliable alarm clock. We then did personal devotions, which were followed by a team devotion where we talked about gifts and making yourself available to have God move in your life.            

After breakfast we loaded up on and in the jeepneys and went to our early morning game. It was about 30 minutes away and we passed a ton of little huts on the sides of the road. Just seeing Americans is a big deal for them and as we pass they shout, “Hey Man” or “What’s up dude” or the old faithful “Hey Joe.” Everybody on the trip has a great time smiling and waving back. I love making funny faces to the kids and it cracks them up.

We showed up to the first town and found it with people there ready to go. We hung up a couple new basketball nets, and went into the game. The court was a little slanted on a hill but overall a very flat court. The guys were great playing and they really put on a good show.  The crowd loves to see how tall we all are, and they crack up when our guys get rebounds over them without jumping.

At half time Uncle Tom put on a great show, and the crowd loved seeing him put the kid on his shoulders. The Filipinos really love how he interacts with the crowd. It opens them up, and makes them pay attention. After each show we sing a little song, and then one of the guys gives a little testimony. Then Pastor Lito, the pastor from Bethel Bible in Lucena where we go to church, speaks a Gospel message in Tagalog. Then we go out and collect the Bible study slips from the ones that sign up.

After the game we came back to our place, and had lunch. I have such a great time sitting around listening to Uncle Tom and the rest of the team tell stories. It is amazing how great these guys are, and how they have been impacted by Christ. We have a great group of guys here on this trip.

After a little rest we went on to our second game. The second game couldn’t have gone better. We started off with a game of knockout and the crowd loved it as they began to show up. The game started with a dunk by one of our guys, and the crowd went nuts. At halftime the show was perfect. Uncle Tom was amazing and the boys and I didn’t mess up. I went through my two ball drills and even made a 3 pointer while riding my unicycle. The show was great and when Uncle Tom had the kid on his shoulders the crowd went crazy. Then when it came time for the testimony the people where ready to listen, and we got a huge response.

When the 2^nd half started Uncle Tom actually played! He had a great time running around and the crowd loved it. He even blocked a shot and they went nuts.

After the game we stayed around and took a bunch of pictures with the little kids. They are so cute, and so willing to have fun it’s contagious joy!

Once we got home we sat around and listened to some great stories by Uncle Tom while drinking out of some fresh coconuts. Then we walked down to the beach and saw a spectacular sunset. Then I and a few other guys got in a little fishing boat, and we circled around the bay. It was so perfect to sit back and enjoy God’s beautiful creation. Truly amazing!

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was, and is, and is to come!

After we went up to the house and had a delicious dinner that was followed by a little Bible study on the ten lepers and being thankful. Then we went around and said what we were thankful to God for in 2013. It was an amazing time where I got to listen and pray for each of the guys that are fast becoming good friends.

I was able to thank the Lord for my family and friends that helped me come here, as well as my new Filipino family here at Sankey. The other thing I said I was thankful for was for time. Time to spend in God’s Word and to grow closer to Him.

After this we went down to the beach to light off some fireworks for New Years Eve. Filipino fireworks are so loud and we had a great time setting them off.

God has been so good in 2013 and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for 2014.

DAY 4

            We started a new year today, which is such a blessing. We are having such a great time with each other. The life stories of all these guys are so different yet because of Christ we are all now brothers.

            Today has been super hot and having so many guys ready and willing to play has really been great. They are able to play in the heat for a little while then Uncle Tom subs in a whole new 5. Our guys stay fresh as we wear out the Filipino teams. We had a great crowd, and they really loved the halftime show. They really listened to our halftime message. I was able to play with a lot of the kids on the side, and they were having so much fun. We had a great first game.

            On the way to game two we had quite an experience. We were almost there at the game, but we had to stop for about 30 seconds for traffic. There was a lady on the side of the road with crazy hairthat looked like she had just stuck her finger in an electrical outlet. She started screaming at us in Tagalog, and she picked up a couple of tree branches and threw them at us. The she picked us a pretty big rock and tried to through that at us as well. She didn’t hit us or the vehicles, but she didn’t stop screaming till we kept going. I have little doubt that the lady was possessed. She really had a very eerie look, but I just started to pray and we moved on.

When we got to the game we realized this was going to be an interesting one. There were quite a few drunks at the game and they were in your face dunks, but they were friendly. We did a team prayer before the game, and I was able to pray the whole game while I reffed.

