It's crazy to believe that I have been back in the country for a month now. Occasionally I find myself looking through pictures from this summer and just thinking about how God worked. Yesterday I was reminded of the importance of moments in a quote that I came across. It says, "Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." There are so many of those "moments" this summer that I didn't necessarily see the true value in until now...when it's just a memory. The precious faces that greeted me each morning, the giggles I heard from the kids taking cold baths, the singing, the prayers, the worship, and yes, even the roosters that woke me up each morning at 5am. I am grateful for those moments now.
God is continuing to grow me now that I'm back home. He used this summer to teach me new things about who He is and who I am. He used the precious people of the Philippines to show me how incredible He is. I learned to completely rely on His strength. I saw the need in the world. I realized how strong my passion for children is and how passionate I am about adoption. I want so badly for the passion for adoption to spread so that children are no longer without moms and dads. It completely breaks my heart to see a child without a parent's love. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to love on the children I got to love on this summer and last summer.
So for those of you who are reading this blog, this is my challenge to you:
Embrace every opportunity and moment you have. Truly love people. Most importantly, share Christ with them. Pray for the abandoned and broken. Pray for adoption. Pray that others adopt and pray that God will show you if it's His plan for you to adopt. We must act on their behalf.
Thank you to everyone who helped me go this summer and last.
Thank you to everyone who prayed for me before I left and while I was there.
Thank you to everyone who supported me and who welcomed me home.
I love you all.
Brittney
Friday, August 31, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
I Will Be Still And Know You Are God
Sometimes you just have to stand still, feel the breeze against your face, and listen to God's voice. Sometimes His voice is soft, but other times it is more audible. He's our comforter, our healer, our friend, and our Father. He will never leave us and He will always guide us. His love is unconditional and everlasting. His arms wrap around us and hold us close. His word guides and instructs us. He protects us from the enemy. He wants good for his children. We must be still and listen to His voice. He's there and He longs for us to talk with him. He wants us to know HIs voice.
For me, this summer has been a lot of standing still and listening. I've asked God to show me the next step to take many times. When sharing with people about Christ, I've even asked him before each sentence to give me the words to say. He hasn't failed me. He's actually done far more than I've asked him to do. I'll admit, at times when I've stood still, I have felt helpless. My faith hasn't been completely strong every moment of every day. Trials have come and there have been tough days. God has continue to prove himself faithful every time. He speaks to me and he encourages me. Through my weakness, He proves His strength.
Colossians 2:6-7 says, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." We are to walk in Christ because he has transformed us. He created us for that reason. As we walk, we should thank him for what he is doing in and through us.
This trip has consisted of a lot of learning. I've learned how to do many things such as learning how to cook(which was something completely new) to learning different ways of teaching. Most importantly, I've been learning a lot about who God is and who He created me to be. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says to "learn from me." He has continue to show me new things that I never knew before. I'm learning to grow. I'm so thankful for this time in my life.
There are so many things going through my mind as I write my last blog from the Philippines. I'm incredibly excited about seeing my family and friends back home. I'm ready to share stories with other summer missionaries. I'll even admit that I'm ready to eat some good American food(preferably Waffle House) and I'm ready to be able to communicate easily without such a language barrier. As I leave though, I know I'm leaving some sweet people here that I've spent my past two summers getting to know. I won't be eating with 14 children everyday or hearing them sing or laugh outside my window. I'll miss the people's hospitality. That's the hard part. Even though it's time to go home, I know that God has used this time to open my eyes and to grow me. He has allowed the people here to be a blessing in my life and I pray that I have been a blessing to them.
Pray for my last few days at the orphanage. Pray that they will be filled with sweet moments. Pray for us as we travel back to America on the 29th and then back to our homes on the 1st. Thank you for lifting me up in your prayers this summer and for all of your encouragement. I will be in the same time zone as most of y'all in a week!
Brittney
For me, this summer has been a lot of standing still and listening. I've asked God to show me the next step to take many times. When sharing with people about Christ, I've even asked him before each sentence to give me the words to say. He hasn't failed me. He's actually done far more than I've asked him to do. I'll admit, at times when I've stood still, I have felt helpless. My faith hasn't been completely strong every moment of every day. Trials have come and there have been tough days. God has continue to prove himself faithful every time. He speaks to me and he encourages me. Through my weakness, He proves His strength.
Colossians 2:6-7 says, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." We are to walk in Christ because he has transformed us. He created us for that reason. As we walk, we should thank him for what he is doing in and through us.
