Hi everyone, we are back—and so excited to share how God is moving in the Philippines.

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Lynchburg has been discipling young college students to know God and make Him known. Our vision is to be a place of healing, growth, and rest for people in transition. This happens through welcoming the Holy Spirit and being washed in the Word of God. We are a place for the nations, going to the nations.

What this means is that we have deep Bible studies and intentional discipleship with college students from everywhere, who are going into all spheres of society and into different nations. Some of the students are walking through really hard things, and we get to come alongside them, pointing them to God. Others are hearing from the Lord about different things or directions, and they need help understanding or encouragement that they are hearing Him correctly. We also want to be a bridge to other nations for missions. This is where the trip to the Philippines comes in.
Originally, we had no one who wanted to come, though we still felt called to go. We announced the trip at Bible study, fully expecting it to still be just me and my housemate Tori. That night, three people came to us interested. Even though it wasn’t those same three who eventually went, we became a team of five—each coming and going at different times because of job schedules. Tori led the team, and I became co-leader, training in leadership responsibilities.

Through our base leaders, Dustin and Haydee, we were well prepared and connected to the three different YWAM bases in the Philippines. It felt like we had the Apostle Paul sending letters ahead of us. Not only that, but our churches here in Lynchburg, our churches back home, and all our supporters (all of you!) surrounded us with generosity so we could go. And off we flew—with more than enough to do everything we had planned, with prayers guiding and protecting our way.

Tori and I (we went ahead of the team) were met at the airport in our first location, Cagayan de Oro, by the YWAM base leader, who took us to Nehemiah House. This YWAM base provides a safe place for girls who have been sexually abused and disciples them to know God and the Scriptures. It is a place to rebuild what was broken in their lives—just like the wall in the book of Nehemiah. He shared with us that their safe house has been open for thirty years and has helped three hundred girls.

The next morning, the girls came down the stairs, so excited to meet us. They currently had eighteen living there, with one more arriving a couple of days later. Learning all their names was a challenge! We had been asked to lead devotions (they call it God’s Special Time, or GST), Bible studies, and reading comprehension games. When we asked what they wanted us to do with the rest of our time, they told us to jump in wherever and simply get to know the girls.

We shared every meal with them, asking questions and learning their stories. We walked them to school and back. We did chores, played games, chatted, and even learned dances with them. I got to know one girl by pulling weeds with her. She loves music and writes songs. Just by asking if I could help her, I got a glimpse of who she is—and she quickly became one of the girls who stuck closest to me. Two of their favorite things to say were, “Is this your favorite?” (about different foods) and “Let me teach you Bisaya” (their language).

It was amazing to see how the staff created a structure that surrounded the girls with Scripture and worship all day long. I also asked the staff how they came to work there and what their stories were. One woman told me how she came to know the Lord and how He changed her life—because she had once come to Nehemiah House as one of the girls. She, and most of the staff, had actually been rescued and discipled there themselves, and now they were helping more girls.

It was a blessing and an honor to pour into these girls—teaching them who God is and getting a glimpse of each of their hearts. It was also incredible to see how deeply God loves them. One moment that showed this so clearly was when one girl needed a costume. Tori told them how God is Provider and how He would provide for her, sharing stories of how He had done similar things before. So they prayed in faith that the costume would be in the storage closet. After almost an hour of searching, they found nothing—until they noticed a box they weren’t sure they had checked. Inside, among all the clothes, was the exact piece she needed for her costume. It was such a tangible reminder of God’s love for her.

Because of the abundance that was given to us, we were also able to give each girl a personal Christmas gift. Some of our college students and friends painted little paintings for them as well. The girls felt so loved that they cried. When we left Cagayan de Oro, some of the girls made us cards and little gifts. I think that was my favorite place we visited.

