Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Hey Norconians, how is the weather, its raining in Manila, no big surprise there. Yesterday we poured the concrete for the third floor of the Library, I can't believe how fast the work is going. It's hard work but I know I can speak for the rest of the guys when I say that it's worth it and were privileged to be there. Today was the Philippineo President's innogeration, that means it was a national holiday so no work today. We went to this really nice beach, it was beautiful and the water was at least 82 degrees, super salty and awesome. Trevor and I, along with Miles' son played Rachel, Josselyn, Trisha, and Miles at Volleyball, we won the first game and they won the second, barely, but if you average the scores we definitely won, ha ha. It was a really nice day and I finally got rid of my farmers tan, ha ha. I cant believe that we will be heading home soon, the Philippines is already starting to feel like home, I am blessed that God allowed me to work here with such wonderful people. Thank you all for your support and prayers.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Kind of a Hero
On Thursday night Aaron was instrumental in a life-or-death situation. I wasn't there for most of it: I'm posting this because I know Aaron wouldn't.
We were doing devotions with the boys at the Children's Home when a lady came in and said Marilyn (the nurse at the Children's Home) was asking for him down at the YMC (where we stay). He left as we continued the devotions. As I was told later, a neighborhood girl had an allergic attack after eating dinner and her family took her to the Center, hoping we could do something. At first, the workers didn't get the story straight and thought she was simply sick, so they tried to treat her, but she continued to get worse. Then Aaron arrived (they had called him as he has had EMS training) and quickly realized she was having an allergic attack. After scanning the medical supplies here for the appropriate medicines, he decided she needed to go to the hospital.
We were finished with devotions by this time and walked in just as Aaron was carrying the barely-conscious child out to the car (going directly by car would be faster than calling an ambulance). Along the way he fed her an improvised medicine to keep her throat open so she could breathe and monitored her condition. When she arrived at the hospital she was treated immediately as an emergency case. She was soon released and spent the night recovering at the Center, but the doctors say had she arrived twenty minutes later, she would likely have died. It's still not entirely certain what set off her attack, but we've communicated to her parents the importance of care in her diet and immediate response to any signs of another attack.
So Aaron has gone from the life of the party as he talked about in his last post to kind of a hero in the eyes of many of the people here. God has certainly arranged to use his unique talents here. Please pray for the girl, both that she recovers and stays physically safe and that she gains spiritual salvation, as she participates in a neighborhood girls' bible study.
We were doing devotions with the boys at the Children's Home when a lady came in and said Marilyn (the nurse at the Children's Home) was asking for him down at the YMC (where we stay). He left as we continued the devotions. As I was told later, a neighborhood girl had an allergic attack after eating dinner and her family took her to the Center, hoping we could do something. At first, the workers didn't get the story straight and thought she was simply sick, so they tried to treat her, but she continued to get worse. Then Aaron arrived (they had called him as he has had EMS training) and quickly realized she was having an allergic attack. After scanning the medical supplies here for the appropriate medicines, he decided she needed to go to the hospital.
We were finished with devotions by this time and walked in just as Aaron was carrying the barely-conscious child out to the car (going directly by car would be faster than calling an ambulance). Along the way he fed her an improvised medicine to keep her throat open so she could breathe and monitored her condition. When she arrived at the hospital she was treated immediately as an emergency case. She was soon released and spent the night recovering at the Center, but the doctors say had she arrived twenty minutes later, she would likely have died. It's still not entirely certain what set off her attack, but we've communicated to her parents the importance of care in her diet and immediate response to any signs of another attack.
