“I looked up and was like woah, I’m in Asia now”

Hello, everyone! Much has changed and so much has happened since my last update. On November 14^th my team and I arrived here in Manila, Philippines. It is a beautiful country full of beautiful people and an incredibly respectful culture. Rice is eaten at least 2 times a day, usually with your hands. There are shopping malls nicer then anything I have ever seen in the States, and right down the road there is poverty I have only seen in pictures before. There are so may opportunities to serve and love people and bring the hope of the gospel of Jesus here in the Philippines and I cannot wait to see what God does through my squad.

 

I have also been raised up to the new squad leader since my last post. This has changed the trip very much for me as my focus has shifted primarily to leading our 3 teams and planning ministry and traveling from team to team with my co-leader. The transition from leading a team of 6 in Nicaragua to leading 3 leaders and their teams has been a challenge at times and has required me to stretch myself and trust in the Lord. Life has been moving so fast it seems as i am learning to adapt to this new life in leadership with no authority or leaders over me on this side of the world and with my co leader learning how the Lord wants us to lead this squad. I have already grown and learned so much and can say with confidence that, even though I did not want to be in any leadership position when I applied for this trip, it is where the Lord has called me. I can see his faithfulness and how he is using me and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Since I have been in Manila I have been able to check in with and spend time with all 3 teams. One team, team Fearless, is staying at an orphanage/ home for street boys named the Children's Garden. They live with 20 young men ages 10-20. There the boys are able to get an education, learn life skills, learn about Jesus, and have a home and a family. The team there goes out with the boys to minister to other street boys, prostitutes, and teens in conflict with the law.

 

Another team, team Sarayu, is living on the rooftop of their mininistry conact's house. They spend time doing sports ministry with young adults and visiting a local slum. The slum is one of the poorest I have encountered in my time abroad. It floods there annually, a sewage filled creek runs through the middle of it sending an unbearable aroma of decay and ammonia throughout the village, and most of the adults are uneducated and unable to work. The people of the community lack basic necessities like food, drinking water and medicine. Team sarayu is currently working on raising donations and supplies to give the slum a christmas gift of food, water, and medicine. They have been able to bring so much hope and serve them in the name of Jesus there already.

team Sarayu having a Bible study and worship on the roof with the youth of the nearby slum

Our final team, team isREAL, is living in an abandoned Southern Baptist missionary building. It is very large with many rooms, a swimming pool, and a basketball court. It has been abandoned for 2 years now and team isREAL is there renovating the building and preparing it to become a home for abused women. On Christmas day they will welcome in their first 29 girls. It will be an absolutely incredible event and the fruits of their labor shall be evident for years to come as the building they prepare will be a center to give people a home and change lives forever.

 

And me, I get to be a part of all of this. Even though I have to surrender certain desires like which ministries I want to be more invested in and how I want to spend my Christmas day, I am blessed to be able to be a part of so much and see what God is doing in all of my teams here in the Philippines. Being able to really pour into my squad and lead them and see growth in them is so fulfilling. And I still get to do what I am most passionate about: loving, serving, and bringing Jesus to everyone all over the world. It has truly been an adventure so far. Thank you for reading this and for your support. God is still alive and moving here in southeast Asia, and I am so blessed to be a part of it.

Here is a view from the place I am staying now. Photo credit Leigha Braaten (my co leader)