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I posted this last year on this day. I am posting this again: March 28, 1995, a day that changed me forever. I was in the Philippines then, in a remote area of Mindanao called Tagoloan, near the bigger city of Cagayan de Oro. I was in the Philippines on a missions internship, working as an associate pastor with a network of local churches. A man approached me telling me that he has been instructed to inform me that I needed to be at the airport in Cagayan de Oro at a certain time that afternoon, I was to meet an arriving passenger (I had no idea who, but I was told that they would know me), and there I would receive further instructions. It all sounded kind of mysterious to me, but I told the stranger that I would be at the airport at the assigned time. The pastors I was working with agreed to accompany me. I went about my business of the day. We were starting to work on doing Camp Sonshine with the churches there. I had counselor training in the morning, and then we were going to vi...

I have been in-country for about a week, and honestly I am experiencing some reverse culture shock. It is odd to feel like a foreigner in your home country, but that is exactly what's happening. For example the other day I went to get gas at the gas station and for a moment I froze because I didn't know what to do. Also driving is kind of weird, especially when I am used to walking or riding jeepneys or taxis (where someone else is doing the driving). However the best part of being Stateside is reconnecting with family, friends, and loved ones. The other day Chris and I took Danny and his cousin, Marissa, to Chick-fil-A. They are so cute together--they are both three years old. The really enjoy being together, giggling and telling jokes, and just playing and interacting. Marissa LOVES ranch dressing (like a Texan loves ranch dressing), she dips everything in ranch. Even grapes. Of course, no visit at Chick-fil-A would be complete without a visit to their huge play place. This i...

I am finally reunited with my family in the States. I am holding them tight and never letting go. Thanks for all those who held us tightly in your prayers during this time. We will be Stateside until July. We look forward to seeing many of you during these next few months.

It is over, the internship is now completed. The interns leave the Philippines in a few hours, and I will finally be reunited with my family soon after. This has been the most challenging of times, especially since I have been away from the people I love the most for so long. The only thing that would keep me away from my family like this is my purpose. This is my purpose, to serve others, to help others grow, to help students grow into full-time missionaries. The biggest thing I have learned from this experience (other than to never be away from my family this long again) is that EVERYTHING can be a learning experience. Every situation, every problem, every challenge, can be an opportunity to grow. I hope I take this lesson and apply it to the rest of my life. It has been an honor to serve these incredible interns--now missionaries. Now it's time to be with my family.

A few days ago the interns conducted a survey of the San Isidro relocation village, a place of extreme poverty. The main purpose of the survey was for a future church plant in that village. We are working with Full Gospel Church, laying the ground work for what will hopefully one day be a daughter church planted in that village. I spent the two days taking pictures and being a human jungle gym for these girls. It is hard to describe how my heart was broken by this precious children. Usually I don't get so involved, I am content to just facilitate ministry experiences for others and stay behind the camera and just take pictures. These girls were starved for any kind of adult affection. They would sit in my lap and wrap my arms around them, and just soak up whatever love I could give them. We played silly games, talked and told jokes, sang songs, snacked on crackers and soda, etc. I did not ask about their fathers, if they were around or even living. I could tell they were starved fo...

When I come home from a day like this I think to myself, "I want every day to be like this," so full of purpose, so full of opportunities to be a blessing. We had a major medical outreach at the Sonshine Center. We saw nearly 200 children, blessing them with doctor's visits and medicines. Thanks to the leadership of Go To Nations missionaries Mike and Jude Kell y, we had more than enough doctors and nurses to see all of our kids, and they also got medicines donated. It was yet another amazing day. I want everyday to be this amazing.