One morning, we went to have our ladies’ Bible study, but
two of the three ladies who usually come were working in the rice fields. We
went to see what the third was doing to find out if she could study with us. We
were told she was in her backyard, so we followed the path from her house, past
the pig pen, through the trees, towards the river. When we got there, we saw
that several kids were climbing her large tree, throwing down fruit! She was
there, catching the fruit, which was round and green and red. Jael told me they
were star apples. They were sweet, delicious, and milky. You could break them
open with just your hands. The kids who had been following us joined us in the
Star Apple feast. Growing up in the Philippines seems to give you mad tree
climbing skills. Jael climbed right up the star apple tree with the kids, but I
didn’t get very far. One little boy jumped from the top of the star apple tree
into the water below.
 |
| Jael in the star apple tree with the kids |
People think about property much differently here than in
America. The homes we stay in seem like they are not just one family’s, but
everyone’s, as long as the doors are open. The kids who live nearby just come
in whenever they want to. When one little girl came to visit, I showed her my
illustrated “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” book. She enthusiastically
flipped through the pages, smiling and pointing at the pictures. She made up
her own story, “reading” out loud to herself in Waray. When I woke up Tuesday
morning, she was sitting in front of the house, contentedly reading it again. I
realized that she probably had never seen a children’s book before. When I was
little, I had more children’s books than I could count. To that little girl, my
book was so special. She has wanted to see it when she comes over ever since.
I’m amazed at how children embrace pictures and stories. It is the same, no
matter where you are.
I brought some play-doh with me to the Philippines, since I
knew there would be lots of children in the barangays. I brought it out for the
first time this week in the home where we stay on Mondays and Tuesdays. Of
course, the kids were all into it, and so were the adults! We made snakes,
caribous, dogs, “olive fingers,” and more.
There are hard days here, but even in the hard times, I
don’t want to leave. I know God has given me this peace so that I could keep
going. We for sure don’t see everything God is doing here, but he is faithful
to encourage us that he is working. This week, a lady in barangay #3 and a boy
in barangay #4 shared how God had answered their prayers. What was truly
beautiful about that was seeing their joy that they knew the answers had come
from God. As I have written about, we are praying and discipling here so that
the believers will grow strong and become independent of us: sharing with
others, meeting together, and leading on their own. What’s funny is that
sometimes, I feel like I am responsible to make this happen. Then, I see it
happening before my very eyes, when I have done nothing to make it happen. Just
one example is in barangay #4. One thing that is special about that Bible study
is that there are several teenagers in it. One boy who comes is the only
believer in his family. He’s always one of the first ones to arrive, and he
comes every single week. He memorizes verses on his own. Where does his desire
to learn and grow come from? Not from us—we didn’t do anything! God is living and
working in him, drawing him to himself. Another girl in our Friday Bible study
is very shy, and this week she asked us to pray that her shyness would not get
in the way of her sharing with others. Many of the believers are sharing with
their loved ones and ask us to pray for them every week.
I think the reason I’m so impressed when I see these things
is that I forget sometimes what is in my Father’s heart. He loves his people
here more than I can ever know, and he wants them to know him and follow him
more than I ever could. I forget that I am not asking him to do something that
I want and he doesn’t care about; I ask him to do something that He is more
than ready to do, that brings him such joy that I can’t imagine it. I am
praying for people for whom He laid down his life, of whom he said that “no one
will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
Pray that God would continue to strengthen the believers. A
couple people who have come to the Bible studies for the first time within the
last few weeks have kept coming back, so pray that they will truly understand and
believe what they hear! Pray for our team’s strength and health and protection from sickness.
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and
will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I give them
eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my
hand. John 10:9-11, 28
“Come to the Father; Come to the deeper well; Come drink of
the water and come to live a tale to tell; the pages are turning now; this is
abundant life.” -Andrew Peterson, Little Boy Heart Alive