This trip has consisted of a lot of learning. I've learned how to do many things such as learning how to cook(which was something completely new) to learning different ways of teaching. Most importantly, I've been learning a lot about who God is and who He created me to be. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says to "learn from me." He has continue to show me new things that I never knew before. I'm learning to grow. I'm so thankful for this time in my life.
There are so many things going through my mind as I write my last blog from the Philippines. I'm incredibly excited about seeing my family and friends back home. I'm ready to share stories with other summer missionaries. I'll even admit that I'm ready to eat some good American food(preferably Waffle House) and I'm ready to be able to communicate easily without such a language barrier. As I leave though, I know I'm leaving some sweet people here that I've spent my past two summers getting to know. I won't be eating with 14 children everyday or hearing them sing or laugh outside my window. I'll miss the people's hospitality. That's the hard part. Even though it's time to go home, I know that God has used this time to open my eyes and to grow me. He has allowed the people here to be a blessing in my life and I pray that I have been a blessing to them.
Pray for my last few days at the orphanage. Pray that they will be filled with sweet moments. Pray for us as we travel back to America on the 29th and then back to our homes on the 1st. Thank you for lifting me up in your prayers this summer and for all of your encouragement. I will be in the same time zone as most of y'all in a week!
Brittney
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Recipes
For those of you who know me well enough, it may seem strange to read the title of this blog. You may be thinking: "Recipes? Brittney? Brittney doesn't even know how to boil water." That may have once been true, but this summer my cooking skills have been put the test. I haven't mastered everything, but I've definitely tried a lot. The crazy thing is... I actually like to cook now! I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen watching Ate Susan prepare meals and helping however I can. When I get back home, I plan to start cooking more often. One thing that God has taught me this summer is how to trust in Him and follow His plan. Just like a cook does when he/she prepares a meal, God adds things and changes things as He sees fit. If something needs to be sweeter, the cook may add sugar. If something needs more flavor, the cook may chop up an extra piece of garlic. God does that too. He adds laughter and joy but sometimes He adds the difficulties so we'll learn to trust in Him. God's "recipes" always turn into something wonderful when we follow His instructions and listen to Him.
Serving on a nanny team, it's expected that I would become really attached to at least one child, and I have, but this summer I have become really attached to Ate Susan(the orphanage's cook). She has treated me like a daughter and it has really helped with my homesickness. I spend three meals a day, three times a week preparing meals with her and I love it. Many times in the evenings, I sit down with her to drink coffee. It's our bonding time. She can tell when I'm tired and I can go to her at any point of the day and say, "Ate Susan I'm hungry," and she comes up with something to fill me up. We sit in the kitchen or outside by the stove talking and laughing and she has shared many things with me about her life. I'm constantly asking her to show me how to do things in the kitchen and asking her about recipes. She just smiles at me and lets me in on all of her cooking secrets. God definitely breaks down language barriers when we're together and even though we are from two different parts of the world, we can still relate. I always feel so refreshed, encouraged, and loved when I leave the kitchen. She is someone that would do absolutely anything for anyone. She even went to the market early one morning to buy bananas just because we asked for pinaypie(fried banana) for breakfast. She's a joy to be around and definitely a blessing in my life. Ate Susan is someone I will miss a lot when I leave to go home, and I believe that God placed her in my life for a special purpose.
The children have already started saying, "you're leaving soon; I sure am going to miss you." Two of the boys told me they already have a plan to hide in my suitcase as long as I give them food to eat for the airplane ride. They requested that I leave apples, pineapples, and pinaypie in the suitcase for their snacks. Boy, I'm going to miss these kiddos!
The days are going by quickly, but God continues to work. Please be in prayer for our last two weeks in the country. We have two more home visits and 1 more children's outreach left. This Saturday we will be sharing about how to become a Christian with the children. Pray that language barriers would be broken down and that the children will hear from God. We have 2 more weeks with the children and staff at the orphanage so pray that we can continue to build relationships with them. I thank you all for lifting me up in your prayers. I pray that God will use you at home to bring glory to His name. I will see y'all in a few weeks!