            I’m beginning to see a lot more of the spiritual warfare going on around this trip. We are really doing some great ministry in Jesus’ name and Satan doesn’t like it one bit. It is so comforting to know that though the battles are still taking place the war is already won.

The game was great and after the testimonies and the halftime show there was a peace about our time there that settled in. It’s hard to put into words, but you could feel the Comforters presence.

The third game was great we were on a very dirty court surrounded by little huts, but a couple hundred people came out and had a great time laughing and watching the game. We are having such a great time interacting with the people here. God has been so good to us on this trip, and we can really feel His presence.

DAY 5

Today we had another scorcher. It was nice and sunny all day, and though it’s super hot it is perfect. The people see us sweating and working hard and they appreciate it even more. The people in the little villages here come out in droves. Already we have been able to pronounce the Gospel to thousands of people. We have such a platform to reach these people and they are responding. The Holy Spirit has been very present with us on this trip. You can see it in the faces of the people. They are full of joy, and though a lot of the smiles are missing most of their teeth, they are genuine.

I have so much fun playing with the kids on the sides. They are so cute and so easy to make laugh. The kids are all wearing ratty clothes, but they are so willing with their joy it’s amazing. They go crazy when we make a good play or when Uncle Tom does something funny. They are totally into all aspects of our mission here. The Lord has been so good to us.

I brought a chess board and Uncle Tom has systematically beating everyone he plays. I love watching his games because some of the guys have talked about how good they are at chess, and then they play him only to find out that he is just on a whole other level.

It’s been such a great time for me to watch Uncle Tom in action. He has such a heart for the Lord, and the Lord has given him an amazing personality. These past few days have already been life changing. Being around him challenges me to be a more joyful person. Not a fake happiness that turns on and off, but a true inner joy that he has with his life in Christ. So far the trip has been about as perfect as possible. Hopefully the Lord will continue to keep us in His good graces.

DAY 6

            Yet another beautiful day today. The weather has been incredible. No Rain! Which is truly an answer to prayers. Today we had to travel 2 hours on mostly unpaved dirt roads. This trip might not have been possible if it rained. The mountains plus the mud might have made us reschedule, but thank the Lord we have had no rain so far. Did I mention this is supposed to be the rainy season? Amazing.

            The ride to the games has been so great. We had some spectacuar views, and sitting on top of the jeepney gives us great 360 views of everything. The people love seeing us, and word is spreading to all the towns about our show. For the first couple days we would pull up to an empty court and the people would show up right before we started. Today on the other hand we have hundreds of people already at the courts waiting for us to show up. The courts are always packed and we even look up and see people sitting up in the trees to watch our show.

            The halftimes have been going great. Uncle Tom has not let up at all. He has fought through some extremely hot days and very wiggly kids on his shoulders. It really is amazing to see him still at it. It is only by God’s grace he has been able to do some of these shows. God is really strengthening him physically so he is able to win more souls for the Lord.

            I had to give a little testimony at halftime and though I was really nervous to talk in from of all the people there I was able to do it. I spoke on the story of the rainbow and Jesus’ sacrifice for us, along with how much God loves each and every one of them. The Lord has given me such a change of heart so that I am able to talk to crowds now. It still isn’t easy, but it isn’t a fear anymore. As long as I prepare, pray, and stay focus on Jesus I am able to speak to over 400 people. If anyone told me this when I was in school I would have laughed in their face, but the Lord can change a willing heart. That’s what I have tried to offer to God in these past few years, and hopefully I will continue to grow.

In our last game Tyson, one of the players, actually learned how to give his testimony in Tagalog, and the crowd loved it. He just read it off his phone and it was perfect. Today was a very long day, but it was a very good day. The Lord deserves all the credit for getting us this far. 

DAY 7

            Today we had some great adventures. Our first game was on an island, so after about a two-hour drive on the jeepneys we made it to the pier. The water is an amazing turquoise color. You can see right to the bottom. There were some fishermen with nets in the water, and we watched them pull in their catch. After that Toto got us 3 boats a big one, a medium one, and a small one. I, wanting to make the most of this situation hopped onto the small one with a few of the Sankey boys. We rode for about 15 minutes to the island. It was truly an incredible sight. We left behind a mountainous tropical island so when we turned around and looked at the big island it looked like a picture out of National Geographic. The trees, mountains, clouds, and water were all like something you see in a movie. I kept thinking how lucky I am that God has put me here for such a time as this.

