Recently our good friend Josh went on a mission trip to The Philippines. I asked him a few questions about his experience out there and what it meant to him.
Where were you and how long were you there?
We mainly went to Cebu City. Not counting travel, we were there for about 9 days. Our hotel was in the city but most of our time was spent in the smaller towns surrounding it. Mambaling, Lusaran, Talisay, all on the east/central part of the island.
Who did you go with?
I went with 6 of my close friends from church. The pastor, his kids and some other member of the worship team. It was a really solid group of people. We all meshed really well, even though we were 7 very different people with very different backgrounds.
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Thinking back on the trip what were some moments that stuck with you?
Our main focus while we were there was youth. We met with kids all the way from pre-k to high school. Working with kids is... an adventure. Especially with such a wide age-range. I would say its certainly not my strongsuit, but being in uncomfortable situations is a great mental and spiritual exercise. I have 5 kids of my own, but meeting kids from a different culture on a different continent is an incredibly eye-opening experience.
The towns we visited were some of the poorest in the Philippines. These kids had nothing. Hand-me-down clothes that had probably seen at least 10 years of use prior, broken or mismatched shoes (if any at all). They played in dirt and mud. Made toys out of trash. Some visibly sick.
It's hard to describe the feeling it illicits. Grief is obvious. It's sad to see anybody in those conditions. The feeling complicated by the fact that when you actually watch them, talk to them, play with them, you see an immense joy. Constant smiling or laughter. Friendliness and boldness I've never seen in children here. It left me a little speechless, and I'm still thinking about it.
On one of the last days I broke off and sat on a beach for some quiet. 3 little boys, probably no older than 5 were playing in the waves using an empty water jug and a Styrofoam cooler lid to float. They played for hours. Laughing. Throwing sand at eachother. One came up to sit next to me and talk, but after a few unsuccessful exchanges he realized I couldn't understand him so he quickly went back to playing with his friends.
I can't help but think we're missing something here. Something important.
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What were you listening to while you were out there?
Mostly our bassist playing Michael Jackson worship covers on acoustic guitar in the van.
We didn't really have any alone time to pop in some headphones, so that was what we were forced to endure.
By the end of our trip, our sound guy said (in the most patient and loving tone) he never wanted to hear Michael Jackson again. (I didn't mind it.)
Did you see or feel God working through you?
Yes, although it would be dishonest to say I didn't still stand in the way on occasion.
The trip was very busy. It seemed like every hour of the day was filled with something to do, and I'll admit I didn't spend enough focused time in prayer. I think I could've done A LOT better in that regard.
I will say, however it was evident that despite my lack of effort, I can't stop God from working.
My Pastor loves making me uncomfortable. This is our second trip to Cebu, and it feels like throwing me into the deep end is his favorite hobby. Since our first trip in March of this year, my attitude toward that "teaching style" has completely shifted. I say yes to everything. There were a lot of elements of the trip that were roughly planned, but I didn't get specifics. I found myself before walking into someone's house highschool classroom (my worst nightmare) just taking a breath and thinking "ok God, I don't know what to say, but I know that there's a message you want to get across. Just use me how you see fit."
It always went way better than I expected. To me, it was proof that God is faithful when I am not, and ultimately I can't get in the way of whatever he has planned.
What were you guys eating out there?
Brother. We were EATING. I love trying new things. Every meal I made an effort to try something I hadn't before and there was plenty of opportunity. Palabok, sinigang, steamed pompano, sigsig, inisal, Jollibee at least once a day. I even tried Balut (partially developed duck egg), which was actually one of my biggest fears as a kid, and it was surprisingly good. There was no shortage of food on this trip.
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One thing you wish you had more time to do?
Honestly everything. More time with the kids and families. Getting to know more of their stories. More time to answer questions in classrooms. More time to visit houses. More time to explore. Going back to a previous answer, overall I wish I made more time to pray and prepare for each day. Although its entirely possible if I had tried to prepare, I would have thought about it too much and made less room for the Spirit to work, so who knows, maybe it was just the right amount of time.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV