Milestones

The last month has been filled with wonderful things.  We were able to host a garage sale that earned about $200 towards the ministry.  We hosted a Premier Designs jewelry party that also earned some money towards the ministry.  We have started to collect some items to do a silent auction (watch for details on this to come soon).  The second box of supplies was sent off and should be well on its way to arriving and Juagdan.  I also started up with fall graduate classes which means I'm 6 months and 11 credits away from graduation!

My Friend Amanda helping set up the garage sale in her driveway.

The garage sale in full swing as people were browsing through the many donations.

With donations so far I'm at 30% of my startup costs being covered, two boxes of supplies sent, and 12% of my monthly costs covered.  We still have a long way to go but I'm excited and grateful for everything God has done for the ministry through you my supporters.

And in the next month I have three major goals that are also prayer requests:
1. Keeping up with graduate classes while serving 40 hours a week or more with teaching parents of elementary school kids.
2. Getting the first two units of the language program in writing.
3. Collecting the last bits of supplies to send the Christmas Box to Juagdan.

New Teaching Position

It has been a great week and it's only Tuesday!  During my week on campus for my graduate classes I reconnected with a former AmeriCorps friends and she was talking about how things went this past year in their program.  Between talking with her and being around all the language practice I had to investigate my options.  So a little over a week I made the trip down to my old office and had a chat with my old supervisor.  It turns out they still needed a few more ELL instructors.

I made the decision to leave my food service job and go back in to a teaching position!  Although the term is from August to August they are willing to work with me.  As long as I have my hours completed I only need to stay through the end of the school year.  That means over the next 10 months I will be actually teaching English while planning the curriculum for the Philippines :)

This also means that I can say the goal is to depart for the Philippines in July!  That goal can only be reached with your help :)  In the last month I have received a fair number of donations, but what is important is to have the monthly budget at least 75% covered with pledges and as of right now I'm only at 12%.  Ten months is a gracious amount of time and the Lord can work wonderful thing so I am hopeful.

On another note, there have been so many things donated for the box to ship to the Philippines that it is overflowing!

I just finished sorting things out so the more pressing items get shipped first.  I will be connecting with the local guy who sends the packages out via Chicago in the next couple of days.  When I do that I will get another box and start filling it up!  That box will be their Christmas presents!  I know thinking about Christmas in August, but I'm doing it :)  Some of the things that we didn't get for this collection include:  volleyballs, basketballs, footballs, and children/adult over the counter medications (Tylenol, cough/cold, pain relief, allergy).  As it is also their Christmas gift it would be nice to collect a few games and toys for the kids.

Thanks for everything!

Moving Forward Despite the Conditions

The last few weeks have flown by and I don't know why.  Some moment feel like they last forever and others speed past in a blurry cloud of dust.

However, it seems to have been productive:

• We are nearing a full box to send off to our friends half a world away.
• I'm almost done with 5 more school credits. (Only 11 to go after that!)
• Curriculum development has started in written form instead of just ideas.
• Educational resources are starting to collect.
• I have a physical book for helping me learn Cebuano!
• 20% of my start up cost are covered!

On the other hand, if you received my newsletter you also know it just feels like the life of an average American.  I eat, sleep, and work.  I'm still excited about the future and how things are coming together for my departure and the language program, but some days it just feels unreal and I wonder if my departure from the US will ever happen.  Things come up such as unexpected expenses, education requirements, or insufficient long term provisions and I get discouraged.  Then other things come up such as a unexpected donation, knowledge that previous experience cuts education requirements, or visits with local friends and I am encouraged by the general forward motion.

I am still a long ways off and can't give an actual date for departure, but the plan still holds and is progressing forward.  Lord willing, spring will not only bring forth new plant life, but also the major move across the globe to my other family in Bohol!

Speaking of my family in Bohol... prayers are desperately needed!  In early July there was a 6.5 strength earthquake whose epicenter was the neighboring island.  That island supplied their power and the connections were severed.  They have been without consistent power since (barely a couple hours a day if that), but life goes on as normal.  The kids still have to go to school and the adults still have to go to work.  It gets dark around 5:30 pm so bedtime is quite early with out lights.  The two big concerns without power are: 1. no filtration for the water business = no income to support the orphanage and 2. no fans or air conditioning + hot + humid = miserable children who are exhausted just from the weather.

Their box won't arrive in time to help with power loss, so we will wait a little longer as there are still some things we want to add (will send the box in 1-2 weeks):

• volleyballs
• basketballs
• footballs
• adult and children's allergy
• adult and children's cough/cold
• adult and children's Tylenol
• ALSO NEEDED, cash to cover the cost to ship the box

Sending Love and Affection

It is time to send another box to Juagdan!  It may seem crazy and you may think, "Why not just send money so they can buy the things they need there?"

Well, I will admit some of the things we send they could get in the Philippines.  But what we need to be reminded of is that they don't have a Meijer or Wal-Mart just a short drive away.  It is at least 15-20 minutes to get into Ubay to do the general grocery shopping, but even that requires multiple stops to get the things they regularly need and either leaving someone behind with the kids or bringing 3-4 of them along.  For some things they need to wait until they are going to one of the bigger port cities that can be 1-3 hours away.  Other things they can't get on Bohol and need to wait until they can get to Cebu City to find them which ends up being an entire day and sometimes requires an overnight stay.  Sometimes even if they can find what we consider simple things like bandages and cotton swabs they are only available in small quantities and can be very expensive.