            There was a nice court on the island, and I think the whole island came out to watch us play. We put on a great show, and the people loved it. After the game we brought our own lunch, so we found a shady spot and enjoyed a nice relaxing meal. Once we finished that the team headed down to the beach. It was an amazing white sand beach with crystal clear water. So most of us jumped right in and enjoyed the refreshing cool water. We sat out there for about an hour telling stories. It was such an amazing relaxing time where we were able to deepen the bond with each other.

            Once we were done we hopped back on the boats and went to our next game. The next game was a tiny little run down court on the side of the road, but we still had 200+ people show up. During the game Allen dunked the ball and the rim broke off. So the boys and I went scrambling to find some wood and nails. Uncle Tom did the halftime show without us. We finally found some wood and a few nails, and we were able to fix the rim and play the second half.

            While we passed out the Bible studies Uncle Tom went around and talked to people about the Savior. He came across an old man, and asked him his name. It turned out the old man had the same name: Thomas. So Uncle Tom said to the man “Tukayo” which means, “we are the same.” The old man loved it. Then Uncle Tom took off his jersey, which has his name on the back and put it on the old man. The man was so happy. It was awesome to watch. Then a few minutes later a lady came up and talked to Uncle Tom about Jesus, and he was able to lead her to Christ! After they prayed the sinner’s prayer she told him how wonderful she thought it was that we were doing this. He said, “Yea isn’t it great.” She said, “No” She meant she thought it was wonderful that he had given his jersey to her grandfather. That just goes to show you never know who is watching and what kind of an impact your actions have on others. We are called to always be ready.

            After we finished the game we went out to our final game of the day. The court was another good one, and we had a few hundred people packed around it. As I was reffing I had a moment of awe. As I looked around I saw the sun setting over the mountains. Hundreds of people sitting, standing, climbing on trees and fences all watching our every move. It was an amazing moment where I thanked the Lord for His goodness in my life, and the opportunities He has given me in my life. The Lord is good all the time!

Day 8

            A day of rest. We slept in a little bit today and woke up at 6:30. We only had 1 game planned for the day, which we played after church. Uncle Tom, Toto, Mac Mac, Bill, and I joined Pastor Dan (Who helped Jake and I set up the games) at his church about 30 minutes away. We arrived just in time for the service. The church is a little bamboo building that fits about 25. Toto, Mac Mac, and I sat on a bench outside with some of the children.

            After we sang some songs they asked Bill, Toto, and I to share a quick testimony. It was really great not knowing I was going to have to talk. It made me much more relaxed because I didn’t know I had to be nervous about talking. Once I finished Uncle Tom got up and preached to the congregation. The people loved that we came. World Harvest might build them a church building and we partially went out there to scout out the location with Uncle Tom and Toto.

            After church we came back to our place and rested till about 3. Then we went to our game. The court was a rough one but we put on a great show and got a bunch of people to sign up for the Bible study. Once we finished the game we came back and had dinner, which was followed by a Bible study on Nehemiah about finishing. Once they were halfway done building the wall, in Nehemiah, they started being attacked. So Uncle Tom talked about finishing the way we started, and to always have each other’s back like the Jews in the story.

            After Bible study we went back down to the church where we are sleeping and we played some chess. Uncle Tom is still unbeaten, and it looks like it is going to stay that way.

            I am so thankful for this day of rest, in which, we were able to re-charge a little bit, and gear up for the rest of the trip.

DAY 9

            We were back at it today. Renewed, refreshed, and ready to go after out restful Sunday. We had 3 games for today, and they were all to our biggest crowds. All 3 games were packed to the max. Word is getting out to the different Buranguys, and more people are showing up every game. We had over 1000 people sign up for the Bible studies today. You can really feel the Spirit at work. There is a real tangible peace when we are at the games now. The basketball has been really fun. Uncle Tom makes them do some funny things. Like a quarter playing with only your off hand. Dribbling, shooting, passing all with your weak hand, and if you did use your dominate hand for anything he subbed them out. Another one is he’ll call out a name and they have to score the next point. Another is only outside jumpers, but he usually saves that one for when we play on very tight rims.

