Dear friends and family,
Last night I was too exhausted to blog, so I'm typing this on a beautiful Sunday morning. 85 degrees already at 7am. So excuse me if I'm still kind of groggy.
Yesterday we woke up with the sun for the feeding at Tondo. I got to ride a trike for the first time, which is basically a motorcycle attached to a little cart/carriage, and it was a cool experience! We started off by handing out hard candies to the children around the church, sorting piles of rags turned into little pot holders into stacks, and talking and praying with Pastor Ramilo. Please continue to pray for his battle with cancer and for his amazing ministry there in Tondo. They have feedings there 3 times a week and a school and church there as well. He has a huge heart for the poorest of the poor, and God is doing amazing things through his ministry!
We hiked up Smokey Mountain, a "mountain" made by years of landfill and waste. I thought it was beautiful how among the scraps of plastic and bits of glass in the soil, there were leafy banana plants growing, almost as a reminder how God can bring life to even the most impoverished of places. It is unbelievable how the Christian workers there serve, loving the children with such big hearts and serving with so much sacrifice.
There are a hundred or two hundred individuals living on top of Smokey Mountain, without running water, electricity, and daily meals. They have literally nothing except the tattered clothes on their backs, and even then, many of them showed up half-naked or completely naked. Yet the children there, probably among the world's poorest, are the most precious kids I've seen with their large eyes and beautiful smiles. They are so joyful and welcoming and happy, despite the conditions they live in. It really is humbling and provides a perspective on joy and contentment, and it was a privilege to love them and to help Pastor Ramilo's ministry and to see how God is using him.
We were able to fill about 100 bowls with rice, spam, and banana ketchup, which is "ketchup" made from bananas and dyed red with food coloring. A week ago, some short term missionaries brought metal bowls for each of the kids, and so it was neat to see all the kids holding up their individual metal bowls! It was also one of the older ladies' 65th birthday, and it was pretty neat to see a group of youth celebrating and singing on top of Smokey Mountain.
After Smokey Mountain, we went back to the Nichols' and rested before dinner. We were invited by a sweet couple who ministers to missionaries to one of the cutest and most amazing restaurants I have ever been in! The owner of the restaurant was a humble, sweet, and welcoming Christian lady who also has the most amazing, crystal-clear voice and she sang a few songs for us. The food was amazing (liquid chocolate for dessert), and it was nice to fellowship with other missionaries and Christian families living in Manila.
The main question running through my mind is: If God is good and if He is sovereign here in such poverty, isn't He also good and sovereign in my own life as well? To be perfectly honest, the last six months to a year have been really hard for me with a lot of friendship/relationship issues, but yet here I see that God truly is sovereign and He is present and working in this community for our good and His glory, changing lives and hearts. And if He is good and sovereign despite challenges like Pastor Ramilo's cancer and extreme poverty, if He is working and using these difficulties to bring others closer to Him, then He is also good and active and working in my own life as well, using trials and difficulties for my good. Even though my own struggles are so small compared to the weight of what I've seen, I give thanks, for I know the God I serve loves me and does indeed have a good plan in mind for me. He is good and does good, and this trip is a beautiful reminder of that.
Today the plan is for me to attend the Nichols' church and maybe visit Shalom Birthing Clinic. Ellie and I are also leading a craft/story time at Redemptio on Tuesday or Wednesday, so we'll be getting supplies for our craft too.
Thank you,
Amanda
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