Thankful

          To say I am thankful for all of those who have been on this journey called life with me thus far may sound cliche, but little else could ring more true. More specifically, these past few months to a year have been a whirlwind of emotion, doubt, and immense growth. God has used my family and some very dear friends and church family to encourage me and spur me on to this next step in my life... moving overseas! I want to say THANK YOU to those precious people in my life that mean so much who have both prayed for me and even given financially so that Jesus' name will be made famous here on earth.

           Thank you to all of those who have given financial and prayed for me as I prepare for this journey, some of whom I don't even know! The bond of brothers and sisters in Christ truly transcends all earthly boundaries.

          Thank you to my relatively new church family. I feel at home at Second Baptist Church, something  I have not felt for awhile. Thank you for promoting the Word of God as the only source of truth this world has to offer. Thank you for your welcoming kindness, generous giving, and prayers.

          Thank you to my Nehemiah Teams family. Never have I seen a group of people more on fire to serve our marvelous God! I have made countless friends over the years, and I will have many people to look for when we all get to heaven because of NT, people from all different nations, tribes, and tongues. Thank you dear friends for encouraging me in the faith, to proclaim boldly, without fear, the name of Jesus to those who have not heard. Thank you Olivia for those random texts. You are one encourging gal. Thank you Bri, for our late night Facebook chats about random things. Thank you Chris Pak, for being the coolest person I know. And of course, thank you to many many more!

          Thank you my dear friends. Thank you Megan, who puts up with my always wanting to eat zaxbys when we go out to eat, and for teaching me to be a good listener. Laura, thanks for letting me sleep on your couch while we stayed up late watching weird movies on Netflix. Thank you Betsy, for sitting with me at church and braving the ladies Sunday school class with me, and for our chats about things some people just don't understand. Thank you Marie, for allowing me to help plan your wedding, for putting up with me for so long, and for being the first person I call when I am upset. Thank you Marisa for always knowing exactly what to say when I need to hear it. Thanks Anna, for apologizing for being mean to me when we were in 9th grade so that we could be friends.

          Thank you mom and dad for letting me live under your roof the past year (well, I guess 24 years), for buying my groceries, and for putting up with my laziness when it comes to washing dishes oh and for leaving clothes in the washing machine for hours on end when you needed it. Thank you both for raising me like you have. Thanks  Steph, for always driving when we go somewhere together (even though we both know it's because you hate my driving) and for not making me listen to your awful country music in the car. Thank you for your sisterly kindness (on some occasions). Thank you Derek and Rose, for giving me one of the greatest joys in my life, Sadie Claire. My family will be the most missed of anyone. 

 

          As I say my just for now farewells, remember one thing, "“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Worthy is the Lamb!

Money Breakdown

          I want to take a few moments to explain to everyone about the funds I am raising to move to the Philippines. Its important for you to know when you give your money, that you know how it is being used, especially when you are giving to an individual. I want to explain first that I AM going to the Philippines through the International Mission Board. This is a requirement for those serving at the school I will be teaching at, Faith International Academy, that all teachers be associated with a mission sending organization, whether it be Wycliffe, New Tribes Missions, Campus Crusade for Christ, my own International Mission Board, and several others. If you are a Southern Baptist, you may ask, "but aren't missionaries serving through IMB already financially provided for through the Cooperative Program?" Well, yes, but NOT me. I will not being going as a regular, run of the mill, IMB missionary because I have yet to meet the list of requirements. Rather, I will be going through IMB Students. IMB Students are usually more short term projects for people up to 29, but they have to raise their own support.

          Other questions you may ask are, "Can't you just get a job?" or "Why are you not getting paid to be a teacher?" Being a teacher at Faith International Academy IS a full time job, along with this, I will be busy with other commitments with Nehemiah Teams. So, no, I will not be able to get a regular paying job to support myself. In addition, Faith International Academy is a school for missionary kids. They charge a small tuition fee that is reasonable for those missionaries who are relying on support from home. These proceeds go to the upkeep of the school, the salaries for a few administrators, and (thankfully) supplies for teachers' classrooms, but NOT salary for teachers! Teachers at FIA are considered full time, bonified, missionaries who are in need of donations from others to provide funds for housing, food, and travel.