So Aaron has gone from the life of the party as he talked about in his last post to kind of a hero in the eyes of many of the people here. God has certainly arranged to use his unique talents here. Please pray for the girl, both that she recovers and stays physically safe and that she gains spiritual salvation, as she participates in a neighborhood girls' bible study.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Hey Norconians, this is Aaron from the Philippines, it's 7:20 in the morning now and already shaping up to be a hot and humid masterpiece of a day. But really it has been amazing here. The trip so far has been such a blessing to me and has taught me so much about faith. First God helped me raise the funds just to get here which I thought wasn't going to happen towards the end of our preparations to leave, but of course God was faithful. Actually being in the Philippines has been an amazing experience, the far majority of the people here have nothing, Jesus is a common name here but their Catholicism is surrounded by superstition and mysticism, for all practical purposes religion in the Philippines is worthless and the missionaries really do have their work cut out for them, but the points of contacts are there to talk about the real Jesus and we have been doing that as much as we can. Every day their are two feedings, one at 10:00 AM and 4 Pm, teams going into the slums with food and medicine, because I am experienced in EMS, I occasionally get to care for the sick and wounded which is incredible and humbling as well as heartbreaking. Every night the "Man Team" does bible devotions with the older orphans at the children's home which is really cool, their are so many more female missionaries here that positive male remodels are actually quite rare so just being their for the boys has been a blessing for us and them. During the day after lunch we do bible devotions with the workers and that has been very cool, we have been talking about Grace, what that means and how that plays itself out in real Christian living. From 8 to 4 we do construction, the work is hard especially because of the high humidity but it is so worth it, knowing that long after Norco leaves the Philippines the buildings we are help building will be used to glorify God in the coming decades, wow what a blessing. Yesterday we we got an 800 pound cement mixer from the second story to ground level, I got lots of pictures and believe you me, it was epic. Today we are mixing cement and pouring the foundations for the different levels. It feels really good to work so hard for such an amazing cause. On a less serious note I have become the unintentional entertainment of the Philippines as bizarre and randomly hilarious things keep happening to me in the presence of the rest of the Norco guys or every one at K.I.M, fist I was pulled out of security at L.A.X, because they thought my brand of "Chrystal light" was some kind of explosive, (this happened about two minutes after saying to the team how I didn't want to be the first American to make a Jerk of himself. Then in the Philippines, at a mall on one of thus bungy jump trampoline things the power went out and I was left hanging 15 feet in the air while the Norco Guys and rich Philippinos laughed and pointed at me. When Pastor Jeff arrived both Norco teams were sitting around a table and my leg fell completely asleep and when I stood up to let the pastor get by me I fell spectacularly to the floor, and every night because I am so ticklish all the children attack me and me and tickle me until I'm almost crying. (Also many other things) Every night after the devotions Garret and I have been talking to the street guys and in order to gain their respect we ate Beluite (forgive the spelling) which is a boiled duck egg with a mostly completely formed duck chick inside, beak, feathers and all, needless to say it was a disgusting and interesting experience. I am looking forward to what will happen next, and what God will do. I hope every one in Norco and around the world is doing great. Stay intentional..............Aaron.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Hello Norconians,
Our time here has been so great so far. Pastor Jeff and Rebekah got in yesterday. It is great to see them and to be encouraged by them. We have had many adventures since the last blog. One of the workers here at the school and children's home was kind enough to take all the guys out to the mall for a movie and then to go watch the race all the girls were in. On the way to the race, a taxi cab diver claimed we had hit him, and we clearly did not. It became evident he was just trying to get money from us because he did not want to go to the police station. Den, our driver and friend, handled the situation with great care. We ended up spending about an hour and a half with the man until we were able to leave.
Our time with the kids here has been so great! We get to have devotions with the older boys every night. We are taking them through the life of Paul. They sometimes seen to not be listening at all, then one of them will ask a great question about what we talked about. Be praying that the boys would understand the importance of what the Bible teaches and how that should impact the way we live in a huge way. Garret is doing a great job talking with the boys outside the home, who are a pretty rough group. Be praying that the Gospel will be shared and that they will understand it, and the Lord would show them grace. We have played hours and hours of basketball with the boys, which has been also great. They love the game.
We finished up one of our main jobs in the construction yesterday, and are about to start a new one this morning. Thanks you for all your prayers, we miss you guys.
