God and His Sense of Humor :)

God had a fun plan up his sleeve for me this past Saturday...

The day included a few unfortunate events. I spent the day up at school but had forgotten my phone at home. My roommate Angela and I were planning to hit the weight room but forgot a key and it was locked. We went to go find the "key man", who was gone, but ended up having a lovely chat with his wife and daughter. We then headed home (about a 10 minute drive).

Manila is full of speed bumps and guard houses for each subdivision. As we were heading out of our school's subdivision, I prepared to slow down as we approached said guard house and speed bump. I have learned to drive manual since being here, and was incredibly surprised to not be able to find my clutch with my left foot. It was completely floored and out of commission. My car jerked to an uncomfortable stop as it stalled. I panicked, as we were in the middle of a busy road and a large truck was approaching behind me. Usually, I could call my mechanic, Nick, and he would rush over to save the day... but like I said earlier, I had forgotten my phone! About 10 seconds after we stalled, two guys on a motorcycle knocked on my window. I asked Angela if she knew them (which she didn't) and started to roll down my window with caution. The driver took off his helmet and I was shocked to see Nick! He asked what was wrong, proceeded to push my car out of the way, and figured out the problem in minutes. He's great and was able to take my car right then and there while Angela and I walked home. 

Basically, it was a day of unscheduled events that the Lord totally had His hand on. We laughed about all of the little things that happened in order for us to stall out in the right place at exactly the right time. God is so good, and so in control. I hope this little story can encourage you and provide a chuckle. :)

The hero, Nick, and myself.

Civ (my car) and the intersection we broke down at.

He Has Made Me Glad!

So, the Lord has put it on my heart to share the things I love about where He has me right now. Since returning to Manila, I have had this supernatural feeling of contentment and joy in the ways I currently get to serve our King. There have been so many days where I think "Wow, I can't believe I get to serve God here in the Philippines!" No, every day hasn't been easy or perfect, but that hasn't taken away from the fact that God's ways are perfect and just. Here are the current joys that have been replaying in my mind:

1. Filipinos are some of the kindest, content, hard-working, and joyful people that I have met. They are truly happy and eager to serve you. I continue to learn from them in this way.

2. I get to live in a culture so different than home. This provides a lot of laughs, some frustration at times, and tons of learning.

3. I have seen God working in different parts of the world. It's incredible how God meets his people and draws us to himself. The ministries that I can get involved with here seem so worthwhile and bring glory to our King!

4. I get to work with an amazing staff at Faith Academy. Different families and friends have been such good examples to me in hospitality, humility, and servanthood. It's encouraging to work beside people that are striving for the Kingdom to come.

5. I have the pleasure of living off of support from loved ones back home. This was quite the process and I learned lesson upon lesson within support raising alone. But it has given me a new perspective on the money I "earn." It is easier for me to see it as a gift from the Lord, which has helped me become more joyful in my own giving of God's resources. He alone provides!

6. I have a job that allows me to depend on the Lord. I get to love on God's children for about 8 hours a day and learn from them. There are the beautiful days that I think "Man, I have the absolute best job in the world!" and then the equally beautiful days where I end with thinking "Man, I don't think I can do this for the rest of my life." The truth is, I CAN'T do this job alone. I am still learning to depend on God daily with teaching; it is a lesson I am so happy to learn!

Well, there is my list for now. I am praying that my heart will always seek God's perfection in the place he has me. I also pray that God will show you how blessed you are to be in the perfect place he has you today and tomorrow! What an honor it is to serve our Creator. :)

Two Days Down in Grade Two!

Well... this week was pretty crazy with changes and working at school. Due to some enrollment changes, I was moved to 2nd grade instead of Kindergarten 3 days before school started! It was crazy getting everything ready, but our incredible elementary staff was helpful and encouraging through the process. The Lord blessed me with a lot of peace, and I am excited that I get to depend on him with teaching a new grade again.

We have now had 2 days of school and I can already tell I am going to love 2nd grade. I love that my students can already read and write :) and our class has a lot of personality! I am thankful that I will get to know them and love them this year. It has felt great to be teaching again, and I keep learning that God has blessed my heart with a passion for the classroom.

Please pray for me! I truly need the Lord's guidance and strong hand as I figure out a new curriculum and age group. Please also pray for my friend/roommate Kelsie and I, as we learn to teach the same grade together, balancing school life with home. Praise the Lord for the plans he has for this year! His ways are so much higher than ours.

Here's a look at my cuties! (you will notice a blurry face due to media restrictions)
Pray for: Annette, Jungwoo, Minjae, Lucie, Bekah, Luka, Josiah, Sara, Ava, Paul, Emma, Meeram, Tyler, Daniel, and Hyunyoung :)

Round Two

Hello from LAX! I am currently on a 7 hour layover en route to Manila and decided to do a little updating.

