About 12 Hours from the Eye of the Storm

Super Typhoon HAIYAN (YOLANDA), "is considered as the most powerful tropical cyclone ever to develop since Super Typhoon Tip of October 1979," states weather.com.ph and Frei Ministries is projected to be at the center of the storm in about 12 hours. Winds have been projected at 305 km/hr which is about 208mph.


James and Ashley have been preparing for the last 5 days for this storm. Their home is ready for the storm. They have moved and planned to stay upstairs in order to be safe from any potential flooding. Please continue to pray for them and the people of the Philippines.

When I last spoke to Ashley via Viber, she said the eye of the storm was about 12 hours away. The winds have begun to pick up. About an hour ago, Ashley posted on facebook, "We are turning phones off to preserve battery. Pray like never before."

"We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . ." — Romans 8:28

I was reminded by Oswald Chambers, "All your circumstances are in the hand of God, and therefore you don’t ever have to think they are unnatural or unique. Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints."

Look for updates here, as we get them. Blessings.

Posted by: Jeremy Hellums, Ashley's brother in law.

Update from October 20, 2013

Time is seriously flying by here. I can’t believe another week has come and gone. This week started as a typical Monday, which consists of school 7:30am-11:30am, then home for lunch and then James and I go to a weekly meeting with Kim and Rick while our kids stay here with mercy. This week our meeting was great!! We each discussed what God has been saying to us in our personal devotions and where we feel the ministry going. I love how God has us all on the same page. Rick gave James and me some awesome advice in how to deal with the people here and some ways to reach out and lead even more effectively than what’s already being done. After our meeting we came straight home, got the kids some sandwiches and apples and headed out to church. We a 5:30pm meeting with the ministry team there and then a 7:00pm meeting involving all the pastors. I love Mondays but man are they full.

Tuesday was a school holiday so this week we went to this place called Bamboo Falls. It’s a beautiful swimming area and when we were there we met a family from New York and Brazil. Daniel said, ‘Look mom, white people!!” White people are very uncommon here and I have to admit, it was nice to have a conversation in English while out and about. At the falls there are 15 ft. cliffs you can jump off of. Daniel led me up there and he and I made our first jump!! I absolutely love this kind of stuff but just a regular jump is not thrilling enough for me, so I climbed up again and then did a back flip off the cliff!! What a rush!! Everyone there watching was either videoing or screaming! The next time I went to do it I slipped on the way up but caught myself with a tree. I have a pretty bruised up leg and a busted eardrum from jumping, but I will say it was worth it. Daniel and I could have stayed there all day, but after our picnic lunch Sam and Lydia were pretty tired. So after dropping off a few people who needed rides we headed home for a peaceful Tuesday evening alone. Those evenings are rare and cherished. I, however, was in a lot of pain from my ear so my night was restless.

Wednesday, I did not stay to teach because any noise at all killed my ear. I got an antibiotic from “Dr. Kim” and began taking that immediately. So, instead of school, I ran errands with James and Samuel in Caticlan. It was a nice break from the classroom! After we picked up the kids we came home for lunch and naps. I had begun feeling a little off, but not sure what it was. By that evening I was not able to leave the potty or hear a thing. I was physically under major attack. Also this day we discovered two places of cellulitis on Daniel’s legs and James had a rash covering his back and arms. More yuck. James and the older two went to church and Sam and I stayed behind with Sister Anna here to help me out. James called and said he forgot the candy and crayons so when I took those to him Lydia came back with me! That night we had to squeeze Daniels boils and it was terrible. Wednesday was rough. Oh, I went to the dr Wednesday and found out I had e coli and/or an amoeba. That was the bad feeling and I got more meds. That also explained the complete exhaustion I had been feeling because my body wasn’t getting any nutrients.

Thursday, I stayed home, very sick and we kept the kids home too. WE needed to keep an eye on Daniels legs, mainly keep them clean and we were all just wiped out. Thursday was pretty quiet except that evening we went to the market for the food for our Friday feeding. As of Thursday I still could not keep down food or water. This is when I finally let my family know just how sick I was, and the prayers started. I love so much that one word to my sister and she’s calling out for prayers. It encourages us so much to look at emails and Facebook and see so much support. This type of ministry is very hard. I know there are harder places to serve, but I feel that anytime you are stripped of all your comforts and normal ways of living, it is just hard. I have been reading more and more about the disciples and Paul. They had no place they called home. They followed Jesus, or His leading, into the most uncomfortable places, even unto death. But, they were sold out, nothing would stop them. I pray to have this sort of courage and strength throughout my days of serving the Lord.