          I have been blessed so far with some very generous friends and family who have given sacrificially to me, and I am so thankful and humbled. Thanks to them, I finally have the funds to purchase my plane ticket!! Yay! However, I still need approx. $5,000 to provide for things like housing, food, etc. Here is the breakdown:

Living Expenses PER DAY:
Housing- $5
Transportation- $4
Food- $10
Other- $1
Total= $20 per day x 212 days (approx.) = $4240

Additional Expenses:
Language study- $150
Vacation- $100
Travel Insurance- $60
Visa Renewal- $350
Airport Exit Tax- $20

*All of these numbers where provided to me by missionaries in the Philippines who will be my supervisors.

        Please join me in this journey by praying that these needs will be met, and that God will be glorified in this somewhat grueling process of support raising. God is continually showing me that he will provide for every need, financially, spiritually, and emotionally. Again, an immense thank you to those who have supported me thus far!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT ME FINANCIALLY, SIMPLY GIVE THROUGH DONATING BY CLICKING THE YELLOW DONATE BUTTON ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS PAGE! THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO PAYPAL WHERE YOU CAN DUMP MONEY RIGHT INTO MY ACCOUNT.

An Interview With an MK (Missionary Kid)

     As I was in the process early this past summer applying for teaching jobs, I ended up meeting and becoming friends with a guy named Ian, who I soon found out grew up in Davao and went to Faith International Academy, the exact same school where I will be teaching! I won't say that meeting Ian is what made me decide to apply for an opening at FIA, but I will say that God's timing is perfect. I don't think it was mere coincidence that when I showed up at Nehemiah Teams training in May, he was in the group that I was assigned to mentor. Of course, when the teams returned in early August, my application to teach at FIA was in, and it was pretty much a done deal which enabled us to have a few conversations about what it was like growing up in Davao, going to FIA, and being an MK (missionary's kid). 

     I was recently able to sit down with Ian (at my laptop) and talk (type) more about what being an MK is really like and how being a student at FIA impacted his life. One specific thing he said struck me, "I think it's hard for MKs because there's a lot of pressure to be a Christian and a lot of us just wanna run the other way as we grow up." A problem which, even here in the United States, is a struggle for pastor's kids. There is alot of pressure that comes with your parents being in ministry, and I think that pressure can sometimes be tenfold for MKs, who have had no say in the decision to grow up on a different continent and who sometimes have few outlets to vent their frustrations.

The rest of the interview went like this:
Q: What was it like growing up in the city of Davao?

A: Growing up in Davao City was quite an experience. I really enjoyed it. It’s got a nice hometown sort of feel to it, but at the same time has the benefits that large cities normally come with, like first-class malls, Starbucks, places to paintball, etc. There was no shortage of awesome hang-out spots for my friends and I.

Q: Why did your parents decide to enroll you and your siblings into Faith International Academy, and how did this decision help them in their ministry?

A: My parents decided to enroll me at Faith because we moved to Davao from another island the summer before my sixth grade year, and, being missionaries, it was the obvious choice. I think it helped them in their ministry because, one, I wasn’t around all the time, and two, it helped them connect with other missionaries at the school as well, whom they partnered with on several projects.

Q: What are some of the struggles and/or advantages to growing up as an MK?

A: Growing up as an MK comes with a bunch of advantages, like getting to see exotic places, do unusual things, being exposed to all kinds of cultures, and just generally having a much wider worldview than the average person. However, it also means saying goodbye to people constantly, as everyone is always moving around and shifting places. Nothing is permanent, whether it be friends, the house you live in, etc. I think that’s the greatest struggle MK’s face; a lack of stable factors in our lives.

Q: How did the teachers at FIA help you in your walk with the Lord?

A: The teachers at Faith were great because they provided a bond of friendship that was stable, and they were deeply committed to giving us the best education and extracurricular activities options as possible. Though the student body was always changing, and teachers even sometimes came and went, Faith was the most permanent and stable factor for me, at least, growing up. It was great to not have to switch schools, and be in a familiar schooling environment regularly for six years. Especially an environment where the teachers constantly show the love of Christ and are so willing to help the students in any way possible. For me, the teachers at FIA helped me most in my walk with the Lord by simply showing Christ-like love, even though at the time I didn’t want much to do with Christ in my life.

Q: As a whole, what kind of impact has FIA made on you as a follower of Christ?

A: Looking back, I see that FIA was instilling in me the picture of what true Christ-like community looks like, and it’s a constant reminder for me to continually seek Christ and Christ-like community with others around me.