Ultimately, it is not just things we are sending in these boxes.  We are sending them lots of love and affection.  These boxes get delivered right to their front door.  No drive into the city.  No expensive import taxes.  No cost to them financially or time wise.  Right now their medical supplies are running low so I have offered to host a drive for donations.  There are a couple of ways to get involved.

FINANCIALLY:

1. If you really would rather just donate financially we welcome that and you can either donate directly to CTEN in either the Cajigas fund or mine.  That wouldn't go to this box, but it would help the ministries going on and help when I start purchasing English supplies and sending more boxes in early 2018.  This would be a tax deductible donation.

2. You can write a check or give cash directly to me and identify that is intended to help fill and ship the box(es), but this won't get a tax deduction.

THINGS to FILL the BOX(es):

1. If you have new and unopened medical supplies at home you aren't using, bring them by as a donation.

2. If you see sales on medical supplies or things on the list below, purchase it yourself and bring them by as a donation or tell me about it so I can purchase it.

3. If you know the Cajigas family or others in Juagdan personally and want to send letters, pictures, cards, or any other tokens of love, bring them by.

I am collecting the supplies at a local ministry, but there is not always someone here to receive them.  The two best days to come by are Thursdays and Saturdays, but either way call to make sure some will be here to greet you and receive the donations.  Call: 616-454-1812 and you can leave a message at HIS PLACE Ministries.  Call: 616-259-5040 and you can leave a message with me.

WISH LIST Directly from the Children's Shelter:

Door knobs

Working gloves

Volleyballs

Footballs

Basketballs

First aid box

Boxes of gloves

Gauze

Medical tape

Adult allergy

Children't allergy

Adult cold/cough

Children's cold/cough

Triple antibiotic ointment

Tylenol children's and adult

Band-aids all sizes

Appreciation and Apologies

I procrastinated more... I wrote this four days ago.  I have no idea why it didn't post...

Okay, so in the last 4 hours I had two people remind me that I should update my blog. For weeks I have been meaning to get on here and share all the things that have been happening. You know how some people keep a to-do list just to keep from forget things? Well in the last week I finally succumbed and had to write one of those because I'm falling behind in all the little things. I even missed out on a few opportunities because I forgot to make note of them. I also found out that some people I thought I responded to I hadn't. So to all of you I apologize because these are all just excuses and not reasons. The blog is on the list but it wasn't at the top. Now some things are done and it's time.

March was full of events that included packing up my stuff and leaving Arizona to move back to Michigan. In that process I had a week of orientation in Texas. It was an excellent week of meeting the staff and several other missionaries from Commission to Every Nation. In case you don't know they are the non-profit organization I am connected with now and for short they are called CTEN.

My now 20 year old RAV4 made the journey easily from Tucson to San Antonio. The weather in Texas was amazing and so was the company. Hearing from so many people who are on the same Journey answering the call God has placed in their life was a huge blessing. It was also good to meet the couple that will be my pastoral care over the next several years to come. They are of similar age to my parents and have children my age which make them really easy to connect with.

The next leg of the journey included a stopover in Waco, Texas to see the Dr. Pepper museum. It is definitely my drink of choice and I will miss it when I go to the Philippines. The RAV also handled the rest of the ride back to Grand Rapids with relative ease. Upon arrival I was blessed by being given the opportunity to stay on site of the ministry here I have been working with for several years. At first I thought it would just be for a month or two, but the ministry director and I had a conversation and I was encouraged that there is no hurry to find another place. This is the first major provision that I am overflowing with appreciation for.

The next major task was to start looking for a job. It is a tricky situation to try and find a job that you know will be only short-term but you'd like good pay for doing. I was able to apply to several places and feel comfortable about not completely divulging that I'm hoping to only be here for less than a year. Three weeks passed and I heard nothing back from anybody. Thankfully a few people had some projects they were willing to pay me to do in the meantime. Then one day at women's group one of the ladies mentioned a position with a company that I am technically already connected to. I will officially be starting that job in three days. While it is only part time there will be opportunities to pick up more shifts and I am excited to start! This is the second major provision that I am overflowing with appreciation for.

In the process of all of this I was also composing my introductory letter. I hope that you have all received that by now and if not you should let me know because either I don't have your address or it is in the process of coming back to me because I messed up on your address. For some of you that letter is why you are now reading this post. For some of you action has already been taken and that is the third major provision for which I am overflowing with appreciation for. By that I mean prayers are being answered and support raising has officially begun!

In many ways the scariest part about this journey is having to ask for money. God has been showing me just how gracious the people around me are willing to be. Having mailed the letters just over a week ago I have already received support from four different states and every stage of my life. Support has come from places and people I never expected would be able to. As I reflect over each person in my support system I am brought to tears of joy in knowing I have such a great cloud of witnesses around me.

I have so much I could say but this seems to be more than enough for one morning. Transitions are always difficult but as this blog proves, God has been providing for me even when I couldn't see it coming. As I settle into a routine for the next several months I hope to be able to make time for anyone who would like to know more. Be sure to connect with me and we can work something out!

Have an excellent weekend and be sure to thank God for blessing you so you may be a blessing to others!