I write with joy as I think about sharing with you from my time in the Philippines this summer. Let me tell you how I saw God answer prayer.
At the beginning of my internship, I met the group of teenagers with whom I would be working. I started praying and asking the Lord for a few girls to become friends with and invest in. Two sisters, Mary and Nora (names have been changed for their protection), were the answer to that prayer. I was able to build relationships and encourage these two sisters who come from a Muslim family. Although I don’t know if these girls are believers yet, they are seeking, and God gave us opportunities to meet their family, encourage them, and share our faith in Jesus with them.
I also was praying about the missionaries with whom God would put me. God answered my prayer in a way that surpassed all my expectations. The missionary couple that we were working with took time to teach me and invest in me. I especially learned more about Muslim ministry and missionary life.
Through the summer, I asked God for his protection. Many times I found myself crying out to him asking Him to be near. He protected me from things I’m aware of and many that I will never know about. I learned to trust him in a new way and my view of God grew as I now see Him as my Protector in a more real way than I have in the past.
I thank you with everything in me for partnering with me this summer. I was so overwhelmed and encouraged by your financial support, and your prayer support was vital for me. I don’t think I could have made it through the summer without all you prayer warriors interceding for me.
My faith was stretched by working in a Muslim community among the urban poor. I had opportunities to join in a ministry providing education, nutrition, and livelihood projects for the community, teach Scripture to believers and seekers, and build relationships with adults and teenagers. I saw that being a follower of Jesus is a huge decision and commitment that comes at a great cost. It was an honor to be able to worship with Muslim Background Believers in a house church.
At the end of August, I will be returning to Moody Bible Institute for my senior year. Lord willing, in May I will graduate with a degree in International Ministry. I’m excited to see what God’s plans are for me after graduation. Although I don’t know now what I will be doing, I do know that I am following Jesus and I’ll be going where he sends me!
Emily
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
goodbye manila...
this is my last post from the philippines.
i've had a wonderful week here with my friends- i got to see their ministry, meet believers from all over asia, go swimming, and visit a spanish part of the city called intramuros. this week has been great for me to process more of what i experienced. its also been great to see a different side of manila!
im heading to the airport in a few hours. i will be in michigan for a few days of debriefing before I come home.
be looking for more pictures on here soon and a letter giving a summer overview!
thank you so much for remembering me in prayer. thanks for being my partners.
love,
emily
i've had a wonderful week here with my friends- i got to see their ministry, meet believers from all over asia, go swimming, and visit a spanish part of the city called intramuros. this week has been great for me to process more of what i experienced. its also been great to see a different side of manila!
im heading to the airport in a few hours. i will be in michigan for a few days of debriefing before I come home.
be looking for more pictures on here soon and a letter giving a summer overview!
thank you so much for remembering me in prayer. thanks for being my partners.
love,
emily
Thursday, July 16, 2009
last days.
hey blog world!
we are finishing our last days of ministry here. today we helped with the feeding program, tutoring, and then taught through Proverbs 31. There was good interaction and comprehension- what a woman to model our lives after!
Tomorrow is a day to clean and pack and then Saturday we will finish teaching Proverbs to the teenagers and then they are having a goodbye party for us. After that, we will take off. I will stay in Manila for another week with some friends, and then will be back in P-town on July 28.
Thank you for your faithful prayers, even when you didn't know exactly what to pray for. I praise God for answering my prayers for friendships- there are two sisters who have become very dear to us- we had them over to our apartment on Tuesday and I think they felt very honored and special. I pray that they have felt the love of Jesus when we are around them.
Praise God also that I'm feeling much better. I only had to miss one morning this week, and now I'm on the upswing!
Love love.
Em
we are finishing our last days of ministry here. today we helped with the feeding program, tutoring, and then taught through Proverbs 31. There was good interaction and comprehension- what a woman to model our lives after!
Tomorrow is a day to clean and pack and then Saturday we will finish teaching Proverbs to the teenagers and then they are having a goodbye party for us. After that, we will take off. I will stay in Manila for another week with some friends, and then will be back in P-town on July 28.
Thank you for your faithful prayers, even when you didn't know exactly what to pray for. I praise God for answering my prayers for friendships- there are two sisters who have become very dear to us- we had them over to our apartment on Tuesday and I think they felt very honored and special. I pray that they have felt the love of Jesus when we are around them.
