Friendship

Recently, I was reading an old journal where the Lord spoke to me about friendship.  Apparently, I had been setting up rules by which to live by-both in my relationship with Him and others.

"Friendship has a different authority structure.  Friendship is motivated by love or desires-whether for the other person involved or for the direction of the relationship.  Little Lamb, I want a friendship with you.  The authority of a friendship comes because you just want to be with Me.  That's what I want to develop in you: that you are content to just be with Me.  I love you dearly and want to befriend you.  Lean into My love and I'll hold you like a friend does.  Let go of legalism and just love Me.  Let your love for Me set the standards by which you live."

In 2010, I had an unending social life.  My job as a teacher was filled with people; I'd come home to my best friends and roommates; I'd go to church with friends; I had small group meetings with friends.  Even a visit to my favorite coffee shop resulted in visits with friends.

In the Philippines, I learned to let go of the convenience of friendships and treat the Lord as a friend in a new way.  For a season, I felt so lonely and God was my only comfort.

But, I was also surrounded by people that became my friends.  Communal living has a way of doing that.  I couldn't breathe without someone hearing me.  And I loved it.

Returning to America brought another change to my friendships.  There was a slight expectation that I'd have the social life I once did.  While I am still close to all the people I once spent my life with, our availability is not what it once was.  I no longer live with friends (I guess my dad could count, though).  I work in one-on-one tutoring capacity.  I am not able to attend the church functions I used to.  100% of my core group of previous socialites either got married or moved while I was overseas.

I am not complaining.  I am just stating.  Reading that old journal entry was a word in due season.  I don't live for friendships.  I live to show my love for Jesus.

I am so thankful the Lord used the Philippines to get loneliness out of me.  Jesus is my Forever Friend- no matter the circumstances.

If You'll be my Best Friend,

I'll be Yours.

No matter the country,

You are there for me.

Convenience is nothing.

You never leave.

And so, to You, I'll always cleave.

Moving the Heart of God

It seems that God loves to remind me how valuable my tears are to Him.  Moving back has brought about so many mixed emotions.  I often say that my time overseas left a scar on my heart that no matter how much it heals, still hurts if touched in just the right way.  I will never be the same- and never want to be.

This past week was filled with tears over my desire to be in a regular classroom or to be in a foreign country again.  I love my life here.  There is certainly nothing to complain about. But the desire for dreams to be realized often overwhelms me.

Last week, I used up all the pages in my old journal after a time of weeping and moved into one with a plain brown cover.  Journal covers often reflect what the theme of my life will be during the time I write in that particular journal.  As I made my first entry, I asked God, "What is this season going to be about?  What in the world could you be speaking to me through this plain brown cover?"

Immediately, the following journal entry poured forth.

Finally!  A new season! The time I spent on the floor weeping in desperation for You brought- and is bringing- breakthrough.  Thank You that those who sow in tears will reap sheaves of joy.

Psalm 84:6 says, "As they pass through the Valley of Tears, they make it a source of spring water; even the autumn rain will cover it with pools of blessing." The cool autumn weather has come.

I don't know the number of my tears.  I don't know how many more tears I will have to shed in this life.  But I have multiple promises that they matter to You.

Psalm 56 says that You catch each one and turn it into a weapon.  I imagine my silver tears falling down my cheeks being transformed into silver bullets.

Psalm 126 says that tears are seeds for joy.

In 2 Kings, the tears of Hezekiah moved Your heart to extend his life.

Esther's tears saved the Jewish people.

Job's tears laid the way for the Arbitrator to come (Job 16:20-22).

David wept for the kingdom.

Jesus wept for Lazarus, for Jerusalem, for us.

Tears move the heart of God.  Over and over again, tears bring deliverance.

And then, I'm reminded of the vision of Jesus I had over a year ago.  The waterfall of tears from His eyes create the river of mercy we all long to swim in.

In Jeremiah 9, the people are encouraged to weep while trusting in the mercy, love, justice, and righteousness of the Lord (Jeremiah 9:1, 17-24). Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet.  He wept over every judgement he had to give.  And he was given the message of redemption and love.  He was entrusted with a message of hope in the midst of destruction.  I wonder how much of his tears played a part in moving Your heart to bring the promise of redemption.

