The Philippines is a country that’s been on all our hearts lately. Besides the relationships that we’ve had with the Filipino people for years through our mission work, it’s been on our hearts after being devastated by a major typhoon this fall. Here at Adventures, we have the privilege of sending teams from all our programs to this island nation. From one week disaster relief trips, to college students spending a semester abroad, to establishing a long-term mission base, we have an ongoing ministry there.
This story comes from Allyson Quinn, one of our World Racers, who spent Christmas Eve with her team giving back to the women that served them well all month. Watch how God miraculously provided for them.
I’m completely overwhelmed at how God has provided this month.
There’s a great need for food, clothing, and Jesus here in Tondo in the Philippines. After just a couple of weeks we raised enough money to provide for many families and bless some of the sweet people around us.
We’ve fed people at the charcoal factory, in the city, and outside the church, sharing Jesus with them and praying over them as their bellies are satisfied by hot soup.
But that’s not all we’ve done. That’s not all God has done either.
There’s a group of ten ladies who have been serving us since the day we stepped into Tondo. They cook for us, clean for us, and do our laundry. They arrive at the church each morning at 4 a.m. to pray and cook. In the afternoons, some leave to work other jobs before returning to make our dinner. Sometimes they don’t leave until 10 or 11 at night.
They’ve loved us so well; we wanted to show them love right back.
God provided for us and we were able to take them out for a special day. We found nail polish and gave them manicures, pedicures, and massages.
One of the women had never been served this way and cried the entire time.
It was a blessing to be able to bless them.
Then we took them to a nearby mall to buy them pizza and ice cream. Some of them had never been to the mall or had pizza before (they loved it). We gave each of them enough money to pick out something they really needed. We sang carols on the way back as we were reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.
These beautiful women exemplified joy all day as they smiled and laughed.
That night, we packed 200 bags full of shoes, underwear, toys, soap, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Each child at the charcoal factory was able to get a hot meal and a Christmas gift.
God kept providing for our Filipino friends, so we kept giving.
We had a youth rally where we performed skits, shared testimonies, and worshipped. Teens gave their lives to Jesus and we were able to give each and every one of them a Bible.
What God has begun in them will continue long after we’re gone.
But he still wasn’t done yet.
We were able to send each family in the church home with a basket of food for their Christmas Eve dinner. Here in the Philippines, everyone stays up late on Christmas Eve, counting down until midnight, when they have a huge meal. While many families will only have rice this year, 100 will have a small feast.
When God wills, he makes a way. He shows up in ways we could never imagine.
Merry Christmas!
If you’d like to join us in the Philippines, we’ve got multiple opportunities available:
Go for two and a half weeks in July (18+)
Go for a week in January or June to help with Typhoon Relief (18+)
Take your entire youth group in June or July (14-18)
Go for the month of July as a highschooler (14-18)
Go for two months in the summer (18-22)
Go on the World Race in July (21-35)
