Hey everyone! This is a video that I put together from my mission trip to the Philippines. For everyone who supported me in prayer and finances this is for you! I have been so blessed to be able to go to the Philippines with our team and serve along side so many amazing people. Thank you! And credit goes to Morgan on the last two slides of this video, she has a really graceful way of giving an explanation of what happened on our 3 week trip to the Philippines. This is also a collection of pictures taken by our entire team.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
At the throne of the One who loves
As a church I find that we care far too much about what others think of us. And unfortunately we spend a lot of time judging everyone who walks through the doors on a Sunday morning.
And I'm a little confused about this. Isn't within the body of Christ where people are supposed to feel the least judged in the world we live in? Aren't people supposed to feel accepted and loved?
One of my teammates wrote a blog that really inspired me to write on this subject. I used to be worshiping with a group of people and would be concerned about what the person next to me would think if I put my hands up in the air. At training camp in Georgia during worship, one of the leaders went up in the front and said something like this, "You guys seriously need to forget about the person standing next to you. When you are worshiping picture this. You and God. You're at His feet. That's all that matters."
It wasn't that my worship was worth anything less to God before that point. But I'll tell you, that moment was the true turning point in my worship life. So if you're like I was, I encourage you to just be whoever God is calling you to be. Because that's the best possible you there is. If He tells you to put your hand up in praise of Him and all that He is. Do it. If he tells you to stand still and not move a muscle. Obey.
And do us all a favor. Don't judge the person next to you. Don't think because they don't have their hands raised up in the air they aren't as close to God as you are. From now on dedicate your worship to who we should really be focused on. God. The people around you don't know what's going on in your heart. They can't tell you what your relationship with God really is. The bond between you and God is....between you and God.
Imagine a church full of people who were worshiping exactly the way God is telling them to. Can you see it? I picture the entire world moving aside, being blown back because of the power of our obedience in God.
When God tells us to do something He expects us to obey. If the church body is praying for someone and God is clearly telling you to reach your hand out in the middle of service to form a connection don't be concerned about what the person sitting next to you is going to think. Because it just doesn't matter. God is looking for you to step out. To do what He's asking you. He's asking you to follow Him even if it means looking a little goofy to the world sometimes. Just remember, in Heaven you won't be answering to the person who sat next to you in in church one Sunday morning. You'll be answering to God. And who knows, maybe He'll ask something like this, "That morning I asked you to lift your hands in the middle of church service when you were surrounded by a hundred people and not one of them was lifting their hands, did you do it? Did you obey?"
What do you want your answer to be? Whatever He asks me I want to be able to tell Him I obeyed.
So the next time you're worshiping, try closing your eyes and picturing yourself at the foot of the throne of God. And then picture whatever you would do.....and do it! It's not just in your imagination you're at the foot of the throne. You actually are!
And I'm a little confused about this. Isn't within the body of Christ where people are supposed to feel the least judged in the world we live in? Aren't people supposed to feel accepted and loved?
One of my teammates wrote a blog that really inspired me to write on this subject. I used to be worshiping with a group of people and would be concerned about what the person next to me would think if I put my hands up in the air. At training camp in Georgia during worship, one of the leaders went up in the front and said something like this, "You guys seriously need to forget about the person standing next to you. When you are worshiping picture this. You and God. You're at His feet. That's all that matters."
It wasn't that my worship was worth anything less to God before that point. But I'll tell you, that moment was the true turning point in my worship life. So if you're like I was, I encourage you to just be whoever God is calling you to be. Because that's the best possible you there is. If He tells you to put your hand up in praise of Him and all that He is. Do it. If he tells you to stand still and not move a muscle. Obey.
And do us all a favor. Don't judge the person next to you. Don't think because they don't have their hands raised up in the air they aren't as close to God as you are. From now on dedicate your worship to who we should really be focused on. God. The people around you don't know what's going on in your heart. They can't tell you what your relationship with God really is. The bond between you and God is....between you and God.
Imagine a church full of people who were worshiping exactly the way God is telling them to. Can you see it? I picture the entire world moving aside, being blown back because of the power of our obedience in God.