Holy Spirit, I will weep with You, knowing joy will be reaped in every place I sow.  You set the growing season.  So I'll just sow and receive when it's time to reap.

But even a farmer doesn't continually sow- there is a season to wait and hope.  A season where the sowing ceases.  Holy Spirit, what is this season?  I think it's the season for sowing, not harvesting.  So, I'll sow with You.  As You promised Jeremiah (31:6), hope and restoration is coming.

I'll sow with You.  You can have my tears.  As the tears of a wife move a loving husband into action, so my tears move the heart of my loving God.  I love You, God.  And if tears are an expression of love, then so be it.

What time is it?

I am a compulsive planner.  My desk, mind, and trash can are filled with hour by hour written out schedules.  I am constantly checking the time and analyzing how much has been accomplished in the last five minutes.

Some people would call this an asset, a desirable skill.  It's more like an obsession for me.  Is there a group for "Time-Checkers Anonymous"?

When I returned from the Philippines, the clock in my car stopped working.  No big deal, I have my phone by which to check the time.

Last night, I left some dear friends of mine around 11pm.  I had a 30-45 minute drive ahead of me.  That meant, I had plenty of time to monitor my progress, plan the number of hours I was going to sleep, plan my wake up time, plan... plan... plan.

Except, my phone was not in my purse.  And because I spent 20 minutes searching for it once I arrived home, my plans for sleep were foiled.  Luckily, I had an extra alarm clock.

I set my alarm and nestled down into bed, excited about my 6 and one-half hours of sleep.

Except, I woke up on my own after only 6 hours.  There went my plan!

As I got ready, I realized that all the clocks in the house are fast by different amounts.  There went my plan to know how long I had to do each activity!

Knowing that I needed a watch of some sort in order to survive my 30-40 minute drive to work this morning, I found an old watch, set it to the minute according to the time on my computer, grabbed a timer for work, and darted out the door.

I was on time to work (MIRACLE!) but my student wasn't ready yet.  There went my minute-by minute lesson plan!

As I left work, I compared my watch to the time on my client's microwave.  "11:10 am," the microwave said.  My watch: 4:07.  What time zone am I in again?!

Homeward bound, I got a few minutes away from work, only to realize my timer had been left behind.  How much time did I spend to go back?  At this point, I didn't really care.

My client and I had a good laugh as their family dog (beast) blocked the door as I tried to leave the second time.

I arrived home at some point.  As I pondered how much time I had to eat, study, get my phone from my friend, etc., before going to my next job, I realized it doesn't matter.

What time is it?

This question cannot be answered with a mere number any longer.

It is time to trust.

It is time to trust that God will direct my path.

It is time to trust that I hear and respond to His voice.

It is time to trust that I will not miss His time.

What time is it?

Spurred On

Last night, I couldn't sleep.  I woke up around 2am and tossed and turned until giving up around 4 am.  After some time with Jesus, working out, getting ready for the day, and fixing breakfast, I was finally sleepy.

I went outside to feed the horse and chickens. I was really looking forward to finishing my chores so I could go back to bed.

We have one hen and one rooster.  Our rooster is mean.  He's not just mean, he's evil.  And for some reason, he REALLY hates me.  I always go out prepared.

Today's weapon of choice was the porch broom.  I noticed Mr. Evil* was on top of the four foot box where the food bowl is housed.  I thought I was safe.  I used the broom to instead keep the hen inside the coop.

As soon as the food had been poured, I heard this flapping sound and felt sharp pains on my head.

Mr. Evil had descended upon me in vengeance!  My screams and the flapping of his wings as he attempted to kill me mingled into one horrific alarm clock for the neighbors.

I finally shoved him to the ground and then used my "weapon" to reprimand him- and keep him away as I made a swift escape.  Too bad my "weapon" wasn't capable of inflicting real damage!

I now have an ice pack balancing on my head.

Hebrews 10:24 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds..."

Needless to say, I have been spurred on.

*Mr. Evil's name has been changed to reveal his true identity.