            The courts have all had amazing views. We’ve played an all kinds of surfaces. It’s a great feeling to do the unicycle without falling off even on the tough courts. The baskets have been anywhere from 11 ft to about 8 ½ , but that doesn’t seem to bother anyone. It’s been a lot of fun reffing and watching the team interact with the crowd.

            We had a great Bible study tonight about Naaman the leper and Elisha. It was about the importance of having a personal relationship with the Lord. Uncle Tom illustrated the story with one of his own personal stories about being attacked by Muslims at an all-star game and then leading the crowd to Christ after the attack. He lead over 1000 people to Christ that night. It was an amazing Bible study. The Bible studies have really been incredible. Not only Uncle Tom’s stories, but the way he weaves the Gospel into all his stories is amazing.

DAY 10

            Yet another full day serving the Lord. At all three games the crowds were great. We are traveling in a really poor part of the country, but the people are showing up despite the circumstances, and they are so ready to laugh it’s incredible. The boys and I have been getting better at the halftime routine. We are able to go out and make people laugh. Uncle Tom has been a machine. He has done every halftime show and has even played in a few of the games.

            I have learned so much from him these past few weeks on how to be an effective Christian leader. Everything is done prayerfully and with the Lord’s purpose in mind. Any problems are attacked right away leaving no room for the evil one to take hold. The amount of love that goes into every word and story is staggering. I’ve always looked at myself as more of a soldier not an officer. A luke not a Paul. But I see what a leader should look like, and how important no matter what the situation is to put God’s will first. That’s what I see Uncle Tom do everyday.

            We had another great Bible study the games about 1 Corinthians 9:19-27. Uncle Tom talked about being any and all things for the Gospel. Being ready for all opportunities to share Christ and the good news. We only have a couple more days, but they are going to be days that we put the Lord before ourselves so we can share the Gospel to any and all people.

DAY 11

            Though the days are running together now, we are still able to spiritually stay fresh. The guys have been so great and focused about giving there all to the crowd every game. It’s been really fun to watch.

I’ve reffed almost every game, and it’s given me a lot of time to watch the guys. I’ve really made some great friendships out here with these guys. We’ve played 30 games now, and we have 3 left tomorrow. It’s been a lot of basketball, but we aren’t here for the basketball. That’s just that platform we use to share the Gospel. Thank goodness we are here to spread the Gospel and is has been an amazing success.

I love riding on top of the jeepney. We actually put a couple foam mattresses on top so we sit or lay down on it for all our trips. After the last game it was dark out and I was just laying down on top looking up at the moon and the stars. It’s amazing to actually think about God’s massive creation. I’ve been able to see some amazing things on this trip. The ocean, mountains, jungle, stars, the people, and where they live. It’s pretty incredible.

Our Bible study tonight was on Esther and being ready “for such a time as this.” We are on an amazing adventure, and it’s great to remember that it is all God’s plan for us to be here in the Philippines for this tour. God has been so good to us on this trip. It truly is astounding.

DAY 12

Last day with games today. We started off the day saying goodbye to the ladies that have taken care of us. They were so amazing. They washed all our clothes, and cooking all our food. They were so helpful and really made lives much easier on this trip. As we thanked them they started to cry. It was cool to see how we were able to impact the lives of the people around us.

            After breakfast we went to the game Uncle Tom and Toto set up with the military. We were able to come onto the base a play a game against them. It was a great game and we were able to entertain the 74^th infantry also know as the unbeatable. We did beat them in the game, but they really enjoyed everything. Uncle Tom played after he put on the halftime show. I’m still amazed he can even run up and down. He still loves playing though, and the military really loved having him out there playing. After the game Uncle Tom, Toto, Randy, and John Paul left for home because they have an important golf tournament with the military in Lucena. So Jake and I were put in charge of the last two games to make sure everything went as planned.

            After lunch and a short rest we drove out to our second game of the day. The crowd at the 2^nd game was incredible. They were the loudest crowd f the whole tour, and they were everywhere. They were up in trees and on the roofs of the buildings. I had to lead the halftime show so I went out and did some two ball dribbling drills and spun the ball on all my fingers and my nose. Then I did my unicycle tricks. Then the boys joined me and we went through our routine. We put on a great little show, and the crowd was cracking up. We collected a lot of slips for this game and the people really enjoyed every move we made out there.