When God tells us to do something He expects us to obey. If the church body is praying for someone and God is clearly telling you to reach your hand out in the middle of service to form a connection don't be concerned about what the person sitting next to you is going to think. Because it just doesn't matter. God is looking for you to step out. To do what He's asking you. He's asking you to follow Him even if it means looking a little goofy to the world sometimes. Just remember, in Heaven you won't be answering to the person who sat next to you in in church one Sunday morning. You'll be answering to God. And who knows, maybe He'll ask something like this, "That morning I asked you to lift your hands in the middle of church service when you were surrounded by a hundred people and not one of them was lifting their hands, did you do it? Did you obey?"
What do you want your answer to be? Whatever He asks me I want to be able to tell Him I obeyed.
So the next time you're worshiping, try closing your eyes and picturing yourself at the foot of the throne of God. And then picture whatever you would do.....and do it! It's not just in your imagination you're at the foot of the throne. You actually are!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Video
One of my teammates from our trip to the Philippines, Morgan, made this incredible video. She is so talented, and like all of my other teammates she holds a special place in my heart and I love her dearly! The video is about 13 minutes long so you will have to sit down and set out some time to watch it, but she did such a fantastic job with it. Thanks for all the hard work you put into making this movie come together, Morgan!
So sit back and enjoy a little collection of memories from the summer that changed our lives...
And as a side note, the reason she chose the song "Baby" by Justin Bieber at the end is because all of the Filipino kids would always sing it to us and then ask, "Do you know Justin Bieber, have you met him??" So when you hear the song, just picture 30 adorable Filipino kids singing at the top of their lungs and dancing.......I know I do! =-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reIDbDo-EH8
Thanks for watching!!
So sit back and enjoy a little collection of memories from the summer that changed our lives...
And as a side note, the reason she chose the song "Baby" by Justin Bieber at the end is because all of the Filipino kids would always sing it to us and then ask, "Do you know Justin Bieber, have you met him??" So when you hear the song, just picture 30 adorable Filipino kids singing at the top of their lungs and dancing.......I know I do! =-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reIDbDo-EH8
Thanks for watching!!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Would you?
I'm finding more and more that writing is a really great way for me to process things...specifically my mission trip to the Philippines. =-)
I was reading back over my journal from the trip, and the last sentence I wrote before coming home (I believe I was on a plane from Seoul, South Korea to Atlanta, Georgia) was this, "I have this feeling of peace in me that I could leave everything behind and be completely happy."
It hit me while reading this again that this sentence just about sums up my trip. It shows you how little I care about the material things now.
Picking up the cross is a choice. Every single day we have to wake up and choose to follow Christ. But I promise you, sometimes it's when you leave it all behind you will truly see God move. There's nothing wrong with having material possessions, but as I've been learning, the more you have, the harder it is to leave behind at a moments notice. And what if God were to ask you to do that today? What if He spoke to you and challenged you to get up and walk away from it all? And that's just it. I've always heard it described as "giving up everything". It's not giving up anything really. Things of true value are the things in Heaven, so we are giving up our earthly things, but those were temporary anyway, right? We still have God. He might be calling you to put all of your trust in Him and just walk away. Could you do it? Some of us sit here and probably think, "gosh, I think I woud miss a few things quite a bit." In the Philippines we didn't have beds. We didn't have a couch, we had plastic chairs. We didn't have air conditioning. We didn't have cell phones. We had very limited internet access. And you know what? My life was honestly better without any of it. I barely even thought about not having a cell phone, and the times I did, I remember thinking to myself, "life is so much easier without it. All day I get to have face-to-face conversations with people. I get to focus on laying my hands on people and actually praying for them." And yes, at times I missed my family. But the reality of it was that I had a family right where I was. I lived the month in constant fellowship with other believers, I lived the month with the family that I will one day spend eternity with.
I remember the last night of our team being together. It was probably the night where it all came together. There was laughing...and there were tears. We had become so close, and we had been through a month of really tough spiritually and emotionally draining things. But I remember saying to all the girls on my team, "You know, this really isn't goodbye. If we don't see each other here, I'll see you in Heaven." That to me is the most amazing thing about our brothers and sisters in Christ. Goodbyes are never really goodbyes. Yea, it may feel like we have to wait so long. But compare the time we wait while being away from them, to the eternity we get to spend with them. It's like the blink of an eye.
Now going back to my previous thought. I'm not saying God has called me to walk away from everything. On the contrary, He's called me to right where I am....for the time being. It was the realization that I could walk away from it all that He was asking for. It was my commitment in saying, "God, at a moments notice. You speak. I act. I'd follow Your footsteps across the world if that's what You someday ask of me."
