MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We hope you had a wonderful holiday.  Here at the Ranch, we had a huge party last night complete with a nativity contest, caroling contest, dance contest, and TONS of games!

This morning we gathered together and watched all of the kids open their stockings and presents.  The kids were thrilled with their gifts, and showed them off proudly.  We had a huge lunch of lechon (an entire roasted pig), lasagna, and rice.  Lots of hugs and smiles today!

Last week some of the kids’ families came to visit and bring gifts to their kids.  It was pretty sad to watch a five year old stand at the gate waving goodbye to his visiting brothers and sisters.  But the worst part was watching the kids who knew that no one was coming to visit them.  They didn’t cry or complain, but it still broke my heart.

John spoke at the Christmas party last night, and talked about families.  All of the kids miss their families, especially at Christmas. I know the kids would never have chosen to live here; they would much rather be with their own parents.  But for reasons that we will never understand, these kids aren’t safe with their families. Even though the staff have chosen this life, we all miss our families, too.  But God has given us a gift in each other! He’s made us into a family here at the Ranch.  We made memories this Christmas that we will never forget.  And we are so thankful for that gift!

By the way, speaking of families, our family is growing! Baby number 3 will be here in August!  What an awesome Christmas blessing, huh?!

Big Plans

One of the hardest things about doing missions work is being separated from my family.  Since John and I have been married, I’ve lived about 8 hours’ drive away from my parents.  I used to think that was a long way!  But living literally on the other side of the world, 20+ hours on a plane, 8,500 miles away.... that’s a different story!  Some days I feel trapped here, not because I don’t love living in the Philippines, but just because I know it would take so much time and money simply to give my parents or my sister a hug.  

Last week, my parents came for a visit!  They planned it to be halfway (we’re just about one year into our two-year term).  I was soooo excited!!! I was counting down the weeks and days, planning every minute that we would spend together.  The closer it got to their visit, I actually started dreading them leaving... before they even got here! I think I was afraid that a lot would have changed between us, and that being with them would really make me miss America.  I thought I would be crushed when they left.

But you know, as soon as I saw them and hugged them, I realized, not much had changed!  We picked up right where we had left off, and spent 8 wonderful, fun-filled days together.  When it was time to drop them off at the airport, I only cried a few tears.  I wasn’t crushed!  And I knew I could make it another year here, and we would all be just fine!  

Sitting in church this morning, I looked around and saw all of the kids and staff at the Ranch worshipping God together.  I thought about how one year from now, I will be dreading leaving all of them here.  I know it will be such a sad, tearful day when I hug all of these precious kids good-bye.  I’m already sad just thinking about it!

That’s when I realized I spend way too much time planning the next “big event” and not just enjoying each day as it comes.  All I really need to do is be content with where I am, and who I am with, right now.  Nothing in this life will last.  So I need to enjoy each moment while it is happening, and stop wasting time “planning” for what I think is important.  Because sometimes the most important moments... aren’t planned! :)

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. Ecclesiastes 3:11-12

There's only one who knows

What's really out there waiting

In all the moments yet to be

And all we need to know

Is he's out there waiting

To Him the future's history

And He has given us

A treasure called right now

And this is the only moment

We can do anything about

So breathe it in and breathe it out

And listen to your heartbeat

There's a wonder in the here and now

It's right there in front of you

I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment

“Miracle of the Moment”

Steven Curtis Chapman

hugs

Hi guys, I feel like it's been a long time since my last post. Our family is doing well, actually today marks 11 months since we first came to the Philippines! We are busy and happy. We just had a really great chapel service, and I wanted to share some of it with you.


"Lola" Nancy, one of the founders of Happy Horizons, talked with the kids today about keeping their bodies pure. She used the verses from 1 Corinthians 6:15-20, where Paul says:

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. Lola Nancy went on to talk to the kids about valuing themselves.  The only way these kids will treat their bodies with respect is if they realize how valuable they are.  Something she said really struck me:  Some of you truly don't know that you are valuable. You don't know that you are worth something, because no one ever showed it to you.  Maybe someone, whether it was a stranger, a relative, or your own parents, hurt you or mistreated your body.  I am telling you today that God loves you, He thinks you are valuable, worth more than anything else. And we love you. Then, she had all of the staff and teachers go around hugging the kids and telling them we love them.  Now, I am not terribly huggy, especially to to older kids... I hug the the little ones a lot, but the older kids I just give a shoulder pat, you know? So today, I hugged some kids that I've never hugged before.  It is amazing how something that seems so insignificant (to me) really touches people.  The kids and staff were crying and hugging, and it was just great! Some of my "tough girls" just melted in my arms. I know the kids really felt loved today. So, my new resolution is to give more hugs!

