Update 3 - Friday July 2nd

The past 2 days have been great. We have continued to trek through to the different schools in the province we are in. Today I felt an overwhelming sense of purpose everywhere I went. As I went into one of the elementary schools, I nearly was brought to tears as I stared into this one girls big brown eyes. I had a moment where I realized how vitally important the message I was bringing them was. Its truly the greatest love story of all time, the story of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In America, we can get so caught up in our business and work, and even ministry and forget the reason we are here. We can also forget how deeply incredible the message of the cross really is and grow cold to it because of hearing it so often. There is nothing dull about the message of the cross, nothing old about Jesus rising from the grave, and nothing mundane about a God who came down as flesh to save us from our sins. Even though my passion in the states is to share my faith with others, this trip reminds me even more about what matters.


The Filipino teachers and people are so amazing. They are kind, grateful, and very hospitable. One of the teachers I met today told me the Filipino people have learned to live and be happy with much or with little. This is so interesting because we in America have so much, yet so much is never enough to so many. As I traveled throughout Europe and lived in Armenia I was able to appreciate the U.S. but this trip has kept my mind and heart in the right place; in God's perspective. Every day starts at 4 and I don't get back until 6, yet God has given me the grace to continue and to have energy. It's true that "When we are weak, He is strong". If we ever go through anything in life that feels WAY beyond what we can bare, when we look to God He always comes through. The psalms tell us that "I have never seen the Lord forsake or fail the righteous, ever."He always lifts us up in time of need. What I am doing feels extremely purposeful, and at the end of the day I am so thrilled about bringing souls to the Lord that I can't even remember how tired I am. Now that to me and all of us here is truly living.

There are times when insecurities try to creep up in me (and all of us I'm sure) as we have to stand in front of thousands of students. It doesn't matter how many times I've talked in front of people, it will always be something I have to give to God. Each time feels more comfortable and God never ceases to come through in the end. Its easy to compare ourselves to one another but each of us have things to learn ourselves and have unique personalities that come out as we speak in public about the Gospel. I'm grateful God has made us all so different!

This weekend many of us are flying out to the orphanage Mr. Tebow founded. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to see the kids and bring them some clothes and medicine, and just love on them. We each will be splitting into 3 different groups next week to 3 different provinces. I am going to Arora, which is the place that holds the most remote locations to visit. It will be a neat experience to go to the "ends of the earth", areas where if we don't go, no one will.