So would you? Would you walk away from everything you have in your life right now to follow God?
I was reading back over my journal from the trip, and the last sentence I wrote before coming home (I believe I was on a plane from Seoul, South Korea to Atlanta, Georgia) was this, "I have this feeling of peace in me that I could leave everything behind and be completely happy."
It hit me while reading this again that this sentence just about sums up my trip. It shows you how little I care about the material things now.
Picking up the cross is a choice. Every single day we have to wake up and choose to follow Christ. But I promise you, sometimes it's when you leave it all behind you will truly see God move. There's nothing wrong with having material possessions, but as I've been learning, the more you have, the harder it is to leave behind at a moments notice. And what if God were to ask you to do that today? What if He spoke to you and challenged you to get up and walk away from it all? And that's just it. I've always heard it described as "giving up everything". It's not giving up anything really. Things of true value are the things in Heaven, so we are giving up our earthly things, but those were temporary anyway, right? We still have God. He might be calling you to put all of your trust in Him and just walk away. Could you do it? Some of us sit here and probably think, "gosh, I think I woud miss a few things quite a bit." In the Philippines we didn't have beds. We didn't have a couch, we had plastic chairs. We didn't have air conditioning. We didn't have cell phones. We had very limited internet access. And you know what? My life was honestly better without any of it. I barely even thought about not having a cell phone, and the times I did, I remember thinking to myself, "life is so much easier without it. All day I get to have face-to-face conversations with people. I get to focus on laying my hands on people and actually praying for them." And yes, at times I missed my family. But the reality of it was that I had a family right where I was. I lived the month in constant fellowship with other believers, I lived the month with the family that I will one day spend eternity with.
I remember the last night of our team being together. It was probably the night where it all came together. There was laughing...and there were tears. We had become so close, and we had been through a month of really tough spiritually and emotionally draining things. But I remember saying to all the girls on my team, "You know, this really isn't goodbye. If we don't see each other here, I'll see you in Heaven." That to me is the most amazing thing about our brothers and sisters in Christ. Goodbyes are never really goodbyes. Yea, it may feel like we have to wait so long. But compare the time we wait while being away from them, to the eternity we get to spend with them. It's like the blink of an eye.
Now going back to my previous thought. I'm not saying God has called me to walk away from everything. On the contrary, He's called me to right where I am....for the time being. It was the realization that I could walk away from it all that He was asking for. It was my commitment in saying, "God, at a moments notice. You speak. I act. I'd follow Your footsteps across the world if that's what You someday ask of me."
So would you? Would you walk away from everything you have in your life right now to follow God?
Monday, August 9, 2010
Let's Be the Body and go Beyond our Boring Days
First off, here's some pictures from our trip! These are just a few of the hundreds of pictures I have, let me know if you would like to see more. Most of these are also posted on facebook! Enjoy! =)
Thinking back to June it scares me how much I really just did not understand the concept of being in God'presence...and desiring to be in His presence.
Our relationship with God is just that. A relationship, and a relationship goes both ways. Our relationship with God is not just something where we go to Him whenever we need something, or we have something we need to talk about. But because of the society we live in, that selfish outlook on life has translated over into our view of God and our relationship with Him. It's all about what we can get out of it. God made the ultimate sacrifice. He gave up His one and only Son. Why are we still concerned about what we can get, or what other blessings He can pour out on us? He already gave us the gift of eternal life. God has truly blessed me, but what if I was suffering? What if I was suffering like some of the people in Lorega living among the dead? What they taught me is that my definition of wealth is very skewed. My entire life I have measured wealth with material possessions. The Bible clearly says that's wrong. We are supposed to be storing up treasures in Heaven...not here on earth. Some of the people who I met in Lorega are the wealthiest I've ever met. They are keeping their eyes set on Heaven. If anyone knows what suffering is it's the people of Lorega, and yet I sat there with a group of women who were sharing about all the ways God had blessed them. Talk about a humbling experience.
I have come to a place where I look forward to spending time with my Creator. Think about it. The CREATOR of the entire universe desires for us to spend time with Him. To talk about all of our thoughts with Him. To ask Him what we should do. But we also have to just be quiet. To listen to His repsonse.
