#ParagraphsThatMakeYouWantToReadABlog…?
à A large part of this blog is obligatory. It’s the last month I have
to write. I honestly can’t write with full candidness-ity-tion of this
month for me, but I’ll put what I can. But don’t get me wrong. It’s
not like blog-able or blog worthy things didn’t happen. In fact, it’s
only because I think so highly of people this month that to not talk a
little about them would be quasi-garbage, that I’m writing… errr typing…
this. If they’d been an ounce less awesome your eyes would be spared.
All that to say… if you’re looking for “one of my finer writings” scroll to a different blog, but if you actually wanna know a little about the Philippines… stand by…
*waits for the poser blog readers to dip out*
Our contacts are wonderful and the ministry fabulous.
The Philippines is just one of those places that, if you’ve been to it, that you can’t help but love, unless you suck. (maybe that’s unfair to people who don’t suck, but have no sense of appreciation for awesome things in Indian/Pacific Oceans, but it is what it is)
We rolled into Kid’s International Ministries (KIM), in the wee hours of the Manila morning to set up camp in our 4 day home. The majority of my time wasn’t spent there, but it’s totally a place I could see myself in the future. These folks have it together and you should probably jump at any chance you get to work alongside them for the kingdom (shameless plug complete).
The Saturday after our arrival 3 of our teams boarded a plane and headed south to the island of Mindinao. 1 team stayed in the city we flew into, but the two of us were whisked off to Mt. Moriah Camp, and the city of Malaybalay to meet our new family made up of a ton of Filipinos, a few South Africans, and a few Americans.
The Filipinos
Seriously… where do I begin? We were so well served, honored, and loved …from Donald to Oprine (or is it ofrine, or oprina, or ofrina???) , to pastor Larry and his wife (whose name I can spell about as well as Oprine, but it’s pronounced buh-lin), to Glenn and Grace, to Jojo and PR. All of these people are leading and serving so well and made us feel right at home. Then there’s all the college students and leaders… Dax, JR, Rose, Kennel, heck I don’t even know why I’m trying to list them there are so many, and they are all so awesome that it makes my heart warm to think about them (or maybe that’s just my body heat, but still…) Oh and that doesn’t even count the children’s home kids, staff, drivers, and so on.
The Philippines is RICH! An abundance of some of the greatest people on earth call Malaybalay home and I’m truly blessed to know them.
The folks who are from South Africa and such
There’s Gcccccccerard (only because he loves it pronounced wrong)… or as he would say “G, just G, nothing else because you’ll only say it wrong.” There’s Janno (pronounce ya- nu) and shan (pronounced sh-an, without the hyphen). They’re pretty great folks and have all stepped out on their own journeys to be discipled, to disciple, and to grow in and serve the Lord thru serving others. That journey brought them individually here at the same time, but God has such big and mighty plans for each one.
The Americans
Mark and Ellie had every reason not to leave America. They were in their 50s. They had a home. They had a family. He had a great job. They had a wonderful church. Then God busted it all open and brought their hearts to this place on the other side of the world that they now call home. Thru some heartbreak, but ultimately obedience they have been brought to such joy by being able to serve and love the children of the children’s home at Mt. Moriah, who so desperately need love.
Then there’s William and Tara Miller (former racers)… Bill (he never goes by that) is a man after my own heart (even up to his love for SEC football, just a slight tweak in the team selection and we’d be dead on, but at least it’s not Florida, Tennessee, or Auburn). He also happens to be one of only a handful of men that I’ve ever met who can rock a pony tail without looking like a tool. And Tara? No big deal, she went on the race, fell off/thru a roof into a space barely big enough to be her coffin. It wasn’t. She went on the race again, and became this little 4ft 3 inch spirit filled fireball. They were wed and now spend their life empowering the young people of the Philippines. I feel like with these two I’ve got people I can gel and relate with as long as we keep changing oxygen into carbon dioxide… Lord Willin’.
