Faithful, Faithful, Faithful

I would love to share an awesome God-moment with you all. :)

Being a new teacher can be a struggle. There is so much knowledge that comes with experience, and I often feel the effects of lacking said knowledge. A couple of weeks ago, one of these areas was my reading groups. This probably sounds silly, but a huge portion of Kindergarten is dedicated to reading and writing. I was feeling super lost on how to conduct my small groups in class and how to help my kids learn these life-skills best. I wasn't confident in what I was doing, and this uncertainty would just throw off the rest of my day.

One night I was on the internet, trying to find ideas and talking to my roommate about how I was having a hard time. As I'm talking to her about this, a friend named Rebecca, who I met at training back in the States, messaged me and asked how things were going.  Rebecca is also teaching overseas and was in Mali, Africa at the time. She reminded me that she had taught Kindergarten for 7 years and encouraged me to ask her for help on anything. I told her about my dilemma, and she ended up emailing me lots of pictures and ideas on things that she did with her kids. I felt incredibly blessed and I was so thankful for her help!

Well, a couple of weeks have gone by. I have been implementing Rebecca's ideas and our reading groups have been going great. But my favorite part of this story comes from 2 nights ago, when she emailed me to share her side of the story...

"You are welcome. I am glad that the ideas helped. Yes, it was totally God! That day...I was feeling a little low...(transitoning to the new culture, missing home,not working yet, bored, other missionaries were busy, I was on my own with not much to do, etc). I prayed that God would allow me to help someone and make an impact/difference that day. I asked Him to show me my purpose for that day. About 30 mins later I saw you were on FB and I felt God telling me to talk to you on FB. After I got done talking with you on FB, I realized that God was using me to help you. I was so thankful after that. It helped me to feel that I had a purpose that day. So, it was as much of a blessing for me as it was for you! That is how awesome our God is!!!!"

I just love the way our God works. I knew that I had been blessed, but I never would have guessed that there was a whole other side to this story where the Lord was proving His faithfulness. God is constantly working, and I pray that you see His faithfulness... even in the little things. :)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Market Day!

My roommate, Kelsie, and I have been eager to learn more about the Filipino lifestyle and culture. So far we had only gone to grocery stores for food shopping each week, but had heard about the busy markets that many Filipinos frequent. We knew that our Ate, Nimfa, went each week and so we asked if we could tag along on a Saturday morning. She was excited that we wanted to join her!

One thing that we hadn't experienced yet was the public transportation of Manila. We took 4 jeepney rides total on our trip. The jeepney is lined with a bench on both sides where people sit closely together. You pay by passing money up to the driver (about 20 cents a ride). To get off, you either pull on a little cord or give two hard knocks on the roof. We had fun jumping on the jeepneys, and the other passengers found it interesting to see white girls as fellow passengers. :)

Nimfa leading us to the 2nd jeepney

Kelsie, Jacque and I enjoying the ride

Once we arrived, we went to a part of the market that sold clothes ranging in price from less than $1 to $5. It was fun to look at all they had! Some things were very similar to what you would see in America while other things were very Filipino. After venturing this market, we headed to the wet market, where meat, fruit, and veggies were sold. It was extremely crowded and had a strong, distinct smell. Nimfa told us that you don't see a lot of white people at the wet market and this resulted in a lot of stares from the nationals.

Jacque, Kelsie and I at the clothing market

Fruit sales

The meat at the wet market was extremely fresh. We would see freshly killed chickens being brought in, the butchering table, and then the vast assortment of chicken parts to buy. This was also true with the pigs. When the Filipinos noticed us taking pictures, they were eager to have us turn our camera their way and snap a picture of them with their merchandise. :) After browsing the chicken, pork, and fish sections, we moved on to the veggies and fruit. We entered an area with a very muddy floor that you couldn't help sliding in. Their was a stench in this area as well, and that was when I got to the point of being ready to head home. :)

Poor Wilbur!

A butcher posing with his pig head

All types of vegetables and spices

Kelsie and the pasta selection

I am so thankful for the morning I had with Kelsie, our friend Jacque, and Ate Nimfa. It was a fun adventure and I enjoyed being immersed in the Filipino culture. The Lord has blessed me with a lot of joy and happiness throughout the past few weeks and each day I feel so thankful to be serving Him here in the Philippines. Thank you for your continued prayers and for being a part of this ministry!

And this gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14

Special People

Life in the Philippines has started to slow down a little and a routine is being established. I am so grateful for this!

In my Kindergarten class, my students and I have been learning about God's creation. The past couple of weeks put the focus on how God has made each of us special. My student's parents wrote letters to their children about what made them special and why they were loved, and yesterday I had the privilege of surprising my kiddos and reading them their letters. It was so fun to see my boys blush and hide their faces and my girls giggle and get embarrassed with their parents' compliments. :)

Another person who really benefited from this was myself. I have truly enjoyed getting to know my 13 little ones in the classroom. They are each different... different personalities, different struggles, different strengths, different hearts. The letters reminded me that each of these children are so precious and so loved by the ones who pick them up from school each day.

I gained a new appreciation for my kids and the role I get to play in their lives. I also gained a new respect for the parents who love them so much and raise them in Christ-centered homes. It was fun to hear about my students from the people who know them best!

So here we are, finishing up our 6th week of school with so much of the year still to come. I can't wait to see the ways the Lord is going to use these special 5 and 6 year olds to further his Kingdom! Praise the Lord, for he is good.