I have this mental image of God in Heaven sitting on His throne writing love letters and sending them to me. A lot of those letters are what make up the Bible, and the words I have read in its pages. But some of the love letters are gifts He has specifically given me throughout my entire life. And then I think about how when you write a love letter to someone, what do you want them to do?? Well, you either want them to write you one back, or better yet, you want them to perform some action that confirms it to you that they love you. I look back on all the love letters God has written me, and all of those I have failed to answer.
So why not starting answering God's love letters with the way we act? God wants us to live like Jesus. That's the ultimate love letter we can write to Him. Spending time talking with God (praying) and just sitting and marveling at the beautiful creation He has given us can all be part of writing a love letter back to God. Living in love, and doing everything for and out of love. Everyday. No exceptions. No excuses.
He not only loves us, but He is in love with us. For me there is a big difference between those statements. I have always loved God, but looking back, I don't think I was truly in love with Him. But after this trip I can tell with knowing it in my heart I am in love with the One who created me. The One who while in the Philippines and being surrounded by poverty, depression, trash, feces, prostitution, and molestation put His hands on my cheeks in the middle of all of this and opened my eyes to the beauty of around me. The most beautiful thing I saw in the Philippines was the people. And it's not a coincidence. Afterall, God cares more about souls than He does any other thing in the world. I remember at times looking around me while I was sometimes wondering where the good in all of this was and the Holy Spirit whispering to me, "Cora, look at the little girl's hand you're holding. Did you miss that beauty? And when she laughs, the feeling you have in your heart of love? That's a gift. And that flower you just passed by?? What was that, was it not God's gift to you also?"
Don't be fooled. The world will sometimes tell you you're alone in this. You're not alone. The world will tell you there is no hope. There is hope. The world will tell you that having material possessions is important. It's not. The world will push you to have a plan for the next 20 years so you won't "fail" in life. Don't give in. Especially in the United States we are told to have money is to be successful. To dress a certain way or act a certain way is to be considered beautiful. This world does not determine and define your beauty, God does. And God has already told us, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." He named us His own before we were even born. Pretty cool, right? I now live everyday excited for the next oppurtunity I get to open my Bible and read one of the love letters God has written to me.
In Luke 15:8-10 it says this, "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me, I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." That's how much He cares about one. One person. This verse is much a part of the reason I believe in the power of one. If God cares so much about one single individual, why don't we? It's like sometimes we pass people in need on the streets and wonder if we should help them and then think to ourselves, "I don't really have time, and after all, it's only one person." It's not only one person. Every single person is a beautiful creation of God! And one person can change everything. If people don't believe this, just look at Jesus. He became human (just one person) and not only changed the lives of everyone around him, but he changed the lives of everyone after him. He changed the lives of you and me. Don't tell me that the person on the side of the street doesn't matter because it's only one person. In Matthew 18:10-14 it says, "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 'What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost." It's comforting to know that on those days we feel lost and we have wandered away from the herd, God doesn't just let us go. He searches for us until He finds us.
I pray we would all learn to live in the beauty of this moment. We as the Body of Christ are not just called to live, but to HAVE life, and that life has been given to us by the blood shed on the cross. God didn't call us to have "boring" days.
I realize this post has quite a few jumbled thoughts and different points and topics, but I hope while reading it God spoke to you through some Bible verses or stories.
God Bless!
Cora
Thinking back to June it scares me how much I really just did not understand the concept of being in God'presence...and desiring to be in His presence.
Our relationship with God is just that. A relationship, and a relationship goes both ways. Our relationship with God is not just something where we go to Him whenever we need something, or we have something we need to talk about. But because of the society we live in, that selfish outlook on life has translated over into our view of God and our relationship with Him. It's all about what we can get out of it. God made the ultimate sacrifice. He gave up His one and only Son. Why are we still concerned about what we can get, or what other blessings He can pour out on us? He already gave us the gift of eternal life. God has truly blessed me, but what if I was suffering? What if I was suffering like some of the people in Lorega living among the dead? What they taught me is that my definition of wealth is very skewed. My entire life I have measured wealth with material possessions. The Bible clearly says that's wrong. We are supposed to be storing up treasures in Heaven...not here on earth. Some of the people who I met in Lorega are the wealthiest I've ever met. They are keeping their eyes set on Heaven. If anyone knows what suffering is it's the people of Lorega, and yet I sat there with a group of women who were sharing about all the ways God had blessed them. Talk about a humbling experience.
