Hey Everyone!!!
I'm really excited and nervous but I've decided, with much prayer and a final decision from Laymen Ministries that yes, I am going to be going over the the Philippines as a student missionary to teach school in the jungle! I'm going to be posting updates as they come here on my blog so please stay tuned!
I contacted Laymen Ministries after they already started the school season there in June but I didn't know that. When I contacted them they were very interested in me because they needed only one more teacher to go over. Well, after going through my references they decided that yes, indeed they wanted me to go over,and even though the school year has begun, to help with the rest of the school year! I do, however, need to raise $2,500 to cover my ticket and a small stipend while I am there. I'm going to include my fundraising letter in this post. I will be leaving soon, I don't have an exact date as of yet but I trust everything will work out for God's will and glory. Please keep me in your prayers as I step out in this new adventure in my life and please consider supporting me in this new phase of my life as I seek to reach out to the children in the Philippines. Missions has always been something very important to me and now I finally have the opportunity to go as a student missionary. Praise God!
Hello to all,
I hope this letter finds each of you resting in the knowledge of God's incredible gift. God has been leading my life in amazing ways this past year. Some time ago, I made the decision to take a year out of school and serve as a student missionary. Through a series of events this last semester, God opened up the door for me go work in the Philippines with an organization known as Laymen Ministries teaching school with a very remote Iraya Katutubo tribe in the Northwestern tip of the island of Occidental Mindoro. Laymen Ministries is a supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and has mission projects worldwide.
The native Iraya tribe of Mindoro has historically been a nomadic, hunter/gatherer people living in small family groups in the jungle. Their lives were simple and their possessions few because the forest supplied everything they needed. Being shy and historically totally uneducated, the Katutubo were easy prey for the "majority population", who used their shyness, superstitions and lack of education to exploit them as well as destroy the land that gives them their livelihood.
Laymen Ministries started working among these people in 1996. The project with the Iraya Katutubo tribe in the Northwestern tip of the island has had three areas of emphasis: education, health and community development and evangelism. Conditions in the Katutubo villages are terrible. Disease, malnutrition, illiteracy, ignorance, exploitation, illegal logging and fishing are devastating both the lives and livelihoods of the Katutubos. The ministry’s goal is to bring freedom in Christ through education. There are currently 4 elementary schools and a high school, organized as Katutubo Excel Schools (KES), working toward this goal.
It is very exciting to watch as God unfolds my life in His perfect timing. As preparations for the Philippines unfold, I have been reminded again and again of the verse in Proverbs: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” At times, it is tempting to feel overwhelmed with all of the details involved and the responsibilities that wait for me in the Philippines, but I am peaceful with the assurance that God has led us thus far and will be faithful to the end. As part of our preparation for the coming year of student missions, Laymen Ministries has asked each of us to raise a total of $2500. This money will be used to pay for our tickets as well as supply us with a modest stipend throughout our stay. If you would like to help me financially, I would be very grateful. Even more important than your financial support, however, is your prayers. Please pray that we can be used effectively to further His work in the Philippines this coming year. Please address donations to the following address, specifying that this be for (Jessica Salmon) Student Missionary project:
Laymen Ministries
414 Zapada Rd
St. Maries, ID 83861
9 comments:
Yeah, seriously! I'm like, "I need my cop brother to arrest this creep and my twin(both of us were born in '89) brother to intimidate him!" hehe! And guess what...Alyssa, the girl who was with us, saw another guy out there again while she was out with one of her friends! YIKES! Same type too; he didn't say a word, just stood this time in the middle of the trail like he was trying to cut them off!!!! SoOOOOoooooooo creepy!
Super cool. When are you going?
MANDIE THAT IS CREEPY!!!! YIKES GIRL!!!! BE CAREFUL!!!!
I'm leaving probably next month!!!!! It has all happened so fast and I'm just waiting for the dates. My ticket gets booked next week so please, please, please keep me in your prayers!!!! I haven't had time for it all to set in yet!
Hi. Congratulations. Your decision is great. Best of luck in your quest. My prayers are with you.
Thank you for your prayers and also for stopping by! Hey, so your a teacher in the Philippines? How cool is that?! Do you like it?
I like it so much. I was there a couple of years ago and missing them much. The kids are really cool. I'm pretty sure you will enjoy your stay with them. Ohh.. like ur a nurse... ur expertise is very useful. You'll learn a lot.
I wish I were a nurse, I actually just started back to college but decided to take a year off to do mission service. I have had some experience with caring for people and natural remedies, etc. So, I'm sure that will be handy.
Which village were you in while you were teaching? What exactly is it like? Are you from the Philippines? I can't wait to get over there but I have tons of questions!
I was in Agbalite, the most remote vill. your role would be a teacher, a doctor, a sabbath school supt, and an adventurer, as in all sorts of job 24/7. I'm actually a pharmacist so it was an advange being on d medical field. I'm from Ph anyway. Being a teacher is a challenge esp yu'l be learning new language to comm them. So, it's nice of you to learn simple tagalog bcoz parents will love to talk with you. If you have some reading books or any children's book, bring it with you, it's helpful. Also, children love to sing songs. The villagers know local natural remedies, in case drugs are not available, you can ask them for reference. Last thing is do really really love them. They need it so much.
To give you highlights on location, it's not really that jungle as you wud xpect to be. You have a house comfortable enough to stay, cooking stove sometimes charcoal, cook rice (staple food) or you can dough homemade bread. .one thing common is sometimes peer problem, we're humans and not as perfect as we an be. so just focus on your mission and it would be a great adventure for you. Just be yourself there, God looks at the heart... I wish you the most joyful odyssey.
I hope to hear from you when yu'l b there and the grade level yu'l be teaching. I know yu'r xcited...
That is so cool, thanks for sharing and yes we need to keep in touch!!!!!!!
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