Pictures of Days 15-18

Lunch at Evelyn and Julius's home after church

Worship after the service

Church at Christ Servant's Community Church with Bill and Midge

Sunset

Getting ready to fish out at sea

The beach complete with a small fishing boat

Arriving at the beach... YAY!!!

Rice fields we passed on the way to the beach

Day Eighteen: Payatas

Wow... we didn't realize it has been four days since we last wrote. So I guess we have much to update you on as things here in Payatas have been busy and we have reached a new level of exhaustion. Needless to say the blog has even seemed like work. We are looking forward to spending a few days with Bill and Midge on the island of Corrigidor to relax and catch up on much needed rest before coming back to the USA on Sunday.
What has gone on these last four days you must be asking yourselves!?! Friday we left very early in the morning for the beach (Infanta Quezon Province). In total there were fourteen of us who all fit into a small van with all of our camping gear and traveled for three hours on extremely tiny twisty roads up the mountains until we reached a beautiful beach. The water was blue and we were among the local people. It was fun to experience life in the provinces, but I (jill) received about 30 mosquito bites and Jason got sunburned pretty badly on his back due to his antibiotic (whoops!). We stayed the night camping on the beach and then spent Saturday fishing/swimming/sleeping along the beach!! We left Saturday evening and traveled three hours back to Payatas. Saturday night we took all of the beach goers to Pizza Hut... we needed a small break from fish heads and chicken liver :) (Evelyn and Julius we still love you!!)
Sunday we had a wonderful visit with Bill and Midge. They came to payatas for the church service and then we had a great lunch at the home of Evelyn and Julius. Once they left I joined the women's Bible study and shared from Psalm 51. Jason had a chance to sleep and then we headed to the home of Ate Marychris and Hermie. They cooked dinner for us and we stayed the night at their home and enjoyed a restful night of sleep. Tomorrow will be our final day and night in payatas before we head to be with Bill and Midge for a few days. We will post pictures later as I am writing this Monday early evening and our friends here are preparing a going away party for us... Love to you all and thank you for your prayers we continue to feel them here and are comforted resting in our Lord to carry us through as He has so faithfully done.

Day Fourteen: Payatas

Hi! Its Jason and i am feeling much better! Thank you all for your prayers! I am still a little weak, and still have some muscle soreness, but i am not complaining. Today was a very hard day though. Jill and i visited Malinta on the other side of metro Manila. It is an extremely depressed area only containing filthy shacks that are built right on years of flatten garbage... There is absolutely no infrastructure, no schools, no jobs, and little else but people, shacks and trash... The same feeding program, Project Matthew, also has a program there and missionaries from Payatas go there several times a week to help minister, lead bible studies, and train disciples. Up to this point none of the pastors live in this area, it is just to depressed. Each day is getting harder for Jill and I as we become worn down, exhausted on so many levels. But God continues to be faithful and carrying us through each minute, as He has all of our days... Jill and I were talking about how much more we have seen God here. We realized that it is not because He is actually more present, but because we are so much more aware of our needs, and dependence on Him. Jill and I are realizing the things we cling to at home that we have made our idols (our schedules, our house, our stuff, etc.), serving as subtle, but functional gods. Our prayer is that we would always remember the way that God has broken our hearts here, and that we would cling to Him and his word the way we have here. We want you guys to hold us accountable when we get home and start complaining and losing sight of the big picture that is eternity (i do not have to worry about my men's group--they all seem to have that gift of discernment... ;-). We are continually thankful for our time here and all that we have seen. Early in our stay Jill gave a great talk about the differences between trials and temptations, and that has been so helpful to recognize as are continually stretched to see the trial that is from God for our sanctification and purification, as we continue on the journey towards Eternity with our creator... Thank you again for all of your prayers and support.

River at Malinta

A pregnant women - who was having contractions but did not have any place to go...

Looks like soil - but its trash - Malinta was a valley that was filled with trash and flattened.

Day Thirteen: Payatas

Last night (Tuesday) was a rough one. Jason woke up in the middle of the night with a fever, cough, and was extremely chilled. Thankfully, many of you advised us to take medicine with us just for this purpose... needless to say I have been pumping him full of medicine and since 4am he has been sleeping well. I think in many ways this is a blessing. We have been moving full speed ahead everyday we have been here in Payatas and although Jason is sick God is providing him with rest (thank goodness for cough medicine with codeine as well!!). We would appreciate continued prayers for his health as we have much to do in the upcoming days. We know that God is our ultimate physician and His word tells us that He is the one who forgives all of our iniquities and heals us from all disease (psalm 103). So that is the news on our health... but I am sure you are dying to know more about what we have been up to here...

After medicating my husband I headed off with Evelyn and Julius to their church (CSCC) to help again with the daily feeding program. Today we had fewer children (only 75!) because many are in school... the number will increase on Saturday when school is not in session. I dished out rice while Evelyn handed out the bean soup. Prior to feeding the children Julius plays the guitar leading the children in praise songs and then teaches them a short lesson. Currently, he is going through Matthew 4 talking about the temptation of Jesus. It is a joy to see the different age groups singing to the Lord with big smiles on their faces. Even the little ones who are barely walking are dancing to the music. Once all the children were fed we headed to one of the sowers homes named Ate Beth. (Ate is a term of respect) Ate Beth welcomed us into her home and we were able to bring her supplies to make the bags which provide her and many others in the bag making process with income to support their families. These are the bags we will be bringing home with us in hopes that God will provide an avenue for selling them so that the those here in Payatas will be blessed with an increase in their income. We are now back at The Quinones home and we are getting ready to eat lunch and then later go to a meeting in metro Manila with Project Matthew (feeding program). Thank you all for your continued support/emails/prayers/etc... we are so grateful for the love that we feel from you all!! I will keep you posted on Jason's health... hopefully the next report will be that he is back to his chipper/fun/energetic self :)