I was just blessed with 6 incredible weeks of being back in Kansas. The Lord and I both knew that I was exhausted and ready to be home for awhile once school was out in May. I am so thankful I was able to travel back! There is something so comforting about being surrounded by family and old friends, my home church and the culture I'm most used to.

My first week back I was able to be the missionary for the VBS at my home church. I loved sharing information about the Philippines with the kids and we were able to pray for different people groups around the world. It was a fun week!

I was also able to travel to Boston with my family for a few days and spend the 4th of July with lots of family in Wamego and at the lake. It has been so good to see all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents!

I loved getting to catch up with so many friends, meeting new baby Landrie, reliving old traditions, living with the Isaacs, and feeling rested by extra time with the Lord. He truly used these weeks to teach me, guide me, correct me, and provide healing. What an amazing Father we have!

I am so very thankful for this time I had at home and I look forward to returning next summer. I don't think I will ever enjoy goodbyes, but this past week seemed much easier than last year since I pretty much know what to expect when I get to the other side of the ocean. I am so excited to see my friends in the Philippines, hug my past students, and get ready for a new year of teaching! This year will be quite different with new staff, new roommates, and new goals. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store. :)

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement this summer! I am leaving the States with a very full heart. Love you guys!

Seeking Guidance

As I mentioned in my last post, I have become interested in pursuing a more direct role within the Bible translation process. Here has been my journey so far...

While I went through Wycliffe's training last summer I was able to hear from many different translators about the projects they have worked on and the faithfulness the Lord showed them. I LOVED these stories and felt so energized by each of them. Once I moved to the Philippines, I was able to read a couple of books ("And the Word Came With Power" and "Peace Child" specifically) about pioneer missions and translation and the power of the Word of God. Thirdly, I was able to attend a Bible translation dedication this past October, celebrating the Scriptures being in the heart language of the people of Bolinao, Philippines. All of these experiences combined got me daydreaming about translation and the groups of people that could be impacted by God's Truth. I remember a moment when I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life.

I have learned that training to be a translator takes years. With this knowledge I decided to look into what it would take. I found a few programs that I could pursue and was overwhelmed with the excitement of it all! I couldn't believe that this was something God might be calling me to!

About a week later, my mind was flooded with doubt. Do I really think I can translate the Bible? Has God truly gifted me for translation? I've never been great at learning languages and my one linguistics class was hard for me in college. Why did God have me study education if I'm supposed to be a translator? I had so many questions! I believed that God could work through me in translation, but I wanted to be sure that this is the direction he was guiding me in and not just a crazy dream I had.

These doubts were discouraging to me and I felt like the guidance I was feeling from the Lord vanished. Thankfully, God promises that he will guide us all the days of our lives. He has been challenging me to spend extra time in prayer asking for this guidance. This past Tuesday night I was drawn to my knees before the Lord and asked him to guide me to someone who could help me with my questions.

On Wednesday I was testing my kiddos on their reading levels which required me to have a sub in my classroom. That morning I received a text from my friend, Becca, saying that there was a girl named Janel visiting the school who had taught there in the past, left and got her masters in linguistics, and is now in Indonesia as a translator. She suggested that we meet up that afternoon to chat. Luckily, I finished my testing that morning and just so happened to have the afternoon free. (That would have been a different story any other Wednesday!)

We met up after lunch and had such a fun conversation! Janel was so honest with me and I was able to ask her all of the questions that have been flooding my mind. Our stories are very similar, and she was able to relate to the way I have been feeling. She explained various roles in the translation process, including a few that involve TEACHING nationals about the Scriptures as they take the front lines in translating the Bible into their language. She assured me that grad school was hard work, but some of my fears played a very small part in schooling as a whole. I was left encouraged by her ministry, and it was so good for me to talk to someone that was passionate about God's work through translation again. (Also... she was just on a layover and felt prompted to stop by the school. I consider our conversation a divine appointment!)

I have a new energy for Bible translation and the ways God could use me. I will be visiting Biola University in LA on my way home in a few weeks to talk about their linguistics program. Another option is in Dallas. Please pray with me as I continue to seek guidance, following the Lord with each step I take. Thank you for journeying with me!

"Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

teach me your paths. 

Lead me in your truth and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all the day long."

Psalm 25:4-5

The Last 3 Months in a Nutshell...

Blogging has not been going at all as planned this semester. In this post, I will attempt to catch everyone up on what God has been doing in my life and in this ministry over the past few months.

1. Christmas break included 3 weeks of adventures, homesickness, and new experiences. I was able to go on a couple of trips around the Philippines with my friends. First, 3 of my girlfriends and I headed up north to enjoy some cool weather and relaxation. After Christmas a group of us headed up north again to Sagada. This was an intense trip of caving, hiking, and marveling at the Lord's creation.