            The third game was really cool. We parked the jeepneys in the middle of the jungle then walked about 10 minutes up a dirt path in the mountains. We finally came up to a little village that we played at. It was a small crowd, but they loved our show, and loved to see Americans play basketball. Roy rode the unicycle with Mac Mac on his shoulders. It was very impressive because we were on a super rough court.

            Today was a great last day. We got to share the Gospel to almost 1,000 people. The trip has been an amazing success!

            We had 6,456 total responses from the tour. We were able to impact a whole community by our presence in these rural areas. It was such a perfect ministry, and we were able to share Christ with so many people. The Lord has been so good to us, and he really blessed the entire trip. Though it was exhausting at times it was so great and truly life changing. The Lord is so good!

John Paul on the unicycle

Here is a little story:

John Paul, who is the youngest kid at Sankey, is just now starting to be able to ride the unicycle. When Uncle Tom got here earlier this month he started running unicycle practice so the boys will be ready for the upcoming trip. John Paul would just sit on the side, and watch as we went through our routine. When we finished he would pull out the smallest unicycle, and go to the wall on the side where he could lean up against in order to keep his balance. He would stay in there for at least an hour just trying to make it a few feet.

He started sneaking into the gym whenever he could so he could get some extra practice in. After three straight days of practicing like this he was able to go around the gym while holding onto the wall. Once he was done with practicing he would come up to me and say, “Me legs is ouching.” Which is his way of saying his legs are sore. One morning I was able to hold his hand and take him around the gym. Then I starting trying to get him to go across the court by chanting “wall to wall.” He got really into it and in about twenty minutes he was able to go all the way across with no hands.

His joy at accomplishing “wall to wall” was awesome! He couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. He kept saying, “Me is good unicycle!”  To which I was able to tell him how awesome he was.

Then later that night Uncle Tom practiced with him, and as you can see in the video he is now pretty good. He was so excited to show Uncle Tom his skills, and when he was able to actually ride alongside him he was beyond thrilled.

His determination to learn unicycle and become like his older brothers was truly inspiring. He learned how to ride in three days. To put that in a little perspective, it took me a whole month to be able to do what he can do now. Pretty awesome!

Update

It’s been too long since my last post, and for that I’m sorry so I’ll try to give a little run down on what has been happening here in the Philippines.

           

            Uncle Tom and Aunt Karen are here now, and it has brought a renewed life and energy to everyone. It has been so much fun to watch them interact with the kids. They love them so much, and you can really see that when they are able to be with them. To have them here is the highlight of the year for the kids at Sankey. Since they arrived we’ve played a few basketball games, chess, soccer, capture the flag, and a lot of unicycle.  I’m finally starting to get pretty good on the unicycle, and now I’m working on going backwards which has not been easy. I was able to almost make it across the whole basketball court going backwards, but I still have a long way to get as good as the kids.

It has been so much fun to have Uncle Tom and Aunt Karen here! There constant encouragement and their faith in the Lord has given me some a new focus on my mission here. We are starting to get ready for the basketball trip, which starts Dec. 29^th and the church building trip that will immediately follow. The basketball trip will be with some fellow Americans, and the construction team will be a team for Australia. Both will be amazing experiences to share the Gospel to a lot of people. Hopefully all the unicycle practice will have paid off, and that Uncle Tom, Mac Mac, Erwin, Roy, and I will put on a good halftime show for all the people that come out. It should be a lot of fun, and I’ll try and have some of the guys take some video so I can show you all.

So the coming week are going to be very full, and hopefully very fruitful! Please keep us in your prayers as we will be able to spread the good news. Pray that our message is clear, and centered on Christ and not ourselves. This time will be a lifelong memory, and I pray that we are able to really reach as many people as we can.

            Uncle Tom and Aunt Karen took all the kids and Kelly (my fellow missionary) and I to go see The Hobbit in 3D. It was the first 3D movie for most of the kids, and I had so much fun watching them during the movie reach out and try to touch the characters, as they seemed to be right in our faces. They loved it. Just going to the movies is a huge deal, but actually seeing 3D was something that they will never forget. Since we went to see the movie they have been going back and watching The Lord of The Rings every night. I’m trying to get a few of them to read the books, but haven’t had any luck on that yet.

Christmas is very different here than in the States. Kelly and I have been showing them some classic Christmas movies, and it’s been so much fun to introduce them to ones they have never seen before. We’ve watched the Grinch and Elf and we are planning to show them Home Alone which none of them have seen.