The Past 3+ Months in a flash

I realize that I have not written here in months.  I promised people everywhere that I would, so I am finally making good on my promise.

I finished my time in the Philippines.  I finished the workbook on time, even though I went to camp.  Camp changed my life and the lives of the others.  It's too much to go into detail here, but just know that it was beyond good. :-)

I am back in America- Texas to be exact.  I am living at my parent's house in my old room.  I haven't lived here in over seven years.  Thankfully, my parents let me paint and remodel my room so it doesn't look like my old room anymore.  We are learning how to live together all over again.  So far, so good! :-)  My parents are the greatest!!!!

I have started my own business, Bridges to More, LLC.  It's a tutoring and teacher training company.  I am excited to see what God is going to do with this!  It's so scary to do this.  But God is the CEO of the business, so I don't have to worry about a thing!

I also have started graduate school at Dallas Baptist University.  I love my school! I will get 2 Masters of Education degrees: Educational Leadership and Reading & ESL Specialization.  Classes started this week.  :-)

It has been an adjustment coming home.  Numerous people in my family have and had life and death illnesses.  These battles for health are His.  They are too big for me to fight on my own.  Even as I type this, I am waiting on an update about my grandpa's surgery to remove a tumor in his lungs.

I have also adjusted to new expressions of friendship, worship, travel, shopping, and so much.  God has given me supernatural grace and joy to get through it all.  Shopping at Wal-Mart (the supermarket here) brought quite a few "freak out" moments at first!  Yesterday though, I was able to shop without hyperventilating.

I will always be grateful that I can flush toilet paper and drink tap water.  It is still weird to think that I can wash my coffee mug and use it while it is still wet without any worry of getting sick.  We live in such luxury here.

In the last three months, I have also gotten to travel here in the states.  I have been to Las Angeles, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado, and various parts of Texas.  The Lord is a good provider!!

Life with Him is always and adventure.  Whether or not I understand Him or know the answers, I know that He is good.  I can trust Him.  I like to define adventure as "challenges and tough stuff turned into a joyful story."

I plan on updating again more frequently, so check back often.  If I haven't posted, please send me a message as a reminder!

Cave Woman Sighting

I emerged from my cave today for a temporary outing to a swimming pool.  I did not swim, but enjoyed the light of day and the companionship of Tita Pat.

At one point, I returned to my cave-woman tendencies by swinging on a vine.  Gripping a vine is not the same as gripping a computer or my hair.  I need some swinging practice.

I am going to Youth Camp, with or without the workbook finished.  I have about 20 pages left to create, then I have to edit and format the entire thing.  I think it will be close to 200 pages by the time I am done.  I will bring my computer with me to finish it there as well as leave a copy of my work behind for someone else to edit and or finish.

At Youth Camp, I will be speaking twice.  On Monday, my topic is "Destined to Rule."  On Wednesday, my topic is "Power Night."  I have no idea what I'm going to say! Holy Spirit, I trust you!

I would not have survived the week without my friends bringing me food, coming to hang out, and forcing me to take breaks.  Cheryl, Solomon, Dianne, Jen-Jen, and Janet were special expressions of Christ's love this week.  I'm going to miss them so much!

I also would not have survived without the sermons and music I have on my computer.  There were so many moments where I'd be working, listening to a sermon or a song, and just weep because of God's encouragement to me through it.  I am so grateful for the gift of technology!

At Youth Camp, I will not have internet access.  We will be sleeping in tents.  There are 80-100 youth/young adults scheduled to attend.  Please keep us in your prayers that God would encounter hearts in a lasting way.

It's time to return to my cave and see if I can finish this workbook.  We leave at 4am Monday morning.

PS I leave the Philippines May 7th and will be back in Texas on May 9th.  15 more days to Texas!

Math Workbooks

Question: What does a deadline, a cave, Kindergarten math, and Microsoft Word have in common?

    

Answer: Me!

I am spending my days in "a cave" (aka: the Faculty Room and my kitchen table), using Microsoft Word to create over 150 pages of math worksheets for Kindergarten Level 2.

This workbook will be used by thousands of children across the Philippines- and maybe other countries- to build a mathematical foundation for  the rest of their education.  No pressure, right?!

