May 9th - May 19th
Friday May 10th
We started off our first morning of ministry here in Manila, Philippines with evangelism where we split up in groups of 2-3 students with a translated. My excitement level was high to pray for people which was exciting for me considering when I was in Mexico I was having a really hard time wanting to evangelize. I think a huge influence on my excitement was that I had a power time that morning and prayed. I was so willing and eager to pray for people that even when the translator was busy, I would go and pray for someone. I was just so eager for people to encounter the same love and joy I had inside of me. (I challenge myself to be that willing to pray for people, even when I’m not feeling the best). Me and Jonathon felt led to go up to this man, as we started a convo we could see that he was really hungry to know more. After we prayed for him, we asked if he had a relationship with Christ. There I got to lead my first *Adult* to Christ! Wow! Someone gets to live in eternity in heaven and I got to be a part!! That morning as I prayed for people, and people came up to me for prayer, I was filled with so much joy and didn’t want to stop. God loves his people so much!
After lunch we had the amazing opportunity to pray for people in a hospital. My heart grew compassion for them. It was heartbreaking to see the conditions they were in yet so encouraging to see the smiles they had after we prayed for them. We also were able to pray for the family members that were with them and saw many brought to tears. It was such an amazing opportunity!
In the night time we got to attend a bible study and each of us got to share a short testimony. What an amazing day! It was a day that reminded me why I had a passion for missions God gave to me when I went to Thailand.
To see people’s life touched, that’s what it’s all about.
Saturday May 11th
In the morning time we got to do my favorite thing- KIDS MINISTRY! Oh how I have I missed it. It sets my soul on fire. We had to plan an 1 1/2 for them. So half an hour kids started arriving, I took my pen and paper and wrote out a schedule. I wrote out in 30 minutes a whole kids service! Me and my team had so much fun getting to love, worship with, and play games with the kids. I also got to share a word about loving your neighbor. It was so fun to teach kids again. My team kept on telling me how great of job I did, but I couldn’t have done it without God planting the gift inside of me.
Later that day we went house to house evangelizing in the shack homes. I was really anxious about it yet Pilipino people are so open and friendly. You don’t see many foreigners here do they really want to listen to what you have to share. It was so amazing to meet new people and to see how encouraged they were after we shared. Later we had fellowship with people from the church we were with. They were so open and loving towards us. Someone noticed that I had a passion for prayer and asked if I could pray for them. It’s crazy how you meet people and instantly fall in love with each other! I love the Philippines.
Sunday May 12th
Mother’s Day. Holidays make me miss home even more. Gen 31:49 “May the Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight.” This is the Bible verse my mom gave me before leaving. Although we are thousands of miles away our love is deep, I trust that God is with her. I love her and she loves me so we both have to be present where we are, knowing that we love each other. Mom if your reading this happy Mother’s Day, I miss and love you. Thank you for supporting me living out my dreams.
Today we attended service at the church we’re staying at. It’s amazing to see God moving all over the world. Later that day we did more house to house to evangelism. We did it at the hottest time in the Philippines, from 1-2 it’s common that everyone naps because it’s too hot to do anything else. It was hard, but fulfilling to get to pray for people. We attended a Mother’s Day service afterwards in the community.
Monday May 13th
Our free day. Also the day I realized I was broke and because of the missionary life I can’t buy clothes I want or gifts for people I love. It’s hard, but I do it because life is more fulfilling this way.
Tuesday May 14th
Today we did some more evangelism! I instantly made friends with the pastors and leaders from this new church. This was one of my harder days doing evangelism. Not because we didn’t have anyone to talk to or we didn’t have good experiences but because of prayers for healing. Several people asked to pray for healing over something physical. We saw 5 people who after we prayed for them said they were healed!! Yet, there were 3 we didn’t see healing for. A kind mom and two little boys who all couldn’t walk. One of the little boys we prayed for also had an obvious disordered spine. As we began to pray for healing I was filled with emotion and faith but we didn’t see healing happen. My heart swelled but I encouraged them and said that they are made in Gods image. It was hard because I really wanted to see healing, but I still know and believe that God can still heal. Does the 5 that were healed don’t matter because another three weren’t? No! I will rejoice over those five and know that God will work through the other three - whether or not they are healed, God is still good.
Wednesday May 15th & Thursday May 17th
Highlands Christian church camp six hours away from Manila Philippines. During these two days we got to be a part of a Christian camp here in the Philippines. There were over 1000 kids aged 11 through 25 in attendance this camp is host to a lot of non-Christians who come because of a friend inviting them. We got to see amazing dramas performed one showing that life with Christ is a choice you can choose, he doesn’t force us to love him. The life he has for us isn’t always easy but it is full of good things. Then they did a preaching and shared the gospel. Afterwards there was an altar call where we saw over 85% of the attendees decides to give their lives to Christ. We as counselors, got to re-preach the gospel and praises salvation prayer. I had a group of 10 girls and I got to re-explain the gospel and what it meant for me personally. It was so incredible to be a part of their beginning of new life. I even got questions like what happens when people make fun of you for being Christian? I got to encourage them from personal experience. It’s been so incredible saying that God is powerful and moving all around the world.
Friday May 17th
We had a late start to the morning because of camp. This week me and Tabs were the student leaders in charge of schedule/communication. It’s been fun! Eva Maria from base came for a pastoral visit. Her job is to have one on ones with all of us to see how we are doing. It was very good for me to process all that has happened throughout outreach with someone. We did more house to house evangelism today, and I got to lead more people to Christ! God. Is. Good.
Saturday May 18th
We started off the morning by joining a churches children ministry and doing our Good Samaritan skit I had come up with in Mexico. Afterwards I explain the meaning of the skit to the children. Then we just got to play with the kids and instantly we became best friends. It was so hard to leave them because we had gotten to love each other just by simple interactions. As we left to go evangelize they fight over who got to hold our hands. Then did some more house to house evangelism partnering up with translators as always. I took a different approach on the way I did it and asked more questions about them, and their own faith. That afternoon in the scorching heat of the Philippines, I have the opportunity to lead three people to Christ. Altogether over 38 people came to Christ and even more paid for that afternoon! God is so good! We can see how much he works through the power of prayer and evangelism. Next we traveled to another church and got to do more kids ministry. We all helped out to facilitate games and worship for the kids. I got to share a word with them. The kids were so much fun and loving to be around! Such a great day!
Sunday May 19th
Our last day of ministry here we spent at a church sharing testimonies and leading worship!!
Monday & Tuesday May 20th- 21st
We had a free day and did debriefing since two of our team members can’t get into Russia and will be joining a different team.
Prayer requests:
Rest of outreach to be super amazing and I be bold in my faith in a closed country (Russia)
Transition to Israel joining the other teams to be peaceful.
Finances
God to speak to me about the future!
Venmo: Lyly-Figueroa
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