Friday the kids went to school and I stayed home. I thought I could get out and do some stuff but nope, I was put on strict bed rest by my hubby. I’m glad he did that because I was never going to heal unless I rested. On Friday afternoon the kids had rehearsal at school for a dance routine they are doing in the children’s parade on the 25^th. Daniel is dressing up in the typical male Filipino garments and Lydia is wearing here American flag stuff! So after their rehearsal it was time for the feeding here at our house. Thank God for Sister Anna and Mercy because they cooked everything. WE had pancit. It’s like thin rice noodles with carrots, chicken, cabbage and whatever else you want to add. We had around 25 kids and 10 parents and we had tons of food left over. We used the extra food for the feeding the next morning. Because we have a fridge, we can keep the food here and then heat it for the next day. Most people here do not have a fridge so you eat what is made or give it away. I’m so thankful for the 2^nd Baptist SS Class who are supporting our Friday feedings. You are touching lives and you don’t even know them. Thank you for helping us. On that note, we have been so blessed by your continued giving. You, as our friends and family, have no idea how blessed we are to have you guys in our corner. It’s amazing how a need with arise and we will check PayPal or modern day, and someone has donated just that amount. THANK YOU for being obedient when the Lord lays that on your heart. Also, I was supposed to have the girl orphans come spend this night with us but because I was still feeling bad I had to cancel. I feel super bad for that, but we will try again this Friday. The boys want to come stay every day and I want to let them, but there are some legal grounds to follow first.

Saturdays are so super busy for us. I thought I was feeling much better so I headed out to the first feeding. This is the one where we cross the river. Normally the river is pretty shallow but with the recent heavy rains it was up to my knees so this meant we had to carry kids across as well as the food and supplies. Needless to say after the feeding I was exhausted. There were only about 15 kids at the feeding but we have the feedings rain or shine and it was raining. WE met in the grandmother’s house. The families live near each other here and she is the grandmother for that area. Pretty sure most of the kids are her grandchildren or at least family in one way or another. When we got back here, soaking wet, I went up to lie down for a few minutes and the next thing I knew I woke up to a quiet house. This meant James and the kids, along with Sister Anna and tin, went to the next feeding. I got up and made the cookie dough for my cookies I was taking to a church opening and then laid back down. When James and the kids got back I headed to rick and Kim’s to bake and I took another load to a feeding here near our house. Daniel stayed with Sister Anna at the feeding and Lydia went with me to bake. Sam was at home with James napping. After I finished baking 12 dozen cookies we headed back home and made a quick market run. Sister Anna needed some things and so did we. I pretty much know my way around the market now and the prices to shoot for. They’ve seen us enough that they know we are not just tourists so they don’t try to mark prices up. Daniel was shopping with Sister Anna and they got a toy for Daniel, Lydia, and Samuel. I told her she is spoiling my kids, but according to her that is Auntie Anna’s job. I love that my kids are so loved here. We are too, but when you love my kids, that’s all I need.

Sunday, today, another busy day. WE went to pastor Leo and Sister Anna’s church today. They had the last service in their old church, preached by Pastor Rick and after that we attended the ribbon cutting ceremony at their new church. It is located up the hill from the other one and after church we all carried chairs and filed up there. It was crowded, hot, and one of the most beautiful days I’ve experienced here. To see these people faces that have worked so hard and given so much to make this happen, and finally it did. They had some beautiful music and the baraguay Captain made a speech. Rick and Kim cut the ribbon. After the ceremony we headed back here for naps and this evening we went to caticlan to get some time put on our internet card and have pizza. Our local internet is down so we have this smart card thing we use for now. Pizza has become our Sunday night tradition and I love it because the owners know us and it opens doors to share the gospel more and more.

