Today dawned bright and sunny, with a sky of gorgeous blue
peppered with fluffy white clouds, and my heart was gladdened. John and I
met with Vicki at the temporary clinic to discuss where we will be
installing a second bathroom. After some deliberation, it was decided
that a staff bathroom will be added in the new addition in the back near
the kitchen. This will be our next big project. You might be inclined
to think that there have been quite a few bathroom projects going on
lately, and you would be correct in your thinking. It is a sign of
growth at the clinic, for they are expanding their facility to
accommodate the ever increasing number of Filipina patients. This is an
encouraging indication, and we are happy to add onto the functionality
of the clinic to meet the demand.
The bathroom at the land on the 2nd level is nearing its completion. The shower is coming along wonderfully, and the tile looks mah’velous. Our neighbor, Solomon, is tiling it for us, and is very meticulous in his work. The sink is the last tile job before our new CR is officially completed.
The two typhoons are behind us now, and thankfully the second, Queil [pronounced: kill - interesting, no?] was not nearly as intense as the first one had been. We all weathered the storms without further damage or loss, and are grateful for all of the prayer and support we had from you back home. At Mercyland, we stayed high and dry, and at the temporary clinic, they were not flooded a second time. Jesus was merciful and spared us further destruction.
Please, continue to pray for the Filipino people that Mercy In Action ministers to on a daily basis. As volunteers who help with maintenance, construction work, mechanic jobs, and things that go on behind the scenes, John and I do not interact with the Filipinos as much as the midwives who serve them do. We do what we can to enable the people at the clinic to meet the needs of those around us. To see what it is like from a midwife’s perspective, I would encourage you to read this post from Jessica Saiz’s blog. Jessica is an intern from El Paso, Texas, and she arrived in mid-June with her daughter Mia. She will be staying in Olongapo until the last week of November. Her post gives some insight into how the Mercy Midwives minister to the patients, as well as an introspective look at how she is being shaped by her experiences here. For me, it is good to be reminded again how Mercy In Action is reaching out to the community and helping those who are struggling to survive. In her post, Jessica quotes, “Preach the Gospel; if necessary, use words.”
I want to take a moment to thank everyone for all of your prayers – they mean so much to us. And to those of you who took the time to write to us, thank you ever so much! We love getting snail mail letters from home – it truly brightens our day. We received letters from the James family, Trent and Christina, and Glenn Julius Fonda, and believe me, opening them up was like uncovering a treasure. If you would like to write to us, our address is: 53-C National Highway, New Cabalan, Olongapo 2200, Philippines
It has been good for us to reflect on what Christ has shown us even in the four short months that we have been here. In some ways, time has flown by, and yet there are also moments when it stands still. There are days, I admit, that I long for the fellowship we have back in Indy, surrounded by family and friends whom we love so dearly, but it is clear that Christ wants us here for the time being. We are learning to give generously, love muchly, and serve wholly. John tells me that he has seen me get ‘stretched’ during our time here, and indeed, both of us have been taken out of our comfort zones and have had to deal with issues that we had not anticipated. Neither one of us felt called to lead, and yet, here we were, in a position where Jesus had placed us as team leaders. During that period of time, we have learned many valuable lessons about leadership. Leadership is not always a choice to lead others, but rather, it involves having a vision and pursuing it. Oftentimes, in your pursuit of Christ’s calling, others will flock behind you as a result of your obedience to His calling. Sometimes all it takes is a catalyst.
My Dad used to spur us kids on with a quote, “Ante up and kick in.” This line came from the movie Glory in a particularly inspiring scene. Those words often ring in my mind whenever I am tempted to give up or lose heart. This echoes Paul’s sentiment as stated in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” All for the Glory of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, both now and forever more.
originally posted on October 5, 2011
The bathroom at the land on the 2nd level is nearing its completion. The shower is coming along wonderfully, and the tile looks mah’velous. Our neighbor, Solomon, is tiling it for us, and is very meticulous in his work. The sink is the last tile job before our new CR is officially completed.
The two typhoons are behind us now, and thankfully the second, Queil [pronounced: kill - interesting, no?] was not nearly as intense as the first one had been. We all weathered the storms without further damage or loss, and are grateful for all of the prayer and support we had from you back home. At Mercyland, we stayed high and dry, and at the temporary clinic, they were not flooded a second time. Jesus was merciful and spared us further destruction.
Please, continue to pray for the Filipino people that Mercy In Action ministers to on a daily basis. As volunteers who help with maintenance, construction work, mechanic jobs, and things that go on behind the scenes, John and I do not interact with the Filipinos as much as the midwives who serve them do. We do what we can to enable the people at the clinic to meet the needs of those around us. To see what it is like from a midwife’s perspective, I would encourage you to read this post from Jessica Saiz’s blog. Jessica is an intern from El Paso, Texas, and she arrived in mid-June with her daughter Mia. She will be staying in Olongapo until the last week of November. Her post gives some insight into how the Mercy Midwives minister to the patients, as well as an introspective look at how she is being shaped by her experiences here. For me, it is good to be reminded again how Mercy In Action is reaching out to the community and helping those who are struggling to survive. In her post, Jessica quotes, “Preach the Gospel; if necessary, use words.”
I want to take a moment to thank everyone for all of your prayers – they mean so much to us. And to those of you who took the time to write to us, thank you ever so much! We love getting snail mail letters from home – it truly brightens our day. We received letters from the James family, Trent and Christina, and Glenn Julius Fonda, and believe me, opening them up was like uncovering a treasure. If you would like to write to us, our address is: 53-C National Highway, New Cabalan, Olongapo 2200, Philippines
It has been good for us to reflect on what Christ has shown us even in the four short months that we have been here. In some ways, time has flown by, and yet there are also moments when it stands still. There are days, I admit, that I long for the fellowship we have back in Indy, surrounded by family and friends whom we love so dearly, but it is clear that Christ wants us here for the time being. We are learning to give generously, love muchly, and serve wholly. John tells me that he has seen me get ‘stretched’ during our time here, and indeed, both of us have been taken out of our comfort zones and have had to deal with issues that we had not anticipated. Neither one of us felt called to lead, and yet, here we were, in a position where Jesus had placed us as team leaders. During that period of time, we have learned many valuable lessons about leadership. Leadership is not always a choice to lead others, but rather, it involves having a vision and pursuing it. Oftentimes, in your pursuit of Christ’s calling, others will flock behind you as a result of your obedience to His calling. Sometimes all it takes is a catalyst.
My Dad used to spur us kids on with a quote, “Ante up and kick in.” This line came from the movie Glory in a particularly inspiring scene. Those words often ring in my mind whenever I am tempted to give up or lose heart. This echoes Paul’s sentiment as stated in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” All for the Glory of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, both now and forever more.
originally posted on October 5, 2011
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