On a lighter note...

I was taking in all the sights and sounds. This was my first time going to the market to buy my own produce and using the Philippine Peso/Piso (not sure how to spell it:) was a new experience! I went with my Philippina roommate that lives here at the main mission house. She was looking for vegetables to cook for lunch and I was looking for produce to take with me to my village. Yes, I'm finally going to be heading out to my village and teaching!!!! Pray for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After Sunday I will not be online for quite sometime so if you would like to write to me just send me an email and I will be happy to give you my address. :)

My adventures in the Philippines have only begun! My first hurdle was making sure I made all of my flights here. I had 4 planes to take to make it here and I had never flown alone in my whole life! Wow, but God brought me through. I was so discouraged and tired during that trip. I had planned on spending some time online to communicate with all of you during lay overs. Well, my computer had other plans. I had put my lap top in my backpack and those of you that fly with your lap top know the hassle at security to not only get your own shoes off but then to get the lap top out as well. Ugh.. Well, needless to say it didn't work the whole entire time. Once I got passed L.A. I couldn't even touch base with home. I had brought along my cell phone to keep in touch with my Mom to let her know I was ok but once I was out of the country I was on my own.

God was right by my side the whole entire time and He gave me pleasant people to travel with. Plus He was my constant body guard and guide. It's scary in today's world being a young woman and traveling across the world, alone. Yet, I've never been alone and I thank the Lord for His continual companionship.

The second hurdle was homesickness. Oh, was I ever homesick...I'm still homesick but the prayers of you all back home have lifted my spirits and my family has been a constant source of encouragement, love, and support. I love you guys!!!

The third hurdle has been my health. My lymph nodes are almost back to normal now Praise the Lord and I'm still dealing with a little lingering low grade fever but God is good and I know your prayers to the Father in my behalf have been heard!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!

I've also had some hair raising experiences like the day I move my luggage around in my room and out popped a HUGE spider!!!!! I'M DEAD SERIOUS, HE WAS HUGE!!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!! I HATE SPIDERS!!!!!! Then one day I was unplugging something and shocked myself good! lol Both experiences gave my heart a good workout!!!!

Oh, and how do I answer the question, are you single for the 1 hundredth time? I don't want to lie and how I wish I could say, no, Im married and have 10 children or no, I have a boyfriend and he's going to beat you up if you even come near me!!!! lol :) They think American girls are very beautiful....sigh....On my way home from the market my motor bike/taxi driver and his friend tried the same question on me but I got away with not answering "the" question. lol ;)

Keep me in your prayers as I leave Sunday morning to head out to my village. I've never taught school before but I know God is faithful who has called me to do this work in the Philippines!!! I would love to hear from any of you while I'm out in the bush!!! This may be my last post on here for awhile but when I'm able to be online more later on I'll try to update with stories of the latest and greatest happenings in my life!! ;)

Reality...

The window was open wide letting in the fresh Philippine air, dirt stained the once white floor, but what caught my eye the most was his little brown body that lay on the hard bamboo bed. Other men were in the same room sitting on the same kind of bamboo beds. One had TB, another man had a heart problem, and still the other two men were sick as well. Most of them were sitting on their beds and as I looked into the eyes of one I could see he was very sick.

Whimpering noises came from the little brown body from time to time though his eyes were closed shut. Hooked up to oxygen made it easier for the baby, who was not even three years old, to breath. His little chest would heave and his breathed very fast. He was a chubby baby but worms and malnutrition most likely attributed to his chubby appearance. This baby was in the hospital.

The stark reality of the situation hit me as I saw his burned body. The side of his stomach was burned as well as his little arm and hand. Where his baby brown flesh should have been was only red and exposed. It had so happened that he was not attended to fast enough after he burned himself trying to get some rice. His mother and father were not in the house when the incidence happened, only siblings.

There he lay on what I wouldn't even consider a decent hospital bed, his father close by his side. The older man had worked hard all of his life trying to support the his family. People start out so young here having children and they have very large families. It's not uncommon for families to have 7-10 children. Consequently those children don't get cared for properly as in this case.

Today I went back to the hospital to have a lab test done as I haven't been feeling too well. I went back to the room where the little baby had been. It was empty except for one man who was getting ready to go home. The baby had died. In the U.S. a baby with the burns this baby had would not have died due to 911, clean hospitals, and good doctors. Here, it is another story. The reality was too much and as I went back out to the truck I started to cry. He didn't need to die......Reality is that the need is so great here. The need for education, the need for better medical facilities (and this hospital is new if you can believe that one), the need for someone to show them a better way. That better way can only be found in Christ Jesus. All of my feelings of homesickness, loneliness, stress, can not even be compared to the suffering of these people. The need is great and to be honest this need is reality. What I see every day is reality. In the U.S. we may have it hard but please let me be honest, we have it so good. Most of the world is hurting, is starving, and has hardly anything. Most of the world doesn't get enough clean water, enough nutrition to keep their hair from getting a reddish tint to it from a lack of protein, or enough care. Most of the world doesn't know what real love is, peace, happiness, and pure joy. How can I be selfish and hide my Jesus from a world that needs me to be His hands, His feet, His eyes. His heart must hurt as He looks down and sees the need and the condition of our hearts. His heart must ache as no one answers the call to give up lives of ease to work for the good of their fellow men.

My eyes are being continually opened to the reality of life, the reality that Jesus needs me to be His hands and feet and that He will take care of me in the process. Will you let Jesus be His hands and feet through you?

Random pics from my first week in the Philippines..