Brittney
Serving on a nanny team, it's expected that I would become really attached to at least one child, and I have, but this summer I have become really attached to Ate Susan(the orphanage's cook). She has treated me like a daughter and it has really helped with my homesickness. I spend three meals a day, three times a week preparing meals with her and I love it. Many times in the evenings, I sit down with her to drink coffee. It's our bonding time. She can tell when I'm tired and I can go to her at any point of the day and say, "Ate Susan I'm hungry," and she comes up with something to fill me up. We sit in the kitchen or outside by the stove talking and laughing and she has shared many things with me about her life. I'm constantly asking her to show me how to do things in the kitchen and asking her about recipes. She just smiles at me and lets me in on all of her cooking secrets. God definitely breaks down language barriers when we're together and even though we are from two different parts of the world, we can still relate. I always feel so refreshed, encouraged, and loved when I leave the kitchen. She is someone that would do absolutely anything for anyone. She even went to the market early one morning to buy bananas just because we asked for pinaypie(fried banana) for breakfast. She's a joy to be around and definitely a blessing in my life. Ate Susan is someone I will miss a lot when I leave to go home, and I believe that God placed her in my life for a special purpose.
The children have already started saying, "you're leaving soon; I sure am going to miss you." Two of the boys told me they already have a plan to hide in my suitcase as long as I give them food to eat for the airplane ride. They requested that I leave apples, pineapples, and pinaypie in the suitcase for their snacks. Boy, I'm going to miss these kiddos!
The days are going by quickly, but God continues to work. Please be in prayer for our last two weeks in the country. We have two more home visits and 1 more children's outreach left. This Saturday we will be sharing about how to become a Christian with the children. Pray that language barriers would be broken down and that the children will hear from God. We have 2 more weeks with the children and staff at the orphanage so pray that we can continue to build relationships with them. I thank you all for lifting me up in your prayers. I pray that God will use you at home to bring glory to His name. I will see y'all in a few weeks!
Brittney
Sunday, July 8, 2012
An Overwhelming Love
Comforts: When we think about comforts, we sometimes think of (insert your definition of comfort here). Maybe it's having an airconditioner, a vehicle, clean clothes, technology, food, hot water; etc, but what happens when we don't have those things to rely on? What if our only source of air is a portable fan and we wear the same outfits every week? What if technology isn't always accessible and sometimes the food makes our stomachs hurt? What if a cold bath is the only way of getting clean? Yes, that is a way of life for many people around the world, but for us that means our normal comforts are being stripped away. I love Psalm 119:76 that says, "May your unfailing love be my comfort." God's love for us is exactly what we need. Let that be our prayer to God that we will find comfort in His love alone. Knowing that nothing can separate us from Christ's love is awesome. In our home visit this week, our Bible study was from Romans 8:31-39. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Hallelujah! Let's rest in His love. This song comes to mind:
"I wanna sit at Your feet; drink from the cup in Your hands; lay back against You and breathe; feel Your heartbeat. This love is so deep; it's more than I can stand; I melt in Your peace; it's overwhelming."
Thinking about being wrapped in Christ's arms gives me peace and I go and I rest in His love.
Wednesday evening we came back to the orphange after a short break, and we were greeted by 15 excited children. I walked to the dining hall and found one of the boys sketching. I posed and told him to draw a picture of my face. His little hand began moving all over the paper as he looked up every few seconds. Occassionally he would start laughing so I would make a silly face at him. He finished and wanted to show me his work, but first he made a comment that will make my family and friends laugh. He said, "I've never had to draw such big ears before." I just laughed at him for pointing out the obvious and then made a new pose. We took turns drawing each other's faces for about half an hour that night.
One thing that is really different from my trip last year is where we sleep. We live with the three girls so we usually wake up and go to sleep around the same time. The other night, one of the girls told me she keeps having bad dreams, so I shared with her what my brother and I used to do when we were little. I can't remember what we called it, but for this I'll call it "dream poof." We would first draw the people/characters we wanted in our dream. We would "draw" them out in the air above our heads. Then, we chose the places we wanted to include and we would draw them out the same way. We would talk about what we wanted to happen in the dream and anything else that we wanted. Once we were finished, we would reach into the air with both hands, count to 3 and on 3 we would say "poof" and move our hands to our head. It seemed to work for us a lot since we spent so much time thinking about it before we went to sleep. I told her to try it and then I said a prayer for her before I went to bed. The next morning she told me she had a good dream. It was cool for me to share that childhood experience with her.
Friday night we celebrated Christmas in July with the children. We bought cookies and Milo(hot chocolate) and the four of us made our best Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, and Elf costumes. After dinner, we passed out snacks and with my best Elf expression, I read Twas the Night Before Christmas. After that, we watched The Grinch. It was so much fun.
