Update 6: Deeper into Aurora

The past two days in Aurora have been intense. Yesterday we were up at 4 traveling 5 hours in the jeepney. This was not just "driving". This was the most rigorous ride of my life. We rode through mountains and drove through small rivers. The jeepney is not very shock absorbent and the roads in the mountains are extremely rough and unpaved. It felt like we were on a 5 hour roller coaster through the jungle! I must say, as much as it was difficult, the journey was beautiful and quite entertaining. There were palm trees, goats, caribou, land everywhere. Something that has been so apparent to me on this trip has been how evident it is that God is in all of his creation. It's like every rock, stone, tree and animal is crying out and singing praises to God. As much as God clothed the earth with this splendor, it blows me away that he cares for us way more than it all. I think about how people say they do not believe in God. But saying they don't believe is impossible to me. When one looks around at the earth, God's finger prints are all over it. There is simply no way it was all an accident. If a person never gets to hear the Gospel, they can see this evidence and realize who God is and that he must have created it all. It is far too intricate and creative. The verse from the bible that comes to my mind constantly is " In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of ALL creation, became his choice possession "(James 1:18). It awes me to realize the brevity of this. God chose to make us so that he could love us and be loved back. He gave us his TRUE WORD when he made us his own children. We are the God of the universe's CHOICE POSSESSION! Then to top it off he loved us so much that he sent his only son to save us and die for us. That is something to celebrate.


I have been mentioning the poverty and different lifestyle of the Filipino people. One thing is true, and that is we all suffer through trials and tribulations on this earth, wherever we live. When death and sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, it enabled all of this to take place. God's original intention was for us to all walk in peace and with him in constant communion without sin. "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later"(Romans 8:18). And sending Jesus as our redeemer gave us access to an eternity with him. In the meantime "All of creation anticipates the day when it will join Gods children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And even we Christians, although we have the holy spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering" (Romans 8:22-23). This is true of us all and of all the beauty I am staring at around me. There will be a day when everything will be as it should be on earth as it is in heaven. For us who believe, we can hold onto this hope.

When I think about the long hours we have here, the bumpy rides in the jeepney, the sweat, the traveling; none of it really matters when I think about the souls that were saved in the distant land we were coming from. I have to remind myself that these are not just schools and places I am going to marking off checks on my list of places I went to share the word. These are PEOPLE, souls that are going to heaven because of the fact we went to speak the truth to them. If we didn't go up there or we decided it was "too hot" that day, then thousands of people would not have gotten the opportunity to accept Christ as their savior. That thought brings shudders down my spine. I wish I could reach every last person on earth so that none would be left out from hearing the words. My heart bleeds for lost souls. The thought of even 1 person going to hell utterly separated from God and any kind of goodness forever causes me to tremble with sadness. I am not just someone who decided to go on a "mission trip" for the sake of experiencing it. I have always had a desire to tell people about Jesus. People say your passion is something that lights you up like when you flick on a Christmas tree. This is how I feel when I'm talking about the Lord to people who are itching to hear the message and open to his saving knowledge. I was just never able to go on a trip for missionary purposes. Now that I can, I am glad I am here and I'm open to whatever calling God has on my life. It could be on U.S soil, it could be both in the U.S and elsewhere. I must ALWAYS remember that its our love that the people here see more than anything and cannot ever get calloused to the saving words I'm speaking to them. It's easy to get caught up in numbers and allowing the message we say to be something we merely memorize because we've heard it so often. I pray each time before I go up to talk to the kids that the holy spirit would give me the words, whatever direction he may want to lead me. The way these words hit their hearts is up to the spirit of God to bring understanding. This is a concept we in the states that are believers must remember as well. We are called to be bold ambassadors of Christ, not silent wallflowers blending into society. The message of the cross will sound like foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who believe and are being saved- it is the very word of life. I just hope to be able to continue to be used as a vessel for the Lord's purposes as I remain out here and throughout my future endeavors.
 

Update 5: Aurora, Philippines

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

Update 4 - The BTEA Orphanage July 4th

The orphanage experience was incredible. Most of us only stayed the weekend with about 8 staying through this week helping with medical supplies and visiting the kids. We played with them the entire time. I fell in love with one girl in particular. Her name is Jessa and she is 14. She and I immediately hit it off. She said she sometimes gets called "Boyish" because she likes sports so much. It's no wonder the two of us got along! I played basketball with her and a bunch of the others. They loved watching me dribble for them. They were so cute. We also played baseball and volleyball with the kids.


The orphanage overlooked a beautiful river with tons of land all around us. It felt like we were in the jungle yet with mountains and palm trees surrounding on every side. We went down by the river and crossed over this bridgeway. Then it started downpouring and we all got soaked. The Filipino children were so adorable, trying to get us out of the rain as quickly as they could so we wouldn't get sick. They don't like getting wet in the rain! It felt amazing though because it was hot out.