Day Eleven/Twelve: Payatas

It is currently Tuesday night and Jason and I have reached our peak of exhaustion on many different levels. We are also at the present moment fighting about what number day we should be posting... I think I won the fight... but since we are both so tired it was one of our more pathetic fights. Yesterday (day eleven) was our day off so there is not much to inform you of, but we had a chance to sleep and do laundry. Today (day twelve) we went back to Talisay for the feeding program. We were able to provide the church with vitamins to give to the families of the feeding program in this area. Unfortunately, our good intentions turned south when we realized the pharmacy did not give us the amount of vitamins we paid for leaving some mothers without vitamins...needless to say the mothers were not too happy. Julius had to explain that it was a mistake and we would go back to the pharmacy to hopefully correct the issue. God is good and the pharmacy realized that they short changed us and gave us the remaining bottles of vitamins. Again... another lesson learned... count and be sure you have what you paid for! After the feeding program we headed to Montalban which is a remote area outside of Manila that the government has created to bring squatters to. Julius' brother Johnrey is a pastor in this area. The government probably thought they were helping by providing housing, but they failed to provide other necessities such as a hospital/food/jobs/schools/etc. It is still amazing to me that the people in these hard pressed areas are always smiling and laughing. They cling to their Creator and trust that God will provide for their basic needs. I apologize that this post is going to be short but our brains and bodies are tired... more than tired... please pray for us as we need to be renewed physically and spiritually.

Day Nine: Payatas

Hello! Jill and I have probably had the most memorable 24 hours ever! Yesterday, Saturday afternoon we went to the mall to get clothes for the wedding (we will get to that), and while we were there Jill was on the escalator when a girl preceded to have what appeared to be a seizure and fell on her. It turned out the girl with two other women targeted Jill and was able to steal money out of her purse. Julius and I chased down the girl who had the "seizure", at that point we did not know she was working with accomplices. We caught her and the security guards took her to their office. They grilled her, and she slowly admitted that she did steal the money. They advised us to report her to the police, so we escorted her across down to the station! So we had a stranger in our custody, a citizens arrest - this is not America, baby! So we spent several hours at that police station, and left Rika at the police station for the night. This morning we went back to see if anyone had come for her, and to wait for social services. While we were there her mother and aunt came, and all three women were every emotional, as the detectives and social services interviewed her and filled out reports. However, the best part about this story is that we were given an amazing opportunity to witness to the family. Julius presented the gospel, and Rika's aunt was visibly shaken by his words. Rika and her family are from an area close to Payatas, and they are extremely poor. After the processing was complete, she was released, and we took her family for lunch and got them rice and bananas to take home as well. The family was so appreciative, and for the first time showed real remorse, and emotion. We believe that God had put this girl and this situation in our path, and it was a rare but wonderful opportunity to try and show the love, grace, and truth of Christ.
This morning, Sunday, we missed church because of the unexpected events, but we experienced one of the most amazing worship "services" ever. Evelyn reminded us of John 5 where Christ is persecuted for healing on the Sabbath. John 5:15-17: The man went away and told the Jews that it is was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." It it immediately hit Jill and I that of course God is working, and the way we schedule our lives, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute in America, we can often can miss out on what God could have for us.
Now, this day takes a every dramatic turn. Earlier this week we were asked to be the God parents of Julie Ann Guiterrez and Godjell Quinones, who were married today. They asked if we would be that for them, and we said yes, and today Jill and I were way-to-much-center-stage in a beautiful Filipino wedding! We were honored, and deeply touched, and we have assumed a lifetime of responsibility for a beautiful young couple who both know and love Jesus!

Julius and I experiencing our first automatic coffee machine at the Police Station

Rika (sitting, on the left) and her family

Miss Julie Ann Guiterriez...

...Mrs. Julie Ann Quinones

Our Filipino family... (from L to R, Evelyn, Julius, Hanna, Jireh)

Day Seven: Payatas

Good morning (or Good evening depending on which side of the globe you are on). We just finished our fourth day at Payatas, and we having a hard time putting into words all that we have seen, done, and the ways in which we have encountered God. On Wednesday, we were part of a small prayer and worship time with the mothers who work in the feeding program. These women put any church in America to shame, they know their creator, and cling to him everyday, we sensed it, and their worship brought us to our knees. Today, we split up and Jill helped with the preschool at the church while I and Ptr. Julius went to the homes of people in the community. We just sat and talked with them, laughed, and prayed with them. I am falling in love with this place and these people, i feel at home here, like no other place i have in my life, or at any other time. Thankfully, my wife, my helper, my seer of danger (thanks uncle tim for the explanation of what a helper really is), is less prone to the extreme whims of my heart, and reminds me that we will be returning to the US, i know she is right, but i am scared to forget what i have felt here, how my heart has been broken. I had my first bit of culture shock - it was when we went back into the business district - as we shuffled through the Porsches, Louis Vuitton purses, and Hollywood, i became so sad and depressed, it didn't feel like the place i used to call home, it was empty, God had left the building, and all i wanted to do was run back to my home, back to the garbage. When Jill and I prepared to come over here we knew that we would take away more then we could ever give, but i never thought it would look like this.

Lord, thank you for your love, and your mercy. Thank you for your will, help me to see it, recognize it, and trust it. Amen.