I ask that you will continue to pray for us. Pray for health, safety, homesickness, but most importantly pray for the people we will meet and be with over the next few weeks. Our time is winding down here. It's crazy to think that we've been here over a month. Pray for the children here at the orphanage, pray for the students and teachers at the school. Pray for the families we visit on Fridays and the children we minister to on Saturdays and Sundays. Pray that the gospel will be shared and that God will speak through us. Pray for opportunities to make His name known.
I thank y'all for everything.
Until next week...
Brittney
"I wanna sit at Your feet; drink from the cup in Your hands; lay back against You and breathe; feel Your heartbeat. This love is so deep; it's more than I can stand; I melt in Your peace; it's overwhelming."
Thinking about being wrapped in Christ's arms gives me peace and I go and I rest in His love.
Wednesday evening we came back to the orphange after a short break, and we were greeted by 15 excited children. I walked to the dining hall and found one of the boys sketching. I posed and told him to draw a picture of my face. His little hand began moving all over the paper as he looked up every few seconds. Occassionally he would start laughing so I would make a silly face at him. He finished and wanted to show me his work, but first he made a comment that will make my family and friends laugh. He said, "I've never had to draw such big ears before." I just laughed at him for pointing out the obvious and then made a new pose. We took turns drawing each other's faces for about half an hour that night.
One thing that is really different from my trip last year is where we sleep. We live with the three girls so we usually wake up and go to sleep around the same time. The other night, one of the girls told me she keeps having bad dreams, so I shared with her what my brother and I used to do when we were little. I can't remember what we called it, but for this I'll call it "dream poof." We would first draw the people/characters we wanted in our dream. We would "draw" them out in the air above our heads. Then, we chose the places we wanted to include and we would draw them out the same way. We would talk about what we wanted to happen in the dream and anything else that we wanted. Once we were finished, we would reach into the air with both hands, count to 3 and on 3 we would say "poof" and move our hands to our head. It seemed to work for us a lot since we spent so much time thinking about it before we went to sleep. I told her to try it and then I said a prayer for her before I went to bed. The next morning she told me she had a good dream. It was cool for me to share that childhood experience with her.
Friday night we celebrated Christmas in July with the children. We bought cookies and Milo(hot chocolate) and the four of us made our best Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, and Elf costumes. After dinner, we passed out snacks and with my best Elf expression, I read Twas the Night Before Christmas. After that, we watched The Grinch. It was so much fun.
I ask that you will continue to pray for us. Pray for health, safety, homesickness, but most importantly pray for the people we will meet and be with over the next few weeks. Our time is winding down here. It's crazy to think that we've been here over a month. Pray for the children here at the orphanage, pray for the students and teachers at the school. Pray for the families we visit on Fridays and the children we minister to on Saturdays and Sundays. Pray that the gospel will be shared and that God will speak through us. Pray for opportunities to make His name known.
I thank y'all for everything.
Until next week...
Brittney
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Family of 20
I could describe dinner at the orphanage like this: we fix at least twenty plates of food and each child walks up to the counter, grabs his or plate quietly, grabs a fork and a spoon, and sits down at a table patiently waiting for everyone to sit down before someone says the prayer. Nobody tries to eat their food before the prayer and they sit still in their chairs. I could describe it like that, but that would be boring and you wouldn't get the whole picture of what mealtime is really like at the orphanage. Don't forget...these are children. I don't know many children who would behave like that. Instead, meal time is slightly chaotic but that's why it's so interesting to me. We fix about twenty or so plates of rice and whatever meat or vegetable goes with it, we fish out 20 or so forks and spoons and pile the plates onto the counter, always making room for just one more. The kitchen bell rings and the children flood into the dining hall. We are constantly reminding the children to wash their hands, not to feed the dog, and not to eat before the prayer. Some sit down impatiently waiting(some even sneak a bite to eat) and then we pray. As soon as "amen" is heard, the children snatch up their fork and spoon and dig in. It's like a huge family dinner. We trade and share food and we all eat until we're full. Meal times are always an adventure. It's normal.
It's hard for me to believe that we've already been in the country for almost a month. Some days at the orphanage seem routine when I think about a week as a whole, but there is always something that makes each day unique. It may be that a child does something extra sweet or extra funny or we may have one of my favorite meals throughout the day. Whatever it is, God continues to provide and He continues to lift me up and encourage me even when I'm exhausted. In a conversation I had with my mom(who is definitely my biggest cheerleader in life), I told her how homesick I was this summer. As only a mom can do, she reminded me of why I'm here. She reminded me that if I were home I would have to pull weeds, cut the grass, and help birth Yorkie puppies. She knows me well enough to know that reminding me of those things I'm missing would cheer me up. Most importantly, she reminded me of the big reasons: the blessings, the stories, the memories, and the one she hit right on the head: if I were at home, I would be wishing I was back here. That's so true. Aren't moms just wonderful?