I have to finish the workbook by Friday so that I can be a speaker at Youth Camp next week.

I feel like this is one of my last rounds in a fight.  I'm doing my best to give a final knock down kick to ignorance.

(No, this is not a picture of me...)

Strange to think of fighting while sitting in a cave behind a computer.... but it's true.

(THIS is a picture of me.)

2 bits, 4 Bits, 8 bits, a Dollar

2 bits, 4 bits, 8 bits, a dollar, if you skip to the end, you'll stand up and holler!

The last two weeks have been CRAZY busy.  Every three or four days, a new major event happens.  I have titled each big event so you can skip to the parts you want to read about.  If you are short on time, just read the last title. :-)

2 Bits: Bethel Group

Last week, a group from Bethel's Supernatural School of Ministry visited us.  They shared puppets, face paint, a drama, balloons, and prayed over the kids while we had a birthday party.  It was so much fun!

These people carried God's presence with them so strongly.  Home seemed closer when they were around.

The day after they visited IFL, they hosted a "Youth Awakening" service.  Our youth group attended and learned who they are in God as well as how to use the arts to connect with God and evangelize.  I was filled with so much joy and love, I was a bit delirious. :-)  The first part of the day was worship and workshops.  Pictures below are from the morning sessions.

We were given practical training in "treasure hunting." (It's where you wait on God to speak some details about someone, i.e. what clothes they are wearing, where they are, etc, then go find them and tell them they are God's treasure. You also offer to pray for them and share anything else that God puts on your heart to tell them.)

So, the training we received mixes treasure hunting with the arts. People made balloons into swords and princess crowns and told people that God wanted to know they could be His princes and princesses. They also made fun balloon animals to spread joy. As they gave out balloons- to both adults and kids- they shared whatever God put on their heart and offered to pray for people.

Other people were taught how to rap a prayer over someone or sing a prayer over someone. Some people took pictures and passed them out to whomever God led them to and shared what that picture meant. Others drew pictures. Some made cards. Some performed dramas. Some painted faces as they prayed over the person.

It was all creative. It was all evangelical. It was a BLAST! The kids in my youth group will never be the same- one of my girls who never smiled before now smiles all the time.  They have tools to not only connect with others, but to connect with God.

I was given a book by the director of Bethel's school of ministry called, "Cultivating Kingdom Creativity" by Theresa Dedmon. It is REALLY good. It's "a practical guide to releasing supernatural encounters through prophetic arts in your personal life, church, and community."  I'm looking forward to reading it and seeing how God challenges me and uses the arts in my life.

Sunday, many students from the youth group testified in church of how God had spoken to them and used them because of what they learned from the Bethel team.  They reported healings, salvation, and of hearing God's voice.  It was awesome! :-)

4 Bits: Baguio-Nazarite Training

The day after the Youth Awakening seminar, four of my friends and I went to Baguio for Nazarite Training.  Baguio is a mountainous region in the north- central part of the Island of Luzon.  We had over 8 hours of travel by bus to get there.

The entire training was about humility, based on 2 Chronicles 2:14, "If my people will humble themselves....I will heal their land."  The training took the word "humility" and unpacked it in a way I'd never heard before.

The first session was about the differences between generations and how the older generation needs to pass on their revelation the younger generation.  They talked about how the younger generation is visually stimulated with a unique ability to multi-task.  The younger generation is also an all-or-nothing generation.  We can smell fake-ness and want to be challenged.  We will rise to the expectations you place on us.

We learned about how when you reject and criticize your appearance, abilities, parentage, and environment, you are calling God a liar.  Each of these things plays a critical part in the message that God has called you to carry.  We learned how to accept our 'defects' in order to make them a part of our message.

We learned the destructive nature of false humility that says, "I can't do it; I am nobody."  This is just as destructive as being puffed up about something from your life.

We had a session about meekness- power under control.  In this session, we identified the character traits God desired to instill in us through various irritations. Then, we wrote down our rights and then tore them up into a box.  "God, I have no rights anymore.  You have them all."