Drew
Our time here has been so great so far. Pastor Jeff and Rebekah got in yesterday. It is great to see them and to be encouraged by them. We have had many adventures since the last blog. One of the workers here at the school and children's home was kind enough to take all the guys out to the mall for a movie and then to go watch the race all the girls were in. On the way to the race, a taxi cab diver claimed we had hit him, and we clearly did not. It became evident he was just trying to get money from us because he did not want to go to the police station. Den, our driver and friend, handled the situation with great care. We ended up spending about an hour and a half with the man until we were able to leave.
Our time with the kids here has been so great! We get to have devotions with the older boys every night. We are taking them through the life of Paul. They sometimes seen to not be listening at all, then one of them will ask a great question about what we talked about. Be praying that the boys would understand the importance of what the Bible teaches and how that should impact the way we live in a huge way. Garret is doing a great job talking with the boys outside the home, who are a pretty rough group. Be praying that the Gospel will be shared and that they will understand it, and the Lord would show them grace. We have played hours and hours of basketball with the boys, which has been also great. They love the game.
We finished up one of our main jobs in the construction yesterday, and are about to start a new one this morning. Thanks you for all your prayers, we miss you guys.
Drew
Monday, June 21, 2010
Our Typical Schedule
We've had some great adventures in the past few days, and the guys will be filling you in on those, but I want to talk a little about what our normal activities are.
We wake up between six and seven, shower (with cold water: there is a heater but trust me, we don't need it), have a bit of free time for devotions and such, and eat breakfast. We go to work at maybe a quarter to eight, doing construction work until lunch. After lunch we do a Bible study with some of the construction workers (who live in the area). Then we head back to work until perhaps four. We shower again after work, as we get very dirty. Sometimes some of us go on feeding trips bringing food and medicine to neighboring communities (probably when Miles gets here we'll also visit her ministry). We have dinner and then head up to the Children's Home to do devotions and play with the kids until about eight. After that is free time, which depending on our fatigue could be going straight to bed, playing games or watching movies, or going out for a night on the town. At bedtime we often shower again (we sweat a lot here) and go straight to sleep. Weekends are more flexible and we try to schedule at least one major trip out. Often we'll do more construction Saturday morning if we have a known task to complete (we have to defer to our skillful Filipino foremen). We also spend time with the kids in the Children's Home and the community: playing basketball, for example. Of course, we spend Sunday morning in one of the local churches.
So, that's the general schedule, but as I said we've had several adventures and a lot of great opportunities to serve in special situations as well. We are continually praising God for his evident work in the ministry here and the chance to be a part of it. Pray that we (and it) will continue with strength to run the full course.
We wake up between six and seven, shower (with cold water: there is a heater but trust me, we don't need it), have a bit of free time for devotions and such, and eat breakfast. We go to work at maybe a quarter to eight, doing construction work until lunch. After lunch we do a Bible study with some of the construction workers (who live in the area). Then we head back to work until perhaps four. We shower again after work, as we get very dirty. Sometimes some of us go on feeding trips bringing food and medicine to neighboring communities (probably when Miles gets here we'll also visit her ministry). We have dinner and then head up to the Children's Home to do devotions and play with the kids until about eight. After that is free time, which depending on our fatigue could be going straight to bed, playing games or watching movies, or going out for a night on the town. At bedtime we often shower again (we sweat a lot here) and go straight to sleep. Weekends are more flexible and we try to schedule at least one major trip out. Often we'll do more construction Saturday morning if we have a known task to complete (we have to defer to our skillful Filipino foremen). We also spend time with the kids in the Children's Home and the community: playing basketball, for example. Of course, we spend Sunday morning in one of the local churches.