I've had a lot of time to think while I've been here and I've thought a lot about how much God has grown me as a person. I am 21 years old and this trip has reminded me of that, and even at times made me feel older than I really am. In the school, I've already perfected my "teacher look" and with the children doing their chores I've mastered the "because-I-said-so" mom voice. My team members joke with me saying I'm old because I occasionally drink coffee at 5 in the evening while I read a book. It's just strange when I think about going back to school in the fall and being a senior in college. Time definitely goes by quick.
There have been many things that I have had to realize or get used to this summer. It's now a normal routine to squish the ants in my bed before getting in at night and I know to watch for mice when I get up at night to use the bathroom. When a geiko scurries along the wall above my head, I don't even flinch. I'm used to flushing the toilet with a dipper of water and I'm used to tucking my mosquito net tightly before going to sleep at night. Waking up at 5am really doesn't phase me, even though at home I would be a zombie if I had to be up that early. Sleeping in until 6 is a treat for us. I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as clean feet while I'm here and I will always get black grease all over my arms when I have kitchen duty. As for the children, I now know which ones are going to play the practical jokes, which ones will leave their fork and spoon in the wash bucket after every meal. I know which child will call me the wrong name three or four times and which one will look at me confused when I talk too fast. I can recognize which child is coming around the corner just by his or her laugh or sometimes even his or her footsteps. I know which child will eat the food I don't want and who will ask the same 20 questions during dinner. I know that means we're a family.
Friday afternoon was a beautiful picture of God at work. We went to a home for our weekly ministry, "You Got Served." Most of our home visits involve about 3 or 4 families piled up in a small house reading God's word, praying, and fellowshipping with each other. This visit was much different. We walked into the house with 2 huge loaves of banana bread but only one woman and her two young sons were in the house. We asked our translator what was going on in her life and she told us that her husband's job keeps him away from home often and she's worried about his safety. Tears began rolling down her face as we spoke to her through our translator and we shared scripture with her. I told her about when my dad was in Iraq and how my mom was in constant prayer for his safety. God used that circumstance for me to relate to her in some way and to encourage her. I thank God for bringing us to her and for speaking through us to give her encouragement during this difficult time.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, but because of technology I am not able to share a picture of this next moment with you just yet. This is my journal entry from the other night and I hope you can paint a picture from the words:
Moments I live for--crawling on my hands and knees with three precious children(5,6, and 8 years old) on my back. They wrap their feet around my stomach and after about two steps forward, we crash to the ground. We're all four laughing as we roll in the grass filthy, but it's nothing a quick bucket bath won't fix. It's just the four of us and I'm not thinking about how hot and sweaty I am, I'm thinking of how happy we all are. . Even though they've already worn me out, I get up quickly and chase them around the yard as they squeal and giggle. I know I'll go to bed exhausted, but I wouldn't want to go to bed any other way. I want to be used up by God because that's when I feel closest to God. That's when I can feel His presence and love more than ever. That's worth all of the grass stains, dirty feet and sore muscles any day.
I am so thankful for each day that God allows me to love on the children here at the orphanage and in the villages around us. It's such a blessing. Thank you all for your continued prayers.
Brittney
It's hard for me to believe that we've already been in the country for almost a month. Some days at the orphanage seem routine when I think about a week as a whole, but there is always something that makes each day unique. It may be that a child does something extra sweet or extra funny or we may have one of my favorite meals throughout the day. Whatever it is, God continues to provide and He continues to lift me up and encourage me even when I'm exhausted. In a conversation I had with my mom(who is definitely my biggest cheerleader in life), I told her how homesick I was this summer. As only a mom can do, she reminded me of why I'm here. She reminded me that if I were home I would have to pull weeds, cut the grass, and help birth Yorkie puppies. She knows me well enough to know that reminding me of those things I'm missing would cheer me up. Most importantly, she reminded me of the big reasons: the blessings, the stories, the memories, and the one she hit right on the head: if I were at home, I would be wishing I was back here. That's so true. Aren't moms just wonderful?
I've had a lot of time to think while I've been here and I've thought a lot about how much God has grown me as a person. I am 21 years old and this trip has reminded me of that, and even at times made me feel older than I really am. In the school, I've already perfected my "teacher look" and with the children doing their chores I've mastered the "because-I-said-so" mom voice. My team members joke with me saying I'm old because I occasionally drink coffee at 5 in the evening while I read a book. It's just strange when I think about going back to school in the fall and being a senior in college. Time definitely goes by quick.