Our days are long and exhausting, but worth every minute. The kids and I are really picking up the language pretty quickly and Sam jabbers stuff all the time so I’m sure he’s getting it too. James is learning but he is afraid to mess up or sound funny so he’s shy. We can sure see God using us here and it’s the most humbling thing I’ve ever known. I don’t feel like we are even denting the surface of all the needs but we just go where we are lead and serve. Thank you so much for your continued prayers. This week was a physically attacked week and not just for us. My family at home has had their share of issues too. But we serve a risen savior; He’s in the world today. I know that He is living whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, and just the time I need Him He’s always near. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. HE walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart. Take that satan, you lose!!!

My first Hospital Experience Here, Not for Myself

Before I forget the events over the last few days I want to blog so here goes…

On Thursday morning I made the comment to Brandy that I was “off to my day, whatever it may hold” and boy did it hold something I have never experienced here. When we got to school to what would normally be Daniel, Lydia and I staying for class and James running errands or helping with medical runs, we discovered there were 5 children needing to go to the hospital and 3 moms were there and the other two have no mom, so I needed to go because Kim (the one who normally does all the hospital stuff) was taking 2 others to another hospital a few hours away. So we set off for the hospital and among our crew was a very sick little boy named, Troy. His mom left him and his brother here a few months ago to go work. Not like work and send money, but work because it is best for her. Anyway he is a very troubled and hurting young man and you can see it all over his face. Well for almost a week he has been sick with a stomach virus type illness and the dehydration finally caught up with him. He got admitted to the hospital right away. He doesn’t understand much English and I don’t understand much of what he says which is little to nothing, but I can read hurt and this boy was in pain. As the nurses proceeded to get an IV started I literally cried along with him as I had to help hold him down. After the nurses were done, I held him the best I could to comfort him. About 30 min later they had to do some skin tests and he began freaking out again. The girl in there with him at the time (only 13) came to get me so I could, once again, hold him still. And again, I just cried. I kept thinking he needs his mom, how could she just leave her sons. Lots of unanswered type questions, but ultimately I knew where I was needed most and that was by his side. The rest of the crew we took with us had minor things that were easily treated and we sent home. When James got back he took them home and I stayed behind with troy and the 13 year old leslibeth. At one point she looked so young and so lost so I held her and apologized for her having to grow up so fast here. She lives above our church. She has family but no mom and dad and her family can’t take care of her and her sisters, so she, along with about 14 other girls live above our church. So around 1pm James came back to get me and I was sick leaving leslibeth there alone but I understand this is the way they do things here. On our ride home I didn’t say much of anything and when we got home I went straight upstairs and sobbed in my pillow. I cried for so many reasons, for troy, for the way the hospitals are here (just not clean and you share a room with so many people and no privacy at all) for kids being orphaned, for my selfish ways, for my kids, for my family…I really could go on. But James came in and prayed with me and talked me through some of the pains. I’m so thankful for the rock I have in him. I stayed in bed and napped with Sam Sam and that afternoon we hiked to a feeding where most of my students live. This is where Troy’s people are so I was glad to be able to report to them. The hike was only about 25 min, but I was worn out because I carried Sam on my back and I’m sorely out of shape. However, the view and feeding those precious kids is worth every step. After the feeding this boy, Jessie (who will probably be our son one day) lead Daniel, Lydia, and I down the mountain a different way so we could go get Jerome (Troy’s brother) and tell him about troy and see if he and Jessie could stay the night at our place. Well when we finally got to Mam Norrie’s, where the boys stay, it was dark. Jessie led us there but this walk was down the mountain, down another road, then through a rice field…adventure awaits!!! I will say putting my trust in an 8 year old was hard but he knew every step of the way. Well there are 6 boys that stay at mam Norrie’s and I wasn’t about to not have them all come stay if they wanted and sure enough, they did. So we piled in our van and headed here. It was so awesome to feed them and give them new toothbrushes and have an indoor bed for them to sleep on. WE just turned the mattress sideways and 3 boys slept on it while 2 others slept in the twin bed. The next morning, which is today, they were all up by five and watching cartoons with Daniel. When James and I got up at six thirty James headed down to make breakfast while I got ours ready for school. 21 eggs and a loaf of bread later, we were all ready for school. After a normal day at school all the boys, plus one more, headed back here with us. Mercy had fried chicken and rice waiting for us and the boys ate well.  Jessie wanted some ketchup…definitely my kiddo!! After lunch I laid down with Sam while James took all the boys plus Lydia and her friend swimming at this place they call the falls. It’s a river but it has small cliffs which the kids loved playing on. After that they all returned and had warm showers, with soap, and new clothes (James bought them each one outfit-$5 each) they were so grateful for the clothes and throughout the day Jessie kept smelling his shirt. He loved the clean smell, I guess. So this evening we had our feeding here and 37 kids were here. It is one of the biggest feedings there is and that is Awesome!! After the feeding James took sister Anna and pastor Leo to Caticlan to the market so they could shop for food and I fed the 14 kids who were either staying or just hanging out at my house. We had basically chicken and rice. There is a fancy Filipino name, but I don’t know it. So after dinner they continued to hang out and play kindles and after mam Kim, robin, Sister Anna, Pastor Leo, obed and Jessie left we settled in for a bible story, prayers, teeth brushing and bedtime. I hugged them all and told them I loved them and closed the door. As I write this I can still hear some of them going to the CR (we call it bathroom, they call it comfort room-cr). I’m so happy they are here and we can feed them and clean them. Tomorrow they will stay all day and tomorrow night, they go home after church on Sunday morning. This is the part I love; this is what I was created to do. To mother, nurture, encourage and pour myself into children. I’m so thankful for this chapter of my life and I’m trying desperately to be ‘all here’ and soak it up. Missing my family and friends makes it hard, but I know God knows what He’s doing the wherever He leads, I’ll follow.

