Please Lord, Don't Make Me Go Home

          

          This month has had both its fair share of challenges but also times of renewal. I am thankful the Lord has brought me to this place at this time in my life. He is teaching me more and more through each experience, both in the exciting and the more mundane.

Participating in the annual Picture Party/Scavenger Hunt!

          Little by little, I am learning more about my students here at Faith International Academy. They are great kids, and I pray that I am faithful with the opportunity God has given me to pour into their lives. In a few weeks, the high school students will participate in their annual, week long Outdoor Education. This will be an opportunity for students to not only do several service projects, but to also hear from God. Pray for good attitudes as we do construction and other service projects, for us teachers and other faculty who have worked hard to prepare for next week, but most of all, pray for students' softened hearts as they hear from His Word. Lord, let them be molded into young men and women who serve and love you with their lives!

They had to tell a story with their sequence of pictures; making plans!

AOT participants sharing at the missions conference

           While teaching keeps me busy during the week, these past few weekends have been a whirlwind of activity. A couple of weeks ago, I went with the AOT participants to help with a youth missions conference. (AOT: Advanced Operations Training, lasting 9 weeks, held for former Filipino Nehemiah Teams members to train them to work with NT franchises planting churches across Southeast Asia). The goal of the missions conference was to mobilize young believers to share Christ with the unreached and the hard to reach. Around 18 students committed to serve on Filipino Nehemiah Teams this summer among unreached Muslim people groups. Beyond that, however, our prayer is that the course of peoples' lives will be changed so that we can finish the Great Commission in this generation!

Praying over those who have committed to serve this summer

          I spent this past weekend again with AOT at their training site and was so encouraged by our time of fellowship and worship together and by their commitment to study and memorize God's Word. On the weekends, they do ministry in surrounding villages, and I was privileged with getting to join them and pray as they led Bible studies and shared Christ. One evening, we had a Bible study together from Judges 7:1-8. I have heard countless times that God always speaks more than what one person can hear, and this time was no exception. You see, God wanted an opportunity to show his power and glory if Gideon was willing to listen and obey, and this is exactly what happens. The Israelites are preparing for battle, but the Lord tells Gideon that there are too many men. First, many must go home before the battle even starts because of their fear and trembling. Next, many more are forced to go home because they fail the test of drinking the water from the river. Afterwards, Gideon is left with only 300 men to defeat thousands. My question is, how often does fear keep us from fighting the battle? How many times does God test us in the small things to see if we are faithful? I have to ask myself, would I have been one of those 300 men?

          As I continue to go about day to day life here in the Philippines, I ask myself, is fear keeping me from the battle? Am I being faithful in the small things? Lord, help me to be one of those chosen 300 that you would use to touch the hearts of those around me! I want to fight in this battle for lost souls! Please Lord, don't make me go home.

Pray:
* For faithfulness in the small things and to overcome fear.
* For my students! I have stories, I do. Pray for prepared hearts as we get reading to go on Outdoor   Education on March 9-13
* For opportunities to share the Gospel. Let me not forget the needs of those around me, both at school and other places.
* For our AOT participants and facilitators, that they would continue to hear from the Lord and that   this time of training would have an impact on their future.
* For upcoming possible trip to Bohol during Spring Break to prepare for American Nehemiah Teams.
* For both American and Filipino Nehemiah Teams. There are many opportunities to serve, and there are many people needed to fill teams! Pray not only for teams to fill, but for the many who will hear the message of Christ; pray that God would already be working in those people's hearts.
       

Prone to Wander

        If you want to know what it feels like to really challenge yourself, not necessarily physically, but emotionally and psychologically, move overseas for 6 or 7 months while facing the looming decision of whether or not to stay longer. I am not really sure how to describe my life so far. It is surprisingly normal. I wake up at 5:45 am, get ready, and start walking out to the main road to catch a taxi at around 6:40. I get to school at 7 am, and hurriedly prepare for an Economics class that at times, I feel so inadequate to teach (though technically I am qualified to teach according to the Alabama State Department of Education even though I only had one Economics class in college; someone please explain that one to me). Its funny because I really only teach three classes, Economics, World Geography, and World History, for three periods out of eight that fill the school day, but I stay incredibly busy planning! I often stay until 5 pm working even though the school day ends at 2:40. As I plan, I am so thankful for the freedom to share about Christ in my classroom among students who both have grown up in Christian missionary homes. and many of whom are not believers at all. I had the opportunity to share my testimony a few weeks ago at the weekly chapel. How many teachers in the U.S. get to share their testimony of how they came to Christ to their students? So though I am busy, I count myself blessed and fortunate to have such wonderful students. Students that, not only work harder than any I have ever seen, but also need the gospel at such a trivial time in their lives. You see, these times as teenagers are indeed trivial, but not in some of the typical ways you may expect, for on top of all the normal teenager problems, these kids fall under a category called Third Culture Kids. Google it. Basically, many of these kids have moved houses, and countries, and schools more times than I can count, and this has a major affect on their lives in a number of varying ways. For many, they must count the cost, they must pay the price for decisions made by their parents to spread the Gospel to those who have not heard. This can be difficult for those who do not truly understand why they have been asked to sacrifice so much. Please pray for my students. They are sweet, intelligent, and often confused little souls who need your prayers as they are shaped into the men and women God has created them to be.
          When I leave school, I typically ride with a car full of smelly basketball and soccer players after their practice, or I ride a jeepney (public transportation in the form of old military jeeps from World War II that can fit around 15 to 20 people squeezed on benches in the back) back to the Jennings house (where I live for the moment.) The following hours are spent having good conversations, eating dinner, watching American Idol, reading, studying language, and occasional moments of wallowing in homesickness which are often relieved with a scroll through Facebook. These hours will soon be filled also with writing, emailing, and any plethora of paper work that gets thrown at me for Nehemiah Teams, which I will happily do. Its also in these hours, and many hours over the weekends, and hours at school too I guess, that I am reminded of my inadequacy. I am completely incapable of doing this all by myself. The Lord is reminding me of this over and over again. The funny thing is, its kind of an old lesson, one that I seem to learn every time I go overseas, every time I get in a car wreck (which is only twice) and every time I face something really challenging. As I wander through the confusion and feelings of inadequacy, God is reminding me of his redemptive power in my life, and as I wander like a lost child, he gently calls me back home to him. He fills me up, he showers me with love, and he is releasing me back into the world, back to the battleground to fight for him. 
           Yesterday, I sat in a small church full of Filipinos worshiping and singing at the top of their lungs "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." I looked around and noticed the windows; their was no glass! Just plain geometrically barred, large floor to ceiling windows that let in all the noise from outside. However, rather than letting in noise, weren't we actually releasing the Gospel out to those lost souls living outside? The gospel of...

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the throne of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily Im constrained to be
Let that grace now, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above


PRAY:

* Pray for my students, both those who are lost and those who are saved, that the Gospel would penetrate their lives and mold them into those who love and serve our Father.
* Pray for Nehemiah Teams. There are many opportunities for both Americans and Filipinos to serve the next several months. Pray for harvesters! 
* Pray for AOT training. Yesterday, about 9 Filipinos left for a nearby island for a 9 week training in gospel presentation and church planting. These will be future missionaries and church leaders for places all over Southeast Asia!
* Pray for Outdoor Education in March. This is a week long opportunity for our high school students to serve on a nearby island. We will be doing construction projects, serving at an orphanage, and other activities. Pray that the students will grow in their faith, and that I would have opportunities to share Christ and build up these kids!
* Pray for my language training in Cebuano. I have a lesson once a week. This will help me this summer when I am visiting Nehemiah Teams all over the Philippines

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