There have been many things that I have had to realize or get used to this summer. It's now a normal routine to squish the ants in my bed before getting in at night and I know to watch for mice when I get up at night to use the bathroom. When a geiko scurries along the wall above my head, I don't even flinch. I'm used to flushing the toilet with a dipper of water and I'm used to tucking my mosquito net tightly before going to sleep at night. Waking up at 5am really doesn't phase me, even though at home I would be a zombie if I had to be up that early. Sleeping in until 6 is a treat for us. I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as clean feet while I'm here and I will always get black grease all over my arms when I have kitchen duty. As for the children, I now know which ones are going to play the practical jokes, which ones will leave their fork and spoon in the wash bucket after every meal. I know which child will call me the wrong name three or four times and which one will look at me confused when I talk too fast. I can recognize which child is coming around the corner just by his or her laugh or sometimes even his or her footsteps. I know which child will eat the food I don't want and who will ask the same 20 questions during dinner. I know that means we're a family.
Friday afternoon was a beautiful picture of God at work. We went to a home for our weekly ministry, "You Got Served." Most of our home visits involve about 3 or 4 families piled up in a small house reading God's word, praying, and fellowshipping with each other. This visit was much different. We walked into the house with 2 huge loaves of banana bread but only one woman and her two young sons were in the house. We asked our translator what was going on in her life and she told us that her husband's job keeps him away from home often and she's worried about his safety. Tears began rolling down her face as we spoke to her through our translator and we shared scripture with her. I told her about when my dad was in Iraq and how my mom was in constant prayer for his safety. God used that circumstance for me to relate to her in some way and to encourage her. I thank God for bringing us to her and for speaking through us to give her encouragement during this difficult time.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, but because of technology I am not able to share a picture of this next moment with you just yet. This is my journal entry from the other night and I hope you can paint a picture from the words:
Moments I live for--crawling on my hands and knees with three precious children(5,6, and 8 years old) on my back. They wrap their feet around my stomach and after about two steps forward, we crash to the ground. We're all four laughing as we roll in the grass filthy, but it's nothing a quick bucket bath won't fix. It's just the four of us and I'm not thinking about how hot and sweaty I am, I'm thinking of how happy we all are. . Even though they've already worn me out, I get up quickly and chase them around the yard as they squeal and giggle. I know I'll go to bed exhausted, but I wouldn't want to go to bed any other way. I want to be used up by God because that's when I feel closest to God. That's when I can feel His presence and love more than ever. That's worth all of the grass stains, dirty feet and sore muscles any day.
I am so thankful for each day that God allows me to love on the children here at the orphanage and in the villages around us. It's such a blessing. Thank you all for your continued prayers.
Brittney
Sunday, June 24, 2012
It's the Little Things...
It's the little things like listening to a six-year-ld girl sing out loud as she bathes in the morning before church, helping a child hand wash his clothes, singing random songs to the top of my lungs while we clean the dining hall, seeing the children hide under the covers when I come in at 5:30 in the morning singing songs to wake them up. It's learning how to cook pancakes over an open fire. It's taking silly pictures with fish before we cook them for dinner. It's finger painting with a bunch of highschoolers. It's having a child giggle as she jumps into my arms. It's toast and strawberry jelly for breakfast. It's understanding a new word in Cebuano. There are so many "little things" that evolve into a big picture. It's when God uses those little moments to encourage me and to remind me why I'm here.
I hae continued to ask God why He brought me back here. One morning this week, I was sitting in our room journaling and God told me, "daughter, I brought you here to love the children...to show them my love." That may seem like a simple and obvious answer, but to me it was really encouraging and exactly what I needed to hear. I love children. I love their smiles, laughs, interesting questions, watching them use their imagination and watching them discover new things. I love hearing them sing out praises to Jesus. No matter what the language barriers are, children will shout out the name "Jesus!" It's incredible.
This week has been a lot smoother now that we have gotten used to our schedule. We started a new project renovating the orphanage's library. It's every future teacher's dream...so many children's books to sort through. It's been fun already. The other day we went into Ace Hardware(you can imagine the stares we had). We bought supplies to sand the walls to get ready to paint. It's going to be a fun activity.