I have come to a place where I look forward to spending time with my Creator. Think about it. The CREATOR of the entire universe desires for us to spend time with Him. To talk about all of our thoughts with Him. To ask Him what we should do. But we also have to just be quiet. To listen to His repsonse.
I have this mental image of God in Heaven sitting on His throne writing love letters and sending them to me. A lot of those letters are what make up the Bible, and the words I have read in its pages. But some of the love letters are gifts He has specifically given me throughout my entire life. And then I think about how when you write a love letter to someone, what do you want them to do?? Well, you either want them to write you one back, or better yet, you want them to perform some action that confirms it to you that they love you. I look back on all the love letters God has written me, and all of those I have failed to answer.
So why not starting answering God's love letters with the way we act? God wants us to live like Jesus. That's the ultimate love letter we can write to Him. Spending time talking with God (praying) and just sitting and marveling at the beautiful creation He has given us can all be part of writing a love letter back to God. Living in love, and doing everything for and out of love. Everyday. No exceptions. No excuses.
He not only loves us, but He is in love with us. For me there is a big difference between those statements. I have always loved God, but looking back, I don't think I was truly in love with Him. But after this trip I can tell with knowing it in my heart I am in love with the One who created me. The One who while in the Philippines and being surrounded by poverty, depression, trash, feces, prostitution, and molestation put His hands on my cheeks in the middle of all of this and opened my eyes to the beauty of around me. The most beautiful thing I saw in the Philippines was the people. And it's not a coincidence. Afterall, God cares more about souls than He does any other thing in the world. I remember at times looking around me while I was sometimes wondering where the good in all of this was and the Holy Spirit whispering to me, "Cora, look at the little girl's hand you're holding. Did you miss that beauty? And when she laughs, the feeling you have in your heart of love? That's a gift. And that flower you just passed by?? What was that, was it not God's gift to you also?"
Don't be fooled. The world will sometimes tell you you're alone in this. You're not alone. The world will tell you there is no hope. There is hope. The world will tell you that having material possessions is important. It's not. The world will push you to have a plan for the next 20 years so you won't "fail" in life. Don't give in. Especially in the United States we are told to have money is to be successful. To dress a certain way or act a certain way is to be considered beautiful. This world does not determine and define your beauty, God does. And God has already told us, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." He named us His own before we were even born. Pretty cool, right? I now live everyday excited for the next oppurtunity I get to open my Bible and read one of the love letters God has written to me.
In Luke 15:8-10 it says this, "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me, I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." That's how much He cares about one. One person. This verse is much a part of the reason I believe in the power of one. If God cares so much about one single individual, why don't we? It's like sometimes we pass people in need on the streets and wonder if we should help them and then think to ourselves, "I don't really have time, and after all, it's only one person." It's not only one person. Every single person is a beautiful creation of God! And one person can change everything. If people don't believe this, just look at Jesus. He became human (just one person) and not only changed the lives of everyone around him, but he changed the lives of everyone after him. He changed the lives of you and me. Don't tell me that the person on the side of the street doesn't matter because it's only one person. In Matthew 18:10-14 it says, "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 'What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost." It's comforting to know that on those days we feel lost and we have wandered away from the herd, God doesn't just let us go. He searches for us until He finds us.
I pray we would all learn to live in the beauty of this moment. We as the Body of Christ are not just called to live, but to HAVE life, and that life has been given to us by the blood shed on the cross. God didn't call us to have "boring" days.
I realize this post has quite a few jumbled thoughts and different points and topics, but I hope while reading it God spoke to you through some Bible verses or stories.
God Bless!
Cora
Monday, August 2, 2010
Lee
I've been thinking about posting a general blog about our ministry in the Philippines but I've decided that instead it's time for a story about a lovable and tender-hearted little Filipino boy who will always have a place in my heart.