The last session talked about spiritual covering and how if offers protection.  I don't have words to share about how impactful this teaching was.  It just changed things on the inside. :-)

After the sessions, we got to shop in the markets of Baguio.  It rained and we had no umbrella.  An hour after our first taxi flagging attempts, we finally got one to take us back to the meeting hall.

We stayed for the first session of Phase II of Nazarite Training.  It was on Holiness.  For me, that is where everything in Phase I Humility connected with my heart.  It was a wonderful, tear filled, Holy Spirit moment! :-)

Dianne and Sheila on the bus eating dinner

Me

Jhen-Jhen

Sheila and Lhen-Lhen

Our Dinner

Me and Dianne

Me and Dianne "Were you smiling?" "Yeah, me too!"

We stayed at a very nice college. There was a hot shower and the water was drinkable!  I had a hard time breaking my habit of using my water bottle to brush my teeth, though!

Yes, Jessica, that bunny you gave me when I was 14 came with me.  He's my pillow!  I promise!  He's been all over the world!

View down the mountain

Breakfast

Brushing Party! :-)

Picture, Picture!

Reading the Manual

Praying over someone who confessed same-sex attraction

Looks like Colorado!

Spiritual Authority Umbrellas

Picture Picture!

Baguio City

In the Market

It was raining.

That is a wall of sausages behind me.  NOT house decorations!

Trying to get a taxi

Taxi!

Broken Umbrella. TAXI!

TAXI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please? I'm so wet!

Finally! We made it! Haha!

8 Bits: SSRW Training/ Wedding

We got home from Baguio on Thursday morning.  On Friday Morning, I left for another part of the Philippines (Imus, Cavite) to help conduct SSRW training.  We trained over 150 teachers in how to use Sing Spell Read and Write.  While training, we shared how vital of a role they play in a child's life.

That night, my "heart sister" Michelle got married to her wonderful husband Jay.  I had the privilege of staying up most of the night so that I could watch her wedding online and call her while she got ready.  I am so amazed and grateful for technology that allowed me to 'be there' on that day.  My friend Judith let me use her computer so I could connect to the internet.  (My brand of broadband had no signal.)  Michelle and Jay, your wedding was beautiful.  Thank you so much for letting me a part of it.

We finished the SSRW training late on Saturday afternoon with the help of about 4 cups of coffee and many snack breaks! :-)

On the way home, it was just Tita and I in the car.  We had an enjoyable conversation, then went out to eat together before coming back to IFL.

(Sorry, no pictures from the training time.)

A Dollar: It's Time to Holler

You ready for this???

I'M MOVING BACK TO AMERICA!!

To many of you, this may be a shock, but it's been something I've prayed about for months.  It has been confirmed to me over and over again that I am to go back.

I leave here on May 7th.  I will stop in LA to visit a family friend for a few days and tour LA.  Then, my brother will fly me to Texas on May 9th using his buddy passes. He is saving me over $200!  Jack, please never leave your job! lol.

I have such mixed emotions about leaving.  I'm excited about the next season of life God has for me.  But I am very sad to leave here.  I feel like I just got started.  But God is wiser than me and I trust Him.

The current plan is to take this summer to get stabilized and to write what He puts on my heart.  I don't know in what venue I will write, or who will read it, or even what I will write.  I just know He said to write and that when the time comes, He'll fill in the details.  Again, I like His plan better than mine.

Then, this fall, I will go to graduate school at the University of Texas at Arlington to get my MA in Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL).  I am praying to finish my application before I leave here.  I've already started and just have a couple more things to do to complete it.  Pray for acceptance.  One part of my GRE score is not so great.

The Lord is good.  I have job leads already.  I just have to follow up with them.  I will have a place to live.  I will have my car back.  And I have enough money to live off of for a little while without working.  But I definitely don't have enough to pay for school!  This is going to be such a new adventure!

I said bye to Tina already.  She is going back to her place tomorrow.  I will not be here when she gets back.  I gave her a picture of her and I swimming together as well as a keychain that says, "Quitters never win."  I pray that she will make the choice to continue to study.  God has such a great plan for her life.  And school is part of it.  We cried together and prayed together.  It's so hard to say good-bye.  And that's why I always say, "See you later."

