I wasn’t born into this brave and free country…

The recent devastation by the Super Typhoon in the Philippines has really touched my heart! If there was ever a time that I longed to go back to the Philippines is now! It has been 12 long years since I have been back to see my family and to know that the “biggest storm the world has ever seen” hit where I spent 7 years of my life before coming to the  United States makes it more important to me to go home. I remember a year ago, one of my last blogs was about Veterans Day and why my family came…a reason why I am so thankful for those who gave up their time with their family to serve and maintain our freedom…an excerpt from my blog last year…

“You see, I came here for freedom. My whole family did! I wasn’t born into this brave and free country; we escaped to it to have a better and safe life.

To make the long story short, we came here on Christmas Eve of 1989 from the Philippines. After years of thinking that we moved to the US for my parents to work at a mission’s organization as volunteer missionaries, my parents shared that we also came here because our safety was being threatened.”

Veteran’s Day this year served as a day of thankfulness for me but also a day of worry. Due to the storm, many lost power and my parents, brother and I, along with many had to to wait days to hear back from loved ones in the Philippines!

I can’t explain to you how passionate I am about helping the people in the Philippines! I know some are more passionate about other things, but this is VERY important to me and this is why I am blowing up my Facebook page and my Twitter feed about helping any way anyone can. I lived there, served as a short-term missionary there, met my husband who was a missionary there, I have spent time with the adults and children who spent their day begging for food and money. I have spent time on the Island of Leyte to help do children’s ministry while my Aunt’s medical mission was doing their free clinic. I have been there to watch tooth extractions done under a tree. I have also been there to see many of these Filipinos who don’t have much but act like they are rich because they came to know Christ as their personal Savior. I have seen God do a mighty work in the lives of the people there. They are a people of BIG FAITH! I don’t know why this has happened, but this is what I know, God will never leave or forsake His people and I know the people of the Philippines know this and understand this so much more than I do right now!

The greatest thing I have learned about the people of the Philippines is this, they are the most hardworking people I know and will work till they have rebuilt what has been broken. When hard times come, you rarely see the stress and worry because they will always SMILE through it all! The Filipinos are resilient in nature BUT don’t let their smile fool you right now…they need help! The country does not have enough resources to rebuild from 2 major disasters, the 7.2 earthquake and the Super Typhoon. There is a lack of medicine, lack of medical care, lack of food and water.

So, this is my plea for you, as I have posted on Facebook before, please keep praying for the Philippines! Thank you to all the family and friends who have reached out to us with love and prayers for our family in the Philippines! If any of you feel led to send monetary gifts or gather supplies for the people in the Philippines, you can do so through Advancing Native Missions.  ANM is missions organization, based in Virginia that is dedicated to serve as a channel of support to the native missionaries, pastors and their families in their country by equipping them, training them and encouraging them. They also send support to these ministries from friends all over the US. My parents have worked with them for the past 20 some years and I have had the privilege of meeting some of the real-life Faith Heroes from all over the world.

You can go to:

www.advancingnativemissions.com/supertyphoon

You can also learn more about Advancing Native Missions and the ministries they help support all over the world!