Oh, and troy gets out of the hospital tomorrow and will come here to stay the night!!!

WEEK #3 in the Philippines!

I definitely do not need to wait this long between blogs. So many things I’m sure I’ll forget but I’m surrendering this process to the Lord and HE will make of it what He sees necessary.

So beginning our first week of school here was very interesting. Daniel and Lydia are in the same class and I am in there with them as a teachers’ aid. However, by this week I’ve been doing a lot of teaching on my own which says a lot about the kids and myself. Their English is getting better and my Malaynon is getting better too. In the classroom there are 31 students. They range from 4 yrs to 15 yrs old. The reason for this is that some of these kids are right at Kindergarten level and some are above, but most of them are right at it. The reason for the older kids is that they have never been educated yet. The ati people have been pushed out of the society here so if they can’t pass a certain test to enter public school then they cannot go. This school gives them the opportunity to learn enough and even more to pass the test so that they may start public school. Now, you can’t tell they are up to 15 because Daniel is almost the biggest kid in the class. They are so mal nourished that they have not grown like they should, or they are just small Filipinos.

While we are at school, James and Sam are usually running errands for people or taking people to and from the clinic or hospital. This week James and the people have been working hard to get the mayor’s permit finished for our school! Everyone here has fallen in love with Sam Sam and he brightens days wherever he goes!!!

We attended some new feedings last week and they are in beautiful locations. Here everything is very green and there are lots of rivers. It’s such a sight to behold. The people here live almost completely off the land. For instance, on our way down from a very long hike to a feeding this lady tore off a leaf and stuck it to her forehead. I asked why and she said it’s good for headache and tummy ache. I should have grabbed a handful but I didn’t.  I also learned to make coconut oil this week. And we had fresh coconut milk because of that process. Here they cook with the coconut milk a lot and us the oil for pretty much everything. When my friend was showing me what to do, after she finished squeezing the milk from the coconut pieces, she ran her hands through her hair. She said the milk is very good to nourish, like conditioner.

We made another trip to borocay but this time the boat was a very nice inclosed ferry. At borocay we got lots of American style foods but we are mostly taking on the Filipino ways of eating. My kids love the bananas and mangos here.  We eat rice with every meal and lots of vegetables. Our meats are mostly pork and chicken. My friend, sister anna, is teaching me lots of ways to make foods here and I haven’t found anything I don’t like. Daniel eats more than I do these day s and Lydia has lots of rice with sugar sprinkled on it. Sam loves it all, but mainly the rice, just by itself.

The kids have made lots of friends and so have I. I am happy to say I know about as much Malaynon (the language here) as a two year old. I’m working very hard to learn. I have a notepad I keep with me to write down phrases and words I’m learning. I’ve learned enough that I can actually teach all alone!! My issues come when the kids are telling on each other, then I need some help. James is learning a lot from me and the kids are just picking up things as we go.