Praise God also that I'm feeling much better. I only had to miss one morning this week, and now I'm on the upswing!
Love love.
Em
Sunday, July 12, 2009
hey friends!
this is our last week of ministry and unfortunately its been a rough start for me. i'm feeling pretty sick, so please pray for the Lord to strengthen my body so we can finish strong. tomorrow night we are having friends over which I'm so excited about so I really hope I will be feeling better for that. This week will be full of "lasts" and goodbyes. I pray that we can leave here having encouraged the believers.
Praise God that he has given me several opportunities for good conversations with the teenagers we work with. Just on Saturday, I had the opportunity to really speak TRUTH into a young girl's life. Thanks Lord!
I'm excited to come home and transition into going back to school in the fall, but the other day I started thinking how it will be hard to leave these friendships. It has taken some time to build trust, and now that we are really connecting with people, its time to leave...
thank you prayer warriors!
this is our last week of ministry and unfortunately its been a rough start for me. i'm feeling pretty sick, so please pray for the Lord to strengthen my body so we can finish strong. tomorrow night we are having friends over which I'm so excited about so I really hope I will be feeling better for that. This week will be full of "lasts" and goodbyes. I pray that we can leave here having encouraged the believers.
Praise God that he has given me several opportunities for good conversations with the teenagers we work with. Just on Saturday, I had the opportunity to really speak TRUTH into a young girl's life. Thanks Lord!
I'm excited to come home and transition into going back to school in the fall, but the other day I started thinking how it will be hard to leave these friendships. It has taken some time to build trust, and now that we are really connecting with people, its time to leave...
thank you prayer warriors!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Savior, like a shepherd lead us...
Hey hey hey!
We finished up another week here. For these few days we are at the house of some friends in Manila for a little getaway- much needed.
We have one more week of ministry here. Please continue to pray that we would finish strong and be sensitive to the Spirit's leading. We have some ideas about what we would like to see happen, but we want to ultimately do what God has in store for our last days here.
Please pray that God would strengthen the believers here and that Satan will not cause divisions.
We finished up another week here. For these few days we are at the house of some friends in Manila for a little getaway- much needed.
We have one more week of ministry here. Please continue to pray that we would finish strong and be sensitive to the Spirit's leading. We have some ideas about what we would like to see happen, but we want to ultimately do what God has in store for our last days here.
Please pray that God would strengthen the believers here and that Satan will not cause divisions.
Friday, July 3, 2009
the china sea.
These past two days we've had a little getaway to a neighboring island. we've been snorkeling, swimming, and this morning we did a hike up a mountain. i can't tell you how refreshing it's been to get out of the city and be in nature. Do you ever feel closer to God when you are surrounded by his beautiful creation? Even when we were looking at the coral and the fish, I'm just reminded of God's creativity in creation and his power to hold all things together- he knows about all those little fish that I never would have known existed.
I'm so thankful for this time. I think its just what we needed to be able to go back and hit it hard for the last two weeks.We've come with some fellow workers and it's been wonderful to spend time with them. Their wisdom seems to overflow every time we talk. After conversations with them, I find my heart and my head ready to explode with new ideas and insights. Pray for these workers. God is using them in a mighty way and I feel honored to know them and get to spend time with them.
For our last weeks here, please pray for continued opportunities with the relationships we've built. We are hoping to have several girls over to our apartment this week. Also pray that we can be an encouragement to the believers.
sending my love across the ocean!
I'm so thankful for this time. I think its just what we needed to be able to go back and hit it hard for the last two weeks.We've come with some fellow workers and it's been wonderful to spend time with them. Their wisdom seems to overflow every time we talk. After conversations with them, I find my heart and my head ready to explode with new ideas and insights. Pray for these workers. God is using them in a mighty way and I feel honored to know them and get to spend time with them.