Our next location was Bukidnon, up in the mountains. We worked with the tribal people and many different churches there. I wanted to make sure we were being intentional, even with people who spoke very little English. We had the opportunity to do that. One of the girls at the YWAM base was only fourteen, and we loved getting to know her—singing, dancing, and swimming with her.

One of the days, our team (all five of us now) and the YWAM leader walked to a nearby tribe. This little village had its own church. We performed a couple of different skits and then split into two teams—one did kids’ ministry and the other shared a short sermon with the adults. We played games with the kids, told them the parable of the houses built on sand or rock, and sang songs with them. Afterward, we went inside the church and gave the kids sweet, chocolatey rice.

I decided to get to know the kids in front of me, even though I wasn’t sure if they spoke English. One of the little girls, who was five, began translating my questions for the other kids around her. They were shy and giggled, but most answered—or she answered for them. I was amazed that I got the opportunity to know even these children. God is so cool.

What we did with the church ministries was very similar to what we did with the tribes. We had certain skits prepared, along with games and songs for kids’ ministry. Some of us had pre-written sermons or teachings that we shared at the different churches. It made it easy for us to be flexible when churches or ministries gave us more responsibility than we expected. And it worked beautifully. The kids loved the programs, and God used all the sermons for His glory as He spoke His word through us.

One of the church ministries we were invited to originally was supposed to be evangelism in the surrounding neighborhood. But when we arrived, plans changed because of the time. Instead, we went house to house inviting people to the church in the neighborhood. The special thing about this church was that a young woman had been preaching and ministering there for about three years. God had told her to return home after university and build a church in her neighborhood because she had such compassion for the community around her who didn’t know the Lord.

As we sat and listened to her story, she told us that when she first built the church, only kids came, and she became discouraged. She couldn’t reach the adults, but God told her to continue. When she cried out for help, God sent her a partner who became her husband. Still discouraged, she asked God if she could take a break when she had a child—just to be a mother. But God prompted her to continue. Now, at twenty-three, she is still teaching these children and some elderly ladies, helping them know God. She was so encouraged by our visit and so excited to meet us. God brought exactly who He needed to be there. We also got to speak to them about how Jesus will return to judge the world, but how there is hope in surrendering to Him. It was a very special experience to be part of.

We left and set out for a three-hour trip to Davao, which turned into a six-hour trip because of a landslide in October. It had taken out the main road from Bukidnon to Davao. The new road was steep and muddy, and only one car at a time could go up or down, even though vehicles needed to travel both ways. As we waited for our vehicle to come up the mountain, it started pouring. I realized we had two choices: we could be frustrated and complain, or we could enjoy ourselves and do ministry even in this unexpected place.

One thing I saw God use during those three hours of waiting was a conversation our teammate Hannah and I had with a lady at a restaurant. What I love about ministry is that when you’re intentional—praying and asking God what to say—He can use even the smallest thing to work in someone’s heart. We were simply getting to know this lady, asking about what had happened in the area and chatting with her. She asked why we were there. There are only a couple of responses you usually get when you say you’re a missionary, and hers was, “Oh, I’m religious. I go to church and read my Bible and pray when I can. It’s not that much, but I try to do my best.”

I always struggle with how to respond to that, but as I prayed, I felt led to tell her that it’s not about what you do but where your heart is. God wants your heart to be in the right place. That was all I got to say before the conversation shifted back to the road. But I know God can use that to make her ask questions about where her heart truly is and why she does what she does.

Our first week and first day of ministry in Davao, we had a church service where I preached for the first time. I felt strongly that this was the message God had for this church, but I was nervous—I worried I wouldn’t remember what I was saying or that I would lose my place. During worship, God reassured me that I knew these parables. That calmed my nerves. I preached on Luke 12 and Jesus’ parables about worry and treasure. Afterwards, we prayed for so many people. I could see how much God is moving in that church. It felt like God was lighting a fire in that place. The pastor and the worship leader (a sixteen-year-old boy!) have such a missional heart.