It’s a cooler time of year here right now. It’s about 70 at night and 80 during the day. It’s still very very very humid but we seem to all be getting used to it. We sleep with the ac on in our bedroom at night but no ac during the day. We have windows open and fans running. We moved the kids’ bed into our room so all five of us are in there, Filipino style. I like that better anyway.

We had a 4 yr anniversary celebration for the radio ministry here, last Sunday. There we over 300 people who attended and it was an awesome time to give praise to the work God is doing here. Our church in Cugon had and choir that sang (young people) and Rick Holden brought the message.2 young men gave their lives to Christ!! It was very cool!! I got to sing with my friend, sister anna’s group. I have just jumped right in here and I love it.

There are a few kids here I’m pretty sure will end up being our children forever but all of them have made their way into our hearts. There is nothing like holding a child, knowing they have no mother to hold them and that God has appointed you for that moment in their life. Or, filling their bowl with food and seeing their face light up. Who needs a thank you after that!?! 

At the feedings the food are one pot sort of meals. Mainly rice, with veggies and chicken. There is enough to feed the kids and their families and these feedings cost anywhere from $10 to $25 depending on the needs at each location. This feeds around 40-80 people. We also have coloring sheets for the kids and a multivitamin for them (the chewy kind). All of this meets such a small need for them, but at the same time it’s huge!! I’ve never been more fulfilled in my entire life, just by seeing their grateful faces. I’ve never seen a kid here say “no, I don’t like that” as a matter of fact they usually come back for seconds and thirds!!

I want to close this blog by saying Thank You/Salamat!! Without you and your prayers and financial support, we would not be here. I hope you know just how important you are to the work God is doing over here. I wish you all had the chance to join us, even for a little while, just to see the awesomeness He is doing here. I feel as though our family has so many areas in which God is using us here and none of that would be possible without your obedience to HIM. WE praise Him and give Him all the honor and Glory for everything and every day.

Blog # 2 - Update from September 25, 2013

So I will start by saying today is a hard day. So many realities are setting in and its hard to adjust to life here. I want to go back a few days and catch you up to now.

We went to Borocay, with my family, to have a few days away together before they left. When we started out that morning it was raining and yucky weather, but we didn’t think much of it. When we got to the first boat dock and when I say boat, don’t think boat, thing big canoe with riggers! When we got to the first “pumpboat” location it was closed due to the rough water. Maybe we should have taken that as a sign not to try and go, but we didn’t. We found a port that was running boats and we started out. I had no idea we were going on this type of boat. James made it sound like a ferry, so when I saw what was in store I was not happy at all. Added to that we had 5 foot swells because of the rough weather. Later we found out this was Typhoon Odette. Yes!!! We were on the water in an oversized canoe in a typhoon!!

So we made it safely to borocay and on the way there we met a man named, Willie, who helps tourists (I think we stuck out like sore thumbs). He walked us to a nice hotel on the water and helped us get settled. I learned he actually knows the same people we know and is a Christian. Here they say catholic Christian or Baptist Christian. I’m not one for titles, but Baptist Christian is how they would describe me.

We quickly learned that Odette would make our stay interesting, to say the least. However, we came to go to the beach so we did. I kept thinking how much my cousin, Joseph, would have loved it because there were 8-10 ft swells and at one point I decided to swim into one, Bad Idea. I finally came up for air and headed to the shore. Yes!! It is a beautiful beach but I would prefer it not to swallow me whole.

That evening we ate dinner at the red coconut café. Mainly because we had 10% off. We had a great time with our family there including an atv ride to the tallest point and seeing some breathtaking sights. My mom, dad, and shelbi went scuba diving. They loved it, but that sort of thing is not for me.

After two days with our family there we headed back on the pumpboats to caticlan. Caticlan is the nearest town to us (10min away). There we piled into our very small van and headed home to Dumlog (pronounced Dume –a-log). Once we got here we began getting more things in order for the house. James made homemade calamari (posit) and American style spaghetti. Here they make a sweet sauce that I don’t like but I do like it our style. Pastor Leo, Sister anna and their oldest son obed came over and after dinner obed played guitar and we all sat around and sang praise songs. The fact that we have to keep our screeenless windows open is a good thing when Gods word is heard through song all through this neighborhood. We will be getting screens soon but here the landlords don’t pay for anything so as God provides we are making repairs.

