I am now in a position where I can give you a general idea of where I'd like to travel to in the Summer of 2024. God has put the Philippines on my heart within the past year, and it seems like that's where He is directing me to go.
About a week ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with a missionary to the Philippines. The funny thing is that I had had no idea he was even in the country. He took time out of his busy schedule to visit with me about the ministries he is involved in down in Manila, and some of the things he'd like to see me experience while I am there. As I learn more about what I will be doing, I will post that here. I promise, I'll keep you better updated this time around. He answered a lot of my questions, and my apprehension has turned into excitement. The plan (in pencil) is to travel to Manila at the end of July, when I have time between the end of the summer program at BGC and the start of the school year. I'm planning on a 2-week stay. Part of that 2-week stretch includes a couple of days travel tacked onto each end.
Here's where we go from here: We are going to be keeping our eyes open for sales on plane tickets. As you may guess, a plane ticket to Manila (about 8,000 miles) is not cheap. I'm also planning on leaving in the middle of the week as opposed to a weekend, to keep costs down. I am also praying the God will prepare my heart to His leading. I have already had people ask me what I will do if I find that this is the work God wants me to do, and wants me to reWturn full-time? How can I say "no" to God? Jonah in the Bible did that, and look where he ended up! As hard as it would be to say good-bye to my life here, where He leads me, I must follow. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Here's how you can help: I am asking that you pray for me and for this trip. I know that many of you are already praying about this, and I appreciate it. Please pray that God would prepare my heart for this trip, and that my heart would be open and tender to His promptings. Please pray for safety during the travels, and while I am down there. I'm also praying for the hearts and souls of the people I have the chance to meet while I am there, and that God would direct my speech while I share my faith with them. Another was you could help is to donate, if God so leads you to. I have a fund set up at my church that people can donate to. You could also buy baked goods from me. I bake cookies and other etc, and those funds go directly to support my mission trips. The costs of this trip include: Plane ticket to Manila, renewal of my passport, room and board while I am there, money for extra expenses while I am there, and to cover the costs here at home while I am away.
So, that's where things stand right now. Everything is in the very early planning stages, and as things develop, this will be my platform to let you know how things are progressing. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. Thank also for considering my prayer needs. I could not do it without you and your prayers. I have a year to get my ducks in a row, but I know that is not a really long time. God will provide, I am certain. God bless you!
