Lessons from Filipino's...

So a really good friend of mine, told me, or suggested to me that I should update this thing....and she is so right!  I have been meaning to, but life is life yah know...it gets crazy so I will do a little of it now.
Where to begin...well Christmas came and went...its already Feb...so we will just say its good and move on from there.  Mission X Philippines was AMAZING!! Wow where to begin!?!?!  God showed/taught/reminded me so much on this trip!  Like wow we serve an amazing wonderful God!! He is so so so so SO good!!
He showed me so much while i was there that this post could go on and on but I will highlite a few things that stick out.  first...he showed me what it meant to serve him each and every day, passionatly and continually, no matter HOW busy we think we are, we will gotta serve and not only should we serve, but we should serve with a willing and honest heart.  (see story below about street ministry with Mervi and Krista)

He taught me what it meant to be humble.  In one of the school classes, we were asked to say a few words on God's meakness and humbleness and how we are suppose to respond to that...wow that threw me off gaurd!  THe Filipino culture knows humble and meakness way better then we do as north americans...and so I totally felt like a hypocrite! that right there was  a humbling experience thats for sure!
Going to the local school was awesome, Filipino lessons on food and culture 101! We were given a lot of information...dont ask me to re state it all casue not sure just how much I remember but it was still very neat all around.
Both of the weekends that I was in the Philippines, I spent in different parts of Manila and Metro Manila. The first weekend, was our home stay, and it is here that Tracee and I, ventured into metro Manila to spend the weekend with a Filipino family. It is this weekend, where I God challenged me the most through the two sisters of our host family. Krista and Mervi, once again thank you So much for such an eye opening experience that weekend! It is a weekend I will not soon be forgettign and you two have no idea the impact you have had on my life just by that one weekend. We spent a evening with the street kids that both Krista and Mervi knew and wow, watching those kids warm up to both of the sisters and seeing the sisters respond to them...so passionatly and genuienly..it moved me.  Like it is hard to describe.  God is totally working in all of their lives and I am so excited to meet them again...whether thats here on earth or in Heaven.  Its going to be a party! woot woot woot!
It is this weekend, through Krista and Mervi, that I learned what it meant to serve with your whole heart continually and passionatly without expecting or wanting anything in return. So often here in North America, we expect an outcome or to have someone to recognize us and the work we are doing/did, but North Americans...we have it so wrong. Perhaps it is not us who should go out and witness, but perhaps we are the ones that need to be witnessed TOO. I learned what it meant to serve in the Philippines, to give God your all, even when you can not give any more. I was reminded to praise him through it all, through whatever life brings because our faith in God is all that matters in the end. I was reminded of the importance and value of friends and family alike. The list could go on and on with what I learned that weekend, but if you wanna know more, come chat with me.
The second weekend, we visited two different squatter areas and it is here we saw extreme poverty and loss. However, it is also here that we saw breathtaking beauty and richness. We saw adults, children, teens, and the babies and we realized that the look on their faces wasn’t what we had imagined it would be, sad and depressed. But instead, it was of joy and happiness. It was of warmth and gladness. It was a spiritual richness that we often lose here in North America.

What did God teach me during my time in the Philippines? He reminded me once again at how my camera can be a connecting tool used for Him. As soon as I pulled it out, the kids were around it, making silly faces and just being kids. It was so much fun. It confirmed a calling in my life to serve God and to realize that I my camera can be a tool for that.
As a team, I think we connected very well. we had a lot of fun hanging out and chatting, laughing, and sharing our victories and struggles with the group. God worked through us and he worked IN us during our time there. Like i say, there are MANY more stories to tell and share...but those will have to wait. If you are in the area, lets go for coffee, if you live somwhere else, I have skype, lets skype. If not, just read this and remember that we are human beings, not human doers...go out for coffee with the next person you see...get to know them and see them for how God sees them and YOU!

yah those are just a few stories among that many!
(happy now Nat that I updated it! :D)

How about you?  how is God moving in your life these days?
God Bless