For our last weeks here, please pray for continued opportunities with the relationships we've built. We are hoping to have several girls over to our apartment this week. Also pray that we can be an encouragement to the believers.
sending my love across the ocean!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
hello out there!
greetings from this side of the world. this has been another full week of teaching, painting, and getting to know people. i saw the Lord answer some specific prayers this week and i was very encouraged. one morning i prayed that the Lord would send many to come to paint so that we could get to know more people as we were working. That day, a whole group of people who hadn't come before came. It was a great day to work alongside people and get to know them a little better as we shared a bucket of paint.
yesterday, I asked the Lord to help us connect with the kids we are working with. Yesterday things didn't work out as planned or go according to schedule, but we connected with the kids! We started playing a bunch of games and things became very comfortable. I continue to ask God to help us relate to them even though we have trouble communicating. I'm praying that we can pour into them and encourage them to keep the faith!
this week i met up with my friend Jeannette and we went to a mall and then the WW2 Cemetary here in Manila- wow. it was so sobering. I'm reminded that freedom isn't cheap. As I read all the names of those missing in action and saw all the rows and rows of crosses surrounding me, I was filled with gratitude for those who gave their lives.
fellow laborers, with all my heart, i thank you for interceding for me. please keep praying for the ministry here. God is the only one who can change lives. We are his servants- but we can do nothing on our own. Pray that God would do a mighty work here- that many would come to know his Son!
greetings from this side of the world. this has been another full week of teaching, painting, and getting to know people. i saw the Lord answer some specific prayers this week and i was very encouraged. one morning i prayed that the Lord would send many to come to paint so that we could get to know more people as we were working. That day, a whole group of people who hadn't come before came. It was a great day to work alongside people and get to know them a little better as we shared a bucket of paint.
yesterday, I asked the Lord to help us connect with the kids we are working with. Yesterday things didn't work out as planned or go according to schedule, but we connected with the kids! We started playing a bunch of games and things became very comfortable. I continue to ask God to help us relate to them even though we have trouble communicating. I'm praying that we can pour into them and encourage them to keep the faith!
this week i met up with my friend Jeannette and we went to a mall and then the WW2 Cemetary here in Manila- wow. it was so sobering. I'm reminded that freedom isn't cheap. As I read all the names of those missing in action and saw all the rows and rows of crosses surrounding me, I was filled with gratitude for those who gave their lives.
fellow laborers, with all my heart, i thank you for interceding for me. please keep praying for the ministry here. God is the only one who can change lives. We are his servants- but we can do nothing on our own. Pray that God would do a mighty work here- that many would come to know his Son!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
thanks for praying for me. the Lord is bringing me through.
the past few days we have been painting a new day care building- its been fun. we've also continued teaching our classes and getting to know people.
today, we were planning on painting, but they sent us home because a typhoon might be coming through this afternoon- don't worry- we live on the fourth floor.
so i was reading psalm 62 this morning-
trust in Him at all times, O people
pour out your hearts to Him
for God is our refuge.
two things: God is strong. God is loving.
What a great God we serve! He is like no other.
the past few days we have been painting a new day care building- its been fun. we've also continued teaching our classes and getting to know people.
today, we were planning on painting, but they sent us home because a typhoon might be coming through this afternoon- don't worry- we live on the fourth floor.
so i was reading psalm 62 this morning-
trust in Him at all times, O people
pour out your hearts to Him
for God is our refuge.
two things: God is strong. God is loving.
What a great God we serve! He is like no other.
Monday, June 22, 2009
lately
honestly, honestly...
the last few days have been very difficult.
please continue to pray for the Lord's strength.
the last few days have been very difficult.
please continue to pray for the Lord's strength.
Friday, June 19, 2009
whats going on
hello all
here's another update. thank you so much for battling with me in prayer as we give ourselves for HIS KINGDOM!
WHAT IVE BEEN DOING
- teaching through Proverbs and giving morning devotions
- helping serve at a feeding program- learning some new foods!
- tutoring and helping with homework- although i couldnt remember what antecedents of pronouns were the other day! :)
- visiting students in their homes and meeting their families- this is my favorite!
- painting a new building
- building relationships
WHAT IVE BEEN LEARNING
-as we prepare to teach each week, it has been wonderful for me to just have THE WORD as my guide. sometimes its too easy for me to dig into commentaries right away or ask other people what things mean- God is teaching me again the sufficiency of his word. He is teaching me new truths as I just read it over and over again and study it in a way so that i understand it well enough to explain to a new believer.
-dependency on God- there have been so many situations where I am overcome with my inadequacy and my need to get everything from HIM. Sometimes it is truly "moment by moment". I feel I wont be able to make it another step or word without stopping and getting my strength from the Lord.
