Team Leading in the Philippines  

     Stepping into the journey of leading an American team to start a campus ministry in the Philippines reminded me of the many public trasportation units in the Philippines, like the tryces pictured above.  Have faith and hold on tight for the ride! 

     After spending a lot of time in prayer before this trip, I knew this ministry was something God had planned and He was going to make happen, I just needed to go, use my gifts and talents He's given me, and help coordinate from a leadership standpoint what needed to be accomplished.  I have never led a team, and jumping into a 2 month team leading experience still makes me a little nervous even typing about:)  God is good, He led me every step of the way, and gave me the confidence and grace needed to live each day and lead.  He also blessed me with 2 Filippino ministers who helped me take care of the team, and took us to cool places on our days off!  My team had a variety of personalities and talents that fit together well for our task.  All I needed to do was serve as the go between for our Filippino Pastor and help facilitate what we needed to get done.

     Our first couple of weeks, we faced obstacles of getting involved with the university.  We had a break through when one professor allowed us to teach in his classes, and each day part of our team was teaching in at least one classroom.  In these classes, we were able to promote Encounter and teach about Christian-related topics.

     We rented a room in a building and started a large-group meeting on Wednesday nights.  We also started 6 small group Bible studies.  In July, we helped select leaders who would be able to carry out the ministry when we left.  Being diligent was the key to our success, and by the time we left, we had leaders and a thriving ministry established.  All glory goes to God for the amazing work that was accomplished!