Hello from Markina, Philippines!

We have now been in the Philippines for a little over a week! Thank you so much for your prayers for us as a team. We have been blessed by the hospitality of those we are serving with. The family that has welcomed us into their home here have helped us to adjust to life in the Philippines by helping us learn important phrases in Tagalog and by serving us some wonderful Filipino dishes!
We have enjoyed working alongside Pastor Ronnie who has traveled with us to our various ministry sites. He has a wonderful sense of humor! In the picture you can see us singing a special number at the church were Pastor Ronnie serves. We have joined in this church's outreach into a squatter community known as Neverland. There we have enjoyed playing games and singing songs with the children. We have also led Bible studies with the adults in the community. The team has been able to develop some wonderful relationships with some of the children in Neverland and we are encouraged by how the Lord is working in this community.

In the second half of last week we traveled to Cavite City to take part in the ministry of a church that is reaching out to people that live on a dump site. Seeing this intense poverty is very difficult and we continue to seek the Lord as to how we can communicate the love of Christ in this poverty stricken community. We will be returning to this community at the second half of every week that we are here in the Philippines.

The Lord is holding us together as a team and I am thankful for how we can work alongside one another in the Spirit of unity! Please continue to pray that the Lord will empower us to be bearers of his image to those we meet. Pray that His love will be visible in our interactions as a team and with those we meet. Please also pray for the health of our team members as some of us our not feeling well and need God's healing touch and power. Thank you again for your faithful support and prayer! God is moving in our midst and it is a joy to be a part of his kingdom work in Manila!

In His Hands,
The Expedition Team!