Worth A Thousand Words

Hello my family and friends. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. I am not sure who “they” are but the following picture has a lot to say so keep reading. I want you to study the picture closely before moving on down the page. There will be a lot you will want to remember. 

Praise God!

This is a normal day at Happy Church, the campus church of Happy Horizons Children’s Ranch (HHCR) and the local church for those in our Bunga community.

Here is what you may not see:

1) The far left in a light blue shirt is our young preacher for today. He grew up at this Ranch and now is finishing bible college with the desire to be a pastor. His education here at the Ranch was provided by BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge). The reason he was able to be raised at the Ranch his whole life is because of supporters like you. 

2) The group of people to the left are Happy Horizons kids (less than half, this is all that would fit in the frame).  These children have come here because they have been trafficked, orphaned, abused, or have an older sibling who was a victim of the former and were removed from the ‘parent/guardian’ for their own safety. There have been countless prayers offered for the Ranch kids and countless dollars given to maintain their livelihood from supporters like you. 

3) The group to the right are the community people who attend faithfully each week. Many of these families are also apart of our MoM (Mission of Mercy) outreach program that helps their child get an education along with meeting many other needs. Almost all the kids in this picture are touched by MoM, and in turn have learned about the love of Jesus Christ. MoM is a “child sponsor” program that ministers to the basic needs of children with food, clothes, and money for education. This ministry is funded by generous supports like you.  

4) Up-front and center is our dance team with a mix of Ranch kids and community kids. The two dancers in the back (closest to the stage) are from outside the Ranch. These two have been coming to this church most of their young lives. One is in college on a scholarship from MoM. The other is not only being sponsored by MoM, she is now a teacher of one of the age groups in our MoM Saturday program (basically a kids church with over 200 kids. We use the same area in the above photo for this program, that is why it is on Saturday). These young ladies are “living the life” because a supporter like you was able to reach out to them using MoM to teach them the love of Jesus Christ.

5) On the stage is our worship team using instruments paid for by STL (Speed The  Light). We use these instruments at every event and service. A church service to over 100 people would be very difficult without these vital ministry tools. The same instruments paid for by STL allow us to effectively minister in our Saturday morning MoM programs (that is our kids’ church) and minister in our youth services every Sunday afternoon. The worship team is composed of mostly Ranch kids but there is one adult who is also a “house parent” (meaning he is an employee of HHCR). He is able to take care of his wife and two kids as well as be a ‘parent’ for the Ranch kids because of supporters like you donating to HHCR.

6) Hanging off the stage are banners proudly paid for by the locals who take pride in their home church. Each banner is decoratively declaring glory to God. The local people would have a very difficult time trying to pay for the use of such a quality facility on their own, without the help of supporters like you. So they do what they can to show their appreciation.  

7) The whole church area; stage, stage lights, chairs, roof, and floor was provided by supporters like you. The men that were able to come and construct the facility where able to work and earn money to provide for their families because of the financial giving of supporters like you.

8) The upper level of the white building in the background is Happy Horizons Academy (HHA). The school was provided for by supporters like you. The school materials: school books, notebooks, pens, pencils, and erasers where provided by BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge). The teachers, computers, school uniforms, and desks where all paid for by BGMC. All the Ranch kids attend HHA along with some of the HHCR Alumni’s children. HHA gives the kids a quality education foundation that will allow them the opportunity to build a productive life as an adult. 

9) The lower level of the white building in the back ground is the Ranch cafeteria. This cafeteria serves 3 meals a day every day to the kids, staff and any local workers that are working for the Ranch that day. One meal feeds 70 - 80 people. Thats roughly 225 meals in one day; 1,575 meals a week; 6,300 meals a month; 75,600 meals a year. Every meal is paid for by supporters like you!

10) From the clothes the Ranch kids are wearing to the very possibility of them being able to live at HHCR is because of people like you, who love enough to give support. 

11) The reason there is a Ranch at all is because Missionaries Glenn and Nancy Garrison obeyed the leading of the Lord. Local churches like yours and people like you continue the prayers and financial giving to keep this ministry changing lives all day, every day of every week.

