Before I went to America

Wow!

So, it is the end of Christmas day and I am realizing that I have only updated once this month! Where did time go?!

My last few weeks in the Philippines were filled with Christmas parties and preparing to go to America.

At the Christmas parties, I ate pig's jaw. I also sang. Yes, that's right, I sang. I tried to get out of it, but there was just no way. Filipinos love to sing. I love to sing. The only difference is that Filipinos are good at it. I am not. I survived two choruses and to my knowledge, no windows broke and everyone can still hear. Praise the Lord!

I finished adjusting the teacher's schedules for January and now the changes will be put into place when I get back. I have very little of an idea what this is going to look like. We just get to collectively go the TEACHER and ask Him how to teach these students what they need.

The weekend before I left for America, I took a trip to Mount Dueg in San Clement, Tarloc. (Dueg is pronounced dw-eg.) Dueg is where IFL started as a disaster relief organization for victims from the Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption in the early '90's. The Ieta people were relocated to this mountain. Many of them maintain their tribal customs.

I took 183+ pictures in the two short days we were there. It was absolutely beautiful there! They are ALL posted on facebook, but I will post a few here, too.

We had to travel up the mountain by jeep because our bus couldn't make it.

The morning mist covering the valley below. It was sooo cold!

I had the privilege of teaching Sunday school to the children. I spoke English and my friends interpreted for me. I taught them the songs, "Jesus Loves Me," and "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands." I also told them the story of how Jesus loves the little children and wants to bless each one individually. I told them the story of salvation, too. All of us have done bad things that make our relationships bad. But Jesus can put that relationship back in place. I asked the kids to pray the "sinner's prayer." Many of them were very serious. Then, I taught them to hear the voice of the Lord. His voice comes often as thoughts with peace.

This is me teaching "Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so."

One of the little boys prayed the prayer, then came up and gave me a hug. This was all the communication I needed to know God had touched this little boy's life.

I later used my camera as a tool to make friends with the kids. One of the moms from the tribe came out and let me hold her little boy. He was one year old and weighed less than Aubrey. Moy-Moy will forever be held in my heart.