Two months and Counting...

So much has happened in two months that it's kind of difficult to look back and think on all that has happened...

                - We've moved three times and finally settled on our long term home
                - We've launched a campus ministry at the local college that is aiming at uniting all of the  
                        campus ministries and gatherings for a united fellowship
                - We've had 12 college students dropped in our laps that just want to follow our lead
                - We've started a ministry to the local "Entertainment" or "Street" workers about their identity
                - We've celebrated birthdays and our first anniversary
                - We've met so many people that were strangers before, and now a huge part of our life
                - We've hosted sleepovers and late night events
                - We've just been living day to day life and learning what it means to be Filipino

In the midst of everything happening and all the changes and new faces, we're are seeing God's steady work in our life and He is actually the one providing all of these opportunities.  For example, Tara was sharing her heart with me on how she really wanted to find a way to reach out to the women in the darkest corners of the city and share with them how God can look through the darkness and see their beauty as His daughters.  A few days later, a pastor approached me about hosting a monthly meeting for the "Entertainment" workers (I still hate... despise... loathe... how about mega-loathe... that term), and giving them a positive message or counseling.  Because of my maleness, I had to turn down that offer, but luckily for the pastor, God had already prepared the perfect person for the job.

As we continue to share our lives with the people around us, it's fun to see how discipleship and the love that comes out of it can be so contagious.  We could have listed another dozen plus events that we've taken part in, but all we really did was show up and pray.  The people around us are realizing how simple it is to share an encouraging word with a stranger, or gather a group of people to play basketball and share water and stories no matter who won, or just wondering around and praying with anyone that is sick or discouraged.  Because we're all realizing that we tend to make this life more difficult than it needs to be sometimes by thinking too much.  We're more worried that people will think less of us or ridicule us, rather than think that they could be really encouraged, or our simple words or acts could change their lives.  We tend to be discouraged by what could go wrong rather than by fueled by what could go right.

One of my favorite questions to answer is when the people here ask me what seminary I went to.  This is a fairly traditional culture, so all pastors or missionaries get professional Biblical education.  When they find out this proud graduate of the public education system only spent a couple of months in "Official" Bible training my senior year of high school, it takes them off guard.  It's almost as shocking as Lebron picking my middle school basketball team to play with him or some religious rabbi calling fishermen or tax collectors or prostitutes to follow him...

We put too much stock in who we are or who we should be that we neglect and forget who we're serving.  If I was on Lebron's team, my focus wouldn't be on my mad HORSE skills, but it would be on getting him the ball anyway I could.  When we realize who we're teamed up with it takes all the spotlight and pressure off us and allows us to just be and enjoy.  I come in the power and the name of Jesus, so who cares who am I or what I've done in the past?  He chose me.  I'm on his team.  We've already won, so I can just enjoy.  It's kind of like we're up by 30 points with time winding down and the coach just told me to get off the bench and go try to score.  If I don't, oh well.  But if I do, everyone will cheer.

I'm not an "End Times" guy, but I cannot deny we're probably close.  But rather than look at it with doom and gloom, I like to look at it like the clock is winding down and the game is already wrapped up so there's nothing I can do to win or lose the game, so I'm going to take every shot I can get because I want everyone to know whose team I'm on.

To the bungalow...

So, we are officially living in malaybalay, mindanao. It has been an interesting couple of weeks. Visiting people, helping with children’s programs, visiting the dump, helping with a birthing clinic, figuring out how to be married and live in a  foreign country, visting the children’’s home and helping prepare to move into our bamboo bungalow. This week we are moving to the area where the children’s home and camp are. It is a beautiful location and we are excited !

Pray for us as we: 

move into our temporary house, disciple and train locals, partner with many great ministries, figure out how to help the many impoverished people here,+ just love each other and everyone around us in a deeper way.

Thanks again for all your love and support. We will have a video coming soon!!!!

Born in the USA

After spending most of our marriage so far in Africa and Philippines, we are back in the USA for a short time. God did amazing things over there and we want to tell about those great things. High school summer camps went well, a children's home was built, many people were fed physically and spiritually, and much more.  We are excited for this time, here in the USA, to spend with our friends and family before we make the long-term move to the PHILIPPINES!!!

If you want to spend time with us before we leave for the Philippines on August 19, please contact us on this blog, facebook or  w.miller33@gmail.com
We will try to make it happen.

"May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers." 1 Thess 3:11-13
We love you all and are so thankful for your support!!
Have a great summer and enjoy the Olympics! GO USA!

Building in Beira

Building in Beira

Our time in Beira, Mozambique was beautiful. Not only was the building of the first home completed, but we did some other important building. We built a leadership team, we helped strengthen and disciple the boys, and we built strong friendships and a beautiful family. God established a strong foundation in Mozambique.

 Honestly, my heart still hurts from leaving. I have cried my tears it was really hard to leave. I just love these people so much. We were a family who worked hard, prayed with others, laughed a lot, and studied the word of God together. I want our future family to be like that. I didn't know I could actually feel God's love for others, especially for the orphans and widows. I burst out in tears just thinking about how much I love them, and then I realize, that is how much God loves them. It is powerful.

Next time you read the Bible, try to look up all the verses about God's heart for the poor, orphaned or widowed.
"He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing." Deuteronomy 10:18 and "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27
  He loves them deeply and We should too.