I am still working on the math workbooks.  Pray that I finish well.  I need these done by next week so that I can be a speaker at the youth camp the week after that.  Pray that my emotions stay stable enough to focus on the task at hand.  I covet your prayers during this season of transition.

God bless and see many of soon!

Math Math Math

God loves math.  With Him, life adds up to joy!

Today marks my 10 "month-iversery" of being out of the United States.  I am so glad I left!  I am not the same person I was.  I am more joyful, more secure, and more in love with God than ever.  To explore God's heart, to truly know Him, is what this life is all about.

I've spent this entire last week working on revising the Math workbooks.  The old version's soft copy (electronic) format was lost.  So, there are three workbooks with about 133 pages each that need to be completely rewritten- including updating the graphics.  Finding graphics is the most tedious part of this job.  Today, one of my graphic designer friends volunteered to draw some of the graphics for this project and email them to me.

I am THRILLED!  This will help us sooo much to have all of the graphics at hand!  Even if he is able to only do a few graphics, that is a few less than what I will have to find or make on my own! :-)  God is good!

We have until April 30th to have the math books ready for print.  Between now and then, there are youth camps and multiple teacher trainings being conducted by us.  I will no longer being going to Nazarite Training due to the workbook deadline and the SSRW training I will be conducting next week.

Today, a group of 15 people from Bethel Church, California came to do a presentation for our kids.  They did puppet shows, bubbles, face painting, balloons, and prayed prophetically for the kids.  It was wonderful.  Tomorrow, they are conducting a "Youth Awakening" service all day long.  This is a WELCOME break from the Math books. :-)

Even for the short time they were here today (less than 3 hours), I was so refreshed.  This group of people oozes the presence of God.  I wish they could have stayed longer!  I wanted to hang out with them, be near them, and share stories with them.  I confess, it wasn't really about them, but about God in them.  They reminded me of Him.  I'm looking forward to the service tomorrow, for sure!

I have been so consumed with the math books- and a slow internet connection- that I haven't been able to upload pictures in a while.  When I get a chance, I have tons- from graduations, to silly times, to beautiful scenery, to swimming with Tina.  (Yes, I went swimming in a wading pool with Tina the other day!  I'm helping her learn how to float.)

Daily life update:  I am dancing almost daily, but with summer here, my voice and guitar lessons have stopped.  I still practice guitar occasionally, but never got good enough at singing to keep practicing without lessons.  Revising the workbooks has taken over my gardening time, too.  I hope to resume singing and guitar soon.

My math skills are telling me it's time for bed.  So, God bless you.  Thank you for your continual prayers for me.

I leave you with this thought: When David defeated Goliath, he wore no armor.  It was not because the armor Saul gave him didn't fit.  An army at war has armor of all sizes for all people. David wore no armor because God's Presence was his armor.  He needed nothing else.  He knew that no matter what protective clothing he wore, God's protection was better.  So, what are you doing to cultivate God's presence, your source of protection, in your life?

School's Out for Summer

Can you hear the old Alice Cooper '70's song?

No more school!

It came suddenly.  I woke up one day and realized that the rest of the school was preparing for final exams, graduation balls, and freedom.  I was content to keep plugging away teaching SSRW.  Hello again, Whirlwind!

I have been enjoying extra time with the Lord and extra time to dance, sing, practice guitar, and plan for the future.  I also have been enjoying extra time with my friends.  My house has become the place to encounter the Lord, eat bread, print assignments, watch movies, and have fun.  I am so grateful for the friendships I have here!

The last few weeks I have challenged the youth to read their Bibles.  Everyone it seems wants to hear God.  But not everyone wants to read their Bibles.  God already spoke so much in His Word.  If we want more, we must live out what He has already revealed.  He who has will be given more.

The youth group is now reading through the book of Acts together.  Some are also following a summer reading plan that takes them through the entire New Testament in 3 months.  Each youth group meeting has a Bible Quiz time over what they are reading.  I love watching young teens scour their Bibles for truth!

We have started meeting regularly for the Worship and Intercession Team.  So many of our members are so young- in the Lord and in age!  But God... don't despise the day of small beginnings.  He can use anything.  He has such great plans for these young ones.  I pray that we all submit ourselves to the burning required to minister to the All Consuming Fire.

