WELCOME TO THE PHILIPPINES!! (about a month and a half late…)

First of all, sorry taking so long to post a new blog. But better late than never, right?

So since the last time I posted I've left Nicaragua with very tearful goodbyes to some of the best friends I've ever met, and arrived in the Philippines to meet some amazing new friends. Let me tell you a bit about what I'm doing here.

I work with an organization called Journey for Hope Ministries, in Cainta, Philippines. Journey for Hope was founded in 2008 by a woman named Myles, who is truly extraordinary and has such a heart for missions. Journey for Hope outreaches into a nearby village called Karlangan, and I've been really blessed to have become a part of the community. We go to Karlangan every weekday from 10am to noon, and then again from 3 to 6pm. Usually, going to the community consists of walking around with anywhere from 6-12 young kids attached to me, playing games with these kids, sitting with the women of the community, spending time in their homes, eating mysterious foods and drinking soft drinks that they buy with the little money that they have, praying with them, and going on prayer walks around the village. 

Around 6 we have a nightly devotion with the kids 10 and up from the community. This is by far my favorite part of ministry here. We all sit in a circle on the floor and I get to lead the kids in worship, and in memorizing their memory verse of the week. I love the kids' enthusiasm when we're worshipping, it is so contageous and it brings me so much joy! One boy, RV, has become like a little brother to me. He is so precious to me! He is always singing the loudest during devotion and gives the best hugs. I love him so much and will miss him dearly when it's time to leave!

One of the other ministries of Journey for Hope is sports ministries, so we've been going to a TON of soccer games to cheer on our kids.

On Tuesdays and Fridays we go to do street kid ministry by a nearby McDonalds where they live and hang out. We usually bring them dinner, and donations that the ministry center has received, and we spend time loving on them and praying for them, and just sharing the Lord's joy and hope with them. What's really cool is that we get to take two of "our boys" from the Journey Kids, and they get to minister with us and see what the street kids live like. They help us translate from Tagalog to English, and help pass out food and donations, and hang out with the kids with us. I love that they get to come with us because it shows them so much about what it is to be a servant of God and how they are still blessed even though they have so little.

Since I've been here I've also painted a mural on the floor, gone snorkeling (one of the coolest experiences of my life!), emcee'd a Christmas program, worshipped the Lord a ton, lost and found my joy, had two Christmas parties plus a couple big giveaways, eaten a lot of strange and only sometimes delicious food, celebrated New Years the right way with cake, thousands of fireworks, and a floating lantern or two, taught a bunch of kids how to play guitar, and pigged out on mangos. What more could a girl want?