There were homeless people and beggars everywhere. I felt lost in how to speak with them, but God showed me that many of them had eyes full of hope. One of the girl beggars we gave food to came back and thanked us. I will never forget that. I knew I couldn’t help them all—there were too many. It broke my heart.

Before we left for the Philippines, people told us that our presence alone would be a ministry. In the Philippines, this literally meant that simply getting to know people was ministry—being there for them and giving our time. We did this in Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon, but it seemed to apply the most in Davao, our last location. We were there directly over Christmas and New Year’s. This was actually a time of rest for the staff, except those staffing the school that was running. So being intentional with the staff and students became our ministry. We did a few other ministries, but this was the main one. We heard so many of their testimonies and shared ours.

As we were packing to leave, we heard a knock on our door. One of the girls in the DTS (Discipleship Training School) needed someone to talk to. She shared what was going on, and we encouraged and prayed for her. Sometimes I feel like missionaries are constantly going—trying to do everything they can to make the trip “worth it” for themselves and for those supporting them. But one thing God made sink in for me was that it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. I know God can do a lot with all the people we talked to and ministered to, but if she had been the only one we were there for, that would have been enough. We just need to be where God puts us and do what He asks of us—not everything we think He or anyone else expects of us.

I also want to say how completely amazed I am by God and His faithfulness to me. Before I came into missions, I was so worried about my health. You may or may not know that about ten-ish years ago, I found out I had a lot of food sensitivities and allergies. This felt daunting going into the mission field. I remember crying to some of my friends, saying I was going to offend everyone because one of the main ways people show love and honor to missionaries is through food.

But these last couple of trips have taught me something: God can provide for me wherever I go. He cares about me and my health more than I care about it myself. In the Philippines, I experienced hospitality on a whole different level. Everywhere I went—whether for ministry, in churches, or in the city—they made sure I had food I could eat. On the bases, they cooked specifically for me, even if it meant paying a little more. I don’t have words for how cared for and loved I felt. The Philippines was the first place I never felt sick from the food.

Someone there told me that if he had the same food issues, he would have been scared to be a missionary—and he called me brave. But it wasn’t about me being brave. It was about God being faithful in a way I had never experienced before. I went thinking maybe God would help me digest food I wasn’t supposed to eat. But instead, He provided the very food I could eat.

Last year felt like a whirlwind. Going into it, so much had changed for us. Many of the students we had started out with were graduating. We prepared a Love Feast to thank God for all He had done, setting tables for seventy-four people—our biggest feast yet. Then we had our graduation party to celebrate with them. And in the middle of all of this, we were preparing to go to Turkey.

The week leading up to the trip, I went to so many graduations and parties, and then I hopped in a car, then a plane, and flew off to Turkey with our team of five. When we came home, we continued Bible study with the students who stayed in the area and ministered to some Afghan students working over the summer. Tori and I were honored to be invited to a cultural Afghan party. Then we started the new school semester with a whole new group of students coming to our Bible studies and worship nights. It definitely took some getting used to—and lots of prayer. But we saw our prayers being answered one by one.

And then we went on this trip to the Philippines. God has been so faithful, continuing to bless us and provide for us—whether through food, finances for rent, or the trips we’ve been on. We are also excited to announce that we have our first Liberty student living in our dorms after two years of praying and waiting. We want to thank you for being a part of all of this, and we are so excited for what the Lord is going to do in this new year.

I know the new year has already started and is moving quickly. We are already planning our next mission trips and preparing to say goodbye to all of this year’s graduates.

Things you can pray for:

1. Direction for the college students who are graduating.
2. Funds for our upcoming trips and for the right people to join us.
3. That our Bible studies would challenge us and the students to grow deeper in the Lord.
4. Wisdom for us as we disciple, teach, and encourage the students and others God brings to us.
5. Funds for our building and ministry.
6. More staff (specifically men and musically gifted people).
7. Housing for male staff.
8. More students to come and live here.