The Philippines: Beautiful but Lost

   
           The Philippines is a collection of islands situated in Southeast Asia with Vietnam and the South China Sea to the West, and the Pacific Ocean to the East. Having lived there for two months several summers ago, I can profess to its natural, tropical beauty. However, more than its physical beauty, is the beauty of its people. Nowhere but Southeast Asia will you meet such kind, inviting, friendly souls as I have come across in my travels, and the Philippines is no exception. They will give you the shirt on their back if you compliment them on it (no seriously, that has happened!). They will let you live in their home, feed you, care for you, and worry constantly about your health and safety, all with a huge smile on their face. 

          However, despite their caring and loving nature, many of them follow strict rituals and worship idols in the name of Catholicism. They know the name of God, but they do not know his loving nature. It is legalism in every way. Beyond Catholicism, many live in fear of evil spirits, who if not appeased through offerings and rituals, will hurt them and their families. Even those who become followers of Jesus struggle overcoming these habits of appeasement. 

    Join me in prayer for the thousands in the Philippines who are lost, many of which have little access to the gospel.

The Social Studies teacher part of me absolutely loves statistics.Here are a few that teach us more about the wonderful country of the Philippines:

Population: 107,668,231

population of Davao: 1.565 million

As of 2012, 25.2% of Filipinos were below the poverty line.

82.9% are Catholic.

2.8% are Evangelical Christian.

There are 156 different people groups.

There are 142 different languages spoken.

From Here to There: How It Began

       It is interesting how we as humans are always making plans. We are always looking to the future, waiting for the next big thing to happen, whether its graduating from college, moving states, or getting married. That seems to be what most people my age are doing right now. I graduated college in December of 2013 with a Bachelors in Social Studies Secondary Education. I had an awesome, God serving, financially responsible plan. In my mind, it really was perfect, but to be honest, I didn't really give God any say in it. Most major decisions I had made with my life up to that point had always seemed the most obvious thing to do, and I do believe I made good, God-glorifying decisions. I look back and see where God has led me in the right direction. However, sometimes God's plan does not seem very obvious. In fact, they may seem really crazy. My plan after graduation was to get a teaching job for the coming 2014- 2015 school year and make bank. I would then be able to pay off most, if not all, of the debt I had accumulated while at school. After that year, I would make further steps into getting more experience overseas and possibly go to seminary with the goal of becoming a full- time cross cultural missionary. While I still have that goal, the Lord had other plans for how I would get there.
      I made many phone calls, constantly checked school websites for openings, filled out an abundance of applications, and had several interviews. I prayed in faith that the Lord would provide. I was heard several times by friends and family saying, "I WILL have a teaching job come Fall." Well, I am here to say that despite the heartache I felt for every phone call I did not get and every list of school board minutes that did not include my name, it is Fall, and I do indeed have a teaching job.
      In early June, I began to come to the realization that the likelihood of me getting a teaching job in my area was little to none, and panic ensued. The Lord then led me in seeking out opportunities overseas. After much deliberation, the Lord's will revealed itself in the form of a small international school for missionary kids in the Philippines called Faith International Academy in Davao where I will be teaching Social Studies and also helping with Nehemiah Teams (this is the organization I have served with the past few summers). Nehemiah Teams is based in the Philippines in the city of Davao, where the founders, the Jennings, have lived and served for many years. I will be able to help with some of the logistics with Nehemiah Teams and basically anything else they need me to do! I will be doing one of my favorite things, teaching, which will be more than just lecturing to students about history, but will also be an opportunity to disciple teenagers whose families have given their lives to serving others. Most of all, however, my purpose in being there will be to serve and love others in the name of Jesus through living and sharing his gospel to those who have not heard!
      All of this to say, sometimes we have to get ourselves out of the way to truly listen and obey the commands of God. And when we see him begin the work in our hearts to gravitate us to his will, then we must follow. We must.

Join me by:
*praying for Faith International Academy in Davao and for the students there
*praying for Nehemiah Teams, and the work it continues to do in the hearts and lives of young people around the world
*praying for the lost people in the city of Davao and surrounding areas, where some have never heard the gospel
*praying for the financial support I need to be raised and used to glorify God and advance His kingdom
*buying a t-shirt or donating at https://www.booster.com/kariinthephilippines