The next day, which was Monday, we had to take mom and dad to Kalibo where they would fly to Manila. This was a very heavy day but we all did our very best to make the best of it. Have I mentioned it rains everyday… it just started again as I’m typing this. Thankfully it is about 75 degrees so its not too hot today. So, on Monday we went to visit the children at the Mustard Seed school (where the ati orphans and more ati go) so that my family could say bye. Shelbi made so many friends with the children here. Every afternoon our house is packed with kids and yesterday they all asked about shelbi. After we visited the school we headed out to Kalibo on a greyhound style bus. The drive should take about an hour, but it takes about two because of the roads and other traffic or animals that decide to be in the road. (dogs, cows, goats, oxen, carimou-oxen/cow) I got a little car sick but I was thankful sam and Lydia napped on the bus. Once we got there we got on two trikes (motorcylces with side carts that hold up to 6 people) and headed to the aiport to drop off their luggage. From there we went to an appliance store to by a single point/tankless water heater. This will go in one of our showers so we can have hot water to shower!!! I’m super ready for that. We also got a lid for one of our toilets. It’s not common here to have tops/lids for the toilet. Then we went to this mall style store to pick up some things we can’t get locally. Silverware, plastic bins and some plastic shelves as well as a few water bottles for the kids. After that we headed to McDonald’s for a farewell dinner. Yes!! It tastes the same, the kids loved it. Saying bye to my family was so super hard. I bawled and was sort of strong until they were out of sight, then I lost it. Having them here was so good for the beginning but man I miss them terribly. On the busride home we all cried and sat pretty quietly.

Once we were home we went straight to bed. It gets dark here around 6pm so typical bedtime is by 8pm and we are up by 6am because the sun rises at 5:30am and the roosters start crowing. Have I mentioned the bugs that fill this house. UGH!! Just sitting here typing I’m killing aunts that are constantly appearing.

So Tuesday morning we headed to Caticlan for a few more things for the house and on our way home we stopped by Rick and Kim’s house (the missionaries we’ve joined here) to ask their housemaid to pick up sam’s teddy bear from the hotel in borocay because she lives there. Upon leaving there I noticed they have coconut trees in their front yard. I’m going to get Robin (their 8 yr old daughter) to help me get one and show me how to eat it very soon.

So we spent yesterday getting things organized here and I made some curtains for our house. Pastor Leo, Sister Anna, Obed, and Jesse (their sons) came over last night and obed played guitar and we all sang with the windows wide open. At the end a brown out (black out at home)started. We held a very neat evening prayer in complete darkness. The presence of the Lord is felt so strongly, especially when all distractions are removed, including the lights. After they left we all piled into my bedroom where we have an extra mattress on the floor and opened all the windows and tried to sleep. It made me very thankful that we have air con ( that’s what they say here) in our rooms for sleeping. Around 10pm (after five hours of it being off) the electricity came back on. At that point I shut windows and we were able to sleep comfortably until the roosters woke us around 5:30am.

This morning was a harder morning than any others yet. Im missing home and my family pretty bad. James and I have been reading 1 Peter at night and it sure helps to keep the truth flowing because the enemy is working overtime to keep me down. Lydia had a breakdown last night that broke my heart. I think the outage had her scared but she made it very clear she wanted to go home. I cried with her and James and I prayed over her. So far today I have studied for my bible study I will lead with the girls tonight. Im excited to finally start doing something involved with the ministry. However, I know my own front yard has a lot of ministry right there, and everywhere I go. I just mean I’m ready to get to know the ati girls and love on the orphans. Currently Sam is napping and Lydia, Daniel, Tin Tin (Christine-mercy’s daughter) and Darrell are about to watch some veggie tales. It’s 2:00 in the afternoon and james is at a meeting with the pastors. Mercy is cooking up some lumpia for dinner (like egg rolls) and I’m about to help her make our food list for the rest of the week. She and her daughter are going to town with us after james gets back so we can buy her some new glasses! She is so excited to have new reading glasses. It costs her 150 pesos which is about $3. We are blessed to be able to bless her.

Please continue to pray for us. Adjusting to life here is hard. Everything is different and sometimes very uncomfortable. However, We Know and can See all the areas God has called us to and we know there are more we cannot see. I hope to write more often than this but until next time, may God bless you and may you see things through His eyes and take time to see Him at work.

