We found our Distant Islands!

221 days after leaving South Africa, visiting almost 10 different island nations, we found the rural islands we thought this whole year's journeys would be like!  Welcome to the Philippines!

 

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Since this was my second visit to the Philippines with Global Challenge (and it was my favourite country in 2011), I had extremely high expectations!  To be honest, I was actually anxious of our 3 weeks of ministry there, because what if it's not as amazing as last year?  What if we don't raise the funds needed for our project in Olango?  What if we can't live up to the expectations the Philippines church has for us?

 

So before we even entered the Philippines, I had a battle to fight.  Turns out, it wasn't my battle to fight, I just had to surrender it all to Christ!  You see, in surrendering, we need to repent.  I had to repent of my fear of man.  I had to repent of comparing our team with last year's team.  We aren't the same, God has different plans and with that I'm not giving up on the fight.  But maybe I am.

Isn't that what surrender is?

Giving up.  And "allowing" the other side to win.

But the thing is, I'm not surrendering to the other side and my fight for excelence is given up and I settle for less.

That's not it.  That's not what happens.

I surrender to Christ!

And Christ wins!

Don't fight against Him.

Thank You, Lord, that in surrendering, I walk over to You and fight on Your side, not against You!

 

Now sitting on Kuala Lumpur's airport, waiting for our flight to Sri Lanka and looking back, the Philippines was even more amazing than last year!  It helps to fight on the right side!  But let me tell you a bit more about what we did...

 

Gerrie's dad, oom Gerrie came to visit us for about 10 days.  We had many teaching with him and many opportunities to minister to and pray for and with the people of the church in Lapu-Lapu city and Olango island.  It encouraged the church so much and it was very encouraging for me to see them walking in it and applying what they have learned.  It was such a blessing to have him here!  Thank you oom Gerrie!

   

In the afternoons we walked around in the communities, prayed for the sick, chatted with families and played with many kids!

   

Doing dramas and feeding the kids.

  

In Lapu-Lapu city we had our first crusade.  During a crusade, you invite the whole community, sing songs, do a drama, give a testimony, preach the gospel and pray for people who want to give their lives to Christ or needs healing.  It was a great experience!  Many of the door to door visits that we did with the church was to follow-up on people who were reached through crusades.

 

After Lapu-Lapu city we took a small boat to Olango island, a very rural island, with no cars, only motorbikes with a side car attached to it!

    

Here we dug holes in the coral rock.  It was very hard work, our hands had many blisters!

  

Last year we also dug holes, for a week that's all we did.  From 05:00-13:00.  Digging the foundation.  So it was really cool to go back and see the growth there has been (since it used to look like the moon, with only rocks and now there are many plants) and that a lot has already been built.

  

The afternoons we went door to door again, creating an opportunity for the locals from the church to share with the locals from the community, since they are very curious about the white people that are visiting their tiny island.

   

We had a crusade one evening as well.

  

The next stop was Iloilo, 13 hours on a ferry away from Cebu.  We were invited to a men's meeting in the country side.

  

We shared with the kids and the youth from the church in Iloilo city.

  

Arthur preached the Sunday morning and we prayed for pretty much every person in the church!

 

Our last island to visit was Camotes island.  So incredibly beautiful!  The most coconut trees I've ever seen in my life!

 

We visited the communities again, inviting people to our crusades.

   

We had 2 evenings to do crusades in Camotes!

  

Before flying out of the Philippines, we had one day in the capital city, Manila.  We had to privilege to go out with the church to visit many families, doing a census of the family situations of the kids who go to the church.  Many of them live in immense poverty, so it was really an eye opener for us.

  

The Philippines was really amazing this year again, even better than last year!  I never thought that would be possible.  Thank you Lord!  And we were able to visit new islands, where Global hasn't been to yet.  Expanding the kingdom of God!  What a privilege!

 

My prayer for everyone reading this is that you'll press into the presence of God.  If you don't know Him yet, that you will find Him, because God doesn't want anyone to be lost, but for all to come to repentance!  (2 Pet 3:9)  He loves us too much to leave us where He found us!  No, it's not always easy following Christ, but it's always worth it!  May you constantly seek and press into God's presence!  And know that, God wants to restore relationships, will you allow Him?