12) This picture was taken by a camera paid for by a supporter like you. And I, John A. Williford took this picture because during this worship service God showed me this idea of a picture being worth a thousand words. I would not be here if not for the prayers of supporters and the financial giving of the faithful followers of Jesus Christ. I think maybe God wanted you to see what it is your prayers turn into. Maybe God wanted you to see that your giving makes a life-changing difference. Your prayers and your financial support are making a life-changing difference in a small community, in the jungle-covered mountains, on the island of Cebu, in the middle of the country of the Philippines. 

We serve a great big God. He is worthy of our praise. I hope this picture inspires you to praise the holy name of Jesus. This picture is not a picture of the glory of what “man” can do but of what God can do. These people here are praising the Lord because they are in love with the Master. They are grateful for all the prayers, all the giving, all the support. But they know it was not “man” who provided for them, but God. God uses people to bless people. He deserves all the glory, all the honor and all the praise. 

The young preacher in the blue shirt told me a great little saying “You can praise anyone, but only God deserves our worship.” Give God the Glory today!

(Oh and the word count was 1,240) 

Walat Problema (No problem!)

Things have been going ok at the ranch... a few of our older girls decided to go back to their families, and that was heart-breaking for us, but it was their choice.  We are praying for God's protection over their lives, and we ask you to do the same.


We also have received 3 new kids, and are expecting another next week.  It's bittersweet to get new kids, because it's so sad to see them missing their families, but it's so good to know that they will be safe here!


God is good.  Lately, I've been quoting Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."


I often find myself leaning on my own understanding.  I try to understand why troubles come, why innocent kids go through so much pain, why people are so cruel.  In my mind, it doesn't make sense, and it never will.  Then I remember to trust God.


I gave this illustration to my class during devotions last week. If Clara, my 4 year old, has a problem with something, she has two options.  She can try to solve it by herself, or she can get help from me.  Let's say she can't understand how to tie her shoes.  So she can try and try to do it herself until she gets so frustrated and upset and just wants to give up... or she can ask me for help.  I know how to tie shoes, no problem.  I can get it done in a few seconds.  Mana! ("Done" in Cebuano!)


Now, I know that at some point I will have to teach her how to do it herself, but that doesn't really tie in (no pun intended!) with my illustration.  


The point is, sometimes I get so caught up in trying to do everything myself, and so frustrated, and I forget that God is an all-powerful, omniscient God.  I am never going to stump him with a problem that I have.  God will never say, "Sorry, you're on your own with that one."  All I have to do is ask!


2 Corinthians 12:9  "For my power is made perfect in weakness." 


I wrote this song when I was in high school: 

I look around me, I've failed you again.  
Time after time, I try to do good, 
then I fall right back into my sin.
And I think about you,
God, do I make you sad?
'cause every time I try to do good, 
it always ends up bad.


But I want to please you, I want to hold your hand!
I want to live for you, help me understand
Your power's made perfect in my weakness,
well, I'm as weak as I can be.
But I want to please you, please can you forgive me?




Don't forget to trust in your heavenly Father today, no matter how big or small your problem is! 


Thank you for praying for us.  We appreciate you! 

wisdom we've gleaned since becoming missionaries:

Hope this makes you laugh!

• simple tasks are never as easy as they should be (example: going to the store for ground beef takes 3 hours round-trip)
• traffic laws are suggestive guidelines only. the biggest vehicle wins
• rice. 3 times a day. every day.
• spiders make really great toys

• flip-flops can be used in place of high heels, running shoes, hiking boots, steel-toe construction boots, and rain boots. just don't wear them INSIDE the house!
• personal space is an American term, and it's a luxury
• some places in the world NEVER get cold 
• roosters crow ANY time in the day or night 
• toilet paper in not very important in some countries
• toilet seats are optional
• bananas can be cooked, boiled, fried, barbecued, grilled, sugar glazed...
• the maximum quantity of passengers that will fit on one motorbike has yet to be determined   

But seriously:

• missions work is 99% perseverance
• people are very generous
• God is always faithful!

internet!!!

It's amazing!! After 8 months of living at the ranch without internet access, we've finally discovered a device that will get us a strong enough signal to check email, surf the web, and even...gasp... SKYPE!! In the past, we've only been able to skype with our families once every 2-3 weeks when we could take an overnight trip into the city.  Now we can skype from our living room!! This is a really big deal to us!