Wednesday Jennifer and I went with Ate Susan and her daughter to the market. It was such a cool experience. We watched her as she picked out all of the fruits and vegetables, spices and fish that she needed to cook for the children throughout the week. We went to many different vendors and collected all of the things she needed. It's nothing like a trip to WalMart(it didn't take nearly as long). My family knows that trips to WalMart with my mom and I are day-long adventures. :) When we got back to the orphanage, we began to prepare the fish. She asked us if it was okay for us to touch the fish and we said, "yes," not knowing what we were getting ourselves into. We cleaned the fish, gutted the fish, took pictures with the fish, and fried the fish. It was definitely an experience. Ate Susan is such a fun person to be around. She's my mom's age and treats me like one of her daughters. She remembers my favorite meals from last summer and cooks them a lot. She's such an encouragement to me.
I've started my own recipe bok: this week I added Pabolon(aka: cookie crumble). It's flour, sugar and margarine in a frying pan plus powdered milk mixed together. Four delicious ingredients mixed together makes for a delicious treat. See what I mean? It's the little things.
Friday we did a Bible study at a nearby home. There were about 4 or 5 adults and about 10 children. We had prepared a study from Matthew 6:25-34 about not being anxious. We did not know the family's circumstances until we arrived and when we asked, they said they were worried about financial problems. It was completely God that worked through that Bible study and gave us the words to say. God continued to give us scripture throughout the evening to share with them. It was awesome! After Bible study, we made pancakes for a snack. I sat on the floor over an open fire trying to make the best pancakes possible. I did manage to make a Mickey Mouse pancake which tickled the children. Then they asked me to make Goofy, so I just resorted to Mickey and circles. I told them I would have to practice on Goofy.
Another sweet moment happened the other day. I was getting ready to leave for community outreach and one of the little boys at the orphanage whispered in my ear, "please don't go home again." It's not even close to time for us to leave again, so this was really hard for me to hear. It's God reminder to me that I am a part of their family.
God has continued to encourage me throughout the week and has shown me scripture to lift up my spirit. Romans 12:9-12 has been in my mind this week. It says to "rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." I've definitely had to do that lately. I have gotten down at times, but I'm in God's word and in constant communication with Him.
Melanie and I cooking rice at a home Bible study.
I hae continued to ask God why He brought me back here. One morning this week, I was sitting in our room journaling and God told me, "daughter, I brought you here to love the children...to show them my love." That may seem like a simple and obvious answer, but to me it was really encouraging and exactly what I needed to hear. I love children. I love their smiles, laughs, interesting questions, watching them use their imagination and watching them discover new things. I love hearing them sing out praises to Jesus. No matter what the language barriers are, children will shout out the name "Jesus!" It's incredible.
This week has been a lot smoother now that we have gotten used to our schedule. We started a new project renovating the orphanage's library. It's every future teacher's dream...so many children's books to sort through. It's been fun already. The other day we went into Ace Hardware(you can imagine the stares we had). We bought supplies to sand the walls to get ready to paint. It's going to be a fun activity.
Wednesday Jennifer and I went with Ate Susan and her daughter to the market. It was such a cool experience. We watched her as she picked out all of the fruits and vegetables, spices and fish that she needed to cook for the children throughout the week. We went to many different vendors and collected all of the things she needed. It's nothing like a trip to WalMart(it didn't take nearly as long). My family knows that trips to WalMart with my mom and I are day-long adventures. :) When we got back to the orphanage, we began to prepare the fish. She asked us if it was okay for us to touch the fish and we said, "yes," not knowing what we were getting ourselves into. We cleaned the fish, gutted the fish, took pictures with the fish, and fried the fish. It was definitely an experience. Ate Susan is such a fun person to be around. She's my mom's age and treats me like one of her daughters. She remembers my favorite meals from last summer and cooks them a lot. She's such an encouragement to me.
I've started my own recipe bok: this week I added Pabolon(aka: cookie crumble). It's flour, sugar and margarine in a frying pan plus powdered milk mixed together. Four delicious ingredients mixed together makes for a delicious treat. See what I mean? It's the little things.
Friday we did a Bible study at a nearby home. There were about 4 or 5 adults and about 10 children. We had prepared a study from Matthew 6:25-34 about not being anxious. We did not know the family's circumstances until we arrived and when we asked, they said they were worried about financial problems. It was completely God that worked through that Bible study and gave us the words to say. God continued to give us scripture throughout the evening to share with them. It was awesome! After Bible study, we made pancakes for a snack. I sat on the floor over an open fire trying to make the best pancakes possible. I did manage to make a Mickey Mouse pancake which tickled the children. Then they asked me to make Goofy, so I just resorted to Mickey and circles. I told them I would have to practice on Goofy.