 I’m having a lot of fun just spending time with the boys and trying to make a lasting impact on their lives. We finished going through the life of Moses, and the boys seemed enjoyed it. They really pay attention to the Bible studies, and they actually have started to share their thoughts, which is such an answer to prayer. We are now going through a little devotional book on becoming content. It has been awesome to see them actually interact with each other and myself. The Bible studies have been amazing for me as well! Having to study God’s word has been such a blessing, and life changing.

I am so blessed to be here, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what God is going to do during these evangelism trips coming up! 

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

Penance in the Paddies

          Today I got to experience a completely new thing. I helped harvest the rice paddies. This involved about 13 guys, 8 of which went around with little blades and chopped the rice stalks in half. They then leave little piles of half cut rice stalks all over the paddies, and the remaining 5 go slogging through the mud to collect the good half for harvesting. I was one of the 5 going around picking up the little piles and brining them to an enormous pile. After all the stalks are piled up they are then fed through a machine that separates the actual rice from the stalks, and the rice is put into large sacks weighing about a hundred pounds each. To give you an inkling on how much rice we collected, we filled about twenty, 100 pound sacks. It feeds the kids and staff everyday, 2 or 3 meals a day for about a month and a half. So this was a ton of rice!
          I had such a great time! It was so refreshing to do some good old fashion manual labor. We had to walk around picking up this rice in knee high mud. I felt like Charlton Heston making bricks without straw in The Ten Commandments. The paddies are home to tons of animals. I saw tons of toads, snails, and the most spiders I've ever seen in my life. I was also told that sometimes there are snakes and leeches, but I charged ahead and loved every second. With my clothes and body covered in mud (I hope, but doubt that it was all mud!) I was able to internally wrestle about a question of my faith that this time here in the Philippines has made me think about.
          I've struggled a lot with the question of if I truly believe that I am saved by grace alone. It's easy to think about grace when you are sweating, covered in mud, and putting in a some hard hours working with your hands. But I couldn't shake the question. Am I saved by grace? It's funny because I believe Christians are saved by grace, yet I have a hard time believing I am saved by grace. This reminds me of the story about G.K. Chesterton when The Times sent out a question, “What’s wrong with the world today?” and Chesterton responded,
“Dear Sir,I am.

Yours, G.K. Chesterton.”

How can I think that others can be saved by grace, yet I can't. I guess that's the little Catholic in me thinking that I should have to do good things to make up for the sins I have committed. These thoughts can only bring despair because I know I will never be able to make up for my sins, but it is with that thought that I remember Jesus Christ died for me so that I would be dead to sin. I am free from its awful grasp, and for that I am so thankful! 

          While I was out there in the paddies I remembered this story that is told on the Indelible Grace album The Hymn Sing Live in Nashville. Here it is:

“Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go…this hymn was written by George Matheson who began to lose his sight in seminary…ended up eventually going blind.  He was engaged to a woman who left him – said that she didn’t want to be married to a blind man.  And he wrote this hymn on the night of his sister’s wedding.  His sister had lived with him and taken care of the house but now she was gone – off to her own life and he was home alone and he said that something of incredible sadness passed between him and the Lord and he said that this hymn came to him almost like it was dictated in the matter of about 15 minutes.   But I wanted you to notice there’s a particular line we’re going to get to in verse 3 where it says, I trace the rainbow through the rain.  And that image of the rainbow there in Genesis in the Noah story…it’s not like the little bow that you’d wear in your hair, it’s the word for battle bow.  And the picture that God gives us that he’ll never destroy the world again by flood is the picture of a battle bow cocked and aimed at Himself.  And what the cross is is that that battle bow has been loosed but not on us. So when trials come we don’t just try and keep our head up.  We grab hold of the covenant promise – the proof that God loves us – is that all the promises of the Bible are yea and amen in Christ, right?  Including that one – that he would never destroy the world because he destroyed his Son.  Therefore, as one of the Puritans used to say if you don’t understand justification by faith it makes every trial a double trial.  Because not are you only enduring the trial, you’re having to wonder if God hates me.  But if Jesus died in your place you know that his wrath has been fully poured out on his Son, right? So we have a love that will never let us go because we have a love that let his Son go in our place.”

He Giveth More Grace, and I will rest in that!