Beginning in the Philippines Sept. 18, 2013

So we boarded the plane in Houston and had the entire middle row (5 seats) and 2 by the window all on the same row! the seats had lots of space in front so the kids napped on the floor and laid out on the seats. it was an 8 hr flight to Honolulu and we changed planes there then headed out to guam. the kids slept for around 3 hrs on the first flight and for about 4 hours on the next one. the flight from Hawaii to guam was 8 hrs. in guam we changed to another plane and flew for 4 hours to manila. by the time we landed we were so exhausted. we met up with james and he had a van and a hired driver waiting for us. we had ourselves plus 11 suitcases and 15 carry ons in a very small 8 person van (it was a sight) we went to a cargo place to send our big bags via cargo style and we went on to the hotel while james finished that.

I was kinda nervous to be there without him but the driver was great and we got there quickly. while I got our kids bathed my mom, dad, and shel walked to get pizza hut ;) it was a sweet tasting sauce and very very thin crust, I loved it.  after we ate we went straight to bed because it was 12am and we had to leave out by 5am.

the next morning our same driver was there at 5 and we headed back to the airport. going through customs was so easy. I think they were scared of james ;) before we boarded in manila I saw a big sign that said MASSAGE and almost ran for the door. I only had 30min, but a 30min massage was $10. I could've used 6 hours of a massage but 30 min was better than nothing. so we boarded the plane which was 6 seats on each isle. we were sort of split up but people were so kind to move so we could sit together.

once we got to kalibo I really felt like I was finally in a foreign country. and it was HOT and HUMID. we had to walk on the tarmat. there we had another driver in a smaller van but we still fit all of us and all of our luggage and headed out on the 2 hr drive to malay.

when we arrived at the house, I'm pretty sure I was in shock. I looked at james a few times and asked to go home. he assured me I would get used to it. I'm still trusting God to help me with all this. I was shocked because this in nothing like I excpected. we live in a sort of gated community thing, like a burrow called dumlog. there are houses all around us. mostly bamboo with leaf roofs but some homes like ours (cement walls and tin roof) there are people everywhere and lots of kids. woman with the children and men stick to themselves. they dry the rice on the side of the road then have it processed. they dry coconut shells for coconut oil on the road too.

so once we got here we had chicken Joy (fried chicken) and rice along with this vegetable mix that's spicy but awesome! we have a five gallon water cooler that we have drinking water in and james had sweet tea made!! after lunch we made beds to rest but I was not able to rest, just ready to go!!james and Lydia took a trike (motorcycle with a side car that can hold 6 people) to kim's house to borrow the truck. when they got back dad, james, and I went into Caticlan (10min away) to exchange our money so we could buy our car. well the pawn place didn't have enough so we had to go back today. before heading back we got some cookies(chocolate), biscuits (sweet), and cheese rolls which taste like a cinnamon croissant.once we got back the local kids were through with their school day and Daniel was out playing football and basketball with them.  kim and robyn came over that evening to say hi but we all actually went to their house to go walk on the beach. there I had a few seconds of wifi. that night we ate leftovers and passed out on our 6 inch memory foam (stiff) mattresses.

the next morning, which is today, we got up and I made scrambled eggs with we ate with our cheese rolls. after that we went to the mustard seed school where all the kids say HI UNCLE JAMES!! they light up when they see him. they were pretty shy but I hope to get to know them quickly. after that we saw the church and upstairs where some girls(about 15-20) ages 4-15 sleep. they have either cardboard or a thin rug to sleep on. it made my heart just melt. I wish I could bring them all here. we met some of the moms who cook for the kids in what they call a kitchen. its an outdoor fire and a table. they were so friendly and everyone calls Lydia a doll. they say she looks like Barbie dolls (which I think is awesome because they say she looks like me). after that we went to caticlan to exchange our money. $5,000 is 215,000 pesos. we were rich for 10 minutes, then we bought our van! it seats 5 people but the back is open but closed in and tonight after church we fit 10 kids in the back. im pretty sure we can fit 25 people in our five seater van!!! Daniel is the size of the 11 yr olds and Lydia is the size of the 8 year olds and sam is the size of the 4 year olds. they call them dan dan, lydi, and sam sam. I'm auntie Ashley, which I love! after we bought our van we also bought our sectional and a water cooler which we had deliverd. when we got home mercy (our amazing God sent!!) had pork steak with onions and fried rice. OH MY it was so good!!! not sure im going to lose any weight but who cares! after lunch we napped a little and mom and I unpacked a little. we all share one wardrobe it has 5 shelves (we each get one shelf) and a place to hang a few things. I am going to give so much of what we brought away. we don't need near what we brought and they need way more than I can give. sister anna came over to visit and we sat on the front porch where she played my guitar and we sang praise music. this is about the time the kids get out of school so they began to trickle over. before I knew it there were like 10 kids in here with Lydia, coloring and playing barbies as well as about 20 kids playing ball with Daniel. well you know where I headed!! baseball was sure to break the ice and it did. before we had to get cleaned up for church I bought 3 kilos of rombaton (a sweet fruit) for 60 pesos and gave all the kids some for a snack. (40 pesos = $1) oh did I mention it rains off and on all day??? it does!!!