So now, we head to help out in Swaziland and South Africa for a little over a week. Then we will return to America by the grace of God. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey. It gets better each day!!!

Back to Africa...

Our time here in the Philippines has been a whirlwind.  From the second we landed back in Malaybalay, we felt like we were right where we were supposed to be, and now, two months later, we're headed back out.  Tara still tells people we were only down there for a month because that's literally what it felt like at most.  In a little over eight weeks, we hosted our four different summer camps, two week long basketball tournaments, and two church camps also rented out our facilities.  Needless to say, we did a ton of laundry and a ton of dish washing.  The good news is that hundreds of people were able to come and see our new facilities and hte projects that are yet to come.

Aside from the very public ministry that we have been doing with the camps, God has begun to place a vision on our hearts of what the future will look like.  Here, in the Philippines, there is a ton of need brought about by unemployment, poverty, a high birth rate, and a viscious cycle being past down from generation to generation.  I'll never fully grasp the weight of this culture because I have no idea what it would be like to be born and raised in the same house my great great grandfather was born and raised in and be doing the same thing he was doing decades ago.  People hand down this cycle through the generations because no other option is presented.

Now, it would be easy for me to say that other options exist, but is that actually a reality for the average Filipino in the provinces?  Probably not.  But when another Filipino from your village or tribe stands up and tells a testimony of his journey out of the cycle, then your hopes start to rise.  We believe this is what we need to be doing out here.  Giving Filipinos a jump start and then getting them to return to their home and passing the blessings on.  Here, Americans can easily draw a crowd because of the infatuation with our culture, but Filipinos listen to Filipinos. They need our crowds and we need their voice.

So what do you do with a vision on hold?  Later tonight, we'll head back to Mozambique, Africa to continue the work with another children's home for the month of June.  Our role there is dying down, but we still have to finish what we started and make sure they're still operating decades from now.  We're excited to return to our boys and check in on the status of the last few months, but it is still hard to leave our new home.  Over the next month, we'll be trekking up and down the southern coast of Africa with 30 hour bus rides to wrap up the work we've been doing out there.  It will be yet another big culture shock for us, but I think our emotions are starting to handle it by now.

Once we finish up in Africa, we'll be heading back to the States for the summer.  Please pray for us as we try to manage our ministry here from long distance, wrap up the work with our children's home in Mozambique, and head back for the reverse culture shock that is returning to the States.  We look forward to seeing everyone in a couple of months.  Let us know where you'll be!

Is It Worth It?

I remember a couple years ago, I saw this ad on tv about children starving in Africa. I remember thinking: these people aren't going to guilt trip me into giving money. Then I rationalized to myself, even if I do give money, half of it won't even go to the child. The truth is, I probably just spent that money on Starbucks or a cute dress. WAS IT WORTH IT? I just want to remind you all to think before you buy. As Americans, we often buy because we CAN or because we WANT to. I want to encourage you to say    NO to a bunch of the "little things" and do a big thing.  Save and give it away.  It is worth it. Each time I JUST SAY NO, I have been able to invest the money into a precious life. Whether it be feeding a sweet mother who is in downtown Phoenix, or helping a Filipino go to school...IT WAS WORTH IT! It's not that investing spiritually or emotionally into the lives of people isn't important, but it is harder for me to invest financially for a variety of excuses I have made. In truth, if you are paid more than 20,000 USD per year, you are in the top 90% of the world. You are blessed and you can bless others. "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,"He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way TO BE GENEROUS in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God." (2 Corinthians 9:6-11 ESV) The less you spend the more you can give away!!!  So next time you go to buy that fancy dinner on Saturday Night that you DESERVE or that shirt that was "on sale", please just think about it.  IS IT WORTH IT?

Not just crafts and Otter Pops...

It\'s hard to believe we\'ve been here for two weeks already. We\'ve been catching up with friends we haven\'t seen in a year and telling everyone the story of our wedding and showing off the pictures. The week we got here was the calm before the storm that is the camp season. One of the biggest uses of our camp and the property we run is a summer camp for underprivilidged kids in various areas around the island of Mindinao. During our summer break (March-June), we host a new group of children, varying in age and background. Our first camp finished yesterday.

During the week, I found myself flashing back to the various summer camp experiences I\'ve had over the years. Going to camp was our family vacation each summer and it\'s exciting to see these kids getting the same experience. We had over 150 children from around our own city join us for our day camp, and the only phrase I can use for it is controled chaos. I\'ve you\'ve ever experienced a summer camp, you know that phrase well. The energy level is at an extreme high and is the sugar content, which is always a dangerous combination.

But, we made it through the week alive, and Monday brings in another group. By the end of the summer, there may be close to 1000 children and teenagers from Northern Mindinao that have set foot on our campgrounds, experienced all of the events and games we have for them, and ultimately heard about the Gospel and the sacrifice of Jesus. After all, camp isn\'t just about crafts and Otter Pops. It can actually be exciting to love Jesus and fellowship with others that believe the same.

Tara and I are still waiting to see what the Lord could have for us and our time out here in Malaybalay, but until then, we\'re content with leading the conselors, washing the dishes, and playing tag with the kids since the campers don\'t understand a word we say. It\'s been incredible being here and setting up our home in the midst of outreach and loving on our kids at the children\'s home. we\'re excited to see what else God could have ahead of us...