So, that's the general schedule, but as I said we've had several adventures and a lot of great opportunities to serve in special situations as well. We are continually praising God for his evident work in the ministry here and the chance to be a part of it. Pray that we (and it) will continue with strength to run the full course.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Day Four of the Philippines Team 2
Hello fellow Norconians, friends, family, and anyone else who finds this glorious website,
Well this is the start of our fourth day in Manila. We have experienced a lot of new things with this culture and are having a lot of fun. We rode our first Jeepney and Trike the other day (two common forms of transportation) and went into the city and visited a local mall. There is plenty to do locally. The kids love to play basketball so we try to play with them as much as we can; they love Adam they call him Goliath. We have a daily bible study with some of the boys in the orphanage and are starting to teach them about the apostle Paul. Apart from just the children in the orphanage, they are several boys who need a lot of attention and help. I sat down with them last night and started my attempt to reach out to them. I have a feeling its going to be a long, hard, and challenging process. It is very evident that these boys need the gospel. Their culture has completely corrupted them and it is heart breaking because they are very nice young men, just make bad choices much like the rest of us have and sometimes still do. I know that the gospel is powerful and as Christians it is not us who lead people to Christ but the gospel itself. I ask that you pray for the gospel to melt the hearts of these kids and lead them to a new life in Christ.
Thank you for all your prayers, support, and the opportunity to serve here,
Garett Klingaman
Well this is the start of our fourth day in Manila. We have experienced a lot of new things with this culture and are having a lot of fun. We rode our first Jeepney and Trike the other day (two common forms of transportation) and went into the city and visited a local mall. There is plenty to do locally. The kids love to play basketball so we try to play with them as much as we can; they love Adam they call him Goliath. We have a daily bible study with some of the boys in the orphanage and are starting to teach them about the apostle Paul. Apart from just the children in the orphanage, they are several boys who need a lot of attention and help. I sat down with them last night and started my attempt to reach out to them. I have a feeling its going to be a long, hard, and challenging process. It is very evident that these boys need the gospel. Their culture has completely corrupted them and it is heart breaking because they are very nice young men, just make bad choices much like the rest of us have and sometimes still do. I know that the gospel is powerful and as Christians it is not us who lead people to Christ but the gospel itself. I ask that you pray for the gospel to melt the hearts of these kids and lead them to a new life in Christ.
Thank you for all your prayers, support, and the opportunity to serve here,
Garett Klingaman
Our Philippines Adventure
Greetings to all who find their way to this blog,
It is day four of the man team's three week trip to the Philippines and already our trip has become quite the adventure. For four of the five team members, including myself, this is our first time in the Philippines, so of coarse it is our first experience with this country's culture. As soon as we stepped off of the airplane we knew we weren't in California anymore. The intense humidity sprung upon us and I believe it is safe to say that in our time here thus far I have sweat more than I have in my previous twenty years of life. And although this trip was organized somewhat last minute because of what has been going on in Thailand, God has been faithful to provide above and beyond what we had hoped to experience. The Filipino people are extremely hospitable, kind, loving, and have welcomed us with open arms as we have attempted to help with a construction project that clearly doesn't require any "expertise" that we might have. All we can do is watch as this group of men does their thing, helping as we can to make their job a little easier. We have also had the opportunity to spend time with the kids at the children's home. Seeing the smiles on all of the children's faces could easily make anyone want to spend months and years in this country. It is truly amazing to see how God is working here and in the lives of these people, and it has been a privilege to witness the work of the many natives and missionaries from various countries as they devote their lives to the advancement of the kingdom of God here in the Philippines. I speak for my team as I say that we are truly blessed to be here. The need is great, and our trip is short, and who knows what type of impact we might make in our time here. But one thing is for sure, the people we have been blessed to meet so far in our four days here have exponentially impacted the lives of this team, and it is our hope that we might help an any way as God uses the ministries here to impact this country. I want to thank everyone who has made this trip possible, all those who have given financially and who continue to support us with prayer!