As Christmas day approached, homesickness became a little overwhelming. God's name Emmanuel had a new meaning to me... He provided so much comfort in letting me know that He was with me even when my family couldn't be. In the end, Christmas day was filled with friends and families from the Faith Academy community. The Lord provided, and it was a great day of celebrating Jesus' birth.

Kelsie, Jacque, Melissa and I in Bagio.

We were so excited to wear jeans and use blankets! :)

Christmas Eve with the roomies!

Getting ready for an epic caving experience in Sagada.

We couldn't believe some of the holes we had to go through!

Kels and I loved staying in this little hut. :)

2. Basketball season has come to a close. Coaching was a great experience for me. I loved getting to know some of the high school girls and I learned from their faith and genuine hearts. :)

Our JV team of freshmen and sophomores. :)

3. My Kindergarten class grew to 15 in January. These 3 new little bodies came with adjustments and new challenges for me with our classroom dynamic changing. I love what Bella, Richie, and Pepijn bring to our classroom family and I'm so thankful God chose to bless me with them and my 12 other students. I have been able to watch their hearts grow for the nations and each other. I can get so touched by their questions about the Lord and their desires to serve him here in the Philippines and around the world. God is incredible! He is working in them and it's an honor to get to watch.

Celebrating the 100th day of school!

My kiddos representing their home countries for International Week.

4. I found out that I will be teaching 4th grade next year! I am excited for a new challenge, but also nervous about all of the change. Fourth graders and kindergarteners are extremely different. :)

5. My parents came to visit! It was a blessed 2 weeks. It meant the world to me to be able to share my life in the Philippines with people from home. They had so much fun with my kids, and we packed in quite a bit of sight-seeing and other Manila experiences.

Exploring Corregidor Island.

Mrs. Wilbur, Miss Wilbur, and Mr. Wilbur with the Kinders. :)

6. Throughout this year, God has been teaching me about Bible translation and His heart for different tribal groups. I have been able to hear some incredible stories through joining Wycliffe, meeting different missionaries, and reading some amazing stories about the way Bible translation can change lives and communities for eternity. With all of this, I have been praying about becoming a Bible translator. On my way home this summer I will be making a pit stop at Biola University in Las Angeles to learn more about their MA in Linguistics and Biblical Languages. This degree would equip me to translate for an unreached people group somewhere in the world. Direction is exciting and your prayers are coveted as I look into the next steps it will take to be a translator.

To God be the glory, forever and ever!

Gentle Hands

I have been awful at blogging lately. The past few weeks have been packed full of busyness! I do have an experience that I'd like to share with you all though.

Last night, I was able to visit a child welfare agency (orphanage) here called Gentle Hands. A few people that I know are very connected to Gentle Hands, and one of my students actually lived there for a month before her adoption process began. One of my friends and co-teachers, Kim, goes to Gentle Hands on Sunday evenings almost on a weekly basis. I was thankful to be able to join her this week! She is currently in the adoption process of Daniel, a 4 year old cutie!

I had never really been to an orphanage before, and it was not what I expected. The home currently has 3 levels. The bottom level has different rooms for the children based on age. We started in the nursery, and I was able to hold a precious baby girl named Raven. We then moved up to the toddlers. These 1-2 year olds were very timid and skeptical of their new visitor. It took them awhile to warm up to me, but after a few minutes I had a good game of "catch the monkey" going with a set of twin boys. Our next room had boys and girls around the ages of 3-5. These kiddos were so excited to have someone watch them! One little boy named CJ immediately grabbed my hand, pulled me down to sit on the edge of a bed, and hopped up on my lap. CJ and another little girl noticed my cross necklace, pointed to it and said "Jesus!" and then broke out into "Jesus Loves Me." It was pretty precious. :) The remainder of their words were mainly in Tagalog, so I just smiled and enjoyed their chattiness. The last couple of rooms were divided by gender. It was fun to talk to the older girls and boys. They are blessed with so many brothers and sisters in their home!

After hanging out with the kids, we moved up a couple of floors to where the family that runs Gentle Hands lives. This floor was also very busy, as some of the kids live up with this family based on their special needs. We were able to have dinner with the workers and I learned more about the extensive and slow adoption process of the Philippines. It takes years and so much patience for these families!

I learned one huge lesson on this night. Charity, the woman who runs Gentle Hands, explained that there is a misperception of orphanages. Many people, myself included, have this instinct to feel sorry for orphans and the living situation they are in. We have this view that we must rescue these children from orphanages. I understand that this may be true for some orphanages, but Gentle Hands doesn't fall into that category. The children there are so loved and cared for. They are fed spiritually and mentally, and they are loved by so many workers that dedicate their lives to this ministry. I have a lot of respect for those that God calls to orphan ministry.

If you would like to learn more about Gentle Hands visit their page at http://gentlehandsinc.org/ . What a beautiful ministry! Praise the Lord for taking care of His children.