After praying for a young girl.
Words cannot bring justice for what I’m about to write. It can’t describe even a tenth of the impact, how much I’ve grown here in The Philippines, and how I will forever hold a special place for Children’s Garden in my heart.
Tomorrow I have to say goodbye to the staff and all the boys here at CG…I really am not looking forward to it, and I just wish I could fast forward to when I’m in Africa at this point. It’s not that I don’t want to go to Africa, because I really do and I’m excited. It will just be a very bitter sweet transition.
This place is really special. I mean REALLY. I find it rare that a group of 7 college age students could fall in love with their ministry as much as we did. We all separately grew so much. In ourselves and in The Lord. It’s cool to see how throughout all our different relationships with the people here, we each individually had different experiences- yet loved it all the same. I’m leaving here with new perspectives on life. I’m leaving here knowing there is so much that I can do, if willing.
This week we had to say a lot of our goodbyes. Which was tough, to say the least. We part-take in so many outreaches and have met so many people, heard so many stories, and these last 3 months we have been able to become friends with the beautiful people of The Philippines.
(The last 3 months I was able to see what breaks God’s heart. I was able to see another world that I have never seen before. Hanging out with teenagers in trouble with the law at CICL.
Going to Ondoy (a refuge village created by the red cross in 2009 when the typhoon took their homes and loved ones).
Getting the chance to love and play with the beautiful children at Destiny’s Promise orphanage.
Having a weekly bible study with a group of incredible woman in prostitution to provide for their incredible children.
Spending time at night with street kids and listening to their stories near the Grocery Store Shop Wise.
Becoming friends with a group of woman who make bracelets through the organization Threads of Hope to support their families.
Being blessed by a group of “yellow angels” in the Antipolo Jail. Woman wearing yellow that encouraged and impacted my life forever.
Worshiping, praying and loving on the homeless at the popular Filipino fast food restaurant Jollibee and being able to hold and run around with street kids.
Having devotionals, late night talks, worship, dinnertime, random dance parties, celebrating Christmas and New Year’s with my family at Children’s Garden.
Visiting some of the most beautiful places and islands in the Philippines. From visiting Duranak Falls, to hiking the Taal Volcano in Taygaytay, zip lining in Subic Bay, spending some nights in the beautiful city of Manila, and spending time with the girls on my team and my ministry contact at Puerto Galera.
This blog could never give justice to the experiences that I have had while being here. These brief descriptions about the ministry could never show the full impact of how many lives God touched.)
(The last 3 months I was able to see what breaks God’s heart. I was able to see another world that I have never seen before. Hanging out with teenagers in trouble with the law at CICL.
Going to Ondoy (a refuge village created by the red cross in 2009 when the typhoon took their homes and loved ones).
Getting the chance to love and play with the beautiful children at Destiny’s Promise orphanage.
Having a weekly bible study with a group of incredible woman in prostitution to provide for their incredible children.
Spending time at night with street kids and listening to their stories near the Grocery Store Shop Wise.
Becoming friends with a group of woman who make bracelets through the organization Threads of Hope to support their families.
Being blessed by a group of “yellow angels” in the Antipolo Jail. Woman wearing yellow that encouraged and impacted my life forever.
Worshiping, praying and loving on the homeless at the popular Filipino fast food restaurant Jollibee and being able to hold and run around with street kids.
Having devotionals, late night talks, worship, dinnertime, random dance parties, celebrating Christmas and New Year’s with my family at Children’s Garden.
Visiting some of the most beautiful places and islands in the Philippines. From visiting Duranak Falls, to hiking the Taal Volcano in Taygaytay, zip lining in Subic Bay, spending some nights in the beautiful city of Manila, and spending time with the girls on my team and my ministry contact at Puerto Galera.
This blog could never give justice to the experiences that I have had while being here. These brief descriptions about the ministry could never show the full impact of how many lives God touched.)
One big thing I’m carrying with me from The Philippines is this- TIME. Time is precious. In America as we say, “time is money.” Yet, we are so greedy with it, and I’m speaking for myself too. A lot of times we get wrapped up in, “Oh I will show this person love by money, gifts etc.” Which are all great. However, what we truly crave is someone’s time of day. For a person to just literally sit, and talk with us. To care. To know what’s going on in our lives. To feel appreciated. To feel loved. That even though there are 7 billion people walking this planet- we all have a voice.