- God's common grace to mankind. I am wide eyed as I see some living conditions and certain situations- I think, how can this be? how can people survive like this? It is only by his grace...
HOW YOU CAN PRAY
- Relationships with the girls we are working with. Even specifically, we are praying and thinking about which girls to take to the mall this weekend. We want to be very intentional about building into the girls here and getting to know them.
- Continued culture and language learning- pray for sensitivity and patience
- safety and health- for us and those we are working with
RANDOM...
-We went to the market today on our own for the first time and successfully walked away with bananas, pineapple, and lettuce!
- We're starting to handle our little friends better (cockroaches and lizards). There have been fewer screams and were able to dispose of them a little more gracefully each day
- We had some friends over the other night. It was a blast- we learned some new games, took pictures, and laughed a lot!
TTFN! :)
here's another update. thank you so much for battling with me in prayer as we give ourselves for HIS KINGDOM!
WHAT IVE BEEN DOING
- teaching through Proverbs and giving morning devotions
- helping serve at a feeding program- learning some new foods!
- tutoring and helping with homework- although i couldnt remember what antecedents of pronouns were the other day! :)
- visiting students in their homes and meeting their families- this is my favorite!
- painting a new building
- building relationships
WHAT IVE BEEN LEARNING
-as we prepare to teach each week, it has been wonderful for me to just have THE WORD as my guide. sometimes its too easy for me to dig into commentaries right away or ask other people what things mean- God is teaching me again the sufficiency of his word. He is teaching me new truths as I just read it over and over again and study it in a way so that i understand it well enough to explain to a new believer.
-dependency on God- there have been so many situations where I am overcome with my inadequacy and my need to get everything from HIM. Sometimes it is truly "moment by moment". I feel I wont be able to make it another step or word without stopping and getting my strength from the Lord.
- God's common grace to mankind. I am wide eyed as I see some living conditions and certain situations- I think, how can this be? how can people survive like this? It is only by his grace...
HOW YOU CAN PRAY
- Relationships with the girls we are working with. Even specifically, we are praying and thinking about which girls to take to the mall this weekend. We want to be very intentional about building into the girls here and getting to know them.
- Continued culture and language learning- pray for sensitivity and patience
- safety and health- for us and those we are working with
RANDOM...
-We went to the market today on our own for the first time and successfully walked away with bananas, pineapple, and lettuce!
- We're starting to handle our little friends better (cockroaches and lizards). There have been fewer screams and were able to dispose of them a little more gracefully each day
- We had some friends over the other night. It was a blast- we learned some new games, took pictures, and laughed a lot!
TTFN! :)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
thanks!
thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. it was a joy to read them when i got on today at the internet cafe. i can feel the love- even all the way around the world! the Lord continues to teach me and grow me here. i'll have an update in a few days. love love.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
taking it all in...
well, the internship already seems to be in full swing and i'm loving it so far! here are some of our responsibilities this summer:
- teaching through the book of Proverbs to a youth group
- teaching through the book of Proverbs with adults on staff at the ministry
- tutoring kids before and after school
-helping serve at a feeding program for preschoolers
- giving devotions 4 days a week (em and I will take 2 each)
- possibly teaching spanish lessons
i'm eager to make every moment count and give anything we can to further this ministry...and the kingdom!
it has been so wonderful to meet believers and see what God is doing here in this community. It was amazing to worship together with believers this morning and it just reminds me that our God is the God of the nations!
Some fun stuff...
-one mode of transportation is tricycles- these are motorcycles with an attachment on the side and back- they can fit 6 people besides the driver and they are completely decked out with paint and decorations. em and i have been buzzing around on these and trying to learn how to get around- its been pretty fun. for all you disney fans out there, picture the motorcyle thing on the aristocats- Lydia!
-where em and i live we have a beautiful view and we can see pretty far- our living situation is great and is very close to where we work
-the bottom floor of our building is a midwifery clinic- 100 births a month- they said that maybe we will get a chance to assist! whoa...
I am so grateful for all of you prayer warriors lifting me up before the Father. He has been equipping us and providing for us in every way. We are over jet lag now, havent gotten sick yet, and He is giving us grace to handle what we are facing. We serve a great God.
Please continue to pray for relationships to be built and for spiritual conversations to come up so that we may share the HOPE we have and encourage the believers!
love love.