So there…
I’ve given you a little bit about so many people that I could have written full blogs about individually. I hope that one day you could get to know them too and write your own blog about it. But until then congratulations for finishing one of the worst blogs I’ve ever written dedicated to some of the best people I’ve ever met.
Seems kinda backward… no pun intended.
All that to say… if you’re looking for “one of my finer writings” scroll to a different blog, but if you actually wanna know a little about the Philippines… stand by…
*waits for the poser blog readers to dip out*
Our contacts are wonderful and the ministry fabulous.
The Philippines is just one of those places that, if you’ve been to it, that you can’t help but love, unless you suck. (maybe that’s unfair to people who don’t suck, but have no sense of appreciation for awesome things in Indian/Pacific Oceans, but it is what it is)
We rolled into Kid’s International Ministries (KIM), in the wee hours of the Manila morning to set up camp in our 4 day home. The majority of my time wasn’t spent there, but it’s totally a place I could see myself in the future. These folks have it together and you should probably jump at any chance you get to work alongside them for the kingdom (shameless plug complete).
The Saturday after our arrival 3 of our teams boarded a plane and headed south to the island of Mindinao. 1 team stayed in the city we flew into, but the two of us were whisked off to Mt. Moriah Camp, and the city of Malaybalay to meet our new family made up of a ton of Filipinos, a few South Africans, and a few Americans.
The Filipinos
Seriously… where do I begin? We were so well served, honored, and loved …from Donald to Oprine (or is it ofrine, or oprina, or ofrina???) , to pastor Larry and his wife (whose name I can spell about as well as Oprine, but it’s pronounced buh-lin), to Glenn and Grace, to Jojo and PR. All of these people are leading and serving so well and made us feel right at home. Then there’s all the college students and leaders… Dax, JR, Rose, Kennel, heck I don’t even know why I’m trying to list them there are so many, and they are all so awesome that it makes my heart warm to think about them (or maybe that’s just my body heat, but still…) Oh and that doesn’t even count the children’s home kids, staff, drivers, and so on.
The Philippines is RICH! An abundance of some of the greatest people on earth call Malaybalay home and I’m truly blessed to know them.
The folks who are from South Africa and such
There’s Gcccccccerard (only because he loves it pronounced wrong)… or as he would say “G, just G, nothing else because you’ll only say it wrong.” There’s Janno (pronounce ya- nu) and shan (pronounced sh-an, without the hyphen). They’re pretty great folks and have all stepped out on their own journeys to be discipled, to disciple, and to grow in and serve the Lord thru serving others. That journey brought them individually here at the same time, but God has such big and mighty plans for each one.
The Americans
Mark and Ellie had every reason not to leave America. They were in their 50s. They had a home. They had a family. He had a great job. They had a wonderful church. Then God busted it all open and brought their hearts to this place on the other side of the world that they now call home. Thru some heartbreak, but ultimately obedience they have been brought to such joy by being able to serve and love the children of the children’s home at Mt. Moriah, who so desperately need love.
Then there’s William and Tara Miller (former racers)… Bill (he never goes by that) is a man after my own heart (even up to his love for SEC football, just a slight tweak in the team selection and we’d be dead on, but at least it’s not Florida, Tennessee, or Auburn). He also happens to be one of only a handful of men that I’ve ever met who can rock a pony tail without looking like a tool. And Tara? No big deal, she went on the race, fell off/thru a roof into a space barely big enough to be her coffin. It wasn’t. She went on the race again, and became this little 4ft 3 inch spirit filled fireball. They were wed and now spend their life empowering the young people of the Philippines. I feel like with these two I’ve got people I can gel and relate with as long as we keep changing oxygen into carbon dioxide… Lord Willin’.
So there…
I’ve given you a little bit about so many people that I could have written full blogs about individually. I hope that one day you could get to know them too and write your own blog about it. But until then congratulations for finishing one of the worst blogs I’ve ever written dedicated to some of the best people I’ve ever met.
Seems kinda backward… no pun intended.
