Kayla Balangue

Hey everyone, this blog is being written by cooper everyone’s favorite child on this trip apparently. Thanks a lot Taylor 🙄. We have had an amazing trip so far doing so many awesome things. Today we started by going to a clothes market there were a lot of new clothes there, most of them were knock offs of popular brands but it was fun to look at it all and shop for bags and other things. 

After we were done we went into a McDonald’s and got Oreo McFlurrys after being in the hot humid sun before heading back to the YMC. After all of that we came back and had some nice lunch: pork and rice. The food here is really good. 

We then went and got ready for the rest of the day and we went to a former dump site where we gave food to all of the people living there, with some of the families that are also here staying and helping at the ministry. It was a really amazing, also solemn, experience seeing all of the poverty there and the things these people do to live. We had a good conversation about worldview and about all of the people there maybe never having even left that city compared to us, but then how we also probably have a small limited world view about God’s kingdom and how there is probably so much more we could never see. 

After this we went to the hanging bridge which was a really cool suspended bridge that was a lot of fun to climb for some of us, maybe less so some others, but at the top there was an amazing view of the massive city below us. 

Super exited for tomorrow when we go to the poorest part of the city and serve people there. See you all soon. 

Cooper

If you would like to share your prayer support with this team, please feel free to use THIS FORM and we will share your encouragement with them.

Hello friends and family! Today was day 5 and we had an awesome and eventful day.

After we had breakfast this morning we got to help cook lots of Lu gau and load it into buckets to be taken to several different feeding locations!

We got to join a pretty large group and take some food to a local jail. We all piled into a Jeep-nee and I was hanging on the outside of the back because it was so full.

When we arrived at the jail it was pretty crazy to see the conditions that criminals live in here. We shared the gospel with all the prisoners and then we got to feed each one of them Lu Gau. The girls on our team got to pray with each of the female prisoners as well. They were all so happy to see us. We aren’t able to show many pictures inside the jail due to the law here, but here is a group photo of us! 

After the jail ministry we headed back to base camp and the boys began helping with some more demolition for the new dorms to be built. Farnum learned how to drive a 3 on the tree transmission truck full of concrete and helped us take the loads to the site where the ministry is building a hospital. The girls helped cook dinner and made some ma sarap (delicious) Pesto chicken pasta for dinner.

After that JD helped one of the young adult worship leaders here change his guitar strings and we did devotions. It was another great day!

Thank you for your prayers and support! 

– Chris

If you would like to share your prayer support with this team, please feel free to use THIS FORM and we will share your encouragement with them.

Hi family and friends!!

Thank you for your continued prayers for our team! We are having an incredible time as we are getting into the rhythm of serving. It has been amazing to see how God’s hand has played such a pivotal role in the ministries here in Southeast Asia.

On Sundays, all of the ministry and staff take the day off so we had some down time to explore the city and site see. In the morning, we went to Rockfish Church which is in association with Kids International Ministries. It was moving to see and hear different cultures, generations, and languages all worshipping and praising God. It was a beautiful reminder that God is the savior of the world and is worth of our praise. 

After church we were able to take a short bus ride to visit the American Cemetery here and Memorial which is a military cemetery located nearby. This was a beautiful memorial dedicated to honor the American and Filipino sacrifices during the fight for the Pacific in WWII. There were crosses marking the burial sites of fallen soldiers and a circular terrace with maps to recall the actions of the war. There were also names inscribed on the walls to mark the names of those missing from the war. It was amazing to be able to remember and honor the fallen soldiers on Memorial Day weekend and see how grateful the Filipino people are to the United States.

Next we went to a HUGE outdoor and indoor shopping mall in the Metro nearby where we got to try new foods and sweet treats, and spend to pesos on souvenirs to take with us back home. One thing we noticed as a team was the immense wealth of this part of the city. The malls and shops were way nicer than most American shopping centers yet as we left the city we were faced with more poverty not even 5 minutes away. 

After our adventures we took some time to cool off in the pool, play games with our team, and go frog hunting. We are excited for our next week of serving and are eager to see what God is going to do next!

If you could continue to pray for our well being, energy and strength, as well as more opportunities for us to serve and love people. We greatly appreciate your prayers and support!

Taylor

P.S. – Mom and Dad I am still alive 🙂 love you!!

If you would like to share your prayer support with this team, please feel free to use THIS FORM and we will share your encouragement with them.

Hello friends and family,

Thank you for your continued prayers! Our team is thriving here in Southeast Asia and we are all sleeping well and healthy which is a gift from God! It is very humid here so we are always sticky, and it has rained quite a bit in the last few days. 

Today was another fun and full day of ministry. In the morning, we got to participate in a VBS program in a nearby community with YouthLab, a youth group made up of student leaders who share the gospel with the community. I am so inspired by their passion for the Lord and for ministry. They ran the camp all on their own, dedicating their time to serve God. We sang songs, played games, and saw a skit put on by the youth, which had to be moved into a covered area because it began to rain. The kids called this area the chapel of their village, but it consisted of only a concrete box with tin roof. We passed out sandwiches to the kids and then got to help fill buckets of water from the well and deliver them to homes in the community. 

The village we visited is located in a gated community with many big, expensive homes. We even passed a golf course on the drive in. The village was very impoverished, with small makeshift homes and trash everywhere. It is heartbreaking to see the immense poverty located so close to great riches. To me, it feels like an injustice, but somehow the people living there are still joyful.

In the afternoon, we got to put on our own small VBS program at the children’s home. We had worship, a skit telling the story of Jonah, and some rotating stations which all the kids enjoyed. Many of them are orphans or their parents cannot keep them. Being able to spread the love of Jesus to them was amazing.

We had a little bit of time to rest and debrief tonight, and tomorrow will be a more chill day which will be nice after all we have experienced.

We look forward to what God has in store for us next! 

Until next time! 

JD

what’s up brothers 

Today after breakfast our team decided to take a tricycle ride to get some starbucks to start off our day. and here we have two basic white girlies getting starbies in a tricycle.

Coming from feeding the poor yesterday to getting a Starbucks drink we’ve noticed the different classes of society. That there’s not much of a middle class, you’re either rich or poor. I am super grateful for the blessings and opportunities God has given me in my life.

We then came back to our facility that we are staying at and the girls got ready to help out in the kitchen while the boys went to help out with demolition and construction.

Today we’ve also visited a children’s home from ages one to five. We got to spend some time together and connect with them. 

To finish off the day we attended a praise party which we were able to worship with the teenagers and hear an amazing word. 

Please continue to pray for us as we serve in different communities and connect with the people here, as well as get used to the time quicker here! Thank you! 

If you would like to share your prayer support with this team, please feel free to use THIS FORM and we will share your encouragement with them.