There's a Map of the World on His Face

The humidity clung heavily to my skin as I exited the aircraft. It didn't take long to get reacquainted with the tropical weather I had grown up with. "Mabuhay!" The Filipino greeting rang out on the loud speakers as I sought the cool relief of the air conditioned lobby. Making it through immigration, I grabbed my bags and found Pastor Bravo and some others waiting for me outside the small Bacolod airport. We piled into a van and thus it began...

I'm writing you now, a week into life here in the Philippines. I've hit the ground running, having already completed two different training seminars over a five day period. After given a day to get adjusted to the time difference, we began a CYCAS (Community, Youth, Children, and Sports) Seminar, where we hosted nearly 80 participants from various cities and provinces throughout the country. The primary intention of the seminar was to further equip workers in children's ministry and to further challenge believers in reaching out to their youth. The seminar was hosted by Pastor Bravo and featured guest lecturers from Singapore and Indonesia. The seminar was conducted over a two day period and was a time of great encouragement for me. Not only was I able to witness the great passion and enthusiasm which the locals had in sharing Jesus, but I was also challenged in how I might be able to be personally involved in youth ministry. In a city that hosts approximately 800,000 youth out of a population of one million, it cries out desperately for those who are willing to bring Jesus to the young and often neglected.

Several hours after the closing ceremony of CYCAS seminar we began a ISLT (International Sports and Leadership Training) Level One Seminar. This seminar featured the same hosts and 25 participants. Having served in sports ministry in the past, I was really looking forward to methods in which I could more intentionally serve through sports and to receive leadership training. The seminar served as a great time of fellowship, encouragement, training, challenging, and equipping. It was great hearing personal testimonies and experiences in reaching people through sports. It served as a bold reminder as to God's work here in the Philippines and around the world.

I am excited about the opportunities I will have in my time here to implement some of the training I have been able to receive and build relationships through sports, starting with my weekly basketball clinics I will be conducting starting this upcoming Saturday. While I've never coached these kind of clinics on my own, I am looking forward to the ways God will move through steps of faith and a willingness to serve others and be used by Him for His glory. It's incredibly humbling being here and having opportunities to represent Christ to others. I don't deserve the privileges God has granted, but He has been continually faithful.

I've been taking some pictures of life here and hope to get those posted up at some point. For those that have me on Facebook I will try to post some there, while those that don't have Facebook I'll find another way for you to be able to access those. Thank you all for the contributions you've made to get me here and I look forward to getting back to you all at some point next week!

Servant to Many and Slave to One,
Jeremy