One week. Its been a week since my squad arrived in Asia. One full week since my team of seven has arrived at the Children’s Garden of the Philippines, a boys home where 20 boys live 24 hours a day 7 days a week. A home which is now my home for the next six weeks.
Comparison is something my heart has struggled with since I can remember. Whether it be with people to myself, or what others have, others experience, you name it I have probably compared it to my life. It’s an issue that I have been working through with the Lord, especially in these past few months but even as we entered Asia I saw myself doing this. Comparing my ministry to others on my squad. I saw the ministry they were working with and all of the amazing things they had and how nice it was and let my mind wander and began to set myself up with expectations. Bad idea.
When we first arrived at the Children’s Garden, I was not excited. Children’s Garden is a boy’s home for 20 boys all living together, ages 10-18. My expectation: I would get to work with little kids, especially girls during the day. When we got inside they showed us our room. Out of the 7 people on my team, five of us are all sleeping in the same room with all of our teams stuff, on the floor without beds. My expectation: We would have lots of space and beds to sleep in. There is also not a working shower here or a flushing toilet so we take bucket showers and flush the toilet by filling up the bucket and pouring it down the toilet. My expectation: We would have at least one working shower and a flushing toilet. But God shattered all my expectations into pieces and gave me something more fulfilling than I could have realized when just seeing what was on the surface.
Now when I talk about all this, I’m sure it sounds like I’m complaining. But it’s not. I am so grateful and so thankful that this is my new home.
Here I have so many more opportunities for ministry than I could have ever imagined. Not only am I constantly living with 20 teenage boys and getting to hang out with them, but in this first week of living here I have gone to their families' homes and spent time with them, played with street kids, went to a bible study with women in prostitution, had a church service in Jollibee (fast-food restaurant), made a Thanksgiving dinner for 40 people, and served at a Filipino wedding. Its only been one week. I can only imagine what the rest of these six weeks hold at CG.
The sign all the boys made for us on Thanksgiving morning before our big American Thanksgiving feast we made for them, (excluding rice which they were not happy about).
I can’t imagine being any place else besides with these 20 boys, these boys who have already touched my heart in so many ways. Without seeing their faces everyday or waking up to their voices singing praises at 6 in the morning, (that or Jason Mraz). I didn’t sign up for this trip to feel comfortable, to feel like I was home. I came to serve the Lord wherever He called me. He has called me here, to the Children’s Garden of the Philippines to fulfill his purpose here.
This is a video of the boys singing Happy Birthday to me on our first night here at CG. What a way to start off turning 19!