We ate 3 great meals while there and the kids performed a little show for us at night. I had the best mangos of all time. They did a Filipino tribal dance and a good versus evil spiritual skit that I've seen in the US before. They were fantastic! I loved every minute of it.



The kids gave up their beds for each of us, which was really sweet of them. They slept in a different portion of the orphanage. The night time noises of the wild was quite an interesting experience. I don't think I've heard that many different sounds while I was trying to sleep in my entire life. It felt like we were in the jungle book! But it was neat sleeping to the unique lullaby and waking up to a loud rooster.

It amazes me how Mr. Tebow has gotten the chance to see many of these kids grow up. He has gone to their graduations, he has seen them receive awards, etc. The bible tells us to look after the widows and the orphans. And it blesses me so much to see people like him start up orphanages and genuinely care for each individual there. As soon as the kids saw him they ran up to him and embraced him as a father embraces his children. God's word says that "In you the orphan finds mercy"(Hosea 14:3). The orphans have found mercy and its wonderful to see they have been raised or put into the orphanage and trained up with Godly principles. I cried as I sat out under the large outdoor pavilion overlooking the gorgeous landscape and heard songs to our God playing loudly on the speakers. It was a privilege to be there and love on each one of them. The scriptures say that unless we are like innocent little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. That verse kept coming to my mind as I was there. Here are a bunch of parentless or fatherless kids that are so innocent and full of joy. God's love just resonates off them. They are the blessed ones that were given a home and family, but we can learn a lot from them. They (as well as the rest of the Filipino culture) do not need a lot to be satisfied. One of the little boys had a shirt on that caught my eye. He was the one who BTEA raised a lot of money for to bring an American doctor over to perform a kidney transplant on. His shirt said "life is hard, that's why I was given a tough shell", with a picture of a turtle. It blessed me knowing all the things he had been through, yet he was so grateful. Eternal life only comes to us if we let go of all our grandiose confusing mind sets and lack of faith and we choose to trust in Jesus with all that we have since he will NEVER let us down. Its difficult for some people to wrap their head around "childlike trust" once we enter our adult years. But it's certainly possible and well worth allowing ones self to fall into the arms of our heavenly father.

"You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more"(Psalms 10:14,17-18).

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.

Photo 2

Photo 1

Update 2

Today was a really incredible day. The schools were closed due to the election of their new president. Mr. Tebow preached this morning for a long time about the greek word used in the bible for "saved" which is "sozo." It had to do with physical and spiritual salvation a well as the difference between justification and sanctification. It was a message that answered a certain question many people have about the process of salvation. I will not get into the whole sermon but I can say that thank God we cannot be plucked out of our Lord's hand once we have accepted Christ as our savior. If we were saved by our works we would all be falling short every day because we are truly all sinners. When I get home, I will describe to those of you who know me this message in detail.


After this we had the amazing opportunity to go to a large hospital to pray for the sick patients and lead them to Christ. It was heart wrenching as I went in there and saw how unsanitary and poor the facilities were. We entered rooms with families crying over their loved ones-some with broken legs from accidents, sickness, pain, comas, etc. We went into different rooms and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. Many many Filipino people accepted the good news of Christ after we shared and prayed for them. It was an incredible thing to see. I prayed also for their physical healing, but even more important is their soul and where they will spend eternity. Its absolutely incredible how open the Filipino people are and hungry they are to simply accept jesus into their hearts as lord of their life. You can see it in their eyes how much they are yearning for it and just hoping in it. They also show their families so much love as they sit with their sick family members day and night. People in other countries I've traveled in do not have that same hunger I see in these people. Its so true that there is a window of hope in the Philippines right now. The harvest is truly ripe and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

There is nothing greater than sharing the truth of salvation through Christ alone. This is the one thing that matters in life. What else really matters besides where we will spend eternal life? Without Christ, we are all destined for hell. Its the most important message in the world for anyone to hear and many of these people have never heard the gospel put in this clear, concise way.

Not only did we get the chance to speak to people in hospitals, but some of the guys on the trip went to the male prisons and many of them also came to know Christ as their savior. They were so undeniably happy to see them there, reaching out there hands and thanking them for coming to spread this good news. All glory and honor to God for these praise reports! Words can't describe how much this all makes me feel so alive. It is the meaning of life and Christ is for everyone everywhere, of every nation, tribe and tongue. I know He will continue to use us as we move throughout the different provinces. Having other like minded people with me with evangelistic hearts has been something so special. I know I have already begun to make some life long friends; even better, eternal friends.