When saying goodbye to the women at prison (we were all in tears) They were all just so blessed by us visiting them. We only visited once a week. And, they kept telling us how we’ve changed their lives. How special they feel that we would make the effort to see them. That some of their best memories are with us! I couldn’t believe how much of an impact we’ve made. The compliments were so precious, however I myself knew that 2 hours out of 24 hours in a day- times that by 7 which is 168 hours in a week, and we’d spend 2 with them. Just 2! However those 2 hours meant so much to them- as to us as well. The thing is that no one ever takes the time. No one really thinks, “Oh hey, I’m going to visit women at prison today, because no one visits them, they deserve to feel loved to.” I mean, if one of your friends came up to you and suggested that idea, would you think that it’s absurd? Would you think that your friend is a little crazy, and taking “loving people” and the bible a little too seriously? Would you rather just not- because you have “So many other things going on,” – you have the excuse of being “too busy.”
In all honesty, before this trip- those would be my excuses. That I have too many other things going on. But in reality looking at it… I could take an hour out of my day. Whether it be from-going on face book, being lazy doing nothing, watching a t.v. show, going shopping, or any other thing that I waste endless hours doing to literally just go and show someone love. These people need it the most! The ones that never get told I love you. The ones that have no one. Literally. God knows how many hours I spend doing those things.
When I’m lying on my death bed, I want to look back on a life loving others. Helping as much as I can. Living a life of The Lord. We need to ask ourselves,”What do I want to live for?” If we’re living for God, do our lives match up? I’m realizing now how many opportunities there are. If my eyes are open, and my heart is willing, my options are endless when it comes to helping. My options are endless when it comes to loving. God says “…Love your neighbor as yourself.”There is no greater commandment than these.” Mark12:31
Yes, we’ve read that-over and over, and over again. But how many times do we only “love” someone because they’ll love us back?
We do an awful job at loving others who are harder to love. As humans we are selfish. And, we like to read this and think, “Yeah that sounds amazing, if only everyone was like this.”But, the instant someone ticks us off, rubs us the wrong way, is annoying, or whose personality is something we just can’t seem to get along with. What do we do?
We gossip about them. Get pissed off. And the last, I mean LAST thing we could think about doing is showing them kindness.
I don’t want to rant, and I’m not writing to say I have this all together. By, no means I am far from perfect, and everyday I’m striving towards being a Woman of The Lord. I have sins, and struggles I deal with just like EVERYONE else. I am not a saint. God has taught me this on endless occasions during the duration of this trip.
I think that we all need a little push sometimes, and to look outside of the little bubble of a world we’re living in. Our problems seem so big, yet when seeing a mom who can’t afford to feed her kids and street children starving to death and who are hooked on drugs… Our problems seem incomparable and minimize when looking at it through another perspective.
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I will miss Children's Garden so soooo much. They are my family here in The Philippines. They are an amazing ministry, and the boys there are some of the strongest men I've ever met. The trials and everything that they've overcome blows my mind. And to be where they are now- it is honestly a miracle, and just proves how much God can turn a terrible, terrible situation completely around.
CG taught me- There's always Hope.
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I will miss Children's Garden so soooo much. They are my family here in The Philippines. They are an amazing ministry, and the boys there are some of the strongest men I've ever met. The trials and everything that they've overcome blows my mind. And to be where they are now- it is honestly a miracle, and just proves how much God can turn a terrible, terrible situation completely around.
CG taught me- There's always Hope.
"Why go to the ends of the earth if you have nothing to give? The only currency that will heal every culture is ceaseless love. To be a minister, we must walk like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and be like Jesus for a broken and dying world." – Heidi Baker
Some of my team at an outreach with street kids.
Performing a dance with my Filipino brothers:)
Joseph and I riding the ferris wheel together at Ynares!
Christopher and I at PBA game!
MY beautiful CG FAMILY!!!!<3
Amazing and convicting! Way to go!
Good words NayNay. We miss loving on you.
From your blog it sounds as if you are leaving for Malawi tomorrow. Our prayers go with you as you move on to yet another ministry in another location. Tessie and I are so amazed at how many different ministries you were active in during your time there in the Philippines. We also appreciate so much that you see the beauty in the people of those friendly islands. God Bless you Nay Nay as you move on. We miss you and look forward to seeing you in three months!
NayNay I was so blessed to read your blog. You are Gods hands and feet walking through the nations and proclaiming his glory. Enjoy the people and cherish the memories. You will be in my prayers and keeping on shining your light for others. Much love to you Tweidi!
Hey NayNay, I can identify and live through each word you’ve said in your letters. You will never forget those experiences and the faces of those you’ve been so apart of for the last weeks and months. It humbles you beyond belief and soften your heart for the truely needy people of the 3rd world. We Americans don’t know such poverity but we also don’t know that love that comes out of those little people with hugh smiles and white white shirts everyday. The smiles on those faces hides the true stories inside but they would give everything to have a person like you to come and share Jesus with them and love them unconditionally.
I know it’s hard to say good-bye but they will never forget you and you will never forget them.
Can’t wait to see you again, my darling girl. Love you!!!!