Scouting

On Tuesday morning Jake and I left Lucena to go meet with the Captains of different villages to set up the upcoming basketball evangelism tour at the end of Dec-Jan. It was quite an adventure! The day started off early when we caught a public transportation bus that would take us to the area we were going. The bus was jammed packed when we first got on. The seats were very hard, but I had such a great time looking out the windows getting a peek into a different part of the Philippines. We were headed into a very poor area, where the houses are made of bamboo. The trip on the bus lasted for about 4 hours, and by the end of it I was definitely ready to get off that bus and start meeting the Captains to set up some of the games.

We met Pastor Dan, who only spoke Tagalog, and he took us on his tricycle (motorcycle with sidecar) to the small town where we were going to make our base camp for the next couple nights. The ride was hilarious. Jake was in the sidecar like an Emperor, while I was on the back of the bike hunched over because the roof was made for someone that was 5 ft 6 in. I got some more rural sightseeing in, and about 45 minutes later we arrived at our temporary home. The place was a home connected to a church, and we were able to get out and stretch a little before heading out to meet some of the Captains. The Captains, as far as I can tell, are like mayors in the U.S. So after a short rest we climbed back into the tricycle and headed out to set up some games.

The travel from place to place was quite an experience! Everywhere you look is green. We were traveling through jungle areas. It was like something out of a movie. I felt like I was in Rambo or Platoon. The people love seeing an American and I got a lot of “Hey Joe” from the villagers as we rode past. The roads are rarely paved, so most of the tie we travelled on gravel/mud roads. It was so cool to look out and see the surrounding area. There were all kinds of trees, rice patties, animals, and little huts. I saw pigs, goats, stray dogs and cats, carabow, and even a few monkeys. Most of the houses we saw were little one-room houses made of bamboo. Only the Captains had bigger houses, and that tells you a little about some of the shady characters we had to meet with. Not to say all of them were bad people, far from it, but you can also see which ones are in their position to help others and which ones are in their position to help themselves.

The second day we unhooked the sidecar and Jake and I were on one bike while the two pastors that we were with were on the other. I wish I had a picture of our bike with us on it, but if you need a visual it was very reminiscent of the bike trip in Dumb and Dumber.  The two of us could barely fit on the bike, and though it wasn’t comfortable it was something I’ll never ever forget. We rode all over the surrounding area setting up games. The views are amazing, and it will be such a blessing to get to play and talk about Christ to the people in those areas. The people in most of the villages are dirt poor, and it really is such an eye opening experience to see people truly just getting by. The people work for food, and nothing more. It’s heart wrenching to see how these people live. Maybe it’s just because I’m from America and don’t see this everyday. It puts a whole new perspective on third world poor for me.

 The kids are so awesome. They seem oblivious to their situation, running around in the street in tattered clothes and even sometimes with no clothes. I had such a great time making funny faces and getting them to smile. This was also very easy because they never really see Americans riding on the backs of motorcycles through their villages. It was great to see all the double takes, and smiles as the realized I wasn’t from around there.

The third day was just as great, even though as we started it began to rain. We pushed through though and finished setting up the games for the upcoming trip.  Thursday night I was asked by Pastor Dan if I could speak to his church, and with the help of Jake as translator I was able to talk about keeping the faith during hard times. I found out I was going to speak on Thursday morning, so I had a few nerve racking hours of figuring out what I was going to say. One of my favorite musicians, Jack White, has a quote that I found very fitting for this occasion “Nothing breeds creativity like necessity.” I had to come up with something and with the grace of God I was able to put together a fifteen-minute talk that involved Hebrew 11, Lord of the Rings, Noah’s ark, and most importantly how Jesus kept the faith. A couple of years ago if someone told me that I would have to talk in front of a group I would be terrified. Now, though I still get nervous, I’m not as fearful to get up and talk especially if I have a chance to talk about Christ. So praise the Lord, and hopefully that continues to get better!            

It’s so cool to think about how many of these people we are going to be able to share Christ with. Uncle Tom has an amazing gift for evangelism, and if you haven’t met him you need to. I think of him as a modern day Paul, and to be able to help set up his upcoming trip has been such an honor. To take part in his great ministry has been such a blessing. His love for Christ and his desire to reach out and share the Gospel is an inspiration beyond words. This upcoming trip is going to be full of adventures, and I’m so glad I got a sneak preview of it as a scout for Christ.