Another sweet moment happened the other day. I was getting ready to leave for community outreach and one of the little boys at the orphanage whispered in my ear, "please don't go home again." It's not even close to time for us to leave again, so this was really hard for me to hear. It's God reminder to me that I am a part of their family.
God has continued to encourage me throughout the week and has shown me scripture to lift up my spirit. Romans 12:9-12 has been in my mind this week. It says to "rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." I've definitely had to do that lately. I have gotten down at times, but I'm in God's word and in constant communication with Him.
Chrezty and me.
Again, I thank you all for the prayers. They are felt here for sure. I ask that you continue to pray for my team and I as we teach in the school, go into the nearby communities and villages, and are with the children at the orphanage. God is definitely working here!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Red Light, Green Light
It's one of those games we played as children where one person pretends to be a traffic light and everyone's goal is to be the first to finish. The key is to be quick to listen but slow to move because if you move on a red light, you're out. That's kind of how this past week has been here. We've been getting used to our routine and then we had to stop, change plans and start over. We seems to play this game a lot with God. We do our own things at our own pace changing the green light and red light when it's convenient for us. Rarely do we go or do when God says "green," or stop when God says, "red." We played this game with the children at the orphanage the other day and it was cool to watch their faces trying to decide whether it was a good idea or not to make another step. In life, a green light doesn't mean, "go do whatever you want," but it means to go do what God tells you to do. A red light doesn't necessarily mean start over, but it means to stop, pray, and listen to God. We should only be focused on the signals God gives us. This summer has already been a lot of red light green light, but that has made me more dependent on God than I have ever been, and that is a very comforting place to be.
Wednesday we had church service next door to the orphanage. Last year while I was here, I learned a Cebuano song called, "Kagawasan," so one of the older girls in the orphanage asked me to sing a duet with her at the beginning of the service. Sing a song in a different language in church? Check. After singing, we had the privilege of being apart of a beautiful worship service with a bunch of amazing children. One of the boys stood next to me during the music. He's 11 years old and I cannot say that I have seen someone worship the way he did very often. I looked over at him- his head tilted up and his eyes tightly closed and he cried out to God. He didn't care if he hit the right note or if he was even singing the correct words- he just knew that he was praising God. Wow! As I watched him, tears rolled down my face. It was a beautiful picture. That's how worship should be for all of us. Some people may say that it was just because he's sad because he's had a hard life. Yes, that's probably a good assumption. He has probably gone through more than any person(especially a child) should ever have to go through, but I could tell by his sweet expression and by the way he would slowly smile, that he was truly in the presence of our awesome Creator. I wish you all could have seen it. Moments like that make all of the trials and frustrations worth it.
The language barriers haven't slowed us down too much. We have been learning all kinds of new phrases like, "Asa imong _______?" which means, "Where is your ______? " The children always laugh at us because we want to practice. I am always asking them, "Where is your fork/plate/cup/flip flops/etc.?" It's a lot of fun to practice using the language. The people here are so incredibly nice. That's what I love about this country. Literally every person we see wants to know who we are, where we are from, where we are going and they tell us they love us. It's quite amusing actually.
My team and I are growing even closer than we were before we came. We have two bunkbeds side by side with about two feet of walking space in between them and we're in the room with the girls in the orphanage so we're really close. It's so encouraging to have such amazing ladies by my side on this journey. We've been stretched in every which way, but it's causing us to rely on God's strength more and more and to grow closer in our friendship.
Friday we went to a house in a squatter village and did a home Bible study. We were able to give a lady a Bible in her language because she didn't have one. Awesome! Before we left, we took the children outside and sang songs with them. I think I know more VBS/camp songs for children than any other type of song there is.
We've started doing a team workout at the orphanage which quickly turned into group exercise for the children because they think it's fun. It's an aerobic routine we created. It consists of a bunch of jumping up and down and yelling, so of course it's fun for them.
I'm constantly encouraged by the little things: laughter; sweet voices singing as they clean; rice covered faces; and yes, even little dirty feet. I love these kiddos.
I can feel everyone's prayers. Just when I'm feeling down, something happens that picks me up and I can tell God is working through it. The opportunity to come back is amazing. Please pray for our health and safety and that God will provide us patience when our schedule is changed or when things don't go as planned. I'm praying for everyone back home as well. Thank you all(and happy Father's Day!)
Brittney
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