One of the communities we had the opportunity to minister to was called Riverside. It was the nicer of the three communities we spent time in, but still had struggles beyond what I've seen before. Most of our time at Riverside was playing with the kids up on the street above the "valley" where the houses were. We generally went at night, so the first time I met this little boy I couldn't even really see his face. I was playing with a group of boys and running after them throwing my arms up in the air and yelling as I ran towards them in an attempt to "scare" them. Anyway, there were a couple of boys who really loved this "new" game I had invented for them (hahahahaha) and one little boy had probably 30 rubber bands on his arm and he took off about ten of them and put them around my wrist. Ten or fifteen minu
tes later when I thought we had exhausted the game and I assumed I wouldn't be seeing much of them again, I was walking another girl home and I hear screaming coming from behind me. Well, I turn around to discover this little boy named Lee running towards me in the dark, screaming, and holding his hands up in the air. Can you guess what happened next? Yup, you guessed it! I picked him up. =) What else could I have done?? At this point I had given up on noticing how much I was sweating (keep in mind that even though it was night time it was still in the 80s with a humidity of about 150%.....)
After a couple seconds of carrying him it occurred to me I was carrying him away from all of his friends and the other kids his age. I asked him if he wanted to go back up and play with all the other kids or if he wanted to stay with me. He wanted to stay with me. I carried him through the streets and we ended up playing with a group of two week old puppies. It was a precious experience watching his curiosity as he stuck his hand out to pet and welcome the new creatures to the earth. I carried him out of Riverside and at this point I was almost unwilling to let go of him.... this little boy Lee already had a hold on my heart.
Well, I had to put him down in order for him to watch the movie and for my team to perform the drime we had prepared and we also sang a song. While we were singing the song I looked over to my left and saw Lee. I also saw another boy who was trying to take Lee's toy from him and was pushing him around. You know how little boys get down in the crunched position and start shaking a little as the tears well up in their eyes because they are trying so hard not to break down? Well, that's exactly what was happening. As soon as the song
ended I asked one of my teammates to hold my water bottle and I went straight to Lee. As soon as I reached him and he saw me I decided it was my turn to return the favor. I put my arms out and within seconds I was back to the comfortable position of holding him close to my side.
After a couple of minutes of holding him I sat down with him on the ground and he sat on my lap. At one point I looked down and he had his hands folded together. I took off one of the rubber bands the other boy had given me earlier, and Lee lifted his little arm up in the air and I slid the rubber band around his wrist.
The next night was our final time at Riverside and I was looking forward to seeing Lee, but dreading the goodbye all the same. Now, I should tell you Lee has an identical twin named Earl who I hadn't had the chance to meet the night before. I couldn't tell if the boy I was seeing was Lee or Earl, but then 10 minutes after we had arrived I felt a tap on my back and I turn around and this little boy tries to hide from me. I grabbed him and picked him up and said, "Are you Lee?!?!" and he responded with, "Yes!" After that I asked him if he remembered me from the previous night, and he did. I spent the next 15 minutes playing with him and holding him close to my side. But then it was time. It was time to say that hard goodbye, to put down Lee who in just two short nights I had connected with so well. I looked at him and said, "Gihigugma ko ikaw" (which in Cebuano means 'I love you') he looked into my eyes and smiled. I then said, "Does that mean you love me too?" and he looked at me again and let out a little laugh and said, "Yes!"
I tell you this story beca
use with my two previous stories I tell about how God placed kids in my life to break my heart. And break it did. But the most amazing part about my trip to the Philippines was realizing that while God will place children in my life to make me think about the reality of the sometimes harshness of this world, and He will place them there to break my heart for what breaks His; He will also give me a little boy like Lee who when he smiles at me it becomes clear to me God is using a 5 year old little boy to help put some of the broken pieces of my he
art back together.
After being home for about two weeks I have had a pretty good chance to process my trip. The best part of re-entry for me has been sitting down with people and telling them all the stories God has given me. Anyone who supported me in prayer and finances is as much a part of my mission in the Philippines as I am. He chose me to go, but He chose all of you to support me. And it was through your faithfulness that I was able to do the ministry God called me to. And it was your prayers that kept our team safe, and opened up the hearts of the Filipino people to hear the Gospel. For all of those who I haven't had the chance to really talk with yet, I tell you in all honesty that I am sitting here thinking about it and I can't wait! I want to thank all of you who have had grace with me and have had patience in my sharing of stories. I just want you to know how much I want to (and will) tell you all the stories you would like to hear!
God Bless!