- teaching through the book of Proverbs to a youth group
- teaching through the book of Proverbs with adults on staff at the ministry
- tutoring kids before and after school
-helping serve at a feeding program for preschoolers
- giving devotions 4 days a week (em and I will take 2 each)
- possibly teaching spanish lessons
i'm eager to make every moment count and give anything we can to further this ministry...and the kingdom!
it has been so wonderful to meet believers and see what God is doing here in this community. It was amazing to worship together with believers this morning and it just reminds me that our God is the God of the nations!
Some fun stuff...
-one mode of transportation is tricycles- these are motorcycles with an attachment on the side and back- they can fit 6 people besides the driver and they are completely decked out with paint and decorations. em and i have been buzzing around on these and trying to learn how to get around- its been pretty fun. for all you disney fans out there, picture the motorcyle thing on the aristocats- Lydia!
-where em and i live we have a beautiful view and we can see pretty far- our living situation is great and is very close to where we work
-the bottom floor of our building is a midwifery clinic- 100 births a month- they said that maybe we will get a chance to assist! whoa...
I am so grateful for all of you prayer warriors lifting me up before the Father. He has been equipping us and providing for us in every way. We are over jet lag now, havent gotten sick yet, and He is giving us grace to handle what we are facing. We serve a great God.
Please continue to pray for relationships to be built and for spiritual conversations to come up so that we may share the HOPE we have and encourage the believers!
love love.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
i'm here!
we woke up in manila this morning! i can hardly believe it. the travel day was incredibly long, but everything went smoothly- all the flights were on time and all the bags made it. today was a day of orientation and trying to get over jet lag.
i'm so thrilled to be here and i'm looking forward to what is ahead. i take great confidence in knowing that HE is with me and has gone before me.
i'm so thrilled to be here and i'm looking forward to what is ahead. i take great confidence in knowing that HE is with me and has gone before me.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
pack your bags
tomorrow's the big day!
today im with my family at my grandparent's house gearing up to leave in the morning. i look to this upcoming summer with great anticipation. thank you for going to the Father on my behalf. i can't say how often or how much will be appropriate to write on this blog, but please continue to seek Him for me.
love you all,
emily
today im with my family at my grandparent's house gearing up to leave in the morning. i look to this upcoming summer with great anticipation. thank you for going to the Father on my behalf. i can't say how often or how much will be appropriate to write on this blog, but please continue to seek Him for me.
love you all,
emily
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
I'm in Michigan right now before I head to Manila, Philippines on Monday! I'm here at SEND International's headquarters for short term training until Thursday. We've been going to some excellent sessions that I think are really going to be helpful. One thing I didn't expect was to bond so well with the other students here. It has been so encouraging already to get to know people and their passions before we all embark on these adventures!
Tonight, we had dinner with a man who has experience in the Philippines who shared stories and pictures with us. He gave me a better idea of the situation that I will be entering- it sounds like a really exciting ministry and it will also be a huge opportunity to rely on the Lord!
peace out.
em
Tonight, we had dinner with a man who has experience in the Philippines who shared stories and pictures with us. He gave me a better idea of the situation that I will be entering- it sounds like a really exciting ministry and it will also be a huge opportunity to rely on the Lord!
peace out.
em
Sunday, May 24, 2009
the other side of the world
hey everybody!
i can't believe how quickly this year has gone. it seems that i just came back from the DR, but here i am again, approaching SUMMER!
i'm going to manila, philippines to do a ministry internship that will fulfill requirements to graduate from Moody next year!
i don't have a lot of details about the summer, but i do know that i will be learning from missionaries living in a m community in manila. the ministry involves community development and outreach. i am asking for prayer that God will give me boldness in proclaiming the Gospel and that i will have a teachable spirit.
until next time,
eb
i can't believe how quickly this year has gone. it seems that i just came back from the DR, but here i am again, approaching SUMMER!
i'm going to manila, philippines to do a ministry internship that will fulfill requirements to graduate from Moody next year!
i don't have a lot of details about the summer, but i do know that i will be learning from missionaries living in a m community in manila. the ministry involves community development and outreach. i am asking for prayer that God will give me boldness in proclaiming the Gospel and that i will have a teachable spirit.
until next time,
eb
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