then we went to church at 6pm. there is where we finally met the ati. oh my goodness. they are the most beautiful, skinny, dark haired kids you've ever seen and they were singing praise songs and giving God praise for everything He has given them, which is nothing material at all. the boys got to go with uncle james for their message and i'll start with the girls next week. after the message we had a circle prayer time. I can only understand a little of what they say. sometimes they translate themselves but not much. after the service was over mom and shel helped hand out these corn muffin things. I could only think that that was all they had for dinner and we had a huge pot of food on the stove. I want to give all I have away. I see things so differently already, and they are so grateful. once we left there and drove some kids home we headed back here for dinner, supas (like chicken noodle soup) but made with pork. then we bathed, sam and Lydia took a warm bath in a basin. james boiled some water to make it warm because there Is no hot water. then we put them down and james and I visited about some stuff and now im headed to bed.

Note from James August 31, 2013

God has been so good to us in beginning the mission work in The Philippines. I arrived in Malay on August 21^st after traveling three days from Texas. The trip was great despite arriving in Manila in the middle of a typhoon. God protected me through the entire trip. After one full week I feel that God has allowed me to adjust to the change in time and I am fully engulfed in His work here.

Each day we start at the mission school with the children having prayer and devotion time with them (this has been such a blessed time for me). Many of the children regularly come to me and want nothing more than a simple hug and someone to tell them good morning. They are such precious children. Many of them are undersized due to early childhood malnutrition and sickness that went untreated. To battle this Kim Holden has begun a medical mission which I have participated heavily in in the last week or so. Most of the medical issues are related to things that we take for granted on a daily basis. There are a large number of cases of severe infections due to poor personal hygiene and little to no basic first aid training. One thing that is done daily is the treatment of minor cuts and scrapes by cleaning, application of an antibiotic ointment, and bandaging. This simple thing can and does prevent more serious infections which then require oral antibiotics and sometimes hospitalization. Other things that are encountered regularly are worms and fever. The children are given medication to treat these as needed.

The next thing that we do each day is to check with the locals to see if anyone needs to go to the hospital in town for a checkup. The hospital is about a 20 minute truck ride from the school and is too far of a trip to take on foot if you are ill and too costly to take a motor trike for many of the locals. At the hospital there is a clinic which works on a first come first serve basis. This means that if they are busy it may take hours to be seen. In addition to the checkups the medical mission also is on call for emergencies. On Thursday night we got word from a local pastor that one of their church members had been severely burned in a house fire. We went that night to check on her and found that she had been to one of the local “hospitals” but was not properly treated. We took her to the main hospital where they admitted her and began treatment for her severe burns. Had she not go to the hospital infection would have set in and she may have lost her life. God was with her that night when He sent the pastor to talk to us about her burns. She is now being treated and will have a normal recovery.

There is also a feeding ministry that operates at 13 locations (mostly on Saturday) each week. At each of the feeding sites the children come and have a devotion time where the good message of God’s grace is poured into them. These kids have as much of a spiritual hunger as a physical one. After the devotion time they are fed a meal that is high in protein to help with their nutritional needs. While the children are being fed the adult that are there have a devotion time. This is a time to show the adults the path to salvation and to show them the power of God’s word.

We hope to begin working very soon on the children’s home and look forward to what God has planned for our mission here. Thank you for your prayers and support.