Welcome to the Philippines!!!

I love the beauty of the sky..

The beautiful countryside...

Cute little girl..

I think I know who the boss is!!!

Two little cuties at school..

Yours truely, extremely worn out in Manilla the day after my arrival.

bbbbb

I'm still alive!

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I haven't written on here very much. :( I haven't had good connections with the internet but it is good right now so I though I would post a little bit of news that I am still alive and in the Philippines now! I'm very hot right now as I sit here typing away! I will be heading out to one of the villages sometime soon. The ministry still is not sure which village they will place me in but until then I have access to some degree to the internet and am staying at the main mission house. Once I get out to the villages I won't have internet access so if you would like to keep in touch with me just send me an email and I will give you my address here in the Philippins. I will try to post some pictures in the near future.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I've been in the Philippines less than a week and am feeling homesick, and my lymph nodes under my underarms are swollen. Thank you!!!!

Thought for today...

"The cause of God demands men who can see quickly and act
instantaneously at the right time and with power." Evangelism, p. 480

More fun pics from ASI!

Tampa Convention Center where ASI was held this past weekend!

My missionary hero & inspiration for mission service, Uncle David Gates

My new friend, Keith, who is a missionary to the Congo. His family is such an inspiration to me as I prepare to go to the Philippines.

3ABN is the best tv network around! Danny Shelton is a great guy!

My friend, Susan, and I!!! I hadn't seen Susan for 4 years! We are old friends from Wildwood! :)

My brothers and Daddy at the exibits.

My Dad at the Country Life Booth that we were invited to come down and help with.

Me and my Papa :)

Laymen Ministries Booth, Daddy, Jeff Reich, Myself, and Cristy Reich. I'm so blessed to be going as a student missionary with their organization!

ASI is Over :(

Ben's first flight ever!!!

On the plane

My plane!

Yummy breakfast....I had to get up at 3:20am so this proved to be a LONG day!

My Mom and I sharing my headphones, feeling kinda restless and sick of being in the air. It's been 4 years since I've flown so as we neared landing I started feeling kinda sick and really scared. Landings are the HARDEST thing in the world for me..

At the beginning of the flight, I love take offs and this was the first time that I got to fly with my whole family!!!!!!!!

Wow, what an incredible ASI experience I have had this past few days! I can't believe it all is finally over. I am so grateful for this spiritual experience before I head out to the Philippines though. I heard the most inspiring sermon by our leader, Elder Paulson, reminding us that we are NEVER ALONE, that God is always there. I need that so much as I get ready in the next few days for this new experience awaiting me in the Philippines. God is so awesome and as I sit here out on my veranda at the hotel I can see how God is involved in every aspect of my life. I'm learning complete dependence on Him as I step out in faith.

Greetings from ASI!

Hey Everyone!
I'm having such a WONDERFUL time here at ASI! I haven't had a whole lot of time to play with my lap top so that is why I haven't been online lately. The meetings have been very good and the booths are really nice as well! CL has their booth here and in just a few minutes I need to run upstairs and get busy helping out with that. Will post some pics sometime in the near future! :)

Last day at work...

Well, today is my last day of work....I write this from a different desk this time. Rebecca has done a wonderful job of replacing me and now I've just stepped back and have just been a coach! It was so sweet, they made an announcement over the loud speaker for everyone to come to the lunch room today and they prayed over me and gave me a gift & a card! It was really sweet! I will treasure the card!

Wow, in just 15 minutes my life gets closer to the Philippines....

Update on my arm...

Please keep my arm in your prayers, I got my Hepatitis shots Friday and it looks like I have either an infection or a reaction to the shot. Where the shot was given is all red, hot, and swollen. I went back to the doctor and had them look at it and he was surprised and wasn't sure exactly what it was but put me on some meds. My mom has been putting charcoal poultices on my arm and I've been taking the meds so please pray! The Philippines is not a good place to get infections as the climate is tropical and it is hard and takes longer for things like that to heal. I know that God has awesome things in store for me in the Philippines and that the devil is trying his hardest to mess things up so please pray for my protection and healing for my arm.

Shots, Shots, and more shots...

I went Friday to the clinic nearby and got 3 shots! I'm never happy when I have to go get poked but this time I was more than glad to. I hadn't been able to find a certain paper that had my shot history on it and since I've lived out of state before the clinic couldn't find my history either. So, the other night I was going though all of my old important college papers and I had prayed that I could find the right paper and Praise the Lord I found it! I was so relieved! In fact, I had, had the right paper all along but didn't realize it! I was so relieved!

So, after work on Friday, I found myself waiting at the clinic. Finally, after what seemed like endless ages and after I had looked all of the magazines next to me I was called in. I was given 2 shots in one arm and 1 shot in the other. I got hepatitis a & b shots and the tetanus(sp?) shot as well.

I had read the paper they gave me about all the dangerous side effects that could happen to me but I just prayed over my shots and Praise the Lord I didn't experience anything but some swelling. Unfortunately, the pain and swelling are not very comfortable though......

Friday afternoon after my shot Mary and I went clothes shopping for my trip. By the end of the day my arms hurt. When I finally crawled into bed that night I had a ice pack on one arm and I laid on my back. I always sleep on my side but that night things were just a little bit different. My arms were a little swollen but they hurt nonetheless.

Today is Monday and my left arm where both shots were given are more red, swollen, and hot than Friday. I'm going to go back to the clinic today and just make sure it's okay....... My advice for the day....3 shots is 3 too many!!!!!!!!