Now that we have this capability, I am realizing (once again) that God's ways are higher than ours.  If it had been up to me, i would have made sure we had an internet connection from day one.  That way when things got tough or I had a bad "culture shock" experience, I could just hop online and pretend I was in America, chat with some Facebook friends or cry to my mama.  (By the way, this is Kelli typing, not John)
: )

Now I see God's wisdom.  He knew that John and I needed to learn to depend on Him, to work through our experiences together.  And now that we finally have internet, we have already gone through the hardest "why-in-the-world-are-we-living-in-this-country" experiences and we're really enjoying our lives here.

So I am feeling very blessed today.  Our great big God takes care of all these little things, in his perfect timing.

Ok, time to go talk to my mama!!

Happy days!

Hi, everyone!  Hope you all are doing great!  We are doing well here at the Ranch.  Learning a lot!  I just finished my fourth week of full-time teaching.  I won’t lie, it’s been very challenging.  God is definitely teaching me some lessons in patience, endurance, and self-control.  Those aren’t very fun lessons, but I am choosing to be thankful and optimistic.  : )

John is staying busy with church events, Bible studies, visitations, and meetings.  He will be leading 2 missions teams from America in July.  He is also spending “man time” with Lincoln every Tuesday morning.  Linc and John go on adventures, play ball, and wrestle.  On Thursday and Friday afternoons, Daddy is in charge of Lincoln and Clara.  They have tons of fun!

Clara is loving “big school” (preschool) and learning a lot. She knows 4 verses from Psalms, and her teacher says Clara does great in question/answer time.  She is quite the social butterfly!  Everywhere we go, people call her “Barbie.”  Clara currently is into shoes, princesses, and bugs.  

Lincoln is enjoying his nursery class; he brought home some worksheets the other day and told me how he had to “follow instluctons”. Linc is all boy!  He has found some great wrestling buddies at the Ranch, and he just got his own basketball.  But growing up with a big sister, sometimes he can’t resist walking around in Clara’s high heels!

God is teaching us about His Provision! Last month, we lost 10% of our monthly support pledges, and that was very scary.  But, we knew that God would be faithful!  You, our supporters, gave above and beyond your regular monthly pledge, and we received EXACTLY the amount that was lacking. Hallelujah! 

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.  We miss our family and friends, but God has given us a great support system here, and we are content.  These children are so precious, and are in need of so much love.  We are doing our best to love them with God’s love, and help them in every way that we can!  

what's new

Hello again! I am writing to you from Manila, where we are staying this weekend for the Annual Meeting. All of the missionaries from everywhere in the Philippines get together and have a business meeting, teaching sessions, and spend quality time together.  We are staying in a house with two other families, and have a grand total of 8 children here, ranging from 6 weeks to 8 years old! Needless to say, we are having lots of FUN!

John is starting his Berean classes this month, he is working towards his minister's license.  This is a goal he has had for a long time, and we are excited that he has this opportunity.

I received my "official" job placement as the teacher for levels 4 and 5.  I have 13 students whose ages range from 10 to 19 years old.  School starts in two weeks, and I can't wait! I graduated with my teaching degree, then stayed home with the kids until we moved here, so this will be my very first time to teach a class by myself! Woohoo!

Clara will be starting preschool, and is very excited about the  "univerm" (uniform) that she gets to wear! She will turn 4 on June 19th.  She has requested a chocolate Hello Kitty cake, and we are all looking forward to that!

Lincoln is just enjoying every day! He is learning quite a bit of Cebuano, and he loves to sing, dance, wrestle, read, and play with cars and balls. He is definitely a BOY!

We hope all of you are doing well. Thank you for taking the time to catch up with us! : )

Burden

I feel a little awkward sharing this post, because many of you sponsor our mission and I don't want you to think that we are not incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve here! I just wanted to let you know how I am feeling... missions work is not a walk in the park.  It's more like running blindfolded through a jungle! And some days are hard.

This is a very honest post that I wrote about a week ago, but I am just now sharing. Hope you get something out of it!

I had this dream a few nights ago that one of my close friends had a new baby but it was very deformed, so she kept it but locked it upstairs and only fed it, just like the bare minimum to survive. She said it wasn't the child she was supposed to have, it wasn't perfect, so she would raise it, but she didn't consider it "hers". The baby's name was Brunden in the dream. I thought it was a weird name, but I knew that this baby deserved more than this life. Then I woke up.

Here is what John and I interpret: the BURDEN that God has given us, to come here and work with these kids, hasn't exactly turned out like we thought. We labored and toiled and waited a long time to get to this place, and now, honestly, I am kind of disappointed in the result. It's not perfect. There are things I don't like. (Mainly, living in a fish bowl and being so far from family). Please understand, we LOVE these kids so much! I think I just pictured all of the details to be. . . Flawless! So now I am here, doing what needs to be done each day, but not fully embracing our life here.