In Christ
Adam Gold
It is day four of the man team's three week trip to the Philippines and already our trip has become quite the adventure. For four of the five team members, including myself, this is our first time in the Philippines, so of coarse it is our first experience with this country's culture. As soon as we stepped off of the airplane we knew we weren't in California anymore. The intense humidity sprung upon us and I believe it is safe to say that in our time here thus far I have sweat more than I have in my previous twenty years of life. And although this trip was organized somewhat last minute because of what has been going on in Thailand, God has been faithful to provide above and beyond what we had hoped to experience. The Filipino people are extremely hospitable, kind, loving, and have welcomed us with open arms as we have attempted to help with a construction project that clearly doesn't require any "expertise" that we might have. All we can do is watch as this group of men does their thing, helping as we can to make their job a little easier. We have also had the opportunity to spend time with the kids at the children's home. Seeing the smiles on all of the children's faces could easily make anyone want to spend months and years in this country. It is truly amazing to see how God is working here and in the lives of these people, and it has been a privilege to witness the work of the many natives and missionaries from various countries as they devote their lives to the advancement of the kingdom of God here in the Philippines. I speak for my team as I say that we are truly blessed to be here. The need is great, and our trip is short, and who knows what type of impact we might make in our time here. But one thing is for sure, the people we have been blessed to meet so far in our four days here have exponentially impacted the lives of this team, and it is our hope that we might help an any way as God uses the ministries here to impact this country. I want to thank everyone who has made this trip possible, all those who have given financially and who continue to support us with prayer!
In Christ
Adam Gold
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Coming Home
Don't worry! We're not coming home just yet! We've still got nearly three weeks to go. But being back with KIM in the Philippines feels a bit like coming home to me. Much has changed here, with old friends gone and new ones arrived. The ministry has grown; there are even new buildings (some of which I helped build, and some I will be). But the fundamentals are the same: the emphasis on serving God with whole hearts, minds, and bodies in the face of great need. And many of the people I met last year are still here, providing the backbone of the ministry.
It also felt like coming home because our FBCN sisters are here to welcome us. We met up with the girls yesterday and got to hear all about their time here. It's great to see how they've grown, each in the Lord and as a team. I'm sure we'll be relying on their help in navigating the culture here, and I hope we can be edifying to them as well.
We'll be starting our real work today, doing construction on a new building that will eventually house the library for the community school. Pray for us to be physically able to meet this task, as it is hard work in an unfamiliar and not very forgiving climate. Pray for wisdom for me to ensure the well-being of my guys so they can fully serve God for the duration of the trip. Finally, pray that we'll also get a chance to do spiritual work with the men from the community we'll be working with as well as the KIM kids.
It also felt like coming home because our FBCN sisters are here to welcome us. We met up with the girls yesterday and got to hear all about their time here. It's great to see how they've grown, each in the Lord and as a team. I'm sure we'll be relying on their help in navigating the culture here, and I hope we can be edifying to them as well.
We'll be starting our real work today, doing construction on a new building that will eventually house the library for the community school. Pray for us to be physically able to meet this task, as it is hard work in an unfamiliar and not very forgiving climate. Pray for wisdom for me to ensure the well-being of my guys so they can fully serve God for the duration of the trip. Finally, pray that we'll also get a chance to do spiritual work with the men from the community we'll be working with as well as the KIM kids.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Quick Update
Hi,this is just a quick update to say we all made it safe and sound and are settling in to our new digs.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
A New Hello!
If you had asked me a month ago whether I would ever be posting to this blog again, I would probably have said no. I had no plans to visit the Philippines. But my plans are not God's plans, and I've been given the opportunity to come back again and bring with me four great guys who get to experience it for the first time.
We had originally planned on a trip elsewhere, but plans fell through at the last minute and we were instead able to get in contact with Jeff Long and arrange a trip. We'll be staying with Kids International for three weeks, helping out with construction and manual labor and hopefully ministering to the people there. Another FBC Norco Team, led by the one and only Rachael Pawley, is already there, and we'll surely be running into them from time to time. ;)
I'm incredibly excited to be able to work with KIM again, knowing that we'll be able to use our abilities to the fullest during our time there. Please pray for us as we embark on our trip: we leave this Sunday!
We had originally planned on a trip elsewhere, but plans fell through at the last minute and we were instead able to get in contact with Jeff Long and arrange a trip. We'll be staying with Kids International for three weeks, helping out with construction and manual labor and hopefully ministering to the people there. Another FBC Norco Team, led by the one and only Rachael Pawley, is already there, and we'll surely be running into them from time to time. ;)
I'm incredibly excited to be able to work with KIM again, knowing that we'll be able to use our abilities to the fullest during our time there. Please pray for us as we embark on our trip: we leave this Sunday!
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