Cora
One of the communities we had the opportunity to minister to was called Riverside. It was the nicer of the three communities we spent time in, but still had struggles beyond what I've seen before. Most of our time at Riverside was playing with the kids up on the street above the "valley" where the houses were. We generally went at night, so the first time I met this little boy I couldn't even really see his face. I was playing with a group of boys and running after them throwing my arms up in the air and yelling as I ran towards them in an attempt to "scare" them. Anyway, there were a couple of boys who really loved this "new" game I had invented for them (hahahahaha) and one little boy had probably 30 rubber bands on his arm and he took off about ten of them and put them around my wrist. Ten or fifteen minu
tes later when I thought we had exhausted the game and I assumed I wouldn't be seeing much of them again, I was walking another girl home and I hear screaming coming from behind me. Well, I turn around to discover this little boy named Lee running towards me in the dark, screaming, and holding his hands up in the air. Can you guess what happened next? Yup, you guessed it! I picked him up. =) What else could I have done?? At this point I had given up on noticing how much I was sweating (keep in mind that even though it was night time it was still in the 80s with a humidity of about 150%.....)After a couple seconds of carrying him it occurred to me I was carrying him away from all of his friends and the other kids his age. I asked him if he wanted to go back up and play with all the other kids or if he wanted to stay with me. He wanted to stay with me. I carried him through the streets and we ended up playing with a group of two week old puppies. It was a precious experience watching his curiosity as he stuck his hand out to pet and welcome the new creatures to the earth. I carried him out of Riverside and at this point I was almost unwilling to let go of him.... this little boy Lee already had a hold on my heart.
Well, I had to put him down in order for him to watch the movie and for my team to perform the drime we had prepared and we also sang a song. While we were singing the song I looked over to my left and saw Lee. I also saw another boy who was trying to take Lee's toy from him and was pushing him around. You know how little boys get down in the crunched position and start shaking a little as the tears well up in their eyes because they are trying so hard not to break down? Well, that's exactly what was happening. As soon as the song
ended I asked one of my teammates to hold my water bottle and I went straight to Lee. As soon as I reached him and he saw me I decided it was my turn to return the favor. I put my arms out and within seconds I was back to the comfortable position of holding him close to my side.After a couple of minutes of holding him I sat down with him on the ground and he sat on my lap. At one point I looked down and he had his hands folded together. I took off one of the rubber bands the other boy had given me earlier, and Lee lifted his little arm up in the air and I slid the rubber band around his wrist.
The next night was our final time at Riverside and I was looking forward to seeing Lee, but dreading the goodbye all the same. Now, I should tell you Lee has an identical twin named Earl who I hadn't had the chance to meet the night before. I couldn't tell if the boy I was seeing was Lee or Earl, but then 10 minutes after we had arrived I felt a tap on my back and I turn around and this little boy tries to hide from me. I grabbed him and picked him up and said, "Are you Lee?!?!" and he responded with, "Yes!" After that I asked him if he remembered me from the previous night, and he did. I spent the next 15 minutes playing with him and holding him close to my side. But then it was time. It was time to say that hard goodbye, to put down Lee who in just two short nights I had connected with so well. I looked at him and said, "Gihigugma ko ikaw" (which in Cebuano means 'I love you') he looked into my eyes and smiled. I then said, "Does that mean you love me too?" and he looked at me again and let out a little laugh and said, "Yes!"
I tell you this story beca
use with my two previous stories I tell about how God placed kids in my life to break my heart. And break it did. But the most amazing part about my trip to the Philippines was realizing that while God will place children in my life to make me think about the reality of the sometimes harshness of this world, and He will place them there to break my heart for what breaks His; He will also give me a little boy like Lee who when he smiles at me it becomes clear to me God is using a 5 year old little boy to help put some of the broken pieces of my he
art back together.After being home for about two weeks I have had a pretty good chance to process my trip. The best part of re-entry for me has been sitting down with people and telling them all the stories God has given me. Anyone who supported me in prayer and finances is as much a part of my mission in the Philippines as I am. He chose me to go, but He chose all of you to support me. And it was through your faithfulness that I was able to do the ministry God called me to. And it was your prayers that kept our team safe, and opened up the hearts of the Filipino people to hear the Gospel. For all of those who I haven't had the chance to really talk with yet, I tell you in all honesty that I am sitting here thinking about it and I can't wait! I want to thank all of you who have had grace with me and have had patience in my sharing of stories. I just want you to know how much I want to (and will) tell you all the stories you would like to hear!
God Bless!
Cora
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