TBT: Philippines, August 2015

TBT: Philippines, Month 8

Ministries: Wipe Every Tear and Kids International Ministries
Songs on Repeat: “Be Still” & “Eyes on You” by Kristene DiMarco, “Flashlight” by Jessie J, “See You Again” by Wiz Kalifa

This month was PVT. I was blessed to have both of my parents travel to Manila for a week at the beginning of August.

It was different doing ministry with my parents on the Race. My dad being the youth pastor I grew up with (and my mom a youth leader), I was not a stranger of doing ministry with them. It was different though. We were in my world, doing the things I was passionate about, and I had grown A LOT since the last time they had seen me. It was truly a blessing.

We spent our nights ministering in the Go-Go Bars of Angeles City. Our task was to go to the bars, buy drinks for the girls, and tell them about Wipe Every Tear, offering them a day trip to see the W.E.T. houses a few days later. We were encouraged to hang out with the girls, goofily dance on the bars if we had to, and love the girls exactly as they were.

 

Our first night, we met a girl that eventually chose to leave the bar life and live in a Wipe Every Tear house. You can read my blog about it here.

I really really loved going into those bars! The women were so beautiful, kind, and just so innocent. They were searching. And it was ministry that was meaningful AND fun! My dad even wrote a blog about it!

After I was blessed with my parents joining me on the Race for a week, I joined my squad at Kids International Ministries for our second All Squad Month.   

At this ministry, we all did various projects based on our interests. We were all able to participate in many different ministries including discipling teenage girls, childcare, and more.

 
{Two of my favorite troublemakers}

 

One of the hardest days of the Race happened in this month. We had the opportunity to visit a place called “Trash Mountain.” We were able to bring a hot meal to the children living in the area. It down-poured while we were there, but we just danced in the rain with the goofy kids.

My favorite ministry of the month was teaching guitar. I spent my Tuesday and Thursday afternoons teaching these ladies how to play guitar. Guitar hadn’t been that fun in a long time, and God used it to change my outlook on playing guitar – I even wrote about it in this blog.

This was also the month that I felt God’s leading to venture to Gainesville, Georgia, to participate in the “Step 2” of their 3-Year Discipleship Model. I applied, interviewed, was accepted, and committed to the Center for Global Action during this month. Crazy! I would have never thought that such a momentous week in August would set me on this path – the path where I eventually end up on staff with Adventures in Missions.

God is good, and His ways are so much bigger than our ways. He really does IMMEASURABLY more than ALL that we can ask or imagine! IT’S TRUE!