I started teaching a worship dance class this past week because so many of the youth group were interested in learning how to dance.  This is a challenge. I have danced my whole life, but mostly in the secret place.  And I have never taught dance.  To dance and to teach dance are two entirely different things.  But I reckon it's like prayer: more caught than taught.  And the public is the overflow of the private.

My summer assignment is to revise the Kindergarten 2 Math Curriculum, conduct a public school training for SSRW, attend Nazarite Training, and God knows what else. (I mean that with complete honesty!)

God says He lives in a whirlwind.  To be close to Him means I get caught up, too.

Down in the Dumps and Up from the Ashes

Have you ever heard the phrases, "Down in the dumps," and "up from the ashes?"  This weekend, these phrases took on new meaning as I saw where my sponsored child lives.

I arrived at a really nice hotel on Friday, excited about a real shower, hot water, and air conditioning.  I couldn't help but ponder the contrast I'd be walking into in the next few moments.

Friday afternoon our team (Ras, Bev, Kathy, Susan, and Lucia from Fullness In Christ Ministries) went to the dumpsite where Anabel lives.  I found out that she is a first year high school student and is 15 years old.  That's the equivalent of  a 15 year old in America's 7th grade.

We walked around on a mountain of 8 feet of trash, visiting "homes" and people.  It had been raining, so the trash was wet and muddy.  400 pound toxic pigs scavenged and lolled around the piles of refuse.

We came up to a house where a young mother was watching her baby sleep in a make-shift bassinet (a hammock of sorts).  When I introduced myself, she shied away from shaking my hand, motioning that she was too dirty to touch.  I looked her in the eyes and said, "I don't care.  It's nice to meet you."  Shortly thereafter, a trash truck arrived.  The mother left her baby in the care of a 4 year old and ran to dig through the freshly dumped garbage.  Her goal, along with the others there, was to find recyclable material to sell for food money.

I don't know if this image will ever get out my head.  I so wanted to show these people that even though necessity has them in this position, they are still human.  They are dignified human beings.

After the trash truck arrived, Anabel got home from school and I met her for the first time.  She is a sweet, reserved young lady.  If our team had not been there that day, she would have been scavenging with the others.  That is her way of life, too.

The following are other pictures from the dump site.

The picture below is one woman's finds from the latest trash truck.

The picture below is of the place where Anabel used to stay sometimes.  She now stays at the church with 5 other girls in a room with one wooden bed and a sheet.

After walking around the dump for a while, we went to the dump-side church.  This is where the phrase, "Up from the ashes" took on a new meaning.  We were welcomed by signs and kids waving flags for us.  We felt so honored! The people showed up from the dump wearing clean clothes and freshly bathed.  The traces of the dump were seen only as a thing of the past.

They had a wonderful child- led worship service with dancing and testimonies in English.

Annabel was one who shared her testimony. For her security, I will not repeat it here.  But, her story makes one realize the hope an education can give.  She has no parents and no siblings to watch out for her.  But because she can go to school, she has hope of a different life and knowledge that someone really does care for her.  She often goes to school with breakfast or lunch because she has no money.

The kids in line for vitameal- a vitamin packed oatmeal-type thing:

Learning to eat FunDip candy:

Good times:

Eating vitameal with a lick a stick?  Yep:

The children grew these plants.  Ras and Bev were asked to judge which plants were the greenest. :-)  Pastor Rudy explained that when the fathers eat the fruit from these plants, their hearts will be turned back to their children.  Malachi 4:5-6.

Shortly after this, we went home to our hotel.  This was only my first day in Mindanao.  I will post about the rest of my trip at another time.  This is enough for one day.

One may be "down in the dumps," but that never keeps God from raising you "up from the ashes."

"The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to... provide for those who grieve in [the Philippines]- to bestow upon them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of despair...  They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places ... devastated for generations." 

Isaiah 61:1, 3, 4

If you feel led to sponsor a child who lives in this dump or in a similar situation, or to provide food for the children, visit www.fullnessonline.org and follow the links to make a tax-deductible donation.