Aurora has been an amazing place. It is an island and there are only 9 of us here. I feel so blessed to have been placed in this location because we are staying right on the beach, and the small group allows us to really get to know one another and have greater intimacy. Our first couple of days have been very busy as usual. We got here from the Orphanage in Mindanao Monday morning around 130 a.m. We then had to be up ready to go by 5 or 6. As I have mentioned in the other blogs, God has miraculously been giving me strength and energy physically to go on little sleep and adjust to the 12 hour time difference this past week.
Aurora is the most remote location any of the groups have gone to for this trip. Yesterday I was able to go way up in the mountains to speak to schools about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of the children look at us like we are celebrities since we are from the U.S and we look so foreign to them. Very few Americans pass through this place so we are quite a sight when we are here. It's amazing to me that if we do not reach these people then most likely no one ever will. The land out in the mountains is phenomenal. There are palm trees everywhere in a woodsy setting. Then there are parts that open up where all that you see is open land and mountain ranges. There are rice fields growing all over the place and caribou walking everywhere. It definitely feels like an episode of Jurassic Park sometimes as we go through these areas in our Jeepneys (what the vehicles are called that we ride in-big open jeeps basically), only hopefully we won't be running into any dinosaurs.
On a heavier note, the scripture that comes to me constantly is in Acts 1:8 "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth..." I truly feel that we are fulfilling this calling here. The holy spirit has been empowering us as we go and it's amazing to be a part of His great work. As I look around here in the Philippines, there is so much poverty. People literally live under thatched roofs and huts and many times their bathrooms are holes in the ground. These things are normal to them, yet in America we couldn't imagine living this way. In some ways the people here are more blessed because they are hungry for truth, hungry for the Gospel. They listen to us intently and want to accept Christ as their savior. I keep thinking to myself, when will Americans come to this great need inside of their hearts? "God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them"(Matthew 5:3). It doesn't matter how much money a person has or how well off they live in this life. If they never realize their need for a Savior then they will never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. It is better to live a life lowlier and less wealthy and inherit eternal life then it is to be rich and never enter Heaven. Now I understand the meaning of the scripture when Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to get into the kingdom of Heaven. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God"(Matthew 19:23-24).
As much as people in our country struggle, we are definitely still considered a rich nation. Even though the Filipinos live lowlier, if they are coming to Christ then they have an eternity of bliss in heaven to look forward to. This life is so short and its important to remember that it is wearing out like an old garment and it is over in a blink of an eye. And if we are so privileged to be on this earth for the rapture, then believers will be taken out of here body and soul according to scripture and unbelievers will be left behind for the 7 worst years the world has ever seen. People can still find Christ at that time if left behind but it will not be a pleasant period to be here on earth (see Matthew 24 and revelation for more details). The point is, isn't it more important to make sure our home in Heaven is more secure then our home here? As Carrie Underwood says it so well in her song that "This is just our temporary home, its not where we belong, we are just passing through on our way to where we are going". God tells us in his word that TODAY is the day of salvation. The Filipino people here have such faith after they hear the message of the cross that they immediately give their hearts to Him. Do not put off until tomorrow what can be done today for no one is promised tomorrow.
Aurora Philippines, Website Photo Gallery
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