Whew!! Talk about a kick in the pants! This is the dream God has given me, entrusted me with, and I am treating it like this?  I am complaining about the things I miss in America, worrying about if my kids are going to be adversely affected by their surroundings, and secretly counting the days until I get to see my parents again.  

So, things will be changing. I will be THANKFUL for the new adventures God has given to our family. I won't forget how BLESSED we are to carry this burden! And I will try really hard not to miss home so much :)

busy, busy, busy!!

Hi guys! It has been a while since I have posted, and that's because we have been BUSY! The school had an incredible Performing Arts show, a tearful and joyful graduation, and now we are kicking off our summer program.  The kids spend Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays reading age-appropriate books in their group level's reading shack.  We spent a couple of days gathering wood, plastic, and tools to build our group's shack. I even learned how to weave coconut tree leaves to make coverings and decorations. (no pictures up yet... but look for them soon!) The summer reading program really strengthens the kids' English skills and it's fun too! On Tuesdays and Thursdays we go to the beach with the younger kids and swim and swim and swim. The older kids help lead VBS's held in different two locations.  I just finished a week of teacher training in the city and am now a certified School of Tomorrow supervisor. =)

Life is good.  We are missing our family and friends in the states, but we are enjoying all of our new adventures here, too. Thank you for supporting us and caring about us.  Have a great day!

The Sad Girl

Hi! Just want to share a story of how God used my little boy to show His love.

There is a girl at the ranch named Amber (not her real name) who has been rescued from the trafficking industry. I don't know all of her story, but I can tell that she has had a very hard life.  She doesn't talk much, and she likes to give icy stares at me when I try to talk to her.  A few weeks after we arrived here, Amber received the news that her father had died.  She was very upset, and at church that weekend the minister asked her to stand at the front of the church so we could pray for her.  I was holding my two year old, Lincoln, and he asked what we were doing. I explained that we were praying for the girl because she was very sad.  During bedtime prayers that night, Lincoln prayed for "the sad girl" and he hasn't forgotten to pray for her every night since then.

I happen to be a fan of "High School Musical" (even though I am definitely NOT in high school any more!), and silly as it sounds, knowing the songs from the movies has really helped me break the ice with the older kids at the ranch!  One day, out of the blue, Amber came over and asked me to sing her a song.  I gladly did so, then I told her about how Lincoln prays for her every night.  She didn't really say anything at the time, but the next day she handed me a small box to give to Lincoln.  Inside was a tiny, hand-sewn pillow and a note telling Lincoln how much she loves him and she is thankful for his prayers.   Since then, whenever Linc is around, Amber gives him a big hug and talks to him like he understands all of her problems. I am so proud of my boy for his tender, two year old heart! Never doubt that God can use little things (and little people) to make a big difference!

rest

I am writing today from the beautiful beach in Lapu Lapu City (about 2 hours from our home at the ranch).  Our family is taking a mini-vacation for two nights and it feels soooo wonderful! They have a bathtub in our room! I haven't had a bath since we left in December (showers, yes, but no bathtub!) And the food here is soooo good!

This is a very short post, but here's the story: we've been working really hard and enjoying our time here.  However, we don't have much time off because I (Kelli) work during the week and John works a lot with the church on the weekends.  So our mentor missionary suggested that we take a little rest and relaxation time, and we agreed. Yesterday and today are holidays in the Philippines, anyway.  Tomorrow we will be back at work!

We are so thankful to all of you are supporting us emotionally, financially, and through prayer.  Don't forget to take time out of your own busy schedules to stop and enjoy your family and your life. It will put a big smile on your face!

life

Hello!! We are happy to be back in the city for the evening, where will be able to skype with our families and do a quick grocery run before heading back to the ranch tomorrow morning. Things are becoming very busy as we get settled into our new jobs.  Below is a summary of an average week:

Monday through Friday
5:00 am-- Kelli starts a load of laundry.  We currently share 3 washers and dryers with about 80 other people, so we have a scheduled laundry time. : )  The ranch kids wake up and complete their morning chores.
6:00 am-- Clara and Linc are awake and ready for the day. Breakfast!
8:00 am-- John and Kelli drop off the kids at "school" (the nursery class for kids under age 5). Kelli begins her day at school, training to teach levels 2 & 3 and practicing the kids' performing arts. John begins planning meetings with the church staff, organizing church events, and writing sermons.
11:30 am-- Lunch time in the cafeteria for all!
12:00 pm-- Recess! John takes a break to play with the ranch kids, too. : )
1:00 pm-- Kelli picks up Clara and Linc from school and takes them home for a nap.  John continues working.
3:00 pm-- Family time. We all go to the playground, watch a movie, or play in the house together.  On some days John also has a meeting during this time.
5:00 pm-- Ranch kids are out of school.  Play, play, play!
5:45 pm-- Dinner in the cafeteria (or, if we simply must eat American cuisine, at home).
6:15 pm-- Back to the house, showers and storytime for Clara and Linc.
7:00 pm-- Bedtime for Clara and Linc.
9:00 pm-- Bedtime for John and Kelli

Saturday
9:00-11:00 am-- Mission of Mercy kids church. This is a sponsorship program that provides children in the local village medical care, school supplies, and clothing.
1:00 pm-- Praise & Worship music practice
3:00 pm-- Small groups. (We lead a young adults small group).

Sunday
9:00 am-- prayer time
9:30-11:00 am-- church
1:00-4:00 pm-- youth group

I just wanted to give you an idea of what we do every day. Like I said, life is busy, but we are still making time for our family to relax and spend time together.  I (Kelli) am only working half-days until June so that I can ease the transition for my kids, who have not been in a nursery school program before.

Right now I am working on performing arts with the kids. This is an event that they hold every quarter in which students choose a talent, choose a piece to present, and prepare a presentation.  Most of the kids sing, dance, or do a drama.  If you know me, you know this is right up my alley!  I love rehearsing with the kids and seeing their self-confidence build up. I can't wait to post videos of the finished performance!

John is spending a lot of time organizing people and events, and if you know him, you know he is so great at that! He will be preaching his second sermon this Sunday morning. I am so proud of all of the hard work he is doing.

Life in the Philippines is slowly becoming just life.  Not in a bad, "this-is-so-boring" kind of way,  but in a familiar, "hey-i'm-getting-used-to-this" way.

To sum things up:            WE ARE HAPPY!

We are so so thankful for your support. Your monthly donations provide the funds we need to pay for our home, food, insurance, etc. and they make it possible for us to keep doing this. Thank you.

Talk to you in a few weeks!

important

Hi! Happy New Year!! We had a very festive evening and stayed up until 3 am with the Ranch kids (they were awake until 5:00am!!) We are adjusting well to our new home, and things are definitely feeling more settled. Still no warm showers, but we are working on that : )

I have been thinking the past few days about what is really important. You know, in life. For example, in America it is important to us that church services flow smoothly with no interruptions or distractions. But in the Philippines, it is considered perfectly normal for a rambunctious toddler to go tearing across the platform, or a mother hen and her chicks to meander in between the congregation's legs, or a goat to defecate in the lawn in front of everyone! (Church is outside by the way.)  I thought something like that would totally throw off the church service, but no one even blinked!

We took communion at church yesterday. Guess what was in the glass? PEPSI!! I feel like if someone tried that in an American church it would be sacreligious or something!

But I wonder what God thinks about all of that? I had never before considered that He probably doesn't really care about those issues. Because he is busy looking into our hearts. And yesterday I drank my Pepsi communion (which tasted pretty good) and my heart worshipped God and thanked Him for the sacrifice that He made for all of us.

Living in the Philippines has definitely taught me to loosen up!

Also, I (this is Kelli, by the way) was asked to give the girls' devotion yesterday evening. Of course, if you know me at all, you know that I cried. Yes, it's true. : )       I wasn't sure what to tell these girls. Sometimes it is very hard to look at their trusting eyes and think about the horrible circumstances that they have come out of. So I told the girls the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:12 "Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face..." I told them that the life we live here on earth is not all there is, we were created for something way better. Right now our life is a lot like looking through a nasty, dirty window. You can't see clearly and you can't understand why things happen the way that they do, especially for kids like these who have been abused or had their families torn apart. BUT one day that window will be gone, and we will be able to see everything perfectly clearly. All of the questions will be answered, and the pieces to the puzzle will all fit together.

I don't think we were meant to understand everything right now. Just the important stuff.

1. God is with us.
2. He loves us so much that He sacrificed His very own Son, a part of Himself, so we could be with Him.
3